The story of A Star Is Born, with stills from the production of the film and stories from the producer, Sid Luft, who was also married to the star of the movie, the one and only Judy Garland (and my all time favorite actress) and also from Lorna Luft, Judy's daughter. The book is rather short, but it goes into great detail into the movie and makes you feel like you were right there. I found the book to be a great companion to the movie.

An interesting look into Judy Garland's life and the history of the film A Star is Born. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Judy Garland.

I would basically read anything that's written about Judy Garland - and this one is partly written by her daughter, Lorna Luft - so I was sold from the getgo! Garland's life is absolutely fascinating but it's even more heartwrenching and honest when told from her daughter's perspective. Her previous book, "Me and My Shadows," was released in the 1990s, so this was a great way for Garland's story to be updated and reflected upon by someone who knew her best (and with a current, more relevant lens). Luft describes the huge amount of work that went into making the remarkable 1954 film, "A Star is Born." There are lots of interesting tidbits about the filmmaking process and how Garland approached the material (which in retrospect would have been very relatable to her as an addict). I loved finding out more about Garland's efforts to make this film a comeback vehicle for herself (after having been branded difficult to work with) and the lengths she went to in order to produce a masterpiece that's still celebrated by film buffs today. My only qualm with the book was the inclusion of a lot of detail about the previous and future "Star is Born" films - I wasn't as interested in those passages as I was about the Garland ones. And the writing style by the co-author seemed way too different and jarring compared to Luft's. I'm so glad that Luft is keeping her mother's legendary status alive and is presenting her story with more compassion in light of what we know today about addiction and mental health. Now I'm off to watch "A Star is Born"!

While it's an interesting look into Judy Garland, I find it to be a bit boring overall. The writing is mostly okay but it didn't retain my interest very well. That said, I did enjoy reading about Judy Garland. I confess that I don't know much about her but this definitely makes me want to look into her more.

I love judy garland and this was an eye opener. What she went through. Hollywood is a tough game. I will look at the world of acting in a different light now

I Loved this book. I was a huge fan of the film too. I’m also a big Judy Garland fan. Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity to review this book by Lorna Luft and Jeffrey Vance. It was so informative and is a must read for Judy Garland fans and fans of the film A Star is Born. I will not give any spoilers. If you are a classic film buff like I am, plus the Judy Garland fan, I hope you take the opportunity to read this book. Such an excellent read!

Wow! Excellently written and very, very informative! I highly recommend this book for all of Judy Garland fans!

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the making (and unmaking) of the film, how it affected Judy Garland’s career and life, and the restoration and rebirth of A Star is Born. If you haven’t already seen the restored version of this classic, you’ll definitely want to after reading this.

Lorna Luft writes about the great responsibility she feels toward her mother’s legacy, and with this book, I feel she has done that legacy justice.

This book is an interesting and touching read for any fans of Judy Garland or old Hollywood, balanced between the personal perspective of Garland's daughter Lorna Luft and the analytical perspective from film historian Jeffrey Vance. It explores both Judy's life and legacy, particularly in her favorite film of her career, and the context of the various versions of A Star Is Born from 1937 through 2018. The narrative shifts between Luft and Vance could be a bit jarring, but I really enjoyed learning more about the history of this film and seeing all of the fantastic behind-the-scenes photos. I'll definitely be having an A Star Is Born movie marathon soon!

The crowning achievement in the amazing Judy Garland's filmography gets a behind the scenes view written by her daughter Lorna Luft. "A Star is Born" is one of the greatest movies ever made but the road leading to, during and after the picture was fraught with tumultuous problems. At the center was Judy Garland, a legendary performer, whose life was a tale of loss, addiction and pain in many ways mirrored the characters in the film. The story of her mother's life is written with love, humor and honesty allowing those of us who knew Judy from her movies, TV shows and concerts to see behind the curtain. This book gave me a greater appreciation for an already much loved movie and the incredible Judy Garland and what she went through to bring the film to life. A must read for movie and Judy Garland fans alike!

A fascinating look into the production of the famous movie. Great for old movie buffs but if you aren't familiar with the cast it might be a bit boring.

When I saw this book, it was a must-read as I have long admired the superb talent that was the inimitable Judy Garland. That voice, those eyes that always had a glimmer of sadness in them, those dance moves - all perfection.
This book, written in part by her middle daughter, Lorna Luft, tells the backstory of the second remaking of A Star Is Born. This movie was one that she hoped would revitalize her waning Hollywood career.
Luft provides a plethora of previously unseen photos from the period surrounding the making of what some consider Garland's finest work. The soundtrack in this version is amazing.
This book is written in an easy-to-read manner and does give Garland's fans more insight about the film. It should be on the list of film buffs and Judy Garland devotees.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A STAR IS BORN is a stunning recounting of the movie that brought legend Judy Garland her greatest achievement ... and her most profound loss. Co-written by her daughter, Lorna Luft, with film historian Jeffrey Vance, this absorbing read describes all film versions, giving especial focus to the 1954 release with Judy and James Mason, produced by Judy’s husband and Lorna’s father, Sid Luft.

The gripping narrative describes Judy’s fight to salvage her reputation after the film — too long for accepted Hollywood tastes — was butchered in editing, destroying its quality and leading to a devastating Oscar loss for the star. Today, a director’s version has been recreated from previously lost footage and audio, allowing the movie to take its rightful place among the greatest films of all time. Wonderful photos from the family’s collection, from on and off the set, give an intimate touch to the Garland story. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Perseus Books, Running Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#AStarIsBorn(turnerClassicMovies) #NetGalley

As one who grew up watching The Wizard of Oz every year during its annual television showing, I was interested in reading the book. I am a casual Judy Garland fan and have seen several movies about her life. While this book was a fine effort by one of her daughters, it just felt too long to me. At times, I thought that the book was reaching its conclusion, only to find that it had started up again, often in a different direction. I was unsure as to why some information, for example, the chapter about Barbra Streisand's version of the movie, was included in the book. While interesting, I believe that the book's focus should have remained on Judy Garland. However, I understand that the movie, A Star Is Born, was a main character of the book.

The book required editing. I enjoyed the inclusion of all the old photographs. I wish there were more in the book.

A Star is Born, by Lorna Luft and Jeffrey Vance, analyzes all the movie versions of this story, but the book is primarily about the 1954 film directed by George Cukor, starring Judy Garland and James Mason and produced by Judy Garland's husband and Lorna Luft's father, Sid Luft.

This movie is called "the Film that Got Away" because, according to the authors of the book, that even though the film was a hit with audiences,it was cut to the point where it didn't make sense to squeeze in more showings per day. And Judy Garland got blamed for the fiasco.

There have always been fans and critics who preferred the version released in 1937, directed by William Wellman and starring Fredric March and Janet Gaynor. I always liked the way Wellman's film tied the settlement of the West into a movie about movie stars on the verge of the second world war.

The character of the movie star's grandmother, who tells her granddaughter what it was like to travel in a covered wagon, is by the end of the movie the most modern character in the story, addressing a radio audience in a mink at a movie premiere.

This book is also fun for those who like the seventies version starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. Neil Diamond was considered for the role, but instead he did his own remake of The Jazz Singer in 1980.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Running Press for a digital review copy.)

I"m a huge fan of the movie, so this book was a great look inside the making. Love that Ms. Garland's daughter helped to co-author the book. Great for Old Hollywood fans, or the legions of fans Ms. Garland still has.

Judy Garland was the epitome of a movie star. She could dance, act in comedies and dramas, and boy could she sing! The second A Star Is Born, starring Judy Garland and James Mason, is my favorite of the three incarnations, soon to be four. It has always been one of my favorite movies. To me it is classic Hollywood.
This is a wonderful book, written by Lorna Luft, Judy’s daughter with Sid Luft, and writer Jeffrey Vance. There is so much trivia and gossip about Judy Garland, and Hollywood and Broadway. My favorite trivia is that after filming was completed on A Star Is Born, Sid Luft bought all of the iconic furniture to furnish their family home! Ms. Luft said that they literally lived on the movie set.
This book is as much a biography and personal memoir as it is a well-researched history of the film industry. It is a must for movie lovers and highly recommended.

I've always admired Judy Garland. She's without a doubt one of the best actresses of all time. But still, I think there are lots of things people don't know about her, and this book helps a lot. It's very interesting to read these stories. Also, the graphic work is really well done. Such beautiful photos!

I received this free copy from netgalley.com for an honest review.
This was a quick read and I loved that! I love everything about Judy Garland and fell in love with Lorna when I first saw her in Grease 2. I was ecstatic to find this book.
I love the premise of following Judy through the process of A Star is Born. I loved the detail from Lorna on her memories of seeing this movie for the first time. I adored the photos that were included as well. The one section that threw me off was the chapter regarding Barbara Streisand and her remake of A Star is Born. For me, it felt rushed and it was just thrown in there for filler. I know this is still in the works, so forgiving the format and unaligned pages was easy to do.
I give this book 4 Stars. Hoping to hear more from Lorna in book world.