In George Cukor's remake, fading matinee idol Norman Maine helps young singer and actress Esther Blodgett find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career on a downward spiral.

Norman Maine, a movie star whose career is on the wane, meets showgirl Esther Blodgett when he drunkenly stumbles into her act one night. A friendship develops, then blossoms into romance before tensions increase as Esther's career takes off while Norman's continues to plummet.—Col Needham <[email protected]>