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Before there was Gaga, there was Garland.

A Star Is Born, the classic Hollywood tale about a young star rising to fame and the downfall of her mentor along the way, has seen five film adaptations, but none compares with the 1954 version starring Judy Garland in possibly her greatest r ole. The story, depicting the dark side of fame, addiction and suicide, paralleled Judy’s own tumultuous life. Here, her daughter, Lorna Luft, tells the st ory of the troubled production, and of her mother’s fight t o save her career. It includes incisive commentary from film historian Jeffrey Vance, essays on the other sc reen adaptations, and some lavish illustrations. Out now