Bette Davis had a triumphant comeback in 1950 with "All About Eve" just a year after leaving Warner Brothers. That great role, however, did not result in an avalanche of great scripts to come her way. After all, she was well past the age of 40, and considered difficult to work with by many Hollywood moguls. "The Star" released in 1952, is respectable, although not quite of the caliber of Margo Channing. Davis plays Margaret Elliot, a big Hollywood star on the way down. Not only does she find herself replaced by younger actresses on the screen, she's also out of money. Yes, this could have been Davis' life story at the time. To deal with her problems, Margaret finds herself turning to drink -- she is picked up for drunk driving while touring the Hollywood celebrities homes (with her Oscar propped up on the dashboard!). Enter Jim, played by Sterling Hayden, who bails her out of jail and begins a relationship with this difficult and temperamental actress. Just why he seems to take to her strains credibility a bit -- apparently Margaret gave him a part in a movie, but barely remembers him. After all, Jim is a handsome, rugged boat-builder; and she is a spoiled actress. The differences between them escalate, and Margaret sinks all her hope in a movie role given her. In typical vain Hollywood fashion, she fails to listen to the director, and tries to turn a middle-aged frump role into a ridiculous sexy one. This, of course, results in disaster for Margaret. This is not a perfect film, and there are holes n the script, and the ending feels tacked on. But what set Bette apart from other actresses of her genre was her ability to take a mundane script and run with it -- she runs the gamut of emotions in this part, and has at least several breakdowns and tantrums that are always a joy to watch her perform. I don't feel Bette and Sterling Hayden had much chemistry on screen, although Hayden does a respectable job with his role. A young Natalie Wood is also on hand as Davis' daughter; she has little to do here except look cute, but the future would tell a different tale.
