A Star Is Born Quotes
A film star helps a young singer and actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career on a downward spiral.
Norman Maine: Do you ever go fishing?
[Esther looks confused]
Norman Maine: Well, do you like prizefi--have you ever watched a great fighter?
Esther Blodgett: I-I uh--
Norman Maine: I'm trying to tell you how you sing.
Esther Blodgett: Do you mean like a prizefighter or a fish?
Norman Maine: Look...em--
[leads her into a kitchen]
Norman Maine: There are certain pleasures that you get--
[realizes that the sound of clanging dishes is intolerable and they depart for the outside]
Norman Maine: There are certain pleasures you get, little-little jabs of pleasure when a swordfish take a hook, or-or when you see a great fighter get in right for the kill, see?
[Esther still looks confused]
Norman Maine: You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?
Esther Blodgett: No, not yet. Why don't you try bullfights?
[Esther looks confused]
Norman Maine: Well, do you like prizefi--have you ever watched a great fighter?
Esther Blodgett: I-I uh--
Norman Maine: I'm trying to tell you how you sing.
Esther Blodgett: Do you mean like a prizefighter or a fish?
Norman Maine: Look...em--
[leads her into a kitchen]
Norman Maine: There are certain pleasures that you get--
[realizes that the sound of clanging dishes is intolerable and they depart for the outside]
Norman Maine: There are certain pleasures you get, little-little jabs of pleasure when a swordfish take a hook, or-or when you see a great fighter get in right for the kill, see?
[Esther still looks confused]
Norman Maine: You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?
Esther Blodgett: No, not yet. Why don't you try bullfights?
Esther Blodgett: [Norman has returned to find Esther in a nightclub. Esther walks over to him with a small laugh] Hello, Mr. Maine. You turn up in the strangest places.
Norman Maine: Don't I now?
Esther Blodgett: [stops laughing, suddenly shocked] And you're cold sober.
Norman Maine: Well, you'd better make the most of it!
Norman Maine: Don't I now?
Esther Blodgett: [stops laughing, suddenly shocked] And you're cold sober.
Norman Maine: Well, you'd better make the most of it!
Esther Blodgett: [Norman has finished looking through Esther's scrapbook] You know as much about me as I do myself. But...you see how long it's taken me to get this far. Now, all I need is just a little luck.
Norman Maine: What kind of luck?
Esther Blodgett: Oh, the kind of luck that every girl singer with a band dreams of--one night a big talent scout from a big record company might come in and he'll let me make a record.
Norman Maine: Yes, and then?
Esther Blodgett: Well, the record will become number one on the Hit Parade, it'll be played on the jukeboxes all over the country...and I'll be made
[laughs self-deprecatingly at the implausibility]
Esther Blodgett: End of dream.
Norman Maine: There's only one thing wrong with that.
Esther Blodgett: I know--it won't happen!
Norman Maine: No, it might happen pretty easily--but the dream isn't big enough.
Norman Maine: What kind of luck?
Esther Blodgett: Oh, the kind of luck that every girl singer with a band dreams of--one night a big talent scout from a big record company might come in and he'll let me make a record.
Norman Maine: Yes, and then?
Esther Blodgett: Well, the record will become number one on the Hit Parade, it'll be played on the jukeboxes all over the country...and I'll be made
[laughs self-deprecatingly at the implausibility]
Esther Blodgett: End of dream.
Norman Maine: There's only one thing wrong with that.
Esther Blodgett: I know--it won't happen!
Norman Maine: No, it might happen pretty easily--but the dream isn't big enough.
