The 1954 A Star Is Born was the first one to introduce the element that we now associate closely with it: its music. It's no small wonder that Warner Bros. chose to make this one a musical, given that movie musical icon Judy Garland was cast as leading lady Esther (opposite James Mason as Norman). The movie hews pretty closely to the 1937 original in general, but deviates in the details. Instead of being a lonely farm girl, Esther is a snappy young singer who gains Norman's attention not by simply existing, but by saving him from public embarrassment when they first meet. Additionally, the movie incorporated a range of contemporary musical numbers; most famously, the Gershwin standard "The Man That Got Away" was specifically written for this movie. It was critically praised (with particular acclaim for Garland), was nominated for six Oscars, and won Golden Globes for both Garland and Mason.