MovieChat Forums > A Star Is Born (1976) Discussion > Trivia: Cher and Neil Diamond

Trivia: Cher and Neil Diamond

posted 17 years ago by reedsbite
7 replies | jump to latest

were signed on to play in Rainbow Road or whatever its working title was before Streisand and Peters took over. Oh my, I can't even imagine Cher warbling out some god awful song and Neil Diamond as a rocker??? I like Neil Diamond, but he's not sexy or rock and roll (not even in those days). For those of you who hate the Streisand/Kristofferson version, you could have been stuck with a 1976 Cher/Neil Diamond pairing. Now that, would have been a disaster. Anyway, Cher was not happy when she didn't get the part. She said "what does Streisand know about rock and roll" I don't know, but I sure don't call any of what Cher's ever done "rock and roll" either. Unless she thought she was a know it all at the time cause she was married to a heroin junkie in a rock and roll band.

[–] shelton_k 17 years ago

I agree,I cant see them playing the roles of John Norman and Esther. Especially Neil Diamond.
"Godamnit, the sun does NOT spit!" - Doris

[–] navajo-11 17 years ago

Was anyone else considered for the part of john norman

[–] hitchcock_blonde 16 years ago

Barbra Streisand really wanted Elvis fro the part, or Marlon Brando as a second choice. Mick Jagger was also considered for the role.

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[–] michelle-605 16 years ago

I agree that the Cher/ND pairing might have been a disaster, but I think the Streisand/ND pairing could've produced a classic IF Streisand played the John Norman Howard storyline and ND played Esther's.

I know Streisand was trying to make a feminist statement about empowerment--well I think she should've taken it further and really pushed herself as a dramatic actress by playing the star on the way down. She is the stronger personality (on screen and off) so I think she could've done an unbelievable job with it.

Neil Diamond--as evinced by his performance in the Jazz Singer--is not the bad actor so many say he is. I think his being a film novice would have added to his performance as a talented newbie transformed into a superstar by a powerful love interest. I don't think his ego would have been offended by taking the softer role. (And I disagree with you about ND not being sexy. Back in the mid-70s when the movie was shot he looked pretty damn hot in his leather bellbottoms--see the Thank You Australia concert.;) For my taste he's a hell of a lot hotter than Kris Kristofferson.)

And, of course, the music would've been fantastic. Given their duet four years later I think we missed out. I would not have set the film in the world of rock, but stuck with Streisand's own comfort zone of Broadway and pop music.

[–] dtdbiz 16 years ago

While watching the opening concert sequence with Kristofferson peforming, I kept wondering, "Whose singing style does he remind me of?" Then it hit me: Neil Diamond. I was surprised to see that Diamond didn't contribute any songs, actually SHOCKED that in addition to Paul Williams, the soundtrack was embellished by Rupert Holmes -- of "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)." Egads.

Diamond would've been too young at the time to play an aging rocker at the end of his career; his star was peaking. Also, I'm not sure of his acting ability. Cher certainly would fit the bill and her acting is on par with Streisand's. But she wasn't a movie star at the time, only a TV pop star.

[–] [email protected] (2017) 5 years ago

Isn't this a remake of 2 previous films with the same title?

[–] Wuchak (8772) 4 years ago

Cher would've worked just fine and she had far better songs in the 70s, at least better ones than in this movie.