Star Quality Essay: The High Price of Success.
The film Star Quality is filled with conflict. The selection of the cast, the rehearsals, and even the opening night of the play were all very dramatic. The selection of the cast was done in a manner that allowed only the best actors to be selected for the available parts, but caused a lot of conflict between the actors themselves and the director. The rehearsals, as well as the opening night where also filled with a lot of conflicts which could have been easily avoided. Throughout the transformation of Bryan Snow's written play into a live performance, the director, Ray Malcolm, refuses to take any short cuts. He is determined to make the play as much of a success as possible, no matter how great the inconvenience. His hiring of the difficult Lorraine Barry, insisting on changing the ending of the play, and firing of Marian Blake were all decisions which caused him many problems, but where for the greater good of the play. It is clear that throughout the course of the film that Ray is determined to make the most of the play. Often, his decisions are very difficult to make since peace and prosperity "rarely go together in the theatre"(Ray Malcolm). .
First, Ray is given a choice between several actresses for the main role. Although he can easily select an ordinary actress who would be much easier to direct, he chooses Lorraine Barry, a very well known star. This is an instance in which he clearly chooses prosperity over peace. He is able to hire an ordinary actress who would obey his commands and not make any demands, but decides to choose Lorraine despite the fact that she can be extremely difficult to handle. Although Ray knows that employing Lorraine is bound to create difficulties, he is also aware that her participation will bring the play to life. In this instance Ray realizes that peace and prosperity are not a combination to be found.