Last film night, a full house fairly rocked to the music of the latest up-dated classic Hollywood fairy tale, writes June Howell.

If you’re as old as I am, you will remember not one, but two predecessors to ‘A Star is Born’.

In 1976 we saw the great Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, and before that, in 1954, there was Judy Garland and James Mason.

Apparently there was an even earlier version made in 1937, which doesn’t get any credit these days for being the first to showcase the tale of the unknown girl singer, who is spotted and promoted by the ageing star.

Then, surprise, surprise, they fall in love and hitch up as a married couple. Unfortunately, their moment of matrimonial bliss is short-lived, as her musical career goes spectacularly stellar, while his goes in a downward spiral, aided and abetted by the demon drink.

So, awash with comparisons, how does the 2019 version stand up to the competition? Well, Lady GaGa is a pretty strong suit to beat, and I was more than content to see Kris Kristofferson supplanted by Bradley Cooper, whose numerous film roles have somehow completely by-passed me thus far.

Wow - what an accomplished actor! And they say playing drunk is one of the hardest things to act. He was brilliant!

I was even more impressed to discover that he had to learn to play the guitar, on top of learning to play drunk!

His co-star had no such problems being a seasoned musician and singer, and she wasn’t going to allow any of that lip-syncing nonsense.

All of the songs were filmed live, and it was, of course, at Lady G.’s insistence, that Bradley had to learn the guitar. Lady G. also wrote, or co-wrote, thirteen out of eighteen original songs.

I enjoy the fact that Bradley, a personal friend of Willie Nelson’s son, asked him to take on the role of guitarist for his film band.

Once involved in the project, Lukas Nelson went on to co-write several original songs, together with a line-up comprising the cream of America’s current song-writers.

There was a downside however. Yet again, the strong US accents, combined with a slightly muffled sound-track, made it hard to catch every utterance.

However, in some cases, this was no sad loss; for words beginning with “f”, this film possibly deserves an Oscar.

Next film, on April 23, is ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Music again. but this is the biopic of the great and late-lamented Freddie Mercury of the rock band ‘Queen’. Rami Malek, I’ve been told already, is quite wonderful as Freddie.

Bar open before screening at 7.30 pm. Films4tenby is a community cinema run by Anne Draper and Val Coates-Rees.

Annual membership is £10. Member’s tickets £4; non-members £5. Pre-film suppers at ‘Fuchsias Cafe’ may be booked in advance, 01834 219224