It’s hard to view this film today without noticing the similarities between James Mason’s portrayal of "Norman Maine" and what Judy Garland experienced later in her life. He embodies a fading Hollywood icon sustained by alcohol and the constant interventions of his studio head, “Oliver Niles” (Charles Bickford), who tries to prevent him from total collapse. Simultaneously, "Esther Blodgett" (Garland) is working as an…