In 1981, the idea to restore the classic Judy Garland version of the film A Star is Born (1954) took hold as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made tribute to longtime lyricist Ira Gershwin by screening "The Man That Got Away" number. Haver started his search for the lost footage in 1982 after being approved by the Academy. He found the footage in the Sound Department storage facility at the Warner Bros. studios and restored the deleted scenes from the film. These scenes, including two musical numbers, were cut by the studio shortly after its premiere due to distributor complaints about the film's length. Warner Bros. made the deletions without the cooperation of its director, George Cukor, and the scenes were lost for years, much to the disappointment of Garland fans and film historians. Because of the missing footage for the film, Haver used Cukor's production stills to cover the missing footage. The "restored" version of the film was screened at Radio City Music Hall on July 7, 1983, and was released nationwide.
