Some thoughts on traveling to Washington D.C. this season

I'm at Sacramento Airport!>

   It is 6 a.m. at the bustling airport and a mad house.  It is pouring of rain and many passengers arrived late and had to be re-scheduled, luckily I am on time.   The departure lounge does not hold the usual business travelers on this early morning flight to Washington D.C. but is full of interesting looking people.  As an anthropologist I particularly enjoy airports, watching all the different type of people traveling all over the world.  Today is a feast for my eyes.  Where do all these people come from, they don’t look like the usual passengers at Sacramento airport?   A 6 year-old girl bounces past me tossing her head to ensure we notice the large red feathers in her blonde hair.  Her mother equally blonde with many fluffy scarves following dragging a brother.  Then I see the dark curly haired father, wearing equally highly colored clothes, a red sweater this time, and pulling three cases on a rack.  Where do they come from?  They do not look like any Europeans I have seen before; perhaps from Russia or Eastern Europe?   Then I spy an interesting looking woman.  She is very short and very round.  She is dragging two suitcases on top of one another, a computer bag over her one shoulder and purse on other shoulder and the largest plastic bag I have ever seen!   This type of plastic bag I have seen in the Middle East or Europe.   She is like a round apple and rolls along with these appendices hanging from her body. She is obviously very strong.  How will she get them all on the plane?
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> The boarding agent has obviously had a bad week.  She keeps calling out asking people to check bags and she won’t charge them.  It is a full flight, she says and space is at a premium but nobody is listening, they are all determined to get everything on the plane and consequently we are forty minutes leaving.  I see my round lady, a few seats ahead, pushing her plastic bag into an overhead, she made it!   Across the aisle I notice a Moslem young woman adjusting her head scarf; she seems to have trouble with her head phones.  In fact, she constantly finds it necessary to adjust the scarf; it comes off and she looks furtively around, in case anyone see her hair presumably and pulls it down across her forehead and twirls it around her neck.  She is very slim and tiny, wearing jeans and a brown jacket and very high heel sexy black sandals.  I find the modesty of the hair and sexy sandals such a contrast. Of course I can‘t take my eyes off her.  She is aware of me and I feel guilty about watching her.  I must smile the next time we catch eyes.  I smile and she responds and asks me the time, “How far are we away from Washington D.C.?”  We figure out we are about half way there.  She speaks very softly so I get up and move over to her. I ask if she is a student from Davis University, I know they have many foreign students.  No, she is attending Sac State University, studying languages.  She is going home for the holidays and misses her family so much.  She has two brothers and two sisters and talks to her mother and family on Skype  every day. She is traveling to Frankfurt and on to her home town.  I tell her I am an anthropologist and interested in people who are different from me.  Doubt she understands exactly what an anthropologist is but understands the concept.  I tell her I like her dark eyes and skin and she tells me she loves the Californian people with their big smiles.  Everyone smiles at her, she says.  I am glad about that because she is very brave to come from such a long way away and study in a culture so different from her own.  Where is she from?  Saudi Arabia, she says.  Oh good I think the first person I have met from Saudi Arabia.
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> I have traveled to the Middle East many times and love the people. The first time was the trip I took with my daughter nearly twenty years ago to Egypt on this same flight to Frankfurt, then 6 hours lay over in Athens and finally into to Cairo at 10:30 p.m.  It seemed we had been flying for days, but the second we saw the bright lights of the hotels in the city, we were awake.  The Egyptians had decorated the hotels with Christmas themes for us and Disney land characters. It was a magical trip and led me to travel to Jordon, Syria, Tunisia and Libya.  The people were always very kind and considerate to us, I never will forget the man, walking with his wife, who nodded to us with hands together, saying “Welcome, welcome” in Syria. 
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> I think of another young woman I met many years ago who was traveling around the world.  She went back to New Zealand and I have an urge to visit her and her family.  So a new trip is planned.
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>  Hope everyone enjoys their time with family and friends during this holiday season.  Christmas was the holiday Judy particularly enjoyed and loved decorating her homes.

Comparison of two movies-"A Star" and "Show Business"

Lose that Long Face from "A Star is Born"

http://youtu.be/iChCYkO-b-g
http://youtu.be/iChCYkO-b-ghttp://youtu.be/iChCYkO-b-g

I’m watching “There’s no Business Like Show Business” with Ethel Merman (who managed to get herself into nine numbers yet!!) and Dan Dailey; vaudeville couple with three children, Johnnie Ray, Mitzi Gaynor and Donald O’Connor set in the early 1900’s.  This is a typical 20^th Century musical and suddenly I realize it was made in 1954, the same year that Judy made her “A Star is Born” masterpiece.  What a difference!   The first thing I noticed that there were no close-ups, absolutely none – even on Marilyn Monroe who had a small part in the movie. I can only assume that the director or cameraman did not know how to handle them in the new CinemaScope! 

Judy and Johnnie Ray

I enjoyed the Fox musicals and I particularly liked Betty Grable in movies like, “Mother Wore Tights” and there were so, so, many of these vaudeville movies.  

The powers to be who put together “A Star” had a deeper insight into what was happening in “show business” in the mid 1950s.  Of course we had a touch of vaudeville with Judy showing her rise in The Born in a Truck sequence.  

Born in a Trunk 

I thought of what a different path Judy was taking from her friends, and she had many friends in this movie.  I wonder if they ever met during the making of the two movies and discussed their projects.  Judy had met Donald O’Connor as a child in vaudeville and they were good friends through the years.  She and Ethel were certainly long time friends – I remember her telling us (Lorna Smith and I) in London in 1960 that she should be meeting Ethel and Kay Thompson in Italy.  And certainly at the end of her life she was friendly with Johnnie Ray and performed in Europe with him and was living in his rental house in London when she died.  Marilyn and Judy were social friends in Hollywood and fond of eachother.

Judy and Marilyn

How different these movies were and to consider them together makes us realize just how magnificent A Star is Born  was.   Judy was taking control of her career and shaking off the light hearted musicals of MGM.  What a pity that the three film package with Warner Bros. did not happen when she and Luft put together their original plans – just think we might have had two more movies of the caliber of The Star!

  

Still from "A Star"

            

Judy Garland Long Playing records

I am supposed to be writing a blog about the many Judy Garland LP's I have, but have got caught up listening to Steve Gadd's sax playing of "Georgia on my Mind" on Spotify.  How the technology has changed in the last 50 years!

Most of my long playing records

"Annie Get Your Gun" and Hannah's favorite doll 

Hannah and me and a couple of favorites

Well, back to the LP's.  Hannah came to visit me for a couple of days and instead of searching through my many Judy books, CD's and DVD's she was fascinated by my collection of long playing records and pulled them all out of the cupboard, spread them all over the place and luckily my turn table still worked and we played some of them-"Annie Get your Gun" was one.

Strangely, or maybe not, I never get them out now.  When did they stop producing LP's?  Was it in the late 1970's or 1980's when CD's arrived on the scene?  These LP's have been with me seemingly all my life.  Originally I had 78's but I guess I left those behind when I came to the States in 1962.  Those early Capital LP's were so important - Miss Show Business, Judy, Judy in Love and so on.  A new one would be issued every six months or so and we would play the new one again, again, and again until the songs were firmly entrenched  in our souls.  In talking with Lorna Smith, sometime in the last few years, we both agreed that we didn't actually need to play the records any more, they were already in our heads and could be called to mind any time we wished.  There is a songs for all our moods, happy, sad, funny or what every was needed.

I look at the history of the records; some were bought in England in the 1950's, some in the States and even more in England in the 1970's.  "A Star is Born" was brought back to me by a boy friend visiting the States on business in 1955s  - I remembered being so disappointed that it was a record I already had.  I'd hoped he would have found something that was not issued in England.   But it did have the impressive package which we didn't have over there.

These poor old records have had a long and tiring life.  The journey to Los Angeles, California in 1962; a move up to Northern California in 1967, back to England again in 1970 for 3 years, then back to Northern California - where they had some peace for 20 years.  Then either off to Connecticut or Palm Springs (can't remember).  Finally back to Northern California about twelve years ago.

What are my favorites?  The classical Capital editions of  "Judy," "Judy in Love," "Alone," Miss Show Business" along with the special LP which was produced by DeRoy Sound Services for the British Club many years ago.  This includes the radio show were Judy talks with 3-year old Liza and many radio programmes where we can hear Judy laughing and giggling with stars like Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.  This material we did not have access to many years ago.  Nowadays people can find practically anything on YouTube.

There have been some discussions recently on various web sites about where Judy most enjoyed singing and many people were surprised that she enjoyed the recording sessions best.  This makes most sense to me.  Having been with Judy on couple of her recording sessions, I saw her in action there.  I also saw her in concert many times, also several of CBS shows.  In the recording studio she was in control - see my previous blog about being at the London Sessions - Judy worked with the musical director and musicians - they were a team producing a piece of art.  Live performances were exciting, but one had to consider what was happening back stage; how the audience was; whether Judy felt her voice was in perfect condition -  many factors which she could not control.  At the studio, she would listen to the play back and re-do the recording if she wished.  She also did not have to dress up; could wear her comfortable attire, pants, flat shoes and blouse.  She didn't have to put up with someone fussing with her hair or make-up.    She was completely at home there and these are my favorite memories.

Always for Judy,  Joan

PS Just watching Judy duets on PBS, thank goodness for PBS.  Mickey and Judy "You're so Right for me" perfect.

Review of latest publication from The International Judy Garland Club

"Sweet to Stunning" - Homage to Young Judy

I shuffled the papers on my desk and find it!!  The latest publication from Gary Horrocks, and suddenly I am transported back to those early years on the MGM set with Judy.

I thought how pleased Judy would be, if she were to look down at us from over the rainbow,  to see how well the club is doing.  She always loved to see the publications they issued and enjoyed meeting members. I think she would be proud of the club now.

John Fricke captures her early life and first work with the studio up to the movie, For Me and My Gal.

John Walther brings alive Judy's work on the radio, not only singing but acting in several Theatre shows including Lux Radio and The Chase & Sanborn programs (sometimes we are lucky enough to find these performances included as an extra with a Judy movie on DVD).  She worked with practically everyone in the entertainment industry even those outside of MGM!  We must not forget the many composers, musicians and musical directors of the era.  She performed 140 live radio programs in seven years, in addition to her movie work; mostly in her teen years.

But the most interesting article to me was the one by Jonathan Summers.  He documents his efforts to get Judy's 1960 recordings at EMI released starting in April 2000.  At that time the studio decided the material 'would not do the artist justice'.  What absolute rubbish!!  There was no doubt that Judy was in her finest voice then.  Thank goodness Jonathan persisted and later worked with First Hand Records and managed to get a package together.  He mentions his difficulties in getting photographs from these sessions and I thought ironically that if Lorna Smith and I had taken a camera in to the EMI studios on August 3, 1960 when we were with Judy when she recorded four songs, we could have given him our photos!!! But we had decided not to take a camera in as this might be distracting to Judy as she was working.  Oh Well!

Thank you Jonathan for your efforts and thank you Gary and Justin for producing another beautiful edition.

The London Studio Recordings 1957-1964

The "Judy Garland - London Studio Recordings, 1957-1964" CD set arrived and I knew I had to clear my schedule for a few hours.  Listening to Judy is never a background project for me!  So this Sunday afternoon I put away my latest book proposal and turned on the stereo.  I knew this would be an emotional afternoon, as certain songs bring an immediate smile to my face while others bring on the tears. 

As I listened to the London Studio Recordings, memories and thoughts flooded my mind:

My first thoughts were…what a complete collaboration there was between Judy and the orchestra.  Of course she had been recording since she was a teenager and it was part of her life.  Whatever troubles there were in Judy’s personal life at the time, it didn't matter when she was in the recording studio.  It never encroached upon her recording sessions.  There she could be natural and not bother with dressing up, because it was just her and the musicians.  She was at home, loving her craft.


I choked up right away as I heard the first track, “It's So Lovely To Be Back Again in London.”  I was at the opening of Judy's Dominion Theatre engagement on October 16, 1957, when she sang this song.  And I still have the small LP which Judy gave to the opening night audience members.

costume Judy wore for this opening song. 

Love the solo sax behind her during the soaring “…can’t go on” phrase in “Stormy Weather”.

“You Go To My Head” and immediately a smile comes on my face – such a playful song.

Judy sang this at the London Palladium 1960

“Rock-a-Bye” takes me back to Judy's engagement at the London Palladium in 1951.

Judy at London Palladium on opening night 1951

“It’s a Great Day for the Irish” and she is nineteen years old again!

The magnificent “I Happen to Like New York” – more tears.  I was in the studio when she recorded it; so glad she is resting there.

“Do It Again” – I remember the completely still theater and one small spotlight on Judy’s face as she performed this song at her Palladium show in 1960.

“Come Rain or Come Shine” – I remember thinking at the Dominion 1957 that this was the most exciting thing I had ever seen on stage.  She wore a feathered tomato red-colored dress, while the bongo drummer sat at Judy's feet.  He never left her side as they both gave each other encouraging and inspiring looks throughout the performance.  Then the orchestra soared behind them till the song reached its climatic finish.

“The Man That Got Away" – One of the best versions of this song.  Love the solo sax that comes in behind her.  If I could only have one song with me on a desert island, I would choose to have every version of this song.

“You'll Never Walk Alone” – When I first heard this song years ago (Judy recorded it the first time in NY in 1945, just after her marriage to Vincente Minnelli), I felt then it was nearly operatic.  She wanted so much to do a Broadway show.

“Chicago” and “San Francisco” – Happy songs and memories of Judy skipping around the stage.

Her voice was so strong and in its finest shape in 1960.  It's a shame the future tours were so demanding and pity she didn’t keep some of the money she earned.  Instead, her earnings went into other people’s pockets.

“Hello Bluebird” – We were at the London Palladium all day, cast as extras in the audience, while they filmed the concert scenes for her movie, "I Could Go On Singing."  I remember listening to the playback of this song over and over again as we sat in the theater, with Judy coming out now and then to film her sequences.  Oh!  Happy Day!  1962

"Blue Bird" British fan club members in Dress Circle

“(I’ll go my way) By Myself” – Very emotional, as she was in the last stages of her marriage to Sid Luft. 

“I Could Go On Singing” – Lorna Smith and I were invited to attend this recording session at the EMI studio in the summer of 1962.  We were standing at the side when Judy arrived escorted by Dirk Bogarde and she seemed surprised to see so many people – approximately 80 sitting on bleachers!  She quickly sent them off for some refreshments, perhaps to relax them.  (Thanks to Frank Labrador for putting me in contact with David Price for the  photographs from this evening.)    
Judy wore a black dress and very high-heeled shoes, which quickly came off when she turned and began to sing (with her back to us).  These recordings, which were made when I was actually present in the studio, are very emotional for me.

Judy at EMI studios getting ready to sing.  Lorna Smith and I were in the group somewhere? 

Judy recording "I Could go on Singing" for movie of that name

Judy with her children + Lorna Smith over on the right edge.

In 1964, Judy was not supposed to have sung for a long period after being ill in Hong Kong earlier that year.  But she came back to London, went to a benefit and they encouraged her to sing – and off she went again!  Four joyful “Maggie May” songs were recorded in August 1964, during the 6 months she lived in England.

Judy with Lionel Bart in 1964

“Lucky Day” – She sang this song so often in concerts, usually at the beginning of the show.  Brings back good memories.

“Stormy Weather” – Love the solo horn and sax “singing” around Judy’s voice.  This is perhaps the most beautiful of all the London Studio recordings. 

Love “Please Say “Ah” – So nice to hear something new.

Those moments when I was in Judy’s presence at a recording studio or at concert seem to me as if they only happened a few months ago.  They are so clear in my mind.  As I mentioned above, Lorna Smith (my friend and then current president of Judy Garland's fan club) and I were very lucky to have witnessed one of her recording sessions at the EMI Studios on August 3, 1960.  Many years after this recording session, Lorna Smith asked Judy about her beautiful and sensitive rendition of “Why Was I Born?” she recorded that day and Judy giggled, "I expect they lost it!”  Thank goodness they didn’t lose it…or any of the other songs she recorded at the EMI Studios.  Now we all can enjoy them.

Judy Garland recording the London Sessions at EMI 1960

I thought I should share my memories of being with Judy one evening at the Abbey Road studios in 1960, particularly as the recordings are being re-issued.  The following is an extract from material I have written many times before and will be in the book, when it ever materializes!!    

          'Lorna Smith called Judy and spoke to her on Sunday, 31 July at 1:15 pm, while Judy was at the Westbury Hotel in London.  Lorna inquired how she was and chatted about her recent trip to Rome and diets; both were trying to lose weight.  Judy asked how the club members were and she thanked Lorna again for the lovely presents and flowers and for thinking of the children.  Lorna replied that Judy had given the fans lots of pleasure and this was the only way to show it.  Judy commented that it was very sweet and she appreciated it.

taken a few days before at Press Reception

          When asked about the children, Judy told Lorna that she would stay in Europe for a while and that the younger children would join her soon.  She said that Liza was in the French Alps now with six other girls, learning the language.  Judy said she would join her the Sunday after the recording sessions and go to Geneva, where Liza was for a while.  Then they would spend two or three days in Paris before returning to London.

          Lorna then asked Judy if it would be possible for us, me and her, to come to one of the sessions.  Judy replied, “Why, of course.  I’d be delighted to have you come along.  I’ll leave word at the door.”   When Lorna asked which day would be convenient, Judy replied, “Any time you like.  I’m recording Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30 pm.  Any evening you come along will be alright.  Do you know where it is?  Abbey Road?  That’s right….St. John’s Wood.”  Lorna thanked her and said “It’ll be lovely to see and hear you sing again.”  Judy thanked Lorna for phoning, called her "dear" and said she looked forward to seeing her sometime next week.

          I consider this time when she was happy, well and singing at the studio to be my favorite memory.  I was terribly shy at that time and in great awe of her.  We did not take any cameras because she was working and we did not want to distract her.  The first day we were unlucky because the guards would not let us into the studio so we stood outside.  Judy waved to us from the steps, probably wondering why we were not in the studio.  Lorna called her the next day and explained.  Judy said she would make sure that we got in the next day.  As the limo drove up, Judy jumped out and dragged us into the car.  Sid had just arrived from the States.   As Sid, Lorna and I tried to keep up with her as she scurried (there is no other word for it, Judy walked fast) down the corridors, she kept turning back to us saying, "I don't know why you want to listen to this - it will be so boring.”  Judy could draw out the words and emphasize them.  We insisted we would not be bored -- we were in seventh heaven.  Judy was unfailingly polite; everyone was always introduced to everyone else; this was how she was.  Sid was charming as he always was to the fans, and he looked very handsome in a beige suit, always well dressed.

          Before the session began, the recording manager had strolled over to tell us Judy's voice was better than ever and she had made five wonderful recordings the night before.  (These would later to be on the London Recordings).  The studio people wanted to put us away from the recording area.  I suppose in case we made a noise and spoiled the recording, but Judy would not have it.  "I want the girls up here with me" she insisted and we were given two chairs about three feet away behind her.  We sat there like two very small mice, scarcely breathing.  She told us she preferred that we did not face her, as this would distract her while she sang.

          The songs she recorded that evening were, "I Happen to Like New York", "Why Was I Born?", "Swanee" and "You'll Never Walk Alone.”  She would record one song and then we would go into the sound proof room and listen to it in the playback.  At one point after one version of “I Happen to Like New York”, another guest, an English girl pop singer, made some disparaging remarks about New York.  It was along the lines that it was a dirty smelly place.  Judy stood looking down at sheet music on a table, said quietly and very firmly, “I happen to like New York!”  

Norrie Paramor

          Norrie Paramor was conducting the orchestra with about 12 people in the chorus.  She told them they had to sound like 50 -- so "sing big" or something like that.  Another time while she was doing “Swanee” and the orchestra didn't know how it went (the pauses, etc.), Judy went through it with them, encouraging them and showing them exactly how she wanted it to go; guiding and advising the chorus and orchestra on rhythm, tempo, pitch and volume.  She was always very sweet, charming, and funny; she also knew exactly what was going on at every moment.  Even when singing with intense concentration, she could pick out a fault in the orchestra or chorus.  She would sing over some of the lines for the chorus, sometimes conducting, leading, and almost willing them to perfection. "Could you sing a little louder there?" she inquired at one point to the chorus.  She grinned.  The leader suggested he stopped his note when Judy stopped. "I don't stop," smiled Judy, "I hold it through to the end." (The chorus collapsed in laughter.)

       Sid and Judy seemed to be on good terms.  He would give input to recordings and she would, good-naturedly, do it again.  At one point she turned to us when Sid was rubbing his eyes, "He is suffering from jet lag!"  Later, she would say to us "Would you like some tea?"   She was wearing flat shoes, black pants and a lovely blue shirt she had brought back from Italy.  She was not heavy, but she was at the weight which was correct for her and she looked comfortable with.  She wore lipstick and very little other make-up.  Her hair was just normally curled.  I remember at one point she was laying back in the chair, laughing with her feet on the table and I noticed she wore nylons under her pants/trousers.  I guess at that time I had not met many American women and we always wore ankle socks with sneakers and pants.  I doubt we had jeans then.  I considered her extremely elegant.

        Many years later Lorna Smith asked Judy about the recording she had made that day of "Why was I Born", commenting how beautiful it was and asked what they did with it.  Judy laughed and said, "I expect they lost it."  That is how she was -- a funny, charming, woman.   It is nice to know that these recordings have been discovered and are being re-issued.'

    

   

Taken just after recording sessions

        

Dowlin's "Judy Garland was too Pure for this world" and Broadway Melody of 1938

I was taken by some of Joan E Dowlin’s thoughts and comments in her blog entitled “Judy Garland was too pure for this world” on the Huffigton Post.  I’d always felt that many of Judy’s problems came about because she trusted people too much.  She was too sweet, loving and sensitive to survive in this harsh world. But no matter what slings and arrows she encountered her natural pureness never waived.  She picked herself up from the batterings she received from MGM, “Annie,” “Star,” and TV series, Group V and embraced life with joy and spirit.

Dowlin’s use of the phrase “essence of Garland” reminded me of my talks with Lorna Smith (Lorna, knew Judy very well over many years and particularly during the last 6 months of her life) and commented to me “They don’t understand the essence of Judy” (we may have been talking about the dreadful new play in London and now NY about Judy).   The essence of Judy was pure and loving; there were times the frustration of the latest bruising would overcome her and she would rail against the world but moments later her good nature would return. 

Dowlin also talks of how Judy threw her whole self into every film, tour, television special she did to the detriment to her heath.   This is true; Judy had a great need to share her music and art with her audiences.    

At the time I read this blog I happened to view an early Judy movie, Broadway Melody of 1938- and this may have been the first time I had seen the whole movie, apart from the many Judy excerpts--it was surprisingly good!  George Murphy was a good old standby “song and dance man”, without the grace or flare of Astaire or Kelly.  I read he was downhearted because he didn’t get the lead in “For Me and My Gal”, but I digress...  I always enjoyed the grace and talent of Eleanor Powell and imagined how Judy would have been on the set of the filming of the big musical numbers.  And, of course, she met Sid Luft for the first time as he was around, escorting Powell.  I thought how he must have enjoyed the horse racing scenes!   Again I am digressing…

The first thoughts upon seeing Judy in the first scene was her freshness and vitality and then I noticed the lollipop she was sucking.  Now Judy was fifteen then--was MGM trying to make out she was twelve years old?  I doubt many twelve year olds go into an audition with a lollipop!  I noticed she wore ankle socks in all scenes.   Judy overcame these obstacles, of course, had some magnificent songs which have gone down in history.  As I watched Sophie Tucker sing her classic “Some of these days” I realized how perfectly Judy had recreated this in her Broadway tribute, down to the exact phasing and pauses.  As she often said, “I have seen the best.”

Lorna Smith and me at Victoria Station, I believe

Did everyone see the posting by Joan E Dowlin on Huffington Post?

Joan is a musician and posted a beautiful piece titled: Judy Garland Was Too Pure for This World.

My sentiments entirely, and the article or post is well worth reading. I will write more about her posting later.   So now I have signed up to blog on Huffington Post because I guess this is where I found her article.

The whole technology thing is out of hand.  How can I find time to write when I've got to keep blogging?

People keep asking about the next blog?  I'm still putting together a package for the university presses.  The requirements for university presses are really quite exciting and so much more specific than regular book proposals and I'm leaning a lot.

Really I'd like to get on and write about Chairman Mao or Billy Joel instead of these book proposals.

Oh well, back to the drawing board as they say.

Happy Birthday to Gary Horrocks today - did I get the spelling right??  

Entertaining the Troops

I consider myself lucky to have some lovely Judy friends, and one of them is Amanda, whose specialty is Judy's recording career.  A while ago I asked her if she had any material on Judy entertaining the troops because I am trying to emphasize Judy's war time work and to bring out Judy big heart and caring nature-she was one of the first artists to participate on ratio programs to British in the early days of the war.

Well, Amanda sent me today a 5 page article from Modern Screen, February 1944 about a tour called the Hollywood Bond Cavalcade.  Others participating were James Cagney, Betty Hutton , Jose Iturbi, Astaire, Kathryn Grayson, Dick Power, Kay Kyser and Mickey Rooney of course.  It must have been a blast.  I'm going to incorporate it into my chapter on Entertaining the Troops.    Thank you Amanda.

Hollywood Cavalcade

I'm being inundated with emails and phone calls from the self-publishing people - I assume they must make a lot of money by how anxious they are to have my business.  Been reading so many books on publishing and these people are classified as the vanity press!!

Going to have a try the university press field as I feel my book is more academic than sensational - not that it is boring because nothing could be boring to do with Judy.  

It is suggested in several places that I give chapters to friends to read and comment on and so if anyone is interested, let me know.   I'm covering everything, early childhood, MGM years, concert years (including my write-ups which I'm sure many of you have already seen) television etc.

Thanks for your support and encouragement.   joan

 

The Last Chapter -

I had just finished "The Last Chapter" - with the observation that there would never be the last chapter for Judy, when I realized I had not finished because I had to write about what has been happening since Judy has left us.

And I thought it was over and I just had to tidy up....not more research....I said a few choice words, we English have some lovely words at our disposal which helps with frustration...So it is back to the drawing board as they say.

But this chapter is important, perhaps one of the most important in the book because it talks about the new fans and admirers of Judy and how her magic has continue all through the years and will continue for 100, 200 and even 500 years in the future--as I said in the presentation at Jan Glazier's Judy in Hollywood meeting.

I'd been out of the Judy world for many years living and working in Silicon Valley and it wasn't until I attended the Grand Rapids in 1997 that I realized there was an active Judy world out there.  I became reacquainted with the Lufts and met teenager fans, Elizabeth and James.

Many books have been written about Judy, many not worth the paper they are written on but there are exceptions.  John Fricke, who has become the great Judy historian, has produced several large, beautiful, coffee table books and a new one Judy: A Legendary Film Career.   Lorna Smith's Judy with Love is much sort after and difficult to find.  Coyne Steven Sanders covers the CBS television series excellently in his book, Rainbow's End: the Judy Garland Show.   Another worth while book is Ronald Haver's A Star is Born.  I also enjoyed David Dahl and Barry Kehoe's Young Judy - again probably hard to find.


There are many web pages devoted to Judy.  TheJUDYList --members comment on Judy activities and keep in touch.   It was manned for years by Mark Harris, a dear man, who sadly departed this world.  It is now ably run by Steve Jarrett, southern gentleman with a great sense of humor.

I think of other Judy friends who have left us, dear, dear Sonny Gallagher. Sonny had his own Judy magazine for many years and attended all her concerts and kept Lorna Smith and British club up to date with Judy's activities. I met him in 1998 at the request of Lorna Smith and we attended the big Judy Celebration at Carnegie Hall that year together. I remember he once drove four hours - there and back - one Easter weekend to come and meet me at a friend's house in Reading, Penn. A very special Judy person.  It was Sonny who made the comment, a few years after Judy had gone, that there would be a big revival and love for Judy in the future; and he was right, Sonny was right about many things.

This summer there has been two big Judy events in New York City; many of her television performances have been shown at the Paley Center for Media Collection and the film Society of Lincoln Center presented nearly all of Judy's movies.  Martha Wade Steketee attended many of them and beautifully documented these occasions in her blog: http://msteketee.wordpress.com

Lorna Smith of the UK club, wrote two books about Judy and produced a beautiful tribute to Judy and retired.  After some ups and downs, the club is now excellently run by Gary Horrocks and Justin Sturge. It is now called  The International Judy Garland Club and has over 300 members all over the world, hosts two events and publishes two magazine a year.  www:judygarlandclub.org.

There is more but I have started writing again.   Always for Judy,  Joan    PS If I have got any of these web pages wrong, sorry, let me know.

Judy and Vaudeville

 We cannot begin to understand who Judy was until we realize how important were her parents and their vaudeville background.  Vaudeville (or Variety as it was known in the UK) had been the family entertainment since the 19th century.  It really became popular at the turn of the twentieth century and remained so until about the 1930s.  The shows would include Irish tenors, bold flirtatious female singers with loud voices, such as Sophie Tucker, dancers, comedians, acrobats and jugglers.  Every town had a theater and the entrance fee a modest five cents. Vaudeville singers always needed new material and songwriters kept turning out new songs.  The audience could buy a sheet of their favorite music and play and sing in their own home.  Frank and Ethel (Judy's parents) grew up in this atmosphere and they were both enamored with show business.  

            The silent movies came along and would eventually bring about the demise of vaudeville but for several years the two media worked along side by side with one another and this is where Judy’s parents thrived.  Many of the new movies were just short and simple ten or fifteen-minutes in length and vaudeville entertainment included to fill out the program.  They needed a person to play the piano and this ideal for Ethel because of her experience at home.   While the reels were being changed another person entertained the audience hence the position of song illustrator was introduced.  This was a perfect job for Frank, who had a tenor fine voice.  The song illustrator would lead the audience into song and then, hopefully, sell them the sheet music.  Jack Warner had done this in his father’s movie house and also Eddie Canter and Al Jolson had also started out as song illustrators.  In addition, there were still photographs projected onto the screen by the Edison’s Vita scope.    

In many of Judy’s movies are examples of vaudeville performances.  In “The Zeigfeld Girl” Judy and father are a vaudeville act and when Judy is auditioning for the Ziegfeld Show, he tries to show her how to punch out a number in the old style.  Judy managed to get the orchestra to play slower tempo and we see and hear the beautiful, “I’m always Chasing Rainbows.”   There were many more examples in the movies Little Nellie Kelly, and For Me and My Gal as well as her movies with Mickey Rooney.  .

Julie Andrews came out of Variety background in England and toured for many years as a child with her parents.  I remember hearing her on the radio in the 40s, and 50s.  In the United States, many of the well-known entertainers came from a Vaudeville background, such as Bob Hope, Burns and Allen, Mickey Rooney, Donald O’Connor and more.  George Burns wrote in his book, Gracie: a love story about life on the vaudeville stage, and being on the road performing three or four shows day. (Burns, 1988, p.60)   Although they were earning $125 - $250 a week, by the time they paid their agent, transportation, food and hotels there was little money over.  Of course they were doing the work they loved.   Burns and Allen did not really begin to be financial solvent until they found their opportunities in radio, movies and eventually television.   Ed Sullivan’s television shows in the 1950s and 1960s were examples of vaudeville, except we were watching the shows on television.  Eventually folk and rock music came into being in the late 1950s and 1960 and influenced the music of that era.  

            This vaudeville background gave Judy the edge, poise and ability to be comfortable and handle an audience.  Although she might be nervous before walking on stage, the second she was there she was AT HOME.  This was when she was most alive and happy interacting with her people; she loved them giving them pleasure.  She felt of herself as an entertainer, this was her role in life, to make people happy.  I was lucky enough to be present at many of her performances in London in 1951, 1957 and 1960 and was honored to witness her recording four songs at EMI in 1960.  I remember once being at CBS when Count Basie was a guest on one of her television show.  Some of the numbers had been pre-recorded and so the audience was watching monitors.  Judy obviously felt they were being short changed not to see a live performance and so she dragged Mel Torme out with her and they did their songs alongside the monitors.  So we had two Judy Garlands and two Mel Tormes, we certainly were not short changed!   

Judy had seen and witnessed so many acts (as she was to amuse audiences in her later television appearances) and was able to incorporate these aspects into her performance.  Many of the musicals of the 1940s and 1950s made in Hollywood, not only from MGM, had a vaudeville background because this was the business which most entertainers came from.  Judy incorporated vaudeville into her movies, think of  “Be a Clown” from the movie, The Pirate, “We’re a Couple of Swells” from Easter Parade and the beautiful and haunting “Clown” number and “Here’s to Us” from the last CBS television show of her 1963/64 series and one cannot forget “Swanee” from The Star is Born.

Copyright©2011[Joan Beck Coulson] All Rights Reserved

BBC radio show

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012r97j

Entitled: Dear Judy. 

You can still listen to this program for a few more days and every Judy fan should do so. 

Mostly it was very pleasant with Gary Horrocks doing a good job, and nice to hear from Jerry Herman and Max Prevo.....but why did they allow Rufus to sing, "Over the Rainbow" all the way through?  This was a program about Judy--she was the star and not Rufus--and we only got short clips of her songs. 

As Liza said, many years ago, in answer to why she did not sing "Rainbow" - "it has been done" or something like that.

In a positive note I must say I enjoyed hearing from Judy's drummer (the bongo man in "Come Rain and Come Shine") I shall have to listen to it again just for his name and comments. 

I don't mind listening to Rufus talk about Judy but when he starts to sing....I had to go out onto my patio in 100 degrees and wait till it finished--sorry Rufus but that is the way I feel.  

Judy's sense of humor!

I'm bogged down with the whole business of finding an agent versus publishing on my own and for two pins I'll print about 100 copies of my book and give to my friends and wash my hands of the whole affair!  

But I'm not writing for me; I'm writing for Judy because I feel there needs to be a book out there which gives some understanding of her life; she deserves nothing more.

So back to my discovery of the lady called Judy Garland.  

I often wondered why it was the "Judy"  in Strike up the Band that captured my attention.  Just recently I watched all the Mickey/Judy movies in sequence and when I got to Strike up the Band I understood!  It was Judy's sense of humor which caught my attention; the wry funny looks she give Mickey has she listens to his latest crazy plans; the wistful "Our Love Affair;" the beautiful "Nobody" sang in the library--amongst all the lovers of the world--and she has no one.   

In checking in Emily R Coleman's book, "The Complete Judy Garland" I see one of the sscreenplay writers was Freddie Finklehoffe.  Of course!  Freddie was devoted to Judy and probably loved her all his life and certainly understood her.  He brought out her sense of humor in the scripts he wrote for her (also worked on Babes on Broadway, For Me and My Gal,  Girl Crazy, Meet Me in St. Louis and Words and Music) Judy was with Freddie in New York when she met Sid Luft in 1951.

So thank you Freddie Finklehoffe; one of the people behind the scenes who loved Judy and did everything he could for her.  He was apparently very disappointed when she met and fell for Sid. 

Always for Judy,  joan

P.S Has anyone seen a photo of them together?

The Impact of Judy upon me

Gary Horrocks from The International Judy Garland club asked me about my earliest memories of Judy.  I thought it was in the Introduction, but apparently not; the Introduction is just ramblings about how I got into writing about Judy.  The relative comments are in the chapter on early MGM years.

Judy on the set of "Strike up the Band" 

But here are my first memories of Judy.   My mother and I went to see the movie, Strike Up the Band, I must have been about 5 or 6 years old.   We came out of the Embassy Cinema in North Harrow (it is not there now, so sad) and walked along outside the cinema to where the pictures and posters were advertising the film.   I was holding my mother’s hand and I announced to her that I “wanted to see all the films of this girl in future.”    This was a statement to ensure that we didn’t miss any future films because I realized I was too young to have any control over our activities.   She pointed out that I had see Judy a few months earlier in The Wizard of Oz.  I did not agree.... the girl in the Wizard of Oz had pigtails (braids in US) and this girl in Strike Up the Band did not and so it was NOT the same girl!   I insisted I was right and we argued for a bit and eventually she gave up because what is the purpose of arguing with a small child who determined to go down a path even though it is incorrect.

Judy has often said that she felt the Wizard of Oz was really too scary for small children and I can remember being quite scared of the flying monkeys and the witch.  My favorite part of the movie was the three little ballet dancers dressed in pink (no wonder my daughter was taken to ballet classes at an early age.)   So much for the appreciation of Judy from this 5 year old!  If I begin to analyze it now, I can realize that a vivaciously American teenager singing and dancing and having an exciting life at high school would be much more interesting to this small child than a movie which seemed about in the fairy story category.

Judy in London web page www.btinternet.com

                Christopher Ward has an excellent web site called Judy in London and many years ago he asked me to write something for him   You will find it on his web page  www.btinternet.com under “I Could Go on Singing” and entitled ‘A Break for Judy’ and my piece ‘Memories of  I Could go on Singing’    I also facilitated and gave him Lorna Smith’s ‘Among My Souvenirs’ about our time in the recording studio with Judy.   If any of you have not viewed it, you should, it brings back beautiful memories of the time Judy spent in London.  

               My son had scanned copies for me but I had trouble putting them into the book proposal--spent a frustrating four hours on Sunday--had several helpful emails from Christopher--and finally obtained inspiration from the lady at the local copy shop who suggested I use the insert button on top of word document and it worked!!!   I can see Buzz, Gary and Steve rolling their eyes and Gary saying, "she should never be allowed near a computer."   

              Anyway I wanted to give a plug to Christopher's web page.  There are many fine people in the Judy world and Christopher is one of the best.  Always unassuming, keeps very much in the background, is not seen at club meetings and quietly does a great job keeping Judy's memory alive; and that is what it is all about.  Thanks Chris for your friendship through the years.

A serious look at Judy's life.

I really wanted to write about something else Judy related today, but apparently people want to know more about the book.  Oh well, tomorrow with the funny story then! 

         I feel my background in social science and anthropology enables me to look at Judy’s life from a different perspective from many of the other booka which have been written.  Digging back into my anthropology theory, in “The Personal Document in Anthropological Science,” Clyde Kluckholm points out, “life events have meaning only in their context.  This context is, in part, created by the contemporary situation of the subject and by the sequence of experience which are peculiar to him as an individual” (1945, p.122).  Therefore it is necessary to place the life of Judy Garland among the era in which she grew up; in the vaudeville stages where she witnessed hundreds of acts and performed herself; the sound studios where she recorded songs; MGM sets where she where she sang, danced and acted as she grew up.  I want to understand why and how this special person evolved; what were her challenges; how and why she dealt with the chaotic of her life; her loves; and most importantly,  what damage was done to her in those years being continually forced to audition as a child.  I hope to explain some of her actions and incorporate my experiences at concerts and meeting Judy.     
            As we will see from Judy’s life patterns she knew the drugs that she had been habitude to were not good for her but she was not able to break the pattern.  Many times she admitted herself into hospitals trying to get free of the drugs and get well.  But because of how she was programmed-to entertain, the pattern that had been imprinted on her by the age of seven, she was not able to break this pattern.  

            Now it is easier for young actors to control their careers because they are not tied to 5-year contracts with studios and are able to further their education; attend college; learn to analyze their job opportunities and gain confidence in dealing with people in positions of power such as heads of studios and defend their choices as to what type of work they want.  Judy never had that opportunity.  She was the bread winner and she had to do as she was told.  

           This book is for Judy fans and I have included many of the stories which have been related to me through the years from people who witnessed her perform and met her.  I want to capture her charm, grace, wit, artistry, and most of all show how she was a thoroughly nice woman.   

            I’m particularly grateful to Michael Apted, filmmaker, who graciously allowed me to use his documentary UP Series, which looks at lives of people over the years, as a frame work for my analysis of Judy’s life and to prove the Jesuit saying, “Give me the child until he is seven, and I will show you the man.” 

Got distracted today...

Trying to re-size some of the documents I scanned into my book proposal...they were too small...work on it tomorrow...Today I got enthralled with a Christopher Heaney's book, 'Cradle of Gold' about Hiram Bingham (a real-life Indiana Jones,) who explored and reported to the western world about Machu Picchu - actually 100 years ago this month.  What I would have given to be in his shoes!  This is my other passion- archaeology and the art of Mayan, Aztecs and South America, particularly Peru and the Incas. 

Then I had to watch Torchwood on Starz instead of BBC.  John Barrowman  Born in Scotland, brought up in the States...a real hero --his team fight aliens--this time in the States.

Back to Judy tomorrow, I can spend all day re-sizing....have a good weekend.

I'm now twittering @joanmelonie

Went over to my son's house to get some of my writings scanned, cos I couldn't do it!   For the book proposal of course....and he pushed and shoved me into twittering...you must do it--you'll reach a much bigger audience, he said.  Of course my daughter had been at me for a long time to do it, so I have been busy.   Now I am following Hugh Laurie, John Barrowman...... all my heros.  But back to the book proposal...although I complain about having to do it, I do realize that it is making me focus on exactly what I am trying to achieve so that is good, I guess.  That's all for today.  Time for a cup of tea...

Joining Jan Glazier's Judy Family

I attend a concert by Richard Glazier, “From Gershwin to Garland” and Jan, his lovely wife, incorporated me into her Judy Family and encouraged me to tell some early fan club stories.  In April 2010 Jan organized a Judy in Hollywood function over three days visiting many of the sites where Judy had performed, including CBS where I had worked many years ago.  

In the old MGM studio where Judy recorded 'Over the Rainbow'

Hannah, Kate and myself at Matteos

Heather, Meredith and myself at Matteos, Judy's favorite place 

At Farmer Market, Justin, Ruth, Gary, Ellie and me

Again I meet more young fans and realize that Judy’s magic will go on for ever, 100, 200 and even 500 years.  Young people will hear her voice somewhere, or see one of her old movies on television and will become captivated and want to learn more about her.  I would like there to be a book out there which is not sensational but looks at Judy’s life sensibly. 

           

Heather and Martha outside Judy's Stone Canyon House 

Gary and I are going to give presentation about the UK Fan Club in the past and present

Judy's studio at CBS

Dear George Sunga and Ellie talking about the television series

In Studio 43, many shivers up and down spines

Steve Sanders, who wrote the book, Rainbow's End: The Judy Garland Show, discussing it with George Sunga who was Production Supervisor



Hannah, who is helping me so much with this blog, thank you



Gary, Joey Luft and Jan 

Lovely one of Meredith and Gary

Martha and George

Well, I am learning, sometimes I can post one way and somethings another.  Realize many of you who attended this function have seen these photographs, but thought others would like to know what a lovely group of people Jan and Richard Glazier have brought together.

Back to book proposal...