10|25|50|75|100 -anniversary specials
In the annals of showbiz history few one night events are as seismic as "Judy Judy Judy" the night Judy Garland hit Carnegie Hall, 50 years ago at this very moment, for her comeback performance. She was called many things during her legendary career: Hurricane Judy, The World's Greatest Entertainer, Ms. Showbiz and a lot of those titles coincide or funnel right into or through this big night. There's not really any concert footage of this event though it was famously recorded live to fulfill her record contract and eventually became her most important album.
I can't for the life of me remember how that Garland miniseries with Judy Davis covered the event but they must have done so given that it was one of those 'from cradle to grave' bios. Garland died just 8 years after this concert at the age of 47. Do you think the proposed Anne Hathaway as Judy Garland film will stretch this far into Judy's career? Or maybe it will never get made?
Hathaway is 28 years old at the moment, just ten years younger than Judy was on this big night...
Lots more after the jump including four melodic videos because I couldn't help myself. I do get carried away with the mythic actresses, don't I?
Judy looked older than 38 in 1961 (different times and those addictions will age you!). Judy was roughly Anne's current age around the time of Summer Stock with Gene Kelly.
By the time they film the new Garland movie -- if they ever film the new Garland movie -- maybe Hathaway will be at the exact right age for A Star is Born ;)
Here's a showbiz history piece Steve Kmetko (remember him from "E!"? years and years back?) did on the Judy Judy Judy concert.
Michael Musto shared the news on his blog this week that a documentary about this concert just went into preproduction. There's very little known footage of this event but I'm guessing they'll find some or do something creative with the editing (she did tour with the show after all so surely some footage exists, if not from this exact night).
Remember a few years back when Rufus Wrainwright recreated the entire set list for his "Rufus Rufus Rufus" tour in 2007? I got to see it live (Thanks Adam!)
Yay.
If you've never seen the movie I Could Go On Singing (1963), you really should. It's not only her last film but one of her best performances; her acting is always underappreciated given the absolute enormous shadow cast by her vocal legend. Plus, the movie is obviously not entirely a work of fiction [cough cough] if you catch my drift.
Here's a number from that one, her final film, because as much as we appreciate Rufus's actressexuality, we have to give Judy the last warbling notes as an encore.