Judy by the Numbers: "Lena Horne Medley"
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 10:00AM Anne Marie has been chronicling Judy Garland's career chronologically through musical numbers...
If you watch the full Judy Garland Show from start to finish in the order in which it was filmed rather than the order in which it was broadcast - which is what we're doing in miniature - a few patterns emerge early on. First, there is the legendary talent that crowds the first episodes: besides Judy herself, we've seen Garland reunited with Mickey Rooney, swinging with Count Basie, introducing her daughter Liza, and now she's belting Lena Horne numbers to Lena Horne herself. For any midcentury music geek, this show is the gift that keeps on giving. However, if you push past the fabulous talent to watch the format itself, you'll notice something else: for a variety programme, The Judy Garland Show doesn't have much variety.
The Show: The Judy Garland Show Episode 4
The Songwriters: Various, arranged by Mel Torme
The Cast: Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Terry-Thomas, directed by Bill Hobin
The Story: Only four episodes in, The Judy Garland Show had already fallen into something of a rut. The basic format never wavered - Judy sang first and introduced the guest(s), the guest(s) performed, star and guest(s) chatted, star and guest(s) performed, then Judy wrapped everything up with "Born in a Trunk." CBS execs had noticed - as had Judy Garland. By episode 4 her bad behavior had resurfaced, causing Lena Horne to reportedly lose her cool after Judy missed every rehearsal day.
Despite that conflict - or maybe because of it - Lena performs sparklingly on the show. In variety and expression, she even outperforms Judy. (Lena's references to Louis Armstrong during "Meet Me In St Louis" especially charm.) Nonetheless, missed rehearsals or no Judy Garland can carry a number, and the overall musical montage works well, even when a beat or two is missed. Unfortunately, the next week's show would not be so kind.
Reader Comments (8)
Um, "Born in a Trunk", although I gotta say "Born in a Truck" made me chuckle.
Ken S - haha whoops! Totally different number then. Thanks!
So
I love these. And I am a mid-century musical geek. Those singers who were the boy singer or the girl singer with the Big Bands of the 30’s and 40’s became the variety show hosts of the late 50’s and 60’s.
I suspect there are PhD dissertations on the subject, but the format you describe as not much variety was very common. Entrance song by star, introduce guest, guest and star sing, repeat, star sings close was formatted in Dinah Shore, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Dean Martin and Andy Williams. This was dressed up and down with sets and dancers. A different Host Star anchored Kraft Music Hall and The Hollywood Palace following the same format.
Sketch comedy only became a regular part of the variety format with Carol Burnett (Though it had been started in early television by Milton Berle, Steve Allen and Sid Ceasar). Burnett’s comedy, along with Laugh In, broadened the category with success for Sonny and Cher, the Smother’s Brothers and eventually Saturday Night Live.
However,
Nothing surpasses that decade plus of excellent musical showcases. It maintained the Great American Songbook for a generation past the lives of Gershwin, Berlin, Porter and Arlen. You can see and hear it with Judy and Lena.
Anne Marie, keep sharing these.
While I admit that she was a very talented woman Lena Horne has never been a favorite of mine. But she and Judy do interact well in this segment.
As Leslie said Judy's format was often the accepted one during the 50's & 60's and from what I've read the one that Judy preferred feeling that the skits usually felt forced and clunky. Towards the end of the series the show became even more of a performance piece since she felt that was the way she best communicated with her audience.
joel,
so surprised by your comment on Miss Horne. Perhaps it is based on her movie appearances which were so forced as opposed to the rest of her work? I admit I heard Lena Horne on countless albums before I ever saw her in a movie.
I see that "rut" a little differently than Anne Marie describes it. The way I've always understood it, in the early episodes of the series, Judy was forced by the network to include those group dance numbers and the sketches and comedy stuff with Jerry Van Dyke to create the variety format that was more than just songs and guest intros. And when that didn't work, the show became what it should always have been: Judy in concert with a guest here and there.
Interestingly, Judy does not do Lena's signature "Stormy Weather" in the above medley, nor does Lena touch "Over the Rainbow." (But Judy does a killer rendition of "Stormy..." in the next episode...)
During the "Born in a Trunk" segment in this episode, Judy talks at length about being a new mother (Joey) and losing the Oscar to Grace Kelly!
Leslie,
It doesn't really have anything to do with Lena's film work, I know they were filmed so they were easily removable in the south and she's always professional and assured, it's her.
There's just something about her that always irked me. It isn't even something that I can put a particular finger on like I can with Sarah Vaughn who was always so fussy with her styling. I've tried over the years thinking that she'd grow on me but it's never happened. So I just avoid her and stick with that other Horn, Shirley along Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, Margaret Whiting, Frances Langford, Judy and a score of others.
makes me think of those two sisters on saturday night live.....clang clang clang went the trolley....To me - forgive me - lena Horne and Dinah shore were two singers who kind of sounded like they were always off key.