Judy by the Numbers: "Snowflakes"

What on odd year is 1963 in the history of Judy Garland. 1964 marks the last year of Judy Garland's film career, and the boom of Judy's television career. The first of Judy's final two movies reunited Judy Garland with producer Stanley Kramer and actor Burt Lancaster, with whom she'd worked only two years before in Judgment at Nuremburg. By the early 1960s, Kramer was establishing himself as the prestige producer of hard-hitting social issue cinema. A Child Is Waiting, about an institution for developmentally challenged children, was no different.

The Movie: A Child is Waiting (Universal, 1963)
The Songwriter: Marjorie D. Kurtz
The Players: Judy Garland, Burt Lancaster, Gena Rowlands, directed by John Cassavetes

The Story: While the majority of Judy Garland's career was dominated by Technicolor musical extravaganzas, the last few films of her career do signal an attempt at darker, "more serious" work. Surrounded by Method artists like Rowlands, Cassavetes, and (to some degree) Lancaster, Judy clearly embraced a more fluid, less "Studio" form of acting. Her improvisation with the students shows this transition. This scene, not a "musical number" in the conventional sense, sees Judy attempting to teach a song to her students through many tactics - banging on the piano, half-quiet mumbling, sing-shouting, etc - while playing a range of tensions in the scene, from timidity to irritation to joy when they start to get it right. It is a subtle musical performance.

Most of the drama in A Child Is Waiting happened behind the scenes between Kramer and Cassavetes, but ultimately no battles or cute children could save the film. It lost $2 million among mixed reviews, a frustrating end to an artistic leap on Judy's part.

Comments

[joel6]

This is a interesting somber film. A very challenging role for Judy, the interpretation of which was one of those bones of contention between Cassavetes and Kramer with the first favoring a more muted take and the latter feeling that the audience would expect a more impassioned one especially from someone known for their emotional intensity like Judy. Kramer had more power and his preferred takes were the ones used more often but I don't think it necessarily hurt the picture.

Lancaster is in his gruff bulldog mode, sensible since his character has a tough job particularly at the time this was made.

Judy judges her role well-her Jean Hansen being new to dealing with special needs children she starts tentatively and becomes more assured as the film progresses but also being pulled in two directions when she forms a friendship with one of the children that though caring and compassionate actually impedes his ability to move forward and learn independence. It's a tricky part.

Steven Hill is deeply touching as a man of his time with the accompanying attitudes and prejudices who struggles to accept a son who will never be what he's hoped but desperately needs him.

Gena Rowlands is just as good as the mother who can't overcome those same issues. It's not a sympathetic part and yet because of her playing you at least try and understand her viewpoint.

Best of all is Bruce Ritchey who plays Reuben the young boy who unlike most of the kids at the school has minor disabilities that are not readily apparent to the eye making him even more isolated since he's in a sort of hazy netherworld in between. Not suffering from those issues himself he gives the most beautiful, nuanced performance, he never did anything else in films but a small bit which is a shame but he'll rip your heart out.

I watched this with my niece who works in the field of special education particularly people with disabilities and she said though there have been many improvements alot of the issues this film addresses are still relevant and being dealt with today.

[LadyEdith]

You surprise me Anne Marie - I had never even heard of this film.
What a great write up of this little known work.
Judy clearly showed a lot of dedication& talent with this part, but sadly the audience didn't accept her in such a downbeat setting.
I wonder if today the audience would be more accepting?