Happy 99th to Judy Garland
Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 7:09PM by Nathaniel R
Next year is Judy Garland's Centennial and if The Film Experience is still running next summer *crosses fingers -- hey why not subscribe to the sidebar on your right ✒︎ * you can bet that we'll do it up big like we did for Bergman and Clift and Winters on their centennials.
In the meantime have you seen any of Judy's pictures outside the holy trinity -- The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St Louis, and A Star is Born?
The Pirate (1949)
Of her post Oz, pre St Louis pictures my personal favourite is the little seen Presenting Lily Mars (1943). Of the post St. Louis pre A Star is Born pictures Easter Parade is easily the most beloved but The Pirate (1948) is a must-see in its own very peculiar way. Though her Star is Born comeback in 1954 also proved to be her unintentional farewell from regular movie stardom, her actual big screen farewell I Could Go On Singing (1963) is completely riveting for its Judy-meta qualities, whatever one thinks of the movie itself. Challenge yourself to watch a few you haven't seen before next year's epic anniversary of The World's Greatest Entertainer; she more than earned that frequent title.
Judy Garland
Reader Comments (10)
Outside of those three, my favorite Garland film is The Clock. Certainly that is the one I have watched most frequently. While surprising not to choose a musical, I love that immediate connection between Judy and Robert Walker. The story is simple with little more to do than provide a backdrop for these two earnest actors to fall in love. Simple. Endearing. Sweet.
I love Judy Garland in two films, which I own: "The Wizard of Oz", timeless and actually quite amusing and on the other end of the spectrum "A Child Is Waiting" (1963), touching and beautiful, last scene with Judy remarkable.
While she not my ultimate favorite she’s way up there and through the years I have managed to see her entire filmography. The films may vary in quality, though she never appeared in a flat-out bad picture, but she never did. Always present and in the scene and the moment, incredible considering what was often going on with her behind the scenes. I agree she earned the title and was “Miss Show Business”.
This would be my ranking of her films:
A Star is Born-Simply her apex. She was robbed of that Oscar.
I Could Go on Singing-Agree that it’s a very meta viewing experience.
Summer Stock-Artistically there are better films on her sheet but she’s a delight in this and it features one of her most beautifully performed songs-Friendly Star-and gives her a chance to show what a fine dancer she was in the Challenge Dance with Gene Kelly.
Meet Me in St. Louis
Easter Parade
Ziegfeld Girl-Spotlights both her skill with intimate songs in “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” and the strength of her stage presence in not being overwhelmed by spectacle in “Minnie from Trinidad”
The Wizard of Oz
Judgement at Nuremberg
A Child is Waiting
Girl Crazy
Presenting Lily Mars-Judy is marvelous in this (and looks beautiful), and her duet with Connie Gilchrist is a charmer, but when she’s off the screen the picture dies.
For Me and My Gal-A brilliant picture for the first ¾ of its run time and then it sputters and drowns in patriotic fervor.
The Harvey Girls
Babes in Arms
In the Good Old Summertime
The Pirate-The movie is a wild fever dream and has fantastic parts but it’s lumpy in other ways. Gene Kelly dancing around in those short shorts is something else!
Listen, Darling
Broadway Melody of 1938
Ziegfeld Follies
Babes on Broadway
Till the Clouds Roll By
Every Sunday
Thousands Cheer
Words and Music
Little Nelly Kelly
Everybody Sing
Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
Life Begins for Andy Hardy
Love Finds Andy Hardy
Pigskin Parade
Gay Purr-ee-Both Judy and Robert Goulet are in fine voice, but this is a weird garish animated feature.
I've seen most of her films multiple times, but I've never caught late-period A Child Is Waiting and two or three of the early juvenile features.
My favorites, or my favorite performances (and I won't rank them): A Star is Born, The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Harvey Girls, Presenting Lily Mars, The Clock, Easter Parade, Summer Stock, The Clock, For Me and My Gal. She should have an Oscar for that first one.
But the late-night Dictaphone/telephone recordings must be heard to be believed.
You should brand the cup of joe level donation as A Cup With Claudio. It's catchy and uses your biggest asset to your advantage.
I'd probably go with the Harvey Girls myself. As in Meet Me in St. Louis it's the move where she attains and degree of ease and relaxation and seems to be having a really fun time. It's also got some great Angela Lansbury moments thrown into the mix. I like her in Me and My Gal as well, she had good chemistry with Kelly.
I agree THe Pirate is worth seeing but less so for her IMO. It's totally bananas and Kelly gets at least one bizarro dance number. She seems kind of incidental to all this and it's apparent just by looking at her that it was not a good time for her, she seems both closed off and helplessly present at the same time in way that's a little distressing at times.
I struggle with "I Could go on Singing" because it's the kind of musical where the songs don't relate to the plot, so they could drop in literally almost any songs - and the material chosen just isn't that interesting. Same movie with different songs would have likely had a more notable outcome.
Loved "Ziegfeld Girl" when I saw that recently, maybe my most recent first-time Garland screening. It's not "her" movie but it's a very fun and overstuffed example of the kind of thing it is.
Otherwise agree that "The Pirate" is a hoot and "The Harvey Girls" underrated.
As I'm originally from St. Louis, I have a soft spot for "Meet Me in St. Louis", of course. She really was robbed for "A Star is Born".
I've seen one of the Andy Hardy movies, but not sure which one. That and "Easter Parade" are really fun.
Love THE PIRATE so much. Hear great things about THE CLOCK. It's my next watch.
I just re-watched In The Good Old Summertime. It really seems to Want to re-capture all the magic that made Meet Me In St. Louis so great (Midwestern setting, even a Christmas song). The 'original' songs aren't anywhere memorable and Van Johnson's handsome seems to outshine Judy
It seems that Gene Kelly would've been a better sparing partner coming right off his steam-rolling her in The Pirate, but he probably would've demanded Spectacular dream sequences/dance revues in this simple story. This entire project really needs that Vincent Minneli touch. He could've done wonders making the set design illuminate.