Week of June 25: Judy and Television

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Judy.

Nothing more needs to be said beyond that first name. Judy Garland is a star who transcends everything else; that's just as true today, 41 years after her tragic, premature death at the age of 46, as it ever was during her career.

The release this week of a special edition of the 1954 film "A Star Is Born" refocuses the spotlight on Garland's career - not that it's ever been off. Garland began working in show business as a little girl, became a star at 16 with "The Wizard of Oz" and has always glittered, despite her personal troubles.

The "Star Is Born" extras include a television special broadcast - live - of the Hollywood premiere of the film in 1954. Ironically, after that film, which gave Garland a comeback story and probably should have given her an Oscar, Garland would do much more television work than film work.

Garland was a frequent guest on variety and talk shows during the 1950s and 60s. The centerpiece is "The Judy Garland Show," which ran for just 25 episodes on CBS in 1963-64.

Putting Garland in her own variety show was a good idea on paper. Its production crew included two people - assistant costume designer Bob Mackie and choreographer Ernie Flatt - who would go on to the great success of "The Carol Burnett Show," also on CBS.

But though the variety format worked well for such people as Andy Williams, Perry Como and Danny Kaye, Garland had problems. The chief problems were squabbles among CBS executives, the show's producers - there were four, including George Schlatter (later to produce NBC's "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In") and Norman Jewison (later to find fame as a film director) - and Garland's then-husband, Sid Luft. The format would shift from mainly music to mainly humor and back again. Worst of all, the show was competing against NBC's "Bonanza." Garland never had a chance.

But the show is a treasure. Garland worked with some show-business legends, including her old film partner, Mickey Rooney; comedian Bob Newhart; singers Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, Steve Lawrence, Mel Torme, Bobby Darin, Ethel Merman and a 21-year-old kid named Barbra Streisand.

Garland also worked with her own kids - Lorna Luft, Joey Luft and their big sister, Liza Minnelli, who has gone on to some pretty great success herself.

In a show taped after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Garland gave a moving tribute with "The Battle Hymn of the Republic":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Xz7WV_qJs

The shows have been released in spits and spurts on DVD, and they're very much worth having. Also worth having is "Judy Garland: The Concert Years," a documentary first shown on PBS during the 1980s and narrated by Lorna Luft (It appears the DVD currently for sale has about 30 minutes chopped off from the original broadcast, so grab an old VHS version, if possible, and get it transferred.). The full documentary includes lots of clips from the CBS program. It also includes a memorable television recording of "Over the Rainbow," in a 1955 special:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8UWNv4wkb0

Catch this star however you can.

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!