Judy Garland: The Concert Years (1985)

Simply Perfect

Good movie but grossly overrated

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Kay Thompson, the brilliant master nightclub singer, arranger and 'song doctor' helped Judy create the rich range of physical gestures, stylistic flourishes, pauses and unbelievable 'song tension' that was the Judy of the concert years - a different and vibrant maturing of the MGM Judy. In no way do I diminish Judy's accomplishment - she was canny enough to work with Kay and Kay could only bring out the genius that was already there. This is special is a superb introduction to the best of the concerts and the TV show. Enjoy. And a tip of the hat to Kay.

Judy Garland breezed through many memorable MGM musicals after her amazing performance in "The Wizard of Oz." She made the Garland-Rooney musicals, "Ziegfeld Girl", "Till The Clouds Roll By" and so many more. As she matured, and her personal problems took her out of the film spotlight, her concert performances took on a new depth and intensity that has been seldom matched. Sure, there were more technically perfect singers, but nobody ever put as much emotion into her singing as the late, great Judy Garland. On this great show, we have a number of marvelous performances of Judy taken largely from her 1963-64 "Judy Garland Show." The performances are mostly intact, with some of her best being her "Trolly Song" medley, "Over The Rainbow", and my personal favorite, her electrifying rendition of "Battle Hymn of The Republic", sung in tribute to the then recently assassinated President Kennedy. The show starts out with an overview of Garland's early life, including a brief clip from "The Big Show", the 1929 short which launched Garland's prolific film carrer. This show truly has the greatest television performances of Judy Garland. The last segment of the show puts together a medley of performances, concert-style, of some of her best work. The show gives you an entertaining hour and a half of one of the greatest talents of the twentieth-century. If you're a Garland fan, don't miss it. If you're not, see it anyway. It just may change your mind.

By far, this is the best documentary I've ever seen, hands down! I first saw it when my sister taped it off PBS at our beach house back in 1987; I was seven years old. Afterwards, we watched it continuously over the years and I was thrilled when it was released on DVD in Nov., 2002. I still watch it at least once every 6-8 weeks simply because I love that vintage TV look it contains. Seeing those clips of Judy's incredibly impressive variety show (which was unforgivably canceled after only one season merely because its ratings could not compare to BONANZA which ran the same night on NBC, Judy's show was on CBS) still gives me that happy, nostalgic feeling. Standouts are her duets with Tony Bennett, Liza, Lena Horne and of course Barbra Streisand. Another must-have for Judy fans is the recent DVD release of her variety show which includes all the above guest appearances as well as dozens of other episodes, including her much-loved Christmas show episode (which has now become an annual holiday standard). The episode with Barbra's guest appearance is said to have been the most-requested home video release in all of TV history. With Judy's daughter, Lorna Luft as host, Melissa Manchester, Tony Bennett, Garland's arranger/conductor Mort Lindsay, Edward Albee, Nelson Riddle and Alan King are among the several commentators who voiced their opinions and praise for Judy and most, if not all, of what each of them said was exact and compliant with the level of talent and sheer charisma that she projected in every single performance she gave. This show is a loving tribute to the world's greatest entatertainer... Judy Garland!