The Judy Garland Show

I'm SO enjoying watching THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW on DVD. What a treat it is to see this extremely talented (yet troubled) artist in what is as close to live performances as I'll ever see. (I was only 6 years old when this show aired, so I have no memory of watching it--and I probably had to be in bed before it came on at 9 p.m. anyway.)

It's also wonderful to see so many stars appearing with her: Streisand and Merman in what is a unique experience; Diahann Carroll; Donald O'Conner; and, of course, Mickey Rooney and Judy together.

I get the impression from watching these shows that the Judy we're seeing is the REAL Judy Garland and not a character she's playing. She has such a great sense of humor, including her light-hearted self-deprecating comments. (I particularly enjoyed her remarks about her "firing" by MGM.)

The audio and video transfer quality is excellent. It's like watching the show live!!

If you're a Judy fan--or just a fan of great talent--then please treat yourself to these wonderful DVDs.

Talent, skill and training are one thing, Encountering someone with these qualities who is willing to commit everything in a performance is yet another thing. Judy had a TeeVee variety show like dozens of others but she was totally unlike any of them. Only she would be putting her life on the line each time, live.

I recall that rather than fight the drugs, her producers at least initially worked with them under a doctor's supervision. So what we see is a great talent on speed for possibly the 5 thousandth time and coddled so she can just focus on connecting passionately.

The sets are more abstract and the dance more modern than normal for the time (or ever, for that matter).

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

Judy Garland's one foray into series television was not perfect, but that was not entirely her fault. She was more anxious than anyone to make this a success, but the show's producers tweaked and ravaged the show's format so much that it ended up a flawed gem. Audiences would've been more than happy to see Ms. Garland just belt out one song after another, but early on her show was a musical variety hybrid, co-starred with 'second banana' dimwit Jerry Van Dyke, and featuring an uneven roster of guest stars, comedy sketches, and interviews over tea. Still, subsequent shows featured unforgettable appearances by Mickey Rooney, Mel Torme,' Lena Horne, Donald O'Connor, Ray Bolger, Jane Powell, George Maharis, and two honorable mentions: her own teenage daughter Liza Minnelli, and a 21-year-old Barbra Streisand who had not yet begun her own star launch with 'Funny Girl.' But then there was Judy herself- 41 years old, slimmed down to a gorgeous waif in beautiful gowns by Bob Mackie and Ray Aghayan doing incredible things: one-woman concerts, clown skits, comic improvisations, pantomime, and of course, the songs: 'Ol' Man River,' 'Live Your Life Today,' 'You Go To My Head,' 'Too Late Now,' 'Swanee,' a stunning up-tempo version of "Come Rain Or Come Shine,' and a positively blazing rendition of "As Long As He Needs Me-' with the voice in the unforgettable quiver and vibrato that always brought audiences to their feet, even in a darkened theater. The DVD's render a marvelous B&W picture, as these shows are digital transfers from the original, show quality, 2-inch videotapes. Kudos to Pioneer Entertainment for making this series possible.

Well... What to say...? Here's a show i discovered not so long ago, when trying to know more about the dramatic life of Judy Garland. Surely, i didn't expect to enjoy it that much! I knew almost nothing about it when, as an impulsive buyer, i purchased the two parts of The Judy Garland Show Collection, released by Pioneer. Watching DVD after DVD, I discovered an amazing show, with incredible singing, true emotions and real fun. Of course, the humor is a bit dated, and some of the guests are - for me- simply annoying, but let's face it, if you watch this show, it's for Judy and Judy only! She's there, she's alive and she surely shows it : she sings, she dances, she moves like she did 20 years before. Yes, there are flaws, after all, she would die a few years after... But it doesn't really matter. You just enjoy the terrific performance and praise the technicians from Pioneer who did such a fantastic job on these shows and gave us the possibility to enjoy them like never before, more than 40 years after their original broadcasting. My advice? Get these two box sets while they're still available! And have fun.

This is such a great document of a leading actress and singer, Judy Garland, from the last century. It is also an interesting time capsule with such vocalist types as folkie Judy Henske and George Maharis (the latter more known as an actor). What else can I say? Duets with legends Lena Horne, Ethel Merman, her daughter Liza Minnelli and a young Barbra Streisand not to mention a delightfully cute and moving tribute to children's songs with Louis Jourdan. I never would have thought I'd hear Garland sing "Popeye the Sailor Man" or "Someday My Prince Will Come." I would have given the series a higher mark if the format changes didn't make it so frustrating but the high points DO outshine any flaws. For instance, guest Bobby Darin is simply awesome. I enjoyed the "Tea for Two" segments as they broke up (gave us a rest from) all the singing and dancing. They also spotlighted celebrities who might not sing or seem appropriate to the variety show format: this segment gave such notables a chance to tell a story or shine in some other way: Jayne Meadows and Leo Deroscher (and I personally hate baseball) come to mind. Jerry Van Dyke had a worthless role and I think he did what he could with such a thankless and demeaning part as a sidekick, which Garland didn't need anyway. n I could go on but I think the DVDs speak loudly for themselves: great sound and picture quality. Pioneer did wonders with these shows and their attention and love for the body of work is evident throughout. Some are better than others in picture quality but this is a minor point as so many of the taped shows from the following decade, the 1970s, such as Norman Lear shows, do not look this good and possess a murky picture quality.