Hospital Scene from "I Could Go on Singing" starring Judy Garland 

She was bigger than Oscar. They never invented an award big enough for her.

I think everyone agrees that this was one of the best dramatic scenes ever committed to film. The script was revised several times over by both Bogarde and Garland themselves. They cemented it to memory, then improvised it to perfection in one long single take for the final version shown in the film. However, after seeing this film many, many times, one bit of very deserved praise often goes unnoticed and unmentioned. The lighting, especially the key lights on Miss Garland's face, is probably the finest bit of cinematography ever. Ever. Kudos to whomever conceived of and accomplished this sheer artistry. After over 60 years, this scene still takes my breath away every time.

I am reduced to tears by yet another Oscar worthy performance, again unrecognized by a Lame Oscar Academy ..Judy was so very underrated as an actor ..an absolute Natural ...she is right up there with Streep as far as I am concerned..don't care what anyone else thinks .. " I'm ALWAYS a sell out !! " AMEN Sister ...Go Judy Go ...World's Greatest Entertainer ..period ...xo

Beautiful scene still. Sixty years later. The movie was released in 1963. It's 2023 now. This scene still plays well today. The world still hasn't produced another Judy Garland. What a presence. What a performer. What a lady.

The film "I Could Go On Singing" by itself is nothing more than an articulated soap opera, but this scene... THIS SCENE is one of the most thrilling and provocative pieces of acting that Judy Garland ever gave. It is raw and frightening and heartbreaking. She was a supremely gifted and most devastatingly damaged woman. Judy Garland died over 40 years ago and yet her brilliance still remarkably radiates over us all.

If she could have said this, out loud to everyone you missed used her, she should have won an Oscar for this performance

It's true. Judy did indeed help write this scene, and it is autobiographical in nature. It was done in one take which shows the brilliance of both Judy and Dirk. Judy was playing Jenny playing Judy. The emotions were all Judy's, the anger, sorrow , and regret. But in true Garland style, she picks herself up and gets out on that stage and brings the house down. It's life imitating art, imitating life. Go Judy, go!!! Nobody is ever going to come close to doing it better than you.

Dirk Bogard said that they actually improvised parts of this scene, she just said what was on her mind and he wrote it down... all that stuff "rolled out like a pastry so everyone can have a bite," those weren't scripted. Those were her thoughts. She wasn't acting. She was telling how it was.

My good grief...this is all done in a SINGLE TAKE. No cuts. And they're amazing.

This Acting is just real & raw. It's upsetting to view. Just a power house performance from Judy.

..."I've hung on to every bit of rubbish there is to hang on to in life...and I've thrown all the good bits away!! Now can you tell me why I do that?" THAT was real Judy. I've also heard mention that at least some of the dialog here was ad-libbed. Whether or not that's accurate, in any case it's fantastic!...my favorite scene in this film. She was GREAT!

No movie scene will ever equal this one. It should be studied by all budding actors.

“It’s not worth all the deaths that I have to die!” - Judy for real. Sinatra said that every time Judy sang she died a little with each performance. That’s how much she gave. I hope she’s resting in heaven, happy, knowing how much she’s loved and all of this time later. Sinatra also said that everyone will be long forgotten after they’re gone, but not Judy, never ever. And it’s all the truth!

NO OTHER SCENE...NO OTHER PERFORMANCE...NO OTHER WORDS STRUNG TOGETHER. SO FIT AN ACTRESS AS THIS SCENE. THIS IS HER LIFE PERSONIFIED....THE PITY IS IT IS SO TRUE.

The greatest entertainer the world has ever seen, her beautiful voice breaks my heart every time.

Judy was seriously gifted!!!!!!!! This movie was way underrated!!!!!! JUDY 4 LIFE!!!

I don't think Judy realized, just how talented she really was! This scene just made me sob. She was an extraordinary actress, and this film, proved that! Such a tragic end to her life, and so young!

Speechless but, having said that, soooo good makes me cry. Must rank with one of the best performances/films ever.

I'm surpised that this film did not receive more notariety than it did. To me it is one of the most important films Judy made. It's her practically telling her own story in her own words, which is what the public so desperately wanted to know. You would think the theaters would have been packed at the time and that this would have been a landmark film.

Probably one of the finest acted scenes by a female in film history. You KNOW that Judy is really, really talking about her own experience - and her own disgust - and doing very little 'acting' in the sense of playing a role. This is Judy's heart and soul - and it is amazing to watch!

Two immortal geniuses at their pinnacle.

The pressure was always tremendous on Judy. The debts, the back taxes, the stage fright, the fears, the doubts. This scene is raw to the bone Judy. An amazing piece of acting. Dirk Bogarde is also wonderful and really helps Judy shine here.

No one has ever been better - Garland was a wonder!

So heartbreaking. Judy's acting was ahead of it's time.

A Perfect Performance by an Incredible Woman whom i just Love and Appreciate so Much!

God... she was SO SO SO good. And that spotlight on her face? I love it.

Neame said: “There’s one scene between Dirk Bogarde and her when he’s trying to persuade her to go back to the theatre from the hospital. She’s been taken to the hospital, and she’s determined not to go back. And he’s determined to make her go back. This scene was about a four-minute, five-minute scene, which I intended to break up into a medium shot and a close two-shot, and then individuals. We rehearsed it, and I said fine, let’s now shoot it. Now, some extraordinary piece of magic happened. It was a very dramatic scene, where the Judy character says ‘I’m never going back to the theatre again. I’m not going to go there and put myself up there, and why should I sing when I don’t want to sing.’ So, a big argument. And suddenly, on the first shot, which was supposed to finish a quarter of the way through, suddenly, I realized that this was real life. That suddenly, Judy had become the real Judy. It was no longer acting, and it was absolutely wonderful. She bared her heart to Dirk. Whilst we were shooting, I thought, ‘My God, what am I going to do?’ Because this was a one-time thing. So I did this [waved him forward] to the character pushing the camera, to get him to go in closer, which he did, he crept in closer. And Dirk Bogarde, being a brilliant actor and a very good film person, he realized what was happening, and he moved in closer to her. So they were right close, and so I was able to come in closer. And we went on with the scene. Then we realized that there was a little light on the front of the camera. As we went in closer, it started to burn up the faces, because it was too bright. And the cameraman signaled to the chief electrician, who crept over to the camera and slid a gauze in front of the light so that it wouldn’t make it too strong. And we went right through the whole six minutes, I suppose, of the scene, and everybody on the set was in tears when we said cut. I said that’s it. We’ll never ever get that again. So it is all in one shot…

Judy and Dirk were friends, and she trusted him. When she went off script, he stayed right with her and they created a breathtaking performance. As Scott Nevins said, in one take. The key light is almost distracting as the words and emotion come through whatever the lighting position. These are rare moments in movies where the raw emotion and truth come through.

What a good scene, never saw this before.....

This acting is genius ! Judy Garland is brilliant....!!

Damn, she was good in this scene. Too bad she couldn't enjoy her stardom. She was a great performer.

This scene is perfect, and so autobiographical. We're seeing how Judy really felt, I read her biography, and I love how this scene she's telling the world how she would feel at times before performing. She did feel like she was being spread out too thin, she was an amazing performer.

Im 72 and in my aged opinion, Judy -first off - was robbed of her Oscar for A Star Is Born. If you ever get a chance to see it on the big screen, PLEASE see it, it illustrates my point: unlike the talent of today, Judy had the ability to play it with complete honesty and at the same time, reach out of the screen and just grab you by the heartstrings in any scene she played. She was a true genius. It is just so sad that it comes with a very heavy pricetag.

Exceptionally well-improvised by both Dirk and Judy. Ahead of its time, astounding performances. We could have done without the key light though.

Most of the dialogue in this scene was written / adlibb’d by Judy Garland herself - which may account for the horrific realism of what is up there on the screen-it is a précis of her real life after she left the relentless ‘studio system’ of Hollywood in 1951 which had trashed her self-esteem & left her a psychological basket-Case - with the only thing left to her being her unique singing talents & her uncanny ability to connect with audiences throughout the whole world who (on one level) understood her tremendous internal suffering ...

So raw & so her life. I hope she is happy & free for over 40 yrs. lord, tell Judy I am thinking of her.

From the heart. You can tell Bogarde isn't sure what she's going to say, but he lets her say it. Too bad nobody heard her .

Judy was a great gift to all the world ❤

When anyone asks me what gives me a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes of any film I reference this scene......according to those in the know this scene was especially poignant and autobiographical and not rehearsed....beautiful beautiful scene.

I saw in the A&E biography that she actually helped write this scene.....I guess that's why it's so raw and authentic..... It's amazing that she never won an Oscar for any of her movies. RIP Judy

She rips my heart out every time I watch this scene! She’s the greatest! Rip Miss Garland ❤️

I saw this film when I was only 8 years old, I was already a Judy Garland fan then which was why my Dad let me stay up to watch it. I've always remembered what an amazing film it was, I wish I could see it all the way through again, just can't get hold of it in England

Wow! Judy is such a good actress!

Incredible.

Great interpretation! Judy deserved an Oscar for every film he played! Scandalous who did not win for "A Star Is Born" or even just for this movie! Shame!! Judy you are and you will always be a "Masterpiece"!

Astounding! What a fantastic performance and it has all the more pathos as really this is Judy acting Judy; she was very aware that this storyline mirrored the truth of her own life. Judy, we salute you!

If one can say they know anything about Ms. Garland, one would know these are not just lines from a scene in a movie of her...This scene is positively cathartic. Seemingly for her, and for us. The anger, the anguish, the heartache are all palpable here. Yet, in true show biz tradition, she sucks it all up and goes on. A real trooper!. They don't make 'em like that anymore, folks!

It's powerful because the walls came down and she spoke what was exactly in her heart. Sad.

This is amazing! She's a goddess! This is the most real I think we ever see her....

I'm always a sellout!! Speak, JUDY!

She was so great here.. her pauses are perfect.. I dont agree with the term INFAMOUS SCENE...

Yes she did and what a vast body of work she gave.I have fallen in love with her appeal.As the whole world did when she was alive.I thank who eve was recording all these GREAT songs and pictures of her she did a bang up job doing what she did RIP Judy Barbara...

One of my all time favorite movies . Great music, great story and this scene in particular is I think the best performance of her life . ❤

Jesus she's beautiful 😍❤️

Wonderful scene

This must have been like this at Metro when Mayer, her Mother & others who forced Judy to work when she needed rest. Her words here are very powerful because it all started when she was told her father was in the hospital and they wouldnt let her see him and then he died without seeing him again. This all comes from 1935 when she just joined the studio and she was about to sing on the radio and future occurances at MGM and later

In the movie - prior to the hospital scene Matt, her son she left as a baby, told Judy he wanted to stay with his dad not her. Terrific movie with Judy playing herself.

I love this scene!

Amazing that it was the first and only take!

I've just discovered Judy and this scene is totally heartbreaking! She acted our her truth here and to Judy and Dirk in a movie is bliss me I love them both, Judy looks stunning here! I am trying to find the DVD but can't find a Uk version anyone help???

Omg... it pains me to say I haven’t watched this movie YET which gave me even more of a clear mind seeing this... it was like seeing her, for real. This WAS her! And I bawled my eyes out because it was so real.

Judy s best part in the movie I loved Judy still do !

wow what an amazing performance. I had never seen this before. I was not disappointed. Its like her own words coming out. It looked so natural.

A wonderful scene with Bogarde and Garland. Thanks for sharing it. Is there a possibility it could be reloaded in the correct aspect ratio to prevent its looking tall and squeezed? In the right aspect ratio, both actors' tour de force of acting skill" as you say will be clearer. Many thanks!

She was magnificent

One of my favorite actresses. It’s such a pity that her famous voice outshone her acting because I think she was an even better actress than singer and that’s saying A LOT

Judy played herself so well

For me, I think this film was Judy's best performance. I just think she's astounding in it.

an outstanding performance!!!

Judy is a goddess.

I ordered this movie, got it yesterday, watched it and really enjoyed it. Judy did a wonderful job, especially in this scene. Yours seems to be better than mine though, in the dvd that I have this scene just shows a close up of judy pretty much the whole time and half of davids head.. I thought it was suppose to be like that but after watching your clip..im not sure. LOL Is this a full version screen or wide?

thank u sooooo much for posting

classic scene

she had to be loved adored i loved adored her

The hospital scene was so real, she really was talking about herself!!

This scene was so believable. It really does show how she really felt.

She improvised alot of it too. While drunk, she was amazing and couldn't escape the people supplying her. 😮‍💨 Gone too soon this legend.

great scene......shows how judy really felt. life imatating art.

Judy Garland Keeping It Real

this one of my favorite garland movies

Judy Garland great actress!!!!!

one take, amazingly brilliant as good as Judgement at Nuremburg

Outstanding

I avoided this movie because, on the whole, it’s not a very compelling film. Generally moribund. Plot is … flimsy. BUT, JG’s performance in this one scene (which she and Bogarde rewrote entirely to their satisfaction) is probably her single best dramatic scene ever committed to any film. And she’s not playing “herself” in it, she’s playing a character whose needs and crises were very different from Judy’s at the time she filmed the movie. Garland was still riding a wave of tremendous multimedia successes in the early 1960s, her family life was fairly stable, lots of money (being secretly stolen in increments) and a staggering $24M television series deal with CBS on the way. She’s playing a guilty mother whose lifelong abandoned son does not respond to her, and that is what comes across in the performance. At this point in her life, Judy’s kids were exceedingly close to her. This is a raw, brilliantly articulated scene with minimal (if any) Garland mannerisms. Very natural and free but also expertly delivered with nuance and curious little layers and subtle shifts in the type of emotions summoned as the character must sail through a range of quite distinct crises in which she confronts her drunkenness, then her professional ambivalence, then her acute pain over an old love lost, and finally her son’s rejection of her. Even the scene with Klugman was ace. A genuinely astonishing tour de force from Garland, sparkling like a crown jewel in an otherwise uneven film. As her last film ever, this was one helluva great scene that allowed her to go out with a bang.

Judy Garland was a great actress and she died young, she was 47.

sorry, paul1973, totally meant to hit 'thumbs up'.... i digress: Judy was such a great actress and talent; her emotional performances in front of the camera forced you to love her!!

Was a more real scene ever shot in a film? This was Judy Garland, this was not acting.

The movie scene to end all movie scenes. Cut so close to the bone it's gripping.

I sing for myself.

We are watching Frances Gumm crying. She can't take pretending to be Judy Garland.

This is MY ENTIRE LIFE! wrAPPED UP INTO ONE SCENE FROM MY MOTHERS MOVIE!

I wonder if there was a scene filmed but cut that would have shown what happened to her before this scene.

2:25 .. ❤❤ Academy award.

I really think Judy was so dam good at this because she was not acting but telling the world the truth about her life. She really was living her life in a movie she stared! They lied to her, cheated her and took from her.

She never thought she was good enough, pretty enough. She was the best there ever was. I don't often quote Whoopi Golberg, but I think she said it best "When Judy sang, God Spoke." However, she never considered her life a tragedy and when people see it that way, they are missing the point.

She's bigger than Oscar.

One of her husbands should have said & done these things for her. she just needed someone to hold her, tell her forget what mgm told her,, how beautiful & wonderful she was, that it was going to be okay. that people love her, and that her heart that she shows when she sings is all she needs to get her through.

I don’t care if they’re fasting. Well then Judy 😂

this is realistic and a parallel to the life she was living with sid luft as their marriage was ending..In his book he also stated she was high on ritalin during the movie

please don't ever put "ayn rand" and "judy garland" in the same sentence again