I remember hearing that also- can you imagine? Judy was often, at best, representative of the tragic, the poignant, the character pathos in films. Had she been in the decent health she displayed at the time of 'Easter Parade' or 'In The God Old Summertime,' the 'what if' possibilities are endless. She did the Kern music well; she had also previously recorded 'Bill' when she was still singing as a youngster.
monique6743 sad to say there are multitudes of Judy Garland bashers spouting bull@$#t and hate and it sometimes brings me to tears. Im a huge lifelong fan and also had the immense pleasure of working with both Lorna Luft and Mickey Rooney. There many comments in which Judy is criticized and blamed for her personal issues. They run the gamut. Various comments fault her for her appearance or her performances and one person in particular stated that they were glad she was dead and thats what she deserved. I guess in the eyes these haters performers are not supposed to be human. They are not at all allowed to have flaws that apparently is inexcusable. I consider her to be the greatest petformer of all time but what touches me the most is even after all these years both Lorna and Mickey would get misty eyed whenever they would speak of her. She was adored not only by the many fans who did not know her personally but by her children and close friends who in spite of any negative experiences they had exerienced or witnessed had wonderful memories. I always ask these haters how they think how they might be remembered when they are gone. No one has cared to respond to my question.
One of the greatest losses to cinema was that Judy did not get to play the role of Julie LaVerne and sing Bill and Can't Help Lovin' That Man. This magical woman would have been riveting in Showboat. One of the greatest losses to film was for the industry to burn out and destroy its greatest talent before she had even turned 28. She made only a handful of films after leaving MGM as her system and mental health just could no longer cope with the demands she had met from ages 13 to 27. A tragic lo
To those who claim it would never have happened, the thought, according to TCM liner notes in a Showboat introduction some years ago, was (at least in pre-production): Tony Martin as Ravenal (Howard Keel did it in the end), Kathryn Grayson as Magnolia, and...Judy Garland as Julie. The story goes that it was apparently producer Arthur Freed's original idea, but it must've been in anticipation for a much earlier release of the film, because Garland was already fired from MGM in 1950 by the time the 1951 film was released (Dinah Shore and Lena Horne were also considered for Julie- according to history, but in the end it was the beauteous Ava Gardner with tanning makeup and a dubbed voice anyway). I think Garland could've worked. She was no stranger to Kern ballads, and her quirky beauty, vibrating alto, and especially those turn-on-the-waterworks brown eyes would've put the role over the top. Anyway, just a few years earlier, Judy was on something of a roll with The Pirate, Easter Parade, and In the Good Old Summertime.
While I find the number to be a bit over-orchestrated, JG does not let it phase her, but puts her special stamp on it, making it an evergreen gift for the ages.
@Fegen Very sad indeed...and in fact MGM is to blame for putting so much pressure on her to maintain a slim figure and work long hours. They gave her the uppers and barbituates -- shame on them for treating such an artist like a workhorse. (Not that I approve of animal cruelty either.) :) She was just lovely, classy, and so talented.
Mickey Rooney says that MGM wasn't responsible for Judy's drug addiction. In her never-released memoirs, she claimed that she had heard voices since she was three, and this may have something to do with it.
YES GARLAND WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT AS JULIE...BUT AVA DID A GOOD JOB AND IT IS SAD THEY DID NOT USE HER SINGING VOICE...YOU CAN HEAR IT HEAR ON YOU TUBE.....
Judy sounds good, but her voice just doesn't fit the role of Julie. The whole point of "Julie" singing this song is that it shocks everyone that a white woman could sing not only a "black" song, but like a black woman. Judy's version is too show tunesy for me; it lacks soul.
I read in Lena Horne’s biography that Lena was supposed to sing this arrangement for the Kern tribute, but didn’t show up due to her testiness over her mgm contract. The music director snatched up Judy (who was already committed to sing a medley with Gene Kelly) to take this arrangement as well. Judy learned it right before the curtain went up. Lena Horne would have been singing this upbeat arrangement that you think lacks soul. Judy was, as usual, incredible and I think indeed soulful despite the up tempo arrangement.
@@deuxjournalistes2993 Decades later, Judy filled in for Lena when she had to cancel her appearance due to illness. That was in February 1969, on the show Sunday Night at The Palladium. That performance is probably still up here on YT.
