Scott Schechter - Judy Garland: The Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Legend

Judy

Garland

The Day-by-Day
Chronicle of a Legend

Scott Schechter

Copyright 2002 by Scott Schechter

First Taylor Trade Publishing edition 2006

Originally published in 2002 by Cooper Square Press. Reprinted by permission.

This Taylor Trade Publishing paperback edition of Judy Garland is an original publication. It is published by arrangement with the author.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

Published by Taylor Trade Publishing

An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

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Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The Cooper Square Press edition of this book was previously catalogued by the Library of Congress as follows:

Schechter, Scott.

Judy Garland: the day-by-day chronicle of a legend / Scott Schechter. 1st Cooper Square Press ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Garland, Judy. 2. SingersUnited StatesBiography. I. Title.

ML420.G253 S3 2002

782.42164'092dc21

2001008721

ISBN-13: 978-1-58979-300-2 (pbk : alk. paper)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,

ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Manufactured in the United States of America.

Contents

Judy in Strike Up The Band (1940): The (I Aint Got) Nobody (And Nobodys Got Me) number in the library, surrounded by books full of information. (Courtesy of Photofest.)

Introduction

I was born to sing and try to take peoples minds off their troubles for awhile... if I can.Judy Garland, May 10, 1964

Ive been working for 43 years. If Id been as ill or as sick as theyve printed, I wouldnt have been able to be working for 43 years. So I think its time to put an end to all of this foolishness.Judy Garland, March 6, 1967

Id like to explain myself a little. So much of the past that has been written about me, has been so completely, just authored: not even correct.... I think that the nicest thing to say is that I enjoy my work, that Im a very happy woman, a very healthy woman, and that I look forward to my shows every night, and am having a marvelous life. Ive had press agents that Ive paid, to whom Ive said Why dont they put that in a magazine? And theyve said No, theyre not interested in that. Thats not news. You have to do something terrible. I dont believe you do. I think it might be awfully smashing news for people to find out that Im a very contented, healthy, happy woman.Judy Garland, August 1967

For much of the time that Judy was with us (nearly twelve days into her forty-seventh year), she was misunderstood. Her passing, and the years that have followed, have only improved the scenario somewhat. As an example of this, I am reminded of one of her many comebacks after she passed away, when she was the darling of the book publishing industry in 1975. One of the three major tomes released that year featured a cover photo of Judy in her most famous movie role. While I was looking through it in the store, a lad even younger than I said to his friend while pointing at my bookHey, its Dorothy!... She killed herself, didnt she? I had to suppress the urge to clobber him with the hefty, nearcoffee-table size volume (well, it was a hardcover, and would have done a bit too much damage), until I quickly realized the kid had simply stated the two things everyone thought they knew about her.

Judy Garland was not about either of those two images. In actuality, she was one of the strongest, most aware, in-tune, intelligent, warmest, wittiest, wisest, sophisticated, and drop-dead funniest human beings. I realize this is not the image of Judy the world favorspreferring to see her as victim, instead of as the ultimate survivorbut anyone willing to do the research would find another Garland not usually spoken about. This Judy is the one who overcame one obstacle after another in order to spend the last forty-five of her forty-seven years sharing her gifts with the world. Working nearly non-stop, she produced a body of work perhaps unequaled in the entertainment industry: forty films; sixty TV shows; 100 single recordings and a dozen albums; several hundred radio shows; and easily 1,500 concert, nightclub, theatre, charity, military, and vaudeville performances.

To show the span of Judys career (starting in the era of silent films, and ending at the time of 70mm stereo movies, color television, and man walking on the moon), one need only realize that Judy worked with everyone: from 1920s crooner Rudy Vallee to 1960s rocker Johnny Rivers; from 1930s singer Allan Jones to his son, singer Jack Jones, of The Love Boat Theme fame; and from legendary comedian Fanny Brice to todays superstar-legend who portrayed her on stage and screen, Barbra Streisand. Thats an astounding body of work, and a length of time spent in a fleeting business, for a so-called unreliable performer. It might surprise many to realize that the longest period Judy did not workother than before and after the three times she gave birthwas a six-month period in 19661967, and that was only due to tax problems with the IRS. Judy Garland lived to sing, as her daughter Lorna Luft once explained. Its easy to accept this statement, and to believe that her life was about her art and not her tribulations, when looking at her life closely.

This book presents that close look by presenting a record of Judys existence on nearly a day-to-day basis. Yes, the hospitals and husbands are mentioned, but only in the context of her life and art, and not the other way around. It should become clear that, yes, the lady lived... but mostly... the woman worked. As were looking at her life as it unfolded, well also get to read Judys own thoughts from interviews she gave over the years, and also how contemporary criticswho often arent respected unless theyre ripping someone apartfell all over themselves for nearly forty-five years to praise the gifts of France Ethel Gumm/Judy Garlandthe gifts of incomparable Voice, Heart, and Soulfrom 1924, until only three months before her passing in 1969.

As an added bonus, theres a brief summary of the career highlights hit after her passing, as well as a recommendation for collecting on CDs and videos, her work... her Legacy... THE LEGENDS LEGACY.

There is no doubt that due to this rich legacy of work she left the world, her impact will continue for all time. New generations keep watching The Wizard of Oz, fall in love with Dorothy, and want to see more of her. The world has recently changed and undergone several horrific tragedies. There are fewer things of which we can be certain. Yet, along with knowing that our country and the world will survive, it can also be stated as fact that, as the star of the one movie seen by more people than any other in movie history, Judy Garland will live forever.

1922

June 10, 1922, 5:30 a.m.: Judy was born as Frances Ethel Gumm, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Frances was delivered by Dr. H. E. Binet of Grand Rapids, at Itasca Hospital. Weight at birth was 7 pounds. (Frances was brought home to the Gumm house, at the corner of Second and Fourth Streets; the residence is currently being restored by the Itasca County Historical Society in Grand Rapids.) (Francess birth certificate lists her fathers occupation as Movie House Manager, and her mother as Housewife.)