New on DVD: Old-school gay meets nerd-school

The "Couple of Swells" number is from Easter Parade -- one of Judy's biggest hits. It was choreographed by the film's director Charles Walters. Easily the most important person Garland worked with a Metro other than Vincente Minnelli, Walters was a chorus boy and specailty dancer on Broadway. When MGM bought Cole Porter's DuBarry Was a Lady, they took Walters along with him -- and utilized him as a dance director. He partners Judy in the "Embraceable You" number in Girl Crazy and the "Broadway Rhymn" finale of Presenting Lily Mars. He also driected her in her last film for Metro, Summer Stock. Judy loved Chuck's ultra-raunchy sense of humor. At the end of the take for the "Freindly Star" number in Summer Stock -- a Big Fat Close-Up of Judy, Walters yelled out "Somebody throw me a towel -- I've just come!"

Judy adored the "Couple of Swells" number. She performed it with Walters as her partner at her Palace engagement in 1951. Later when she went on the road she performed it with the great Paul Sand.

And yes, this WILL be on the Final! 

 

I read Gerold Frank's book "Judy" in high school, which I think is a great biography in terms of its psychological analysis, and definitely fills in the broad strokes of her life fluidly.  Apparently, "Get Happy" (which I've only read a chunk of) had more sordid details which fill in some of the gaps that Frank (tactfully?) left in his narrative, like Frank Gumm's sexuality and history with young men.  ("Get Happy" is also much harder on some of her husbands, especially Sid Luft and Mark Herron.)

Based on what I've read, not only does MGM deserve the lion's share (ha ha) of responsibility for a great deal of Garland's drug addiction, but one man in particular: Busby Berkeley.  She worked with him on 3+ pictures (I lose track), and he was a vicious taskmaster who would literally work his stars until their feet bled and they collapsed from exhaustion.  This is where the infamous "pep pills" (which Garland had already started as a teenager to help her slim down) really took hold.  One of the last pictures she was to do with MGM was "Annie Get Your Gun," and the studio, in an act of almost sadism, re-teamed her with Berkeley.  She only lasted a few weeks before being replaced by Betty Hutton, and the footage on the DVD of her few scenes she shot is heartbreaking--she's clearly exhausted, and probably high out of her mind.  She pulled off "Summer Stock" shortly afterwards, then was fired off of "Royal Wedding" (the one where Fred Astaire dances on the ceiling), which was supposed to be her re-teaming with Astaire after "Easter Parade."  If Chuck Walters had had her on "Annie," she might have made a few more pictures with them, but Garland's travails almost gave Walters a nervous breakdown himself.   It's amazing that CBS thought she'd be stable enough to commit to a weekly variety show, but at least she managed to get some indelible performances on tape to demonstrate outside of movies what she could do. 

If you're a young kid, go to YouTube RIGHT NOW and look up Garland singing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"  on her show a week or so after Kennedy was killed.  According to Frank, Garland and Kennedy were close friends (she literally just called the White House one night with a question), and she sometimes would sing "Over the Rainbow" to him over the phone when he was in pain before trying to go to sleep.  It was because of him that Garland was one of the handful of white celebrities who attended the 1963 March on Washington.  Her reaction to his death, as described in the book, is horrifying--Garland almost had a complete mental breakdown.  And she fought CBS tooth and nail to do "Battle Hymn," which executives didn't want--"Oh, the country wants to move on."  It's amazing that this woman, with all her demons and psychological problems, somehow managed to pull off the performance--literally singing for her life--as a tribute not just to our leader, but to her personal friend. 

THe whole deal at MGM was constant work, with constant insistence that she lose weight.

 

So she took pills the better to do so. And then she took more pills, and more, and etc.

I think what she loved about the number was the fact she didn't have to look her best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU3robyaNAY 

 

She's not only a gifted singer and dancer, but a damn good actress, which I don't think gets said enough. There's a non-musical picture she made in the early '60's-A Child Is Waiting-that shows she could do straight dramatic roles as well. It's about children with Down's Syndrome-a pretty bold topic for those days, I'd imagine.

There was a British movie that came out in the early '90's that was set in the 1950's, and centered around a 12-year-old boy who's a Garland fan. He and his sister (I think) act out the "Couple of Swells" number. If that's not enough to convince us he's a gay boy, there's also a scene where he gazes at a hunky constrution worker. I'm totally blanking out on the title. Can anyone remember it?

... but I really like how they dress the lead girl! :) That's what I call fashion! Does it have LGBT stuff in it?

"To make a bad day worse, spend it wishing for the impossible." - Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes

I only vaguely remember the "Couple of Swells" number (or was it the bit from "Meet Me In St. Louis"?), but I definitely remember the scene with the hunky construction worker and how simultaneously hot and poignant it is--hot because the shirtless worker is very aware of why the boy's staring at him, and drops him a flirtatious wink; poignant because the boy immediately ducks out of sight and has a long moment staring at the floor, knowing that something in him has just crossed a line, and can never be recovered.  I think the entire film is gorgeous and moving beyond words, but if you're not a fan of, shall we say, LEISURELY cinema, avoid it. 

Garland gave a terrific dramatic performance about 10 minutes long in "Judgement at Nuremberg," as a German woman who befriended a Jew during the Holocaust.  She undergoes intensive grilling on the witness stand and breaks down, and its naked rawness is similar to her backstage breakdown during the "Lose That Long Face" number in "A Star Is Born."  (Trivia notes: she lost the Oscar for this to Rita Moreno in "West Side Story.") 

Judy, Dirk Bogarde, British schoolboys in drag -- possibly the gayest pre-Stonewall flick ever!

Vito Russo -- as hardcore a Judy fan as ever drew breath -- swore it captured what she was like on stage and off like no other film.

 

I interviewed the director, Ronald Neame -- who thogh nearing the century mark is as sharp as a tack. He said it was quite an experience. Judy alternated between calling him "Sweetie darling" and "That Goddmaned British henry Hathaaway!" depending on her mood.

 

There was a 8 am. call for the big concert finale. She didn't show up until 5 pm. But she delivered.