HAPPY NEW YEAR!

On This Day In Herstory (December 31, 1954)

December 31, 1951 ... dancing with Sid while celebrating New Year's Eve at the Sherry Netherland Hotel in New York.

A HISTORIAN OF NOTE

Tomorrow's "This Day In Herstory" will be the last installment of that feature for this blog. Big, big thanks and gratitude go out to the remarkable David Price for taking all of us on such a wondrous journey with Judy over this past year.

The rare photos, along with David's insightful and educational commentary, have been a welcome addition to (the very grateful) The Judy Garland Experience.

And although TJGE management is saddened that the run of this show has come to it's end, we can't say thank you enough times to Mr. Price for the generosity he has bestowed upon TJGE and the Judy Garland community at large by undertaking this huge project.

But as sad as we are to see This Day In Herstory become history, we are thrilled, delighted, and bursting with pride over the fact that David will continue his association with TJGE with a brand new feature called David Price's Photo Of The Week. Look for the first edition next week. And be sure to check back every week, because just like Herstory, Photo Of The Week will feature more rare photos and enlightening factoids.

If you are reading this David, I would like to personally thank you on behalf of everyone in the world who has looked forward to your reportage on a daily basis.
Your dedication, knowledge, and style make The Judy Garland Experience a better thing.

re: tinted photo: November 3, 1942 ... a "Glamour Shot" taken by Eric Carpenter in the M-G-M portrait gallery ... at last she had come into her own with the studio and was being given the full glamour treatment.

On This Day In Herstory (December 30, 1968)

December 30, 1968 ... at the Ritz Hotel in London with Mickey Deans, posing for photographers.

LIZA AND LORNA TOGETHER AGAIN

Liza Minnelli visits sister Lorna Luft and the cast of White Christmas backstage at The Papermill Playhouse.

On This Day In Herstory (December 29, 1964)

December 29, 1964 ... at JFK Airport in New York with Liza to meet Lorna and Joe when they arrived from California.

On This Day In Herstory (December 28, 1937)

December 28, 1937 ... a portrait of the up-and-coming young actress ... taken by studio photographer Durward Graybill.

ON THIS DAY IN HERSTORY (December 27, 1940)

December 27, 1940 ... at a studio party for Tony Martin ... big boss L. B. Mayer, Tony, Judy, and David Rose.

NEW AUDIO FILES POSTED TO THE YAHOO GROUP (for the week of December 25, 2011)

A JUDY MOMENT 1
It appears that Judy always had Great Britain on the brain, or at least as far back as 1941 when she dedicated this New Year's perennial to England.

A JUDY MOMENT 2
Judy sings Through The Years at Carnegie Hall. Well sort of, play the file and you'll get the idea....

BING AND ROSIE #409
Another offering in our never ending supply of broadcasts from Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney's daily radio show. This week's episode originally aired on September 22, 1961.

COULDA SHOULDA WOULDA
Diana Krall sings a holiday themed song that sounds like it could have been written for Judy. And there is no doubt that this tune coulda, shoulda, woulda, ended up on the Christmas album Judy never recorded.

DUET OF THE WEEK
Ray Charles and Betty Carter are back and the are singing about You And I. No, not us, them.

ENCORE
Judy sings what has to be the most passive aggressive New Year's song ever written.

JUDY GARLAND IN CONCERT
Last week found Judy's December 25, 1967 opening night performance at Madison Square Garden in this folder. This week it contains her December 26, 1967 show from the venue.

JUDY REMEMBERS
Judy reminiscences about life in Grand Rapids, 1960.

LADY ESTHER BLODGETT THEATER
James Stewart and Donna Reed in the 1947 radio adaptation of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

MEMBERS ONLY
Group members audio sharing folder

SUNDAY MORNING SPECIAL
1966 Christams Seals Special starring Barbra Streisand.

WHERE JUDY PLAYED
Frank Sinatra live at the Blackpool Opera House, 1953.

On This Day In Herstory (December 26, 1955)

December 26, 1955 ... arriving at the premiere of MAN WITH A GOLDEN ARM ... with Frank Sinatra and Sid.

On This Day In Herstory (December 25, 1967)

December 25, 1967 ... receiving Christmas gifts from the audience while appearing at the FELT FORUM at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN in New York City.

On This Day In Herstory (December 24, 1963)

December 24, 1963 ... Christmas-shopping time and Judy's signing checks ... buying gifts for people at CBS.

On This Day In Herstory (December 23, 1968)

December 23, 1968 ... backstage with Mickey Deans after hosting the MERV GRIFFIN SHOW while Merv was out of town.

On This Day In Herstory (December 22, 1954)

December 22, 1954 ... contract (and rider) signed on this date between Judy and MCA for agent management services.

JUDY, VINCENTE, AND THE SCHNOZZ

We won't ask why Jimmy Durante has his fingers in his mouth because we are just glad they are not in his nose.....no, not because of that, because they could get lost in there!

THE LUFT FAMILY SINGERS

From left to right: Lorna Luft, Joseph Luft, and Judy Garland. The Palace, 1967.

On This Day In Herstory (December 21, 1944)

December 21, 1944 ... Judy makes the cover of two publications this month ... one the M-G-M industry journal LION'S ROAR and the other the mass-market magazine MOVIE LIFE.

On This Day In Herstory (December 20, 1963)

December 20, 1963 ... during the filming of the JUDY GARLAND SHOW (#17) at CBS Television City in Los Angeles.

NEW FILES POSTED TO THE YAHOO GROUP (for the week of December 18, 2011)

A JUDY MOMENT
Judy's final Christmas wish. Recorded December, 1968.

ALL STAR CHRISTMAS SHOW 1945
The Command Performance Christmas Special starring Judy Garland, W.C. Fields, Danny Kaye, Dinah Shore, Spencer Tracy, Xavier Cugat, Virginia O'Brien, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Johnny Mercer, and many, many more! Over two hours of comedy and song (including an all star musical finale).

COULDA SHOULDA WOULDA
Michael Buble sings a song that surely would have been included on the holiday album Judy never recorded.

DUET OF THE WEEK
Judy Garland and Lorna Luft reunite electronically for this rendition of Garland's most popular Christmas song.

GUARD SESSION
Because of space constraints, the third installment in our series of Judy's 1967 recordings for the National Guard could not be posted. The program will be made available here next week. Sorry for any inconvenience.

JUDY GARLAND IN CONCERT
Judy's Christmas gift to New York. As if playing the Palace for a month in August, 1967 wasn't enough, Judy Garland returned to NYC in December for a string of appearances at Madison Square Garden. The performance posted to this folder is from Christmas day, December 25, 1967. Appearing with Judy are Tony Bennett, Lorna Luft, and others.

MEMBERS ONLY
Group members audio sharing folder

SUNDAY MORNING SPECIAL
Judy's peer, and former co-star, Deanna Durbin, sings a selection of holiday favorites.

WHERE JUDY PLAYED
Barbra Streisand stunned the crowd at the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival when she pulled this Christmas classic out of her bag of tricks.

On This Day In Herstory (December 19, 1968)

December 19, 1968 ... on the MERV GRIFFIN SHOW, which was taped in New York City.

On This Day In Herstory (December 18, 1946)

December 18, 1946 ... at the Hollywood premiere of THE YEARLING, with Red Skelton, Bill Spier & Kay Thompson, and Vincente.

On This Day In Herstory (December 17, 1965)

Per David Price, "December 17, 1965 ... in concert at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was a vast arena for a solo performance but those of us in the seats near the stage got every ounce of the Garland magic that she delivered."

Photo Credit: Tom Colburn

On This Day In Herstory (December 16, 1951)

December 16, 1951 ... with Danny Stradella and Sid at Danny's Hideaway in New York City during her Palace run.

Photo Credit: Metro Group Editorial Service
(The date carried on this news photo is December 16, however the actual date of the photo may be slightly different.)

On This Day In Herstory (December 15, 1965)

December 15, 1965 ... in Houston at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel, where she was holding a press conference in support of her upcoming concert at the Houston Astrodome.

THE JUDY GARLAND EXPERIENCE CHRISTMAS CARD

On This Day In Herstory (December 14, 1965)

December 14, 1965 ... arriving in Houston early in the morning, having flown in directly after her closing at the Sahara in Las Vegas. Newly wed to Mark Herron (left), Judy is greeted by local gossip columnist Maxine Mesinger who accompanied her to her hotel in a limousine, collecting a "scoop" for her column in that day's Houston Chronicle.

On This Day In Herstory (December 13, 1963)

Per David Price, "December 13, 1963 ... at CBS Television City for Episode 16 of the JUDY GARLAND SHOW ... with her guest Ethel Merman. Judy is wearing the "Battle Hymn" gown (this is the episode where she sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic"), made by Ray Aghayan.

This photo is courtesy of the Charles Triplett Collection, and the gown is also a part of his amazing collection of Garland wardrobe and personal couture."

On This Day In Herstory (December 12, 1943)

December 12, 1943 ... at CBS Radio with Alan Ladd, when they were there to perform in an episode of "Silver Theater" called RINGSIDE TABLE.

NEW AUDIO FILES POSTED TO THE YAHOO GROUP (for the week of December 11, 2011)

A JUDY MOMENT
Judy combines her singing and acting talents to go straight to the heart of this poignant holiday themed song. Her performance is so raw, vulnerable, touching, and honest that many people consider it to be one of her best television appearances.

Bing And Rosie #408B
Another episode in our continuing adventure with Crosby and Clooney's 1960's radio program for CBS. Originally broadcast on September 21, 1961.

COULDA SHOULDA WOULDA
Joe Luft sings a sugary confection of a song that would have turned into a rich and silky pudding in the hands of Judy Garland.

DUET OF THE WEEK
Dean Martin teams up with Judy Garland for a sexy romp through an old blues standard that has been covered by everyone from Bessie Smith to Ricky Nelson. Wait, whaaaa????

ENCORE
R&B legend Ruth Brown returns with one of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time.

GUARD SESSION
Because of space constraints, the third installment in our series of Judy's 1967 recordings for the National Guard could not be posted. The program will be made available here next week. Sorry for any inconvenience.

JUDY GARLAND IN CONCERT
Live at Mother Seton Hall, November 3, 1967

JUDY ON RADIO
Per a request, Judy Garland host's Mail Call. Originally broadcast on April 11, 1945.

MEMBERS ONLY
Group members audio sharing folder

SUNDAY MORNING SPECIAL
Lorna Luft Live In Chicago. Highlights from this performance have been posted here before, but now, for the first time anywhere, is the complete show. Lorna Sings an eclectic mixture of pop, broadway, and rhythm tunes. Songs include the gospel tinged Rejoice, a London vs New York medley, a few gems from the family song book, and much more. Including songs by Cy Coleman, Peter Allen, Sylvia Fine, George Gershwin, and others.

WHERE JUDY PLAYED
Was it only two years ago that Liza Minnelli was having her great success at the Palace? Here are highlights from one of the unrleased live versions of the show featuring songs from the Kay Thompson and Judy Garland songbooks, as well as a few of Liza's own standards.

JUDY GARLAND IN LONDON 1957

Just heard from Gary Horrocks of the International Judy Garland Club and he asked me to assure everyone who has been patiently waiting for the club's first official video, JUDY IN LONDON 1957, that the film has finished post production and will be mailed to those who ordered it within the week.

Apparently the delay was caused by a technical glitch with the region coding. but all is well now and Gary apologizes for the delay.

Gary also sent me the artwork for the film's DVD case. I kind of liked it in it's raw form so instead of trimming it I am sharing it here exactly as it was given to me.

A few points about the video that Gary wanted shared are:

The film includes historical interviews with members who have passed on.

You will see rare film footage of Judy interacting with her fans backstage at London's Dominion Theater.

There are hundreds of period photos and press clippings.

The film was produced by the club's digital archivist, Andy Warrington.

Anyone who has not ordered the film already but wishes to have a copy should contact Justin Sturge by clicking HERE

On This Day In Herstory (December 11, 1941)

December 11, 1940 .. on the set of ZIEGFELD GIRL, being photographed with Lana Turner for publicity shots.

Photo Credit: Clarence Sinclair Bull

Serial Number: S1165-170

SEASON'S GREETINGS!

On This Day In Herstory (December 10, 1960)

December 10, 1960 ... in concert at the Tuschinski Theater in Amsterdam, which was broadcast "Live" on the radio.

On This Day In Herstory (December 9, 1953)

December 9, 1953 ... on the set of A STAR IS BORN with James Mason ... the honeymoon motel scene ... this appears to be either an off-camera moment or a still from a cut scene.

JUDY IS EVERYWHERE

On This Day In Herstory (December 8, 1944)

December 8, 1944 ... on the cover of VECKO-REVYN, a Swedish weekly tabloid newspaper (still published today).

On This Day In Herstory (December 7, 1941)

December 7, 1941 ... a portrait taken at Fort Ord (near Monterrey, California), on the day Judy was there to perform on NBC's Chase and Sadborn Program, which was having a special broadcast from the Fort. While on at the base Judy was made an honorary Corporal in a ceremony.

Y'ALL BETTER START BEHAVING YOURSELVES~

On This Day In Herstory (December 6, 1962)

December 6, 1962 ... at the White House, photographed in the Oval office with JFK, Carol Burnett, and Danny Kaye.

On This Day In Herstory (December 5, 1947)

December 5, 1947 ... on-the-set costume test photo during the production of EASTER PARADE.

NEW AUDIO FILES POSTED TO THE YAHOO GROUP (for the week of December 4, 2011)

Here is a look at this week's homepage for the Yahoo version of TJGE that was created by our talented group member Allen. Thank you, Allen!

And here is a recap of the new audio files posted to the Yahoo group for this week:


A JUDY MOMENT
Judy and her Scarecrow with an unexpected jam.

Bing And Rosie #408
Another episode in our continuing adventure with Crosby and Clooney's 1960's radio program for CBS. This episode first aired on September 20, 1961.

CARNEGIE HALL REVISITED
More highlights from Carnegie Hall's 1998 all star salute to Judy Garland. This go 'round we are featuring five performances from lifelong Judy Garland fan, Miss Vicki Carr.

COULDA SHOULDA WOULDA
Here is a somewhat lightweight, but popular, song that Judy could have turned into gold had she had performed it in the mid sixties. By that time she had lived the song several times over. Or, imagine Jenny Bowman singing THIS at the end of I Could Go On Singing.

DUET OF THE WEEK
Tallulah Bankhead and Jack Carson sing at each other.

ENCORE
It's true how you can find beauty in the most unexpected places. You would never expect Billie Holiday and the Ray Conniff orchestra to team up, but when they did for the 1950's IN PERSON program something magical happened.

EVERYBODY SING PROMO
Extended radio commercial for Judy's Everybody Sing flick.

FOR THE LIZA FANS
The opening number from Liza's 1967 Australian television special

GUARD SESSION
Because of space constraints, the third installment in our series of Judy's 1967 recordings for the National Guard could not be posted. The program will be made available here next week. Sorry for any inconvenience.

JUDY ON RADIO
The Bing Crosby Show, December 6, 1950. Judy is in great voice and Bing makes sure to give her plenty of opportunities to sing! Be sure to check out Judy and Bing's spirited duet on Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. What a way to kick off the holiday season!

JUDY ON TELEVISION
Judy's first interview with Johnny Carson. The Tonight Show, June 24, 1968.

LADY ESTHER BLODGETT THEATER
Presents JUDY GARLAND in CINDERELLA. Originally broadcast on February 15, 1951.

MEMBERS ONLY
Group members audio sharing folder

SUNDAY MORNING SPECIAL
Lifelong Judy Garland fan, Chris Connor, with a set from 1961's AJILA Festival.

WHERE JUDY PLAYED
Fred Astaire on the Dick Cavett show, November 10, 1970. Fred sings two medley's composed of his greatest hits.

On This Day In Herstory (December 4, 1960)

December 4, 1960 ... backstage in Manchester, England, with Joe, Liza and Lorna.

On This Day In Herstory (December 3, 1961)

December 3, 1961 ... in concert at the O'Keefe Center in Toronto, Canada, nearing the end of her post-Carnegie Hall tour of North America.

HAVE TEA WITH THE RUBY SLIPPERS ON DECEMBER 5TH

A once in a lifetime event!

From the press release:
THE ORIGINAL WIZARD OF OZ RUBY SLIPPERS ON DISPLAY AT PLAZA ATHENEE – DECEMBER 5, 2011

The Wizard of Oz’s Ruby Slippers will be the stars of an exclusive Afternoon Tea at the Plaza Athénée in New York on December 5, 2011 from 4-6pm.

This private viewing of the original screen used Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” will be a onetime special event at the Hotel Plaza Athénée before they go to auction on December 16th in California presented by Profiles in History. The pair on display was used when Dorothy clicks her heels three times to return to Kansas, stating
“There’s no place like home.” The slippers are appraised in excess of $3 million. Additional information can be found on the website http://www.profilesinhistory.com

“We are extremely proud to organize this magical afternoon which is a perfect way to celebrate the holiday season,” said Bernard Lackner, General Manager of the Plaza Athénée. “Our hotel has had a long history of welcoming some of the greatest movie stars from Hollywood. Hosting the Ruby Slippers is nothing short of hosting a moment of American movie history,” he added. “There is no place like home” will be the Plaza Athénée for one day only.”

All attendees of this special event will have a unique opportunity to have an up close and personal look at the iconic pair of shoes.

Ever since the movie was released, the Ruby Slippers have become one of the most iconic artifacts of American culture. Generation after generation, mothers and daughters have grown with the magic of Dorothy.

JUDY IN LIVING COLOR, 1962

Judy exiting New York's Plaza hotel prior to the start of the bus tour for Gay Puree.


Another shot of Judy after the taping of the Jacj Paar show.

On This Day In Herstory (December 2, 1962)

December 2, 1962 ... in the limo outside NBC-TV at Rockefeller Center in New York City, where she was appearing on the JACK PAAR SHOW.