Judy Garland
The Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Legend

by Scott Schechter

Cooper Square Press, 2002
ISBN 0815412053
11.2 x 8.7 x 1.2 inches
hard cover
416 pages

"If you love the legend that is Garland, run to get Scott Schechter's new book, 'Judy Garland: The Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Legend' (Cooper Square Press). This is an impressive mass of minutia: a paean to Garland's professionalism and talents. It is beautifully produced and sure to thrill Judy's evergreen fans"

"For several years, Schechter has produced, written, consulted on and/or spearheaded numerous J.G.-related media projects, including the CD 'Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall: 40th Anniversary Edition' and the DVD releases of Judy's 1963-64 CBS series. His new book is the capper. Almost overwhelming in its detail, Schechter's research is as thorough as a Nobel scientist ... It's the most complete retrospective yet published on a celebrity and, in this instance, absolutely mesmerizing."

"Scott Schechter's book not only chronicles her difficult life, but also proves how hard she worked to overcome obstacles"

"Staggeringly thorough"

"Exhaustively researched (and lushly illustrated) history of the diva's life"

"To read past biographies and old newspaper reports, one might wonder how she ever got through even one song without collapsing, and yet the evidence of long, hard work is there, as Scott Schechter's book illustrates to a fault ... Garland was a tireless trouper of enormous energy and determination (and believe it or not responsibility) from the age of two, and often more than made up for absences due to emotional and physical illness by sheer will, professionalism and talent ... (The book) represents an incredible archival work by the author, and offers a lot of fascinating nuggets along the way."

"Everything (and we do mean everything) that you ever wanted to know about Judy Garland can be found in Scott Schechter's extraordinary "Judy Garland : The Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Legend." Perhaps the most comprehensive ever published ... Rarely has a biographical text been so thoroughly and extensively researched ... A stunning literary monument. Anyone who loves Judy Garland will treasure this new classic."

"This is one great coffee table book, chock-full of unseen photos. But there is much more ... Here we connect all the dots by date. Fascinating ... This chronicle will sit on top of the book stack for a long time, for it is so packed with minutiae that it pins down not only Garland, but the life of a celebrity. The text painstakingly records the lifetime career of an artist ... the book is both heavy and heady, packed with details ... (the author) insinuates himself into the text only when it might be necessary to clarify a point. This book cuts to the chase -- only the facts, ma'am ... Physically, this book is a delight. The photos (personal and formal) are beautifully reproduced; the text is user friendly; the index profuse. Book lovers, Garland fans or not, will appreciate the publishing job."

"Schechter's fascinating view of this legendary star and survivor is gloriously illustrated with some 80 high quality photographs and thoughtfully concluded with two indexes, one by song title and another by subject matter. This is a volume definitely destined for coffee tables."

"An unparalleled treasure trove of rare Garland material."

"Schechter includes a generous sampling of reviews for films, albums and live appearances, and dutifully notes current availability for fans. ...it is sure to have enormous appeal as a reference tome and have multiple uses for trivia buffs. "

"Garland's career spanned vaudeville, film, radio and TV, so a chronicle of her life is a chronicle of popular entertainment in the 20th century. To say that Schechter worships Garland is an understatement, but his account of her life consists primarily of objective facts, which gain emotional force from the massive accumulation of triumphs and defeats both big and small."

"This book is a real collector's item. Schechter has gone out of his way to shift public perception from what most people 'thought they knew about her' to what they really should know about her. The magnitude of his research is unprecedented."

"A must-have for the die-hards."

"It is a strange and remarkable thing to hold in one's hands a document that catalogs the virtually daily existence of someone's entire life, from birth to death - especially when that someone happens to be Judy Garland. Such a document now exists to delight fans of Garland, Hollywood, and entertainment history: Scott Schechter's "Judy Garland: The Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Legend." Schechter is a leading authority and the man responsible for the many recent CD, DVD and video releases of Garland's performances.

At 438 pages, Schechter's book is a demagogic, ambitious work, and at first glance appears overwhelming. But the end result is an entirely fascinating and absorbing record of a woman who was, by her own acknowledgment, born to perform. The author has done the amazing task of assembling tidbits of information - film production and recording data, dates, names and locations - in chronological fashion, organized by day, year and decade. Interspersed throughout are still and candid photographs (some reproduced full page) in black and white. The book also includes several appendices listing tribute materials published after Garland's 1969 death. A recommended music listening list and bibliography are also included.

I must confess, I am not a Judy Garland fan. While I certainly enjoy her peerless work in THE WIZARD OF OZ and in other films such as MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS and ZIEGFELD GIRL, I never could relate to her off-screen persona, such that there was never the "personal" connection that many fans claim to experience. Probably the most important thing that Schechter's book does for the reader is to demystify Judy Garland, the human being. Reviewing Garland's life in a concrete, chronological format enables one objectively to put into perspective the subtle and overt influences that came to bear upon her intellectual, emotional and physical being, such that Judy Garland's life makes sense, leaving one with the understanding that it could not have played out any differently than it did. Such a balanced appreciation will prove especially invaluable to those who are just discovering Garland, or those who know her only as Dorothy. Longtime admirers will relish the wealth of meticulous detail and Schechter's editorial commentary and resources references that follow select entries. Oz aficionados will, in particular, enjoy the almost daily recounting of the WIZARD OF OZ film shoot, in addition to Garland's remarks about the film, made in later years."

"Do you practice Judyism? If so, you'll need the latest scripture. This authoritative text offers precious and obsessive information about the things our blessed mother and savior Judy did, said or attended. A lavishly illustrated, oversized Bible of a coffee-table book, it also includes appendices upon appendices of sacred text -- everything to a chronology of posthumous highlights. It may be preaching to the choir, but it makes a joyful noise. Praise Judy."