The Other Side of the Rainbow(With Judy Garland on the Dawn Patrol)
By Mel Torme
William Morrow and Company, 1970
ISBN (hardback)
Bantam, 1971
ISBN 553-06660-125 (?) (4"x7" paperback, 195pp.)
Mel Torme's history of "The Judy Garland Show" could be more aptly titled "How Mel Torme Tried to Save Judy Garland's Career While She Destroyed It."
Reading his book, you'd think two episodes were made, not twenty-six. Throughout the book, Torme portrays himself as "holier-than-thou," always trying to do the right thing through the chaos. His wife, whom he refers to as Snow White, is prominently featured in the subtext about Torme's ongoing marital problems during the series' production. He quotes many of Judy's closest associates' back-stabbing comments, including her longtime hairdresser saying Judy was behind the firing of the show's first executive producer.
"The Other Side of the Rainbow" is a lie-filled, self-serving book in which Mel Torme wallows in self-pity about his own experiences, with Judy and without, from 1963 to 1964. I recommend "Rainbow's End: The Judy Garland Show" for an informative, interesting and truthful story of the ill-fated series' history.
"The Other Side of the Rainbow" is a must-not-have for all Judy fans.
Ted Nesi
© 1998