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John Fricke is the author of Judy Garland: World's Greatest Entertainer and The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History. He also served as creative consultant for the award-winning PBS-TV special, "Judy Garland: The Concert Years," and as associate producer for the Emmy Award-nominated CBS-TV documentary, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Fifty Years of Magic." More recently John has been associated with productions such as the Rhino Records / Turner Music CD set "Mickey and Judy" and The Harvey Girls and For Me and My Gal soundtrack CDs. He has written liner notes for many Judy Garland CDs, and has probably done more to preserve Judy's legacy than any other single person. John has recently completed working with the Arts & Entertainment Network on the first two-hour "A&E's Biography" on Judy, which aired fall 1996 and is now available on videotape.
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John is now on-line! His email address is , and he welcomes email from all Judy fans. Answers to questions of general interest will continue to be posted here on John's Page. You may submit questions directly to John, or submit them to to be forwarded to John. Thank you!
NOTE: John has not answered any email from this page since 2000. I assume he has lost interest in this page. I have left it here for its historical interest only. [JJ]
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Questions and Answers
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August 2000
Nick: Do you know where I could find a listing of the COMPLETE set list and CORRECT running order for the Judy & Liza at the Palladium concerts?
John: The following is assembled from a LOT of sources: primarily eyewitness and press accounts in the fan and and fan club publications of that era (THE GARLAND NEWS, THE RAINBOW REVIEW, THE GARLAND GAZETTE) and via a complete audio tape of the second concert (done from the audience by an intrepid bootlegger :) Though the sound quality of the latter is pretty muffled and some of the dialogue is difficult to interpret, the tape gives a much clearer overall picture of the excitement, spontaneity, informality, and fun of the occasion -- and underscores the professional intelligence in the original running order of the material and "assemblage" of the concert program. (That acumen is sadly lacking in both the two-disc-vinyl and 50-minute ATV video versions of the shows....!) Thanks to the audio tape, the following list is completely accurate as re: the show of the 16th. The differences between it and the first concert on the 8th are noted as best as I can fathom them from the written accounts of the show -- and I think they're pretty much on target. But I figured even a little disclaimer was essential.
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Concert Program: 11/8/64 (8 p.m.), 11/16/64 (midnight)
| Act One:
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| Overture: | Over the Rainbow/Once In a Lifetime/Never Will I Marry/What Now, My Love?/Liza/The Travelin' Life/Smile/Maybe This Time/The Man That Got Away
[overture edited for Capitol two-disc vinyl set]
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| Judy: | Once in A Lifetime/Maggie, Maggie May/As Long As He Needs Me (11/8 only)/Just in Time/It's Yourself
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| Liza: | The Travelin' Life/Pass That Peace Pipe (11/8 only)/The Gypsy In My Soul/How Could You Believe Me...?/Maybe This Time
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| Duet: | Hello, Dolly!/Together (Wherever We Go)
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| Judy: | Smile/Never Will I Marry/What Now, My Love (in Act Two on 11/16)/The Man That Got Away (in Act One on 11/8)
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| Duet: | We Could Make Such Beautiful Music/The Best is Yet to Come/Bob White/Don't Rain On My Parade/Swanee (in Act Two on 11/8)
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Act Two:
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| Liza: | Medley (By Myself/Take Me Along/If I Could Be With You/Me and My Shadow/That's Entertainment/Tea for Two/Who?/They Can't Take That Away From Me/I Love A Piano -- 11/16 only?/My Mammy)
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| Duet: | Hooray for Love/After You've Gone/By Myself/S'Wonderful/How About You?/Lover, Come Back to Me/You and the Night and the Music/It All Depends On You
| | Judy: | Make Someone Happy/Joey, Joey, Joey/The Man That Got Away (in Act One on 11/16)/The Music That Makes Me Dance
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| Liza: | It's Just A Matter Of Time/I'm All I've Got/If I Were In Your Shoes
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| Judy: | What Now, My Love? (in Act One on 11/8)
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| Duet: | Johnny One Note (much-abridged silly version -- 11/16 only)/Get Happy & Happy Days Are Here Again/When the Saints Go Marchin' In & Brotherhood of Man/The Whole World in His Hands/The Battle Hymn of the Republic (11/8 only)
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Encores:
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| Judy: | Rock-a-Bye
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| Liza: | Who's Sorry Now?
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| Duet: | Swanee (in Act One on 11/16)/San Francisco (11/8 duet; 11/16 Judy solo)
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| Judy: | Over the Rainbow
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| Duet: | Chicago
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[Note: On 11/8, it seems that Chicago and San Francisco switched places.]
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July 2000
Riffraff: In a message dated 7/12/00, riffraff@club-internet.fr asks, "I'd like to know if THE PIRATE was eventually released with the cut number, 'Voodoo,' or if Mr. Mayer in his stupidity had really burnt the negatives. The number is not in the tape released in France.
John: There were two (or maybe one-and-a-half) versions of "Voodoo."
The first was that filmed (at least in part) before Mayer's intervention. When he ordered restaging, there was a second routine prepared and filmed in its entirety. This was only seen during sneak previews of THE PIRATE in autumn 1947. It was then decided to delete the number completely and arrange/orchestrate/record/stage a new version of "Mack the Black" to take its place in the film. This is what audiences saw when THE PIRATE was finally released in summer 1948.
Any surviving takes of either version of "Voodoo" were reportedly lost in an M-G-M vault fire in the 1950s. Except for a handfull of stills and the soundtrack of the complete song and dance arrangement (available on the Rhino JUDY GARLAND COLLECTOR'S GEMS cd set), nothing else is known to exist of "Voodoo."
August 1999
Gavin: Ken Crane can no longer make available the JUDY GARLAND GOLDEN YEARS AT M-G-M laser disc set; seemingly, no other outlet can, either. Is it still available?
John: Ken Crane tends to be my source for everything; if he doesn't have it, I don't know where to advise you to look. I know someone in NYC had no trouble getting it last November...but I guess now your best bet would be to post a request on-line. Some stores in major cities may still have copies on the shelves -- and a fan might be able to locate one for you.
Gavin: In [Judy Garland:] WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINER, you mention an exhibitor's short done by Judy and Deanna Durbin prior to EVERY SUNDAY. Does this include any different material? Is it available? Will it be released?
John: As far as we know from the few (and there are really very few!) historical mentions of that brief short, it seems totally different than EVERY SUNDAY; unfortunately, no records seem to exist as to what song(s) were used...and the film itself has never been discovered. The songs for EVERY SUNDAY weren't recorded until June 1936 -- a couple of months after such work would have been done on the exhibitor's short. And "Americana" was, I believe, written specifically for EVERY SUNDAY. So that seems to indicate that the duet in the exhibitor's short was indeed other material. (It's not surprising that the exhibitor's short has never turned up; probably only a few prints were struck of it at the time, as it was produced as an intra-trade itema and certainly never widely shown....)
Gavin Was the film BUBBLES actually found in the Library of Congress? Or did they simply find there the records of the studio archive indicating where the film had been stored?
John A silent, nitrate-film print of BUBBLES was indeed found in the holdings of the Library of Congress. (The sound, of course, was on a Vitaphone disc which we were aware had existed in a couple private collections.) I had some ancient paper work that gave a studio log number for the film; this was matched with what Turner Entertainment knew was in the Library archive. Over several months of tracking, we were able to get the print to L.A. (had to wait for cool weather for the transport!) and marry it to the disc so that BUBBLES -- silly as it is -- could be rediscovered.
Hope this helps, Gavin. I LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM!
John
March 1998
In a message dated 98-03-04 21:55:50 EST, Quedlyn Lindqvorst asks:
Quedlyn: I was disappointed to read that the "Alone" album would be included in the Capitol Boxed Set. (I refuse to believe that the boxed set will never be released! It seems to me that Judy is starting to get bigger and bigger--what with the upcoming Carnegie Hall tribute, the new books, potential movies, etc.) The reason for my disappointment is, I think that album is dreadful! And I am an enormous fan of Judy Garland! Do others feel this way? That album just seems so very different to most of her other work--very mannered, peculiar orchestrations, etc.
John: The comments I've heard for many years from the long-time fans would indicate that ALONE is a particular favorite of many of them -- as one of the earliest examples of a "concept" album, as a change of pace for Judy, for the (genuinely exquisite) voice she manifests throughout. My own reaction isn't always quite that favorable; some tracks strike me as superlative, others as ill-conceived with regard to orchestration and choir effects. However, my "take" overall is that it works quite well throughout... and that it's certainly an "important" album in her chronology (if somewhat more of its time than most of her other Capitol work). Unfortunately, neither your opinion nor mine carry much weight...especially insofar as a Capitol boxed set is concerned. It's virtually dead in the water right now (along with many other Capitol-based "traditional/standard" projects) and, despite all their protestations of dedication in the last two years, there's no indication right now that it'll ever happen.
In a message dated March 16, 1998, Ron Daubt asks:
John: Ron, Many thanks for the kind words and enthusiasm. I fell for Judy when I was five years old and, while the passion was never supposed to evolve into a career, it's been (for me, anyway) the all-time labor of love. And I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with so much of HER work.
However! On to your questions!
Ron: The rough cut of "That's Entertainment! III" was four hours long; do you know what material didn't appear in the final cut?
John: Primarily more of what's already there: longer takes of some of the numbers that were trimmed for running time consideration, plus many other memorable or curious moments from various M-G-M musicals...and a few other outtakes (including, for one, Frank Sinatra's rendition of "Boys and Girls Like You and Me," deleted from TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME). Some other Judy was probably included in the rough cut -- but nothing of which we're not already aware...just clips from her films, familiar to anyone who has the movies on home video.
Ron: Next year is the 75th anniversary of M-G-M. Is anything being planned to celebrate the occasion? "That's Entertainment! IV", perhaps?
John: As M-G-M today is no longer M-G-M as we know it, any celebratory plans would have to come from Time Warner Turner, which controls the Metro library from 1924 to 1980 or so. The theatrical failure of TE! III would seem to preclude ANY such new projects, at least on a major scale. I'd imagine there'd be some sort of TV whoopla, probably via the Turner Classic Movies station. But as vintage M-G-M material has been so well "mined" in the three ENTERAINMENT movies, plus THAT'S DANCING, plus WHEN THE LION ROARS and so many other documentaries, the corporate feeling may well be "We've done all that."
Ron: A biography of A. Arnold Gillespie is in the works. The author, Phillip Riley has stated the book will include previously unpublished photos from "The Wizard Of Oz". Do you know anything about these photos?
John: I haven't a clue, although I've examined all of Buddy Gillespie's OZ-related papers at the Academy Library. Perhaps these are frame blow-ups from some of the special effects footage; it would be nice to think there's an OZ trove to come, however!
Ron: On a list of soon to be released DVDs I noticed the following: "The Wizard Of Oz" Collector's Edition. Do you know if this DVD will include all the material from the Ultimate Oz laser disc box set?
John: Again, I have no idea -- although I'd doubt it. The ONLY reason we got all the laser disc material on OZ and Judy that appeared between 1989 and 1996 or so is that George Feltenstein and Allan Fisch were in charge of that type of work at MGM/UA Home Video, Inc. Both of them have since left the company -- which (without them, their clout, and their extreme knowledgeability) shows little or no interest in anything but newer M-G-M titles or the supreme classics...and probably (I say probably) wouldn't take the time or money involved to do OZ for DVD to such an extent.
Ron: Have you seen/heard all of the Garland material held by M-G-M/Turner? What hasn't been released?
John: I think I've pretty much seen it all...and so has everyone else with a laser disc player or friends who exchange, trade, or sell video tape. Unfortunately, despite all the Garland numbers that were filmed and deleted, only that handful survive: Monotony, Doagies, Intuition, Last Night..., D'Ya Love Me, and the two ANNIE songs. There are some other random vocal things -- mainly bits and pieces -- but these aren't different songs...just other takes of material already released. Again, there's always the possibility something else may have survived elsewhere...but they've pretty much exhausted the holdings at Turner.
February 1998
John: Many, many thanks to Kevin Highnight for a whole flock of interesting questions received this month!
Kevin: I have the laserdisc box "Golden Years at MGM," and it includes the soundtracks to the 2nd and 3rd Gumm Sisters shorts, but no video. I read on your page that sound disks were found. What are sound disks? And were the films ever found? You mentioned finding stills - it would be wonderful to see them. I'm so fascinated with Judy's early work. Will these stills be in your next book? Or do you have copies available? Have all Warner and MGM vaults (and archives such as Eastman House) been searched for the 2 films?
John: The early "talkie" Vitaphone process was developed before sound tracks were actually part of a piece of film itself; in the case of those four early Gumm Sisters' shorts, the sound was recorded live and then pressed into large phonograph-type records. These discs accompanied the silent films to theatres, which had to then be equipped to play them in synchronization with the work of the projector. (You get some sense of this at several moments in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.) The other films have yet to be found, although careful searches have been made. BUBBLES turned up totally by chance -- and via the perseverance and knowledge of several people who (respectively) had important reference information on the making of the film and on holdings at the Library of Congress. It's certainly not impossible that the other two may appear -- but they aren't "formally" recorded in the holdings of any major archive. (Because we HAVE looked! :) A couple more stills have surfaced, via the generosity of a man who was IN the Vitaphone shorts with Baby and the Gumm Sisters. One of these is the off-camera close-shot that we used in the MICKEY & JUDY Rhino cd booklet. Another only features Judy from the rear! But there is one more, and I hope to use it in the near future in some Judy-project-to-be.
Kevin: What prerecordings are on the analog tracks of "The Ultimate Oz", "Meet me in St. Louis" (50th Anniversary), and "That's Entertainment III"? In the "Golden Years" liner notes you said that all of her prerecordings appear on these other 3 boxes (as well as on "Thoroughbreds" which I haven't gotten yet). I already have the "Oz (50th Anniversary)" and "St. Louis (Technicolor restoration)" discs. I hate to have to buy them again for the audio tracks. I'm hoping that the Oz has the same tracks as the deluxe Oz soundtrack set from Rhino. And that "St. Louis" only has the soundtrack for that film, also available on CD. Please help me!
John: Of the laserdiscs you mention, only the deluxe TE! III contains audio material that I'm pretty sure can be found on the OTHER discs you mention. (Of course, it also has -- as a bonus -- the best, complete-and-edited film version of "Mr. Monotony" tacked on after the film!) But ST. LOUIS, THOROUGHBREDS/LISTEN, and (especially) ULTIMATE OZ are (to my way of thinking, anyway) well-worth getting for their extra audio material; in the case of OZ, there's also a mountain of other visual/audio extras that can't be found elsewhere. ST. LOUIS includes a couple takes of virtually all the Garland songs as well as some brief chatter; her joy after she achieves the penultimate high note of "Over the Bannister" is low-key and charming to the max :) THOROUGHBREDS/ LISTEN, DARLING only includes alternates of "Zing!" and "Bumpy Road" -- but you do get a couple charming variations of the latter...plus the complete "sweet" version of the former. (The disc also features the deleted "Sun Showers" track, accompanied visually by stills....) Finally, the added audio on ULTIMATE OZ goes on for HOURS...lots of little stops and starts and Judy giggling through "Off to See the Wizard"; some other "Rainbow" variations; stops and starts on Munckinland material. (Granted, the majority of this material is Oz-oriented, and not Judy-based...but there's a multitude of it.) The disc itself includes much visual material (stills, et al) unavailable elsewhere....plus snippets of video and/or audio interviews with Haley, Bolger, Hamilton, and some of the technical people. (Final thought: I don't even know if these discs are still available...but I can't conceive that most of this material will "surface" again, no matter what the marvel-formats of the future; we got it when we did ONLY because George Feltenstein and Allan Fisch were then at MGM/UA Home Video. They're NOT anymore.)
Kevin: The A&E "Biography" on Judy had letter-boxed footage of "A Star Is Born." Is that a sign that the Deluxe ASIB project is being worked on? Your description on your page of what you'd like to do with it is great - especially including all that supplemental footage, and the footage found since the restoration.
John: No such luck as of right now. The two segments from STAR that we used on "Biography" were struck 'specially for us by Warners -- just those two numbers. The powers-that-be are definitely interested in doing STAR, but the total restoration process is estimated to run them close to a million dollars and require a lot of studio time...so they aren't jumping into it -- yet.
Kevin: The Capitol box set sounds like Heaven!!! What's the status at the moment? Would it help to get a petition of guaranteed buyers?
John: As of this writing, the Capitol box set is almost (if not QUITE) dead in the water. The shake-up in hierarchy, the relocation and redistribution of offices and duties, the general unwillingness of the label to commit to any major projects of that nature are all factors in the "hold" status. Their only Garland project at the moment is a single cd (set for June release) in the program designed to compliment the A&E "Biography" series (there'll also be discs for Lena Horne, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, and Bobby Darin). I've been working to offer -- however tangentially! -- as much input as Capitol will accept, attendant to content, design, etc. (What -- if any -- impact I've had definitely remains to be seen.) But I've tried! Producer Marc Rashba says that the box set MAY be reactivated if the "Biography" disc sells. So buy-buy-buy! :) And, no -- at this point a petition of any kind would NOT help. We did a letter-writing e-mail thing to Wayne Watkins about a year ago (at his encouragement); now he's pretty much working on his own projects away from Capitol.
Kevin: "Pigskin Parade" - FINALLY!!! But it wasn't released on laserdisc. All of Judy's films are available on laser but that!!! I've been calling Fox Video and requesting it be transferred. Have you been in contact with them? What about the prerecordings for that film, including the cut number? Do they exist - or is the film soundtrack all that survives? Do you think these tracks will ever surface on an official CD release? Do you think a petition would help get "Pigskin" on laserdisc?
John: In reverse order (!): No, a laser disc petition isn't going to help. Given the industry push to DVD, it just doesn't seem likely that such a release is conceivable. Nor do I think you'll ever get "an original soundtrack" cd on the film. Apart from Judy's contribution, it's just not "important" enough (to the powers-that-be) to warrant such a project. (Remember: even Rhino has abandoned specific film cd releases in favor of compilations.) The recent Smithsonian box set on the American musical had one (or two?) of Judy's PARADE tracks from the studio discs (i.e., no applause at the end), so some material has been located. But it's only in the last year that a soundtrack division has been implemented at Fox; the first discs in their series are now starting to appear. So whether or not their holdings are as extensive as those at Turner turned out to be remains to be seen (i.e., I don't know if the track to "Hold That Bulldog" exists or not! :)
Kevin: Some Judy bios mention that the Gumm Sisters are also in a chorus, as well as in "The Good Old Sunny South", in "The Big Revue". I haven't seen the entire film - but should I assume that you would have included the entire picture (as you did "Bubbles") on "Golden Year" if they were seen more than once? Also, why does the Judy Garland Database call it "The Starlet Review"? What is the REAL name?!
John: The Meglin film was (as per the lobby card reprinted in WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINER) originally titled THE BIG REVUE. Evidentally, there was a later release with the revised title; I'm pretty sure the 16mm prints of the short I first saw some 23 years ago here in NYC had the STARLET tag at the top. The vast majority of the Meglin picture is shot in long-distance takes, so as to include as much a "spectacle of moppets" as possible. The other two numbers (one fore, one aft of "Sunny South") are almost appallingly bad and l-e-n-g-t-h-y; if the girls are visible, it's almost impossible to ascertain. Certainly, they're NOT apparent! :)
Kevin: I am so happy about "World's Greatest Entertainer" being reissued. I work in a library, and I had requested we get it when it was first published. Budgeting didn't allow it at the time, and when they could afford it, it was out of print. I've just notified them about the reissue and it has been ordered! I feel very lucky to have the first edition! I saw on the Judy List that you said you didn't mind autographing your book. I would love to have you autograph mine when time permits (if you don't hate me after sending you such a LONG EMAIL!). I was wondering though, was anything changed in the reprint? I haven't seen it yet. I did notice, though, in the first edition that some things were now incorrect. Such as the songs "Lady Luck" and the title song of "The Wedding of Jack and Jill" are listed as being performed in the shorts (but this was before the sound disks were discovered). Was info like that corrected in the new edition? Also, your version of Baby Gumm's debut is so different and DETAILED than any other I have read in the other bios. But you do not tell where you found it out from.
John: Many thanks for both the enthusiasm and for lobbying for the order. When I've heard from other fans in the last few years -- especially the younger teens -- that the only book available in their libraries has been the Shipman travesty, I'm always horrified. (Not for me but for Judy.) So I'm hoping the new accessibility (and half-price!) of the WGE reissue will make it more palatable to both the public and to libraries. Unfortunately, all the negotiations for the reprint were handled without my knowledge. When I offered to help select a new cover, when I wanted to make the factual changes and correct typos (there are about eight in all), the new publisher wanted nothing to do with them or me; it was all a hush-hush rush job for some reason...and they did it as inexpensively as possible. I am VERY pleased with the final product -- and delighted it's once again out there. But I would have loved to have been able to do the "fixes"... and the cover photo would NOT have been flopped had I been consulted! Ah, the vagaries of publishing; I do NOT recommend writing books to anyone as a "career" :) If you read the VERY small print on page 255, you'll find that a lot of the information on Baby's debut came via an interview done with Jimmie Gumm Thompson by John Graham in the 1970s. I never heard the tape, but I had John's account of the event from which to draw, written by him in the 1980s. (He died in 1990.) Finally, I'd be honored, flattered, and happy (so much for playing hard-to-get....) to sign your book. E-mail me anytime, and let me know how you want to go about it. And many, many thanks for so many interesting questions; I'm delighted to have them, not only for the information that can thus be imparted (via Jim and Database) to so many, but so as to FINALLY give this "page" some new material! :)
Ask away, ask away! (Anyone!)
August 1997
Chris Taras: Do you have any news on Capitol's much talked about, forthcoming box set (specifically, a planned release date and what will be included in the set)?
John: Unfortunately, all there's been (to date) is much talking and virtually no action...this despite the various Capitol announcements that the release date was set for October, November, or December 1996, and March, June, September, October, November, and December 1997. Even if we started work yesterday, there's no way the set will see light of day in '97. The secord (or third?)-draft-approved-but-tentative- outline I last assembled for them earlier this year emcompassed eight discs and included the complete albums MISS SHOW BUSINESS, JUDY, ALONE, JUDY IN LOVE, THE LETTER, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT, I COULD GO ON SINGING, JUST FOR OPENERS, and MAGGIE MAY. Also a genuinely complete CARNEGIE HALL; the nine completed JUDY TAKES BROADWAY tracks; the two tracks from THE GROVE not duplicated by any of the foregoing ("Purple People Eater" and "When the Sun Comes Out"), ditto the five from THE LONDON SESSIONS ("I Happen to Like New York," "Great Day for the Irish," "Why Was I Born?," "You'll Never Walk Alone," and the concert/ballad "Do It Again"); and the Capitol singles ("Lovely to Be Back in London," "Sweet Danger," "Comes Once in a Lifetime"). (Maybe a couple tracks from THE PALLADIUM, but I tried to avoid these as her voice is in nothing resembling good shape most of the time.) They also hope to license the four Columbia singles (1953), "The Faraway Part of Town," and the six JG GAY PURR-EE tracks. So -- if it ever happens -- it has the potential to be nice :) (Should also add that I'm away from all my notes/material as I type this, so the preceding summary is off the top of my head...and I may have omitted something!)
Chris Taras: Is Warner Bros. still planning on doing a letterbox edition of "A Star is Born?"
John: Planning, minimally discussing, not-at-all moving. It's estimated that to properly restore a print from the original (surviving cut-print) negative, plus insert the Haver material, plus handle all the extras (a documentary, alternate audio tracks, alternate takes) will cost them roughly $1 million...so they're not exactly leaping toward the project -- for all the fact that they KNOW there's interest and they know it's a worthy idea.
Chris Taras: Will Gerald Clarke's biography on Judy be released this year?
John: I have no idea how far he's gotten -- if he's done, if it's being/been edited, or if it's still a work in progress. I know he's changed publishers at some point over the last couple years. NO publisher has announced it for this year, and I think the earliest it would appear would be next spring. It's only personal opinion, but I think it ended up being more work than he expected it to be.
Chris Taras: Will Rhino be releasing other Judy soundtracks (such as The Pirate, Summer Stock)?
John: Not a chance. Their contract with Turner is up in December, and they haven't been doing ANY full movie soundtracks at all this year due to disappointing sales of most of the earlier titles (only compilations). During my association w/Rhino, my personal "take" was that their marketing department didn't have a clue as to how to push such specialized material...nor did they take the time or make the effort to learn.
June 1997
Kim Gara: About two years ago, a local radio station (I believe it was connected to a university) ran a 2-3 hour "special" on Judy. It was excellent and even included her rendition of "I'll Plant My Own Tree" and her Talk of The Town version of "I Belong to London". Have you heard of this? And, do you know what has happened to her son Joey? What about Mickey Deans?
John: I don't know about the specific show to which you refer, Kim, although there have been any number of radio programs devoted to Judy over the last 28 years (ranging in length from 30 minutes to over six hours!). The two recordings you mention are relatively "available," as "I'll Plant My Own Tree" was first issued by Hugh Fordin on the CUT! album (Volume One) back in 1975 or so, and has since appeared on THE DEFINTIVE JUDY GARLAND Pastel Productions cd (which has also, I believe, been reissued under a different title). The Juno label Talk of the Town recording has yet to surface on cd, but the album itself has floated around in several editions until just recently.
Mickey Deans, at last report, lived (I believe!) in Ohio (Cleveland? Cincinnati? Columbus?) where he was managing a club singer. Joey Luft lives in Los Angeles; after a recent rough period, he is reportedly happy and stable and looking toward the future -- he and Lorna remain very close.
Hope this helps!
April 1997
Qulind: I have heard that there is an audio recording of Judy Garland's 1961 Hollywood Bowl concert. I believe I read a reference of Mr. Mort Lindsay, that he had been listening to it. Is it commercially available?
John: If such a tape exists, I think it would be news to all of us...and I'd love to read the reference to which you refer! Certainly, the concert was not commercially recorded (nor has it been bootlegged and released)...and, having known Mort reasonably well for several years (and knowing at least one other Garland writer/historian who knows him even better), I would assume that if he had or knew of such a tape, it would have at least come up in conversation by now. I hope the quote you read is accurate, however. Although much of the Bowl program was identical to Carnegie Hall, it also included "Never Will I Marry" (replacing "You Go To My Head"), "Ooh, What a Little Moonlight Can Do," and "Just in Time."
Qulind: Do you forsee a possibility of a book being released that compiles Miss Garland's concert reviews, with photos from the concerts? I have seen photos in reviews of some of the concerts and they are electrifying. I assume that the originals in good condition are kept (with others, not printed in the reviews) by the newspapers' files?
John: This is a wonderful concept and idea...and such a project would be of wonderful historical impact and import. It's not, of course, a commercial project. I don't think a major publishing house would take a flyer on something like that; it would have to be smaller press...and even then, it would be an enormously expensive undertaking. Something like this already exists (and is ever-growing!) on the internet, though, in the wonderful "Concert Years" site established and maintained by our good friend Steve. You can access this via the Database. Unfortunately, most newspapers DON'T maintain their files from 30 or 40 or 50 years ago and would NOT in many cases have the original photos they shot at the time. Hard to believe, but I've found it to be true in many cases. Sometimes the material has at least been saved and donated to libraries, museums, and universities; at least that's been my experience in the researching I've done. Perhaps others know more about specific newspaper files.
Qulind: Do you recommend the laser disk of "I could go on singing"? A friend told me it was not of the best quality, but she is sometimes overly picky!
John: I think ICGOS was handled very well for its laser disc incarnation, actually. I know MGM/UA did the best they could at the time (nine years ago); perhaps more could be accomplished technically now, but I doubt this is going to happen! So I'd grab it while you can! Thanks to George Feltenstein and Ned Price and Allan Fisch, we got it letterboxed and with the two trailers; believe me, this would never have happened if virtually anyone else had been involved!
November 1996
Barbara: How can I get premium copies of Judy's TV series?
John: The only video sources for the complete TV series are the black market bootleggers (sounds like a rock group that never made it...) -- and their prices and quality vary greatly. Unfortunately, the two most "accessible" dealers are two I don't trust (or like!) much -- one in Texas and another in Florida. I think asking among the "Judy List" subscribers is a good idea...and even then, premium copies are not readily available. Some are from the original videos, some from film kinescopes, some have time code and commercials, etc. As long as Sid's alive, I don't think you're going to see anything too classy happen with the material -- again, unfortunately.
Barbara: Is there a complete video copy of the 1964 second Palladium concert (including "What Now, My Love?") available?
John: I know British club officials tried to track this down through ITV in England years ago... but it's not certain whether the 90+ minutes never telecast were retained or tossed. They may be sitting in a vault somewhere...or they may have been erased. It would probably take Liza herself -- or the Garland Estate -- to try and unearth the material IF it's even there. (And whether or not it should be publicly seen would then be another matter entirely.)
Barbara: To whom would I write at MCA requesting they issue an expanded, re-edited, remixed AT HOME AT THE PALACE cd?
John: Address: Andy McKaie, MCA Records, Universal City, California 91608. (And please feel free to suggest me for the job of producing and/or writing the booklet!!)
The previous three questions were submitted by .
Alain: Are there any known recordings of Judy between 1929 (the Vitaphone discs to accompany the short subjects) and 1935 (the "Broadway Rhythm" radio broadcast)?
John: No, not to my knowledge. There were, of course, the Decca test recordings made by Judy (solo and with her sisters) which would be extraordinary to hear. But if Ron O'Brien (who knows this stuff better than ANYone) was unable to trace them for the Decca/MCA 4-cd set, they've truly not yet been found. Ron, incidentally, would probably be able to better answer this question than I, as no one has researched Judy's early recording and radio career [more] than he. But I think if he had found something from that extremely rare period, we would have at least heard about it by now.
Alain: Why do multi-track recordings exist for so many of Judy's films but not from SUMMER STOCK?
John: I think this is just simply because the transfers that were made from nitrate to mag tape in the late 1950s and early 1960s by the sound engineers at Metro were done (by corporate command) at such haste and in such a financially expeditious manner that a RAFT of material just never got preserved. I'll check with George Feltenstein about this, but I think the foregoing is at least PART of the answer. It was a period of great turmoil and it's no less than a total grace-of-God miracle that as much survives of Judy's work as does.
Alain: Where any of Judy's concerts professionally recorded after 1964?
John: There are TOTALLY unsubstantiated rumors that Capitol was going to record the 1965 Thuderbird Las Vegas shows as well as the Astrodome concert. Of course, the first 3 nights at the Palace in 1967 were recorded and intermingled for the ABC/Paramount album. The 1968 Baltimore and Philadelphia shows were recorded through the audio sound system of their respective venues, but these were not really "pro" jobs. Of course, the Malmo and Copenhagen shows were recorded after a fashion. Unfortunately, only a bootleg smuggled-in-under-a-coat type recording exists of the 1968 Harold Arlen benefit at Lincoln Center. But even in that low-fi sound, Judy is obviously in fine voice. (Off the top of my head, this is as much as I can come up with, Alain; certainly there are hours and hours of varying sound quality tapes that were made from the audience during those years, especially from 1967 on.)
Alain: Would the 1961 Newport Jazz Festival performance have been recorded and, if so, who would own the tapes?
John: I doubt highly if a recording was made on that afternoon; we would have surely heard about it by now. You must remember that in those days such recordings weren't normally being made; the Newport Festival was indeed history-in-the-making, but no one thought to preserve such things for posterity. (They were usually being overseen by a small handful of highly dedicated people who had enough on their hands with all the day-to-day details; there wasn't time to worry about recording, too.) This last comment is PURE supposition, but in Judy's case, especially, CARNEGIE HALL was then all set to hit the public; if a recording was ever contemplated (even for Newport archives), the attitude may understandably have been that her current program had already/just BEEN recorded...and the only variation in the repertoire between April and July was (I think!) the replacement of "You Go To My Head" w/"Never Will I Marry." ("Just in Time" and "Ooh, What A Little Moonlight Can Do" didn't go into the act until later in the tour...)
Alain: What is the current status of THE JUDY GARLAND ENCYCLOPEDIA and Gerald Clarke book?
John: As far as the former, I know Al DiOrio finished the final/rough draft and I believe it was so lengthy that the publisher was not sure what to do with it. The last I spoke with him, Al was seeking another outlet. I'd expected the Clarke book to hit next June for Judy's 75th b'day anniversary...and then heard via a friend of a friend that he is still working on it. (Whether that precludes June or not -- or if he has something else in mind -- I don't know.)
Alain: What other projects would you like to realize re: Judy?
John: I'd love to see a chronology of all her professional work (and reviews), day-by-day, as I believe I've mentioned elsewhere. As (arguably) THE most important body of work in the history of popular entertainment, it deserves that. (Even if it's only in the top five! -- And NO ONE could deny that rank!) I'm hoping that Ron O'Brien will one day soon get the go-ahead to do a definitive Judy-on-radio cd set or series; it would have nothing to do with me, but I'd love to be able to listen to it! And I hope that Warner Bros. and I can eventually do a really deluxe STAR IS BORN on laser...
Alain: After noticing some Colpix recordings on a recent Capitol cd, does Columbia or Capitol own Judy's Colpix recording of "The Far Away Part of Town"?
John: There's a corporate question 'way out of my depth...! although I suspect (again, just conjecture) that if Capitol issued recordings formally owned by Colpix, they may well have just licensed them for the disc (much as they did with the six MGM tracks for the 25th Anniversary Retrospective disc).
Alain: Who now owns the ABC/Paramount library?
John: I'm pretty sure it's MCA, which means Andy McKaie is the one to encourage to redo/remaster/remix/enlarge the 1967 PALACE album!
Alain: Is there any current plan to issue on cd the PEPE or GAY PURR-EE material?
John: Not to my knowledge, although I would certainly encourage Capitol to license the five or six Garland songs for the boxed set of THEIR material...if that ever happens.
The previous nine questions were submitted by .
Eric: You do such a great job of researching, I wonder if you would ever consider writing other books about Judy, along the lines of Mark Lewisohn's wonderful books about the Beatles concerts, recording sesssions, etc. Is it in the cards for you to do a book like "The Complete Judy Chronicle" which would feature a chrononologic catalogue of her film schedules, radio appearances, TV shows, concerts, etc., or perhaps just a book on one of those aspects?
John: I'm very grateful you think I could/should handle future projects, Eric...and nothing would make me happier. What I'd like to do runs very much along the lines of your suggestion, a sort of JUDY GARLAND CHRONICLE, giving day-by-day her schedule, achievements, repertoire. It would take a lot of research to achieve (and there are some day-by-day MGM schedules that have yet to surface), but a good start could be made. Of course, just such a listing and commentary would be fairly "dry" so of course it should be illustrated with hundreds of rare photographs and pieces of art! (The only minor consideration is that such a book would be terribly expensive to assemble and publish...and not exactly a big seller.) Judy's accomplishments DESERVE such an encyclopedia, naturally -- and it may well happen in some format eventually. (I hope I'll be at least part of it!)
Eric: I recently read about how The Wizard of Oz will soon be placed on moratorium after the VHS release of the THX transfer. It's a similar strategy to the one Disney uses. Does this also mean "The Ultimate Oz" set will be put on hold and re-released at a later date as well?
John: I don't know if MGM/UA plans to withdraw this or not after the lst of the year. I'll find out, though! (Stay tuned for further details!)
Eric: Regarding the A Star is Born laserdisc package, who would do the audio commentary -- you, Ron Haver, or both?
John: Warner Bros. continues to maintain silence on ANY time frame for this project, so unfortunately I can't even approximate a "due" date. If there is alternate track commentary, I would love to do it; we lost Ron Haver to AIDS several years ago, otherwise I'm sure he would have been asked. (It's somewhat ironic that HE narrated the Criterion OZ -- which is larded with their mistakes in almost every feature, i.e. captioning, liner notes, even some of Ron's verbal comment -- and I might end up narrating STAR. However, if asked, I will strive to be as accurate and complete as I can be.) I miss Ron; I liked his STAR IS BORN book very much for the most part, and he was always very nice to me, though we never met.
The previous three questions were submitted by
Mike: Did Judy ever record or perform a complete version of "My Man"?
John: If she did, it has yet to surface, Mike...and I concur with you that that's a shame. Her rendition -- even in the brief 16 bars or so in the Palace medley -- is a heart-stopper (and by her own admission at the 10/16/51 opening night party her own personal favorite of the four signature tunes she performs in the arrangement). Not to malign the Streisand version (which is also chilling and exciting), but Barbra always seems much more self-involved in the song, whereas Judy's involvement is with the man himself...lots of love and emotion.
Submitted by
Barbara: I have a tape of one of Judy's 1967 Palace performances, including her rendition of "How Insensitive." Why wasn't this song included on the ABC/Paramount recording of AT HOME AT THE PALACE?
John: ABC recorded Judy over the first three nights of that engagement. Side One was drawn from opening night; Judy's solos on Side Two came from one of the other performances and I'm not sure from WHICH night the kids' songs chosen!). "How Insensitive" didn't make the album because Judy didn't sing it at the beginning of the engagement; it was worked in later on (although I'm not sure when!). (See, I really DON'T know everything about Judy!!) I believe MCA now owns the ABC/Paramount recording library, and I wish Andy McKaie would let me (or MCA's strong right Judy arm, Ron O'Brien) go back to the master tapes and reassemble a really solid longer cd of that material. Judy wasn't in best voice, but it's history and I think we could do a better job of it now than was done then.
Submitted by
October 1996
Tom: Is there any surviving footage of Judy singing "Something Cool", "Here's to Us", "Where Is the Clown", etc. from the final episode of her television show?
John: Videotape does survive of several outtakes from VTR #26 of the TV series: "Here's to Us" and final bows/credits (with Judy in her clown costume); several takes of "Where is the Clown?" (which the off-camera male chorus sings while Judy does a pantomime routine); and just the opening bars of "Something Cool" (Judy stumbled over the lyric, apologized, and they apparently never tried a re-take as it was 6 a.m. and had been a long night for everyone). "Clown" was not "useable" -- they never got a seam-less take...or a combination that could be edited -- and the staging was never completed (or taught to Judy...one of the two). "Here's to Us" contains a few minor lyrical flubs and, as it was the first thing taped on 3/13/64, Judy hadn't really warmed up vocally. It's not bad -- but I guess the production staff felt it was just not "definitive" enough to close the show.
Tom: I assume "I'll Plant My Own Tree" was recorded in the studio, yet every version I have heard has really poor sound. Is this just because it's rare and "bootlegged" copies are all that exist?
John: All the "I'll Plant My Own Tree" recordings I've heard have been the bootleg versions as well. Somewhere at Fox, the master may exist, but I remember Dory Previn writing that there were something like 17 edits in Judy's vocal in order to piece together a "take" -- so, as exciting as the arrangement is, it'll never be the kind of thing that "the world" needs to hear. (Of course, that's just my "professional" take -- speaking as a fan, I want to hear it crystal clear and in stereo!!)
Tom: Is there any hope of the mono soundtracks from the original "A Star Is Born" album coming out on CD? Also, the Columbia singles, "Go Home Joe", "Heartbroken", "Send My Baby Back to Me", etc?
John: There's still no progress to my knowledge on the STAR laser-disc set...although certainly one suggestion I will make to the company is that a CD of the songs (in mono, away from all the stereo "screen" noise and effects) be included. I'd also advise the inclusion of the four 1953 singles -- not because they're great, but because it's the ideal place to put them for posterity...and it's just a good idea, I agree.
Tom: Now and then I have read that Judy recorded "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" for the "Miss Show Business" album. Will this be included in the upcoming Capitol box set?
John: There's no progress on the Capitol set as of this writing, either (10/30/96). The last I heard was that they were aiming for next spring...but so far no work has been done (to my knowledge, anyway). Judy supposedly recorded "Atchison, Topeka" for the MISS SHOW BUSINESS album back in 1955...but they've never been able to locate the master. (The song was assigned a matrix number, so it WAS scheduled...but the tape either does not survive or has not yet turned up...or they just never got around to doing the song.)
Previous questions submitted by Tom Early []
June 1996
Q: Will the A&E Biography episode on Judy be shown in _____ (insert name of your favorite country here)?
John: I don't really know in which countries the special will be shown - that will be up to A&E marketing. However, A&E will be selling a video tape of the special, which will be advertised at the time the special is aired.
Q: Is Rhino/Turner going to release a compilation of Judy's musical numbers from the MGM films?
John: The schedule for the Judy compilation which was planned for release in February of next year has been moved forward to August 1996. The plans are to release a 2-CD compilation of Judy's outtakes, alternate takes and extended versions (including 8 tracks from Annie Get Your Gun), mostly taken from the "Golden Years" laserdisk. George Feltenstein at MGM will be working on this project. He's "one of us" - a Judy fan, too. This is the only compilation I know of which is planned for the immediate future, though others may well follow. Rhino and Turner are still committed to releasing MGM musicals on CD. Currently, they are working on the soundtrack for An American in Paris.
Q: Is Liza going to participate in the A&E Judy Biography? If not, why not?
John: We have left numerous requests with Liza's agent to have her join us on the project, but as yet we have received no response.
Q: Is it true that Judy pre-recorded some songs for Royal Wedding?
John: No, unfortunately not. All of the orchestrations were set, and she was scheduled to start pre-recording during the week following her suspension. So, she was all ready to go, but it never happened.
Q: Have the other two Vitaphone shorts (A Holiday in Storyland and The Wedding of Jack and Jill) been recovered yet?
John: No, unfortunately not. The sound disks have been recovered, and a few stills, but not the pictures.
Here are the suggestions received from readers for things they would like to see included on the new "A Star Is Born" release:
A. Clean footage of the premiere at the Pantages Theater,
B. Newsreel footage of Judy receiving her various awards for "Star", including the Look Award and the Golden Globe Award,
C. Second soundtrack of running commentary on the laserdisk,
D. The trailer for the film,
E. The outtakes, including "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" and the alternate version of "The Man That Got Away",
F. The party at the Coconut Grove after the premiere.
John: Thank you all for your ideas and comments. All of these ideas are on our list of ideas being considered. And, yes, the film will be in letterbox format, and available on both VHS videotape and laserdisk formats.
Jim: Well, John, thanks again for your time. Do you have any other comments you'd like to make to the readers of the Judy Garland Database?
John: Thank you for your questions, and your continuing support of Judy and her work! And a special thank you to all the wonderful people who made my weekend in Grand Rapids so enjoyable. Next year, the Judy Garland Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, so I look forward to seeing you all there!
May 1996
Q: What's the status of the A&E Biography?
John: This will be a two-hour episode of "Biography" to air on some Sunday in December of this year. The special will be based in part on my book, Judy Garland: World's Greatest Entertainer, and will include newsreels, film clips and interviews. So far, we have interviewed Mickey Rooney, June Allyson, Ann Miller, Robert Stack, Jackie Cooper, Mort Lindsay, Robert Goulet, Margaret Whiting, Betty Comden & Adolph Green, Alan King, Burton Lane, Eddie Bracken, Dona Massin (who worked with the Gumm Sisters and was assistant choreographer on The Wizard of Oz), Alan Livingston (president of Capitol Records), Charles Busch (contemporary actor and playwright), David Hinckley (pop music critic, The New York Daily News). Additional interviews planned include Hugh Martin, Del Armstrong (Judy's makeup artist on A Star Is Born), Matthew West (Judy's publicist when she lived in England in the late 60s) and Dorothy Ray (MGM contract dancer). Others will probably include Lorna Luft, the Munchkins and Wilma Casper (the Gumm family housekeeper in Grand Rapids).
Q: What do you think of David Shipman's controversial book, Judy Garland: The Secret Life of an American Legend?
John: I think it's a masterpiece of innacuracy. It presents misinformation and personal opinion as if it were fact.
Q: The most-asked question this month was: Is there ever going to be a letterbox version of A Star Is Born released on videotape?
John: Yes! Warner Home Video is planning one. It is currently in planning - there is as yet no schedule for release. Warners wants to make it a deluxe set with lots of extras. In fact, if any of the readers of the Judy Garland Database have any ideas for additional extras they would like to see included with this tape, I'd love to hear about it! This tape is just now in planning, and I will be involved, so now is the time for everyone to voice their ideas. Send suggestions to at the Judy Garland Database, and he will forward them to me.
Q: Are there any other deluxe sets of Judy's movies planned for the near future?
John: No, not on videotape. MGM will be releasing the Composers Collection on laser disc, which will include remastered versions of Words and Music (Rodgers and Hart), Till the Clouds Roll By (Jerome Kern) and Deep in My Heart (Sigmund Romberg). And, of course, Judy is in two of these movies. In fact, her previously unreleased "Do You Love Me?" is to be released with this set. But, there is nothing else currently in planning.
Q: Is there any truth to the rumor that there will be another "Ultimate Oz" box set released this year?
John: Not that I know of. MGM hasn't mentioned this to me. I think it's just a rumor.
Q: What's going to happen with Rhino/Turner? Are there going to be any more Judy soundtracks released on CD?
John: I think so, but don't look for any more this year. Once the reorganization is complete, I look for planning to continue, and we may see some new releases, but probably not before next year.
Q: Is that really Judy singing the outtake "Curse of an Aching Heart" from Strike Up the Band? There seems to be some controversy over Judy's vocal range.
John: Yes, that is Judy singing "Curse of an Aching Heart". Remember, she also sang in a high register on Bing Crosby's radio show when they sang "These Lush Moments" and she also hits a nice high in "If I Forget You", and others. Judy certainly had the range, though she didn't use it very often.
Jim: Well, that's all for this time John. By the way, when can we expect to see you on the net?
John: A friend is helping me get set up with a notebook computer. I should be able to send and receive email by mid-summer.
Jim: Great! Thanks, John, and we'll look forward to seeing you on the net later this summer. In the mean time, if any of you on the net have other questions for John, send them to me (), and I'll get the questions to John A.S.A.P.
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