Dedications: My four late friends Rory, Stan, Bryan, Jeff - shine on you crazy diamonds, they would have blogged too. Then theres Garry from Brisbane, Franco in Milan, Mike now in S.F. / my '60s-'80s gang: Ned & Joseph in Ireland; in England: Frank, Des, Guy, Clive, Joe & Joe, Ian, Ivan, Nick, David, Les, Stewart, the 3 Michaels / Catriona, Sally, Monica, Jean, Ella, Anne, Candie / and now: Daryl in N.Y., Jerry, John, Colin, Martin and Donal.

Friday 11 March 2011

Showpeople (10): Judy's duets


I was far too young of course to see any of Judy Garland's early 60s tv shows, but a programme of duets from it makes for fascinating viewing now - and dvds are available too! Fantastic seeing the young Streisand with Judy and the obvious respect and rapport the two have for each other - and Judy with the likes of Peggy Lee and Lena Horne, Bobby Darin and young Jack Jones [below] (Michael Buble? who he? - it's reminded me I liked an album of Jones' back in the late 60s "Without Her", a nice contrast to all that Doors and Airplane stuff). There's also Judy with Ethel, Mel Torme, and of course Liza ....

I have read though the book Mel Torme (who worked on the shows) wrote on his unhappy time on the Judy show, as though settling scores with Judy, which though mean-spirited also showed how demanding she could be. But Judy looks good here - her weight see-sawed a lot then, but in '63 she looks her best, as she did in that last film from then I COULD GO ON SINGING. This has also reminded me of how different and fantastic young Barbra was then - no wonder she was the new sensation and we rushed out for those early albums of hers. I didn't have to wait too long to see her in 1966 in the London FUNNY GIRL .... touching too to see those troupers Judy and Mickey still in full flow.

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