Judy getting moved? (Yeah, THAT Judy)- Page 3

Posted: 5/16/05 at 1:39pm

"Why is Judy Garland such a popular gay icon?
Auntie Em
Encino, California

Dear Em:
Somewhere over the rainbow, past searches on "Judy Garland gay icon" and related terms, we discovered a number of complicated reasons why this singer and movie star is so beloved by the gay community.
The gay and lesbian magazine The Advocate calls Judy Garland "an Elvis for homosexuals." In more closeted times, gays used the term "friend of Dorothy" to refer to themselves in mixed company, in homage to Garland's role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Today, Garland isn't as well known among the younger gay generation, but she still holds a special place in the hearts of many.

Judy Garland was hugely popular among gays during her lifetime. Her concerts were major gay meeting places, and in her later years, she made money singing at gay piano bars. Garland's father was gay, as were her studio-executive mentor and two of her five husbands. She had many gay friends and went to parties where she joked that she was the only woman present. But her appeal was based on more than her own acceptance of gays.

Both onscreen and off, Garland projected a unique combination of vulnerability and strength. She sang of intense loneliness, followed by songs describing delirious love. She had legendary stage fright but declared her greatest happiness came from performing. These conflicts mirrored the lives of oppressed, closeted gay men in the 1950s and 1960s. They identified with the paradox and duplicity in Garland's life. Severe laws and prejudice against homosexuality forced gays to lead double lives and hide their true selves.

As Dorothy, Judy Garland portrayed a misunderstood kid from a small town who has an amazing adventure in a Technicolor world. The central message of The Wizard of Oz is that you will find what you're looking for inside yourself. That message resonated with gays of the era who yearned to come out into a colorful world and live what was inside of them.

While prejudice against gays is still common, the public is generally more tolerant these days. Homosexuals aren't as strictly closeted as in Garland's day, and her image doesn't strike such a deep chord. But her plucky strength and sweetness continue to win admirers among people of all orientations."

From a question/answer column provided by Yahoo.


Updated On: 5/16/05 at 01:39 PM

[BT]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 1:47pm

Yeah, what he said ... but anyone owes it to themselves to check out those performances I suggested, she is simply amazing.

[AndyHardy]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 1:51pm

great post DGrant!!!!!!!!!

to add to those points, Judy's special material, coaching and direction were largely done by gay men.

Roger Edens put the words in her mouth (they were his words from Dear Mr. Gable on through her entire career) -- or Leanard Gershe (Born In A Trunk) -- and then she was coached by Edens and/ or Kay Thompson and directed by the likes of Cukor, Minnelli, and Chuck Walters.

When people laugh at "I never will forget...Jeanette MacDonald!!" they should realize that a gay man (Edens)wrote those words and their wit is so full of "gay humor"

and as for the 'isolated' persona that Garland demonstrated in her films -- Edens wrote that special material as well.

But your post is really great.

Posted: 5/16/05 at 1:54pm

Andy - the only credit I can take is for finding it (and agreeing with it enough to post it.)

I have 'updated' the post in question to reflect its origins.

But I agree with the sentiments expressed!

[AndyHardy]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 1:55pm

Cheeky pic today, too! :)

Posted: 5/16/05 at 1:58pm

I don't have any pics of myself from that many lifetimes ago, so this was the first thing I thought of. I believe that legend has it that the drawing was based on Jodie Foster.

[morosco]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 2:02pm

Is the "Hollywood Forever Cemetery" run by the same folks who run Planet Hollywood?

[ConvinceMe2]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 2:37pm

Thanks DGrant. That makes a lot of sense.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 3:50pm

ConvinceMe, the question is an old one because the word "obsession" was really only true of pre-Stonewall gays. Generations of gays since Stonewall have not had the same obsession, but there are still large numbers of gay AND lesbian Garland fans. This is probably because there are large numbers of gays and lesbians who are fans of the arts in general.

Since the TV movie in which Judy Davis played Garland, there has been a resurgence of interest in Garland's life and work, including the release of her 1963-64 TV series in DVD.

A new CD called "That Old Feeling" is coming out in mid-June that puts her jazz-inflected ballads together without the marches and anthems that sometimes make her singing seem dated. This CD will go a long way toward re-establishing her as a song stylist on the par of Sinatra, Bennett and Fitzgerald.

[ConvinceMe2]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 3:58pm

Ella Fitzgerald, now you're talking! You can keep Sinatra and Bennett. I love Ella and Vic Damone and Jack Jones and Bobby Darin and others.

[AndyHardy]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 4:13pm

Ha. ConvinceMe, you must rent the Judy Garland Show dvds. Her guests (on differing episodes) are Vic Damone, Jack Jones and Bobby Darin.

Sadly no Ella. But in 1964 when Ella was asked by TV Guide what does she watch -- her reply was: "The Judy Garland Show. Man, that girl is SINGIN!"

[ConvinceMe2]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 4:23pm

I believe I saw a couple of those. She's quite manic in them, as I recall. Don't really like watching her perform. Like I said before, I'm not a big fan of her voice. Isn't there one with Ethel Merman and Barbra Streisand? I'm sure I've seen that. Not sure if it was her television show or a special; but, it wasn't very pleasant. Too loud for me. I would like to see the Jack Jone, Bobby Darin and Vic Damone shows, though. So, her television shows are on DVD?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 4:28pm

Nope, not "manic." You must be thinking of Sammy Davis Jr. (Or trying to start a fight.)

[AndyHardy]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 4:32pm

ConvinceMe, I can understand your statement. For some her energy can seem a bit edgy -- imagine it to an audience in 1964 who usually watched Perry "in a coma" Como and Andy "yawn" Williams.

Yeah, her series is on dvd now. Enjoy. :)

[ConvinceMe2]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 4:33pm

Well, that's how she struck me. But you know, I was just thinking of some Garland moments in films that I recall that I really liked. There was some film (can't remember the name of it), where she was singing I think it's called Who, as she was gliding down a staircase; and I think her rendition of Swanee is definitive; and I love In The Good Old Summertime.

[AndyHardy]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 4:38pm

:)

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 8:19pm

Sorry, Yawper. It's not happening.

[Glebb]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 8:21pm

I especially love the Judy/Peggy Lee and Judy/Martha Raye duets on the DVDs.

[ConvinceMe2]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 9:18pm

Those duets sound interesting to me. I'll have to rent these. I wonder if you CAN rent them?

[KMF_NYC]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 9:25pm

yes you can...they are listed on Netflix!

[Justice]

Posted: 5/16/05 at 9:43pm

Why is Judy buried in NYC?
Considering she was born in Minnesota and lived most of her life in California (Lancaster, LA, etc.)
I would love to visit (I drove by it last week while in LA)Hollywood Forever, (I drove by it last week while in LA)however, it does peturb me that Hattie McDaniel was denied a resting space there, and when the owner died, they moved her body in. Maybe she didn't want to be moved. If I was denied, I'd be damned if I went back, if you know what I mean.

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 12:28am

Judy will always be a goddess as far as I'm concerned. It's hard to imagine anyone being more devoted to her than me. Yeah, she was hooked on prescription drugs and made some extremely stupid choices. But who's perfect? Her talent and her soul are inseperable. She didn't sing songs. She was songs. She was a top-level actress and great dancer as well. Wherever she is, I hope she's at peace.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 7:06am

Fricke really is the best Garland historian around. He's one of the very few authors that treats her with the respect as an artist she deserved. And his books are chock full of mega-obscure tidbits and facts that nobody else could be bothered to dig up.

Does anyone else think that David Shipman (in his Garland bio) had a truly bizarre "ethnic-cleansing" obsession in proving that Judy's ancestors were English and NOT Irish?

Personally, I think the biggest tragedy of Judy's life is if any one of her so-called "dear friends" in the business had really bothered to care about her, she'd still be around and performing today.

A friend of mine has the ultimate reason he knows God does not exist: "Sid Luft is alive. Judy Garland isn't."

Updated On: 5/17/05 at 07:06 AM

[Glebb]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 8:33am

I have had face to face converstaions with John Fricke more times than I can count on two hands and he was never anything less than polite, interesting, interested and perfectly normal.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 8:52am

The third photo is particularly interesting (San Francisco 1952) as it shows a detail of the poster for JOLLYANNA, the re-written (whitewashed) tour of FLAHOOLEY! that briefly ran with Bobby Clark and Mitzi Gaynor.

Updated On: 5/17/05 at 08:52 AM