Ethel, Judy and a very young Babs

[zamedy]

Posted: 5/24/13 at 10:27pm

This has probably been posted on here before but it's still pretty incredible to see Babs so timid and overshadowed by two giants of their time.

Three legends, one stage. A gay man's wet dream.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7AViKc52P0

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 5/24/13 at 10:45pm

I don't think "Babs" was intimidated at all. And she certainly wasn't overshadowed.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/24/13 at 10:53pm

She's not intimidated. She's appalled.

(Actually, she's amused. Watch for the moment towards the end when she does a little Merman imitation.)

[zamedy]

Posted: 5/24/13 at 10:55pm

Appalled? Please. If that was truly the case, then even way back then she needed to get over herself.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/24/13 at 11:22pm

Barbra gets into the Ethel imitation at 4:25

http://youtu.be/W7AViKc52P0?t=4m24s

[PattyO'Furniture]

Posted: 5/25/13 at 1:06am

zamedy, I agree with you. She definitely starts out intimidated (not to blame her) and grows a bit more comfortable. Clearly, she demonstrates she knows she's in the company of legends. Thank you for posting!

[lovebwy]

Posted: 5/25/13 at 1:27am

If you read Mel Torme's book about dear Judy's TV show, Barbara was not at all happy about the little Merman cameo. She and her manager fought against it, and lost.

I love the Merm, but let's face it, she's making it all about her. "Jule Styne? He wrote GYPSY!". And Ethel is clearly trying to upstage them both. I guess that's what makes her Merman!!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/25/13 at 1:33am

Seeing this as a young gay man when it was originally shown on my black and white TV, I did not have a wet dream (I had those when I watched FLIPPER or SPIN AND MARTY boxing shirtless), but I did say "What the F#ck? I'm really gay".

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 5/25/13 at 5:24am

my life long love affair with Barbra Streisand began in 1964 as a result of a friend who was a very bohemian girl who introduced me to her first album, and i looked for anything Barbra after that...she was my age, give or take a few years and was the voice of a new generation...i adopted her as my life long emotional music partner and even today when i listen to that voice from those glory years i can work up alot of emotion for her...all the other stuff about her doesn't matter when u love someone so much (faults and all)...it's all about her voice in the end...that tv show was the end and then the beginning of the new era of belter...the baton was being passed on live tv..HISTORIC

Updated On: 5/26/13 at 05:24 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/25/13 at 9:22am

That episode also contained the Judy-Barbra "Love" medley:

http://youtu.be/gErIoFGjwes


And, of course, the phenomenal pairing of "Get Happy" and "Happy Days Are Here Again":

http://youtu.be/zFVxX3RtyhQ


And Barbra's two gasp-inducing solos.

"Down With Love":

http://youtu.be/ibP3dWFTBeo


And "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered":

http://youtu.be/t9izMc6S85

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/25/13 at 12:13pm

October 1963. Barbra was 21 years old and in California on her west coast promotional nite-club tour for her first and subsequent second album (released a few months after the first album). Judy's people spotted Barbra performing at the Coconut Grove and worked in having Barbra appear on Judy's CBS variety show. This TV appearance aired literally a few days after it was taped and shortly after Barbra was officially announced for the upcoming Broadway musical FUNNY GIRL. During the dialogue exchange before they all start singing, Barbra mentions David Merrick as the producer of FUNNY GIRL. He later withdrew from the production and Ray Stark became sole producer of FUNNY GIRL. Also of note is that Barbra and Elliot Gould were married during this west coast tour.

Here they are at the Beverly Hills Hotel pool:

[welcometothetheater]

Posted: 5/25/13 at 12:38pm

I've watched this many times, but it still makes me smile!

[Thparkaly]

Posted: 5/25/13 at 10:53pm

This is just too awesome to handle.

[zamedy]

Posted: 5/26/13 at 9:43am

You can't help but smile, right?!
I'd love to hear Seth Rudetsky's take on this.