Solid Judy Garland Biography

[beltingbaritone]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 4:48pm

I am in no way a Judy Garland expert, and would say I only know the basic "Wiki" facts about her life. Anybody have any recommendations for a comprehensive, yet factual biography I could pick up? I read really great critical reviews of "Get Happy" but have heard from long time Judy fans that it's credibility is barely there. I've also been recommended "Me and My Shadows," but have been warned that it's pretty one sided and doesn't necessarily paint the whole picture.

Anybody have any recommendations?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 5:34pm

Even the most "factual account" is always colored by the authors perspective and the sources that they are able to / elect to use. there are numerous Judy biographies, just as there are numerous James Dean biographies. Since you are learning about the subject partly through recorded information about their life and the memory of those around them, read several piece them together in your mind. We are not just what we do in life, but we are the impact we have on and the memories we leave with others.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 5:35pm

There is no perfect one.

The Gerold Frank was the first, written with the cooperation of the family. It presents most of the facts and is fairly honest. The David Shipman and the Gerald Clarke came later and delve deeper into the dark side, but they use scurrilous sources to "reveal" parts of her sex life you may prefer not to read about in such detail.

The various John Fricke books ("The World's Greatest Entertainer," "The Essential Judy Garland," "Judy Garland: A Portrait in Art & Anecdote" and others) are rich in anecdotes and photos and always give a good sense of her creative output. The Coyne Steven Sanders one entitled "Rainbow's End" is a terrific behind-the-scenes book about the making of her television series.

Lorna's book is not really "one-sided," it just presents the facts of her mother's life through the lens of a daughter who came to accept both her mother's brilliance and her mother's disease. But avoid the books by Mickey Deans, Mel Torme and John Meyer: Those really are "one-sided"--and downright weird.

The best biography, overall, is the Judy Davis miniseries.

But as for a perfect biography in book form: There isn't one.

Updated On: 7/21/12 at 05:35 PM

[Kristie-K2]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 6:01pm

As a Judy Garland fan since I was six, I refused to read any of the books about her life until Lorna Luft wrote her book...I loved it... I just wish Liza and Joey Luft would write about their memories of their Mother...

I "must see" movie of hers that nobody ever talks about is 'A Child is Waiting'...She is amazing...She looks so pretty and that is the Judy that I want to remember...

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 6:17pm

PJ, honest opinion: you think Liza will ever write a book? Obviously it wouldn't focus just on her mother, she's got a lot to share. But I'm not sure she's got the same connection to her mother that Lorna had (i.e., after a while she wasn't as present).

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 6:53pm

As so often happens, PalJoey is clearly the expert here. But speaking as someone not nearly so well read, I didn't find the Gerald Clarke so dark. Yes, there is some gossip about sex and an acknowledgement of mental illness, but to me those passages pale in comparison to Clarke's emphasis on Garland's intelligence, wit and fierce love for her children.

It isn't hagiography, but I find it a positive portrayal on the whole. (Maybe because I'm still scarred from reading the Mel Torme book as a teenager.) In particular and unlike a lot of biographies of women, it does make Garland the subject of her own life and not just an object of fan worship.

If you have to pick one Garland bio to start, you could do worse, I think.

[castlestreet]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 10:40pm

As a Garland fan and someone who is truly taken with her extrodinary and too often tragic life, I too have read just about everything mentioned above- and I totally agree with PalJoey- the miniseries is pretty much your best bet, not to mention you get to watch two pretty amazing performances from Tammy Blanchard and Judy Davis.

I think the true reason you will never get a "perfect" biography of her is that she seemed to show so many different sides of herself to so many different people, that everyone walked away with a different idea of who and what the woman was- henceforth- so many ideas and myths floating around out there.

She sure as hell left her mark though...

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 11:00pm

PJ, honest opinion: you think Liza will ever write a book?

Nope.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 11:06pm

I like "Get Happy" a lot. There are some sordid details that aren't really sourced but it's not like a hit piece or something. It's certainly mostly a positive account and it's well-written and entertaining.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/21/12 at 11:24pm

PJ is exactly on point. As I also said, read a few.. It's all you really can do. It is well to remember that Garland herself was a created character.. many people saw many side, small snippets. Some of what people saw was Francis playing Judy. She was also well known to turn events from her life into tall tales.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 12:00am

Judy, in bed, reading the dirty parts from the Gerald Clarke biography:

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 12:05am

Judy reacting to first seeing Judy Davis's performance in the miniseries:

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 12:15am

Judy, upon hearing that Mickey Deans, her fifth and final husband, would be writing a memoir of his 15 minutes with her, entitled "Weep No More, My Lady":

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 12:17am

Judy, upon hearing that BeltingBaritone has decided to read NONE of the biographies, and to watch DVDs of all 26 episodes of The Judy Garland Show instead:

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 9:08pm

BeltingBaritone could do worse than watching THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW. I was so happy when I got the set one Christmas that I burst into tears. Everybody laughed at me for being such a gay stereotype, but I didn't care.

I should have added above that, of course, I also love the TV movie with Judy Davis.

PalJoey, I see you've gone B&W with your avatar. Are you feeling moody or merely vintage?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 10:40pm

It was a picture of Gene I'd never seen.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/22/12 at 11:05pm

I know there are stories that portray Kelly as a son-of-a-bitch and even rather homophobic. So I'm semi-embarrassed to admit I've always found him really attractive.

Objectively, I know we needn't choose between Kelly and Astaire, as each had his own strengths. But I'm Team Kelly all the way.

[welcometothetheater]

Posted: 7/23/12 at 12:37am

PalJoey, the Judy reaction shots/captions are the most entertaining things I've seen all week. Thank you.