Book Description

In a career that spanned five decades and encompassed stardom in every medium, Judy Garland's professional achievements remain unsurpassed. Now her timeless joy comes alive in JUDY GARLAND: A PORTRAIT IN ART & ANECDOTE. Hundreds of rare and previously unpublished photographs, studio memorabilia, and personal mementos from the family archives, along with scores of anecdotes drawn from interviews with her professional colleagues, friends, family, and Judy herself, showcase her on- and off-stage "talent to amuse." Decade by decade, her incomparable accomplishments on stage, film, television, radio, and recordings are lovingly illustrated and remembered by those who knew her best. Often funny, sometimes poignant, but always fascinating, this book singularly conveys the happiness that Garland's own great and buoyantly emotional performances have brought to hundreds of millions of admirers. Anyone who ever enjoyed a Garland song will revel in this glowing, lavishly illustrated tribute. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

More than just a legend...
This is the greatest new book on Judy Garland. It includes many new photographs and images never seen before. The format of the book shows Judy as performer through the decades of her life as well as showing her as the devoted mother of her three children. For those of us who grew up watching Judy on television (other than her movies), it is fascinating to see the candid shots and the behind the scenes' photos. This book is a tribute to Judy, not only as a legend, but also as a mother. Judy Garland would be very proud of this collaboration of John Fricke and Lorna Luft. I cannot think of two people more qualified or devoted to the memory of Judy Garland to present such a fascinating study of a mother and a superstar that we lost too early.

C'mon Get Happy
John Fricke has really outdone himself! I got this book for a Christmas present and since then have become a HUGE Garland fan. This is a great book for any Judy fan or anyone who is interested in learning more about her. It doesnt go way into her life and talk about one subject for 10 pages. It shows you a more personal side of Judy Garland, coming from those who loved her the most. There are alot of good stories, many told by Margret Whiting,the false teeth story is funny. There are quotes on what people thought of her as a entertainer and as a person. Not only are there great stories and quotes there are magnificent pictures. Pictures you cant find anywhere else. There are some great candids of Judy just throwing her head back in laughter. Very nice concert shots, that just give us a glimpse of her fabulous energy. There are even a few unretouched photos as well. Then there are the pictures of her with her kids, you can just see the love shining in her eyes. The last 10 pages of pictures and quotes are so powerful that I at least have to mention two of the pictures. The one of her rose covered coffin being carried down some street in New York, the reporters, the tons of fans that all lost some one, not just a celebrity but some one they thought of as a friend. Then there is the very last page of the entire book, an audience applauding and Judy getting ready to take a bow. Very powerful last page. This book isnt pne that is going to sit on your bookshelf and collect dust. But it is one that will be sitting on your coffe table. The one you look at almost everyday and never get tired of.

Gushy
When I picked up this book at the library, the librarian said to me, "You've got the heaviest book in the library."

I replied, "It may be heavy in weight, but it won't be heavy reading." And indeed it was not. The only reason to look at this book is for the pictures, many of which I've not seen elsewhere.

The text, however, is gush, gush, gush. The author repeats himself ad nauseum and quotes only people who haven't a single word to say against the great, the fabulous, the one and only legend! It gets tiresome. Yes, Judy Garland was a great talent, but how many times do we have to hear it?

Completely won over???? You will be..
This book is magic. I really felt once i had finished the book..I read it from start to finish in one sitting..that Judy Garland was clapping at the end and giving me an impish grin because I had followed her all her life.
The photos speak for themselves - the beautiful glamour shots, the fat ones, the thin ones, the ones of Judy singing, throwing her head back and laughing, reaching out to people, crying (but not really)the close ups of her and her freckles and puffy eyes..toto, Lorna, Joey, Liza.. Ranse Ranson..whoever you are, you did a wonderful job. A beautiful presentation.

The text summarises each decade of Judy's life and career so don't expect too much indepth analysis here. But everything is accurate to my knowledge, and Judy's sense of humour and the ironical come across loud and clear. Some may find it a bit too gushy..but come on..this is written by a huge fan so as well as historian John Fricke so what do you expect? Tabloid trash?

The quotes are fitting but I wish there were more from the entertainment world that I knew and still alive..like Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Liza Minelli..I mean she could say something new it's not like one had to be close to Judy have insight to her. Fricke didn't have to rehash old quotes..but it's nice to have them anyway. Even those who were extremely close to Judy sometimes could not understand her. I mean those arrangers couldn't understand why Judy never vocalised before a concert! Hello! She was saving her voice!!! She wasn't an opera singer!

Most of the quotes are gushy (like she is the greatest..etc)..and some make you mad, because they're just people's biased opinions, and some are truly lovely and what Judy would have liked to hear and read.

Lorna contributed to the foreword and it's lovely to have Judy Garland's daughter's perspective. It does remind you that Judy was a human being not a mythological legend and that she left living legacies in her children. Joey too is quoted, however he is a quiet man and does not like to speak much about his ma and I respect that. What would be interesting is when everyone is prepared to speak out about Judy once past wounds have been healed. quotes from David Rose, Sid Luft, mark herron and Mickey Deans are noticeably absent. Sid Luft is still living but he is not prepared to open the past..although he has collaborated with one Judy biography that shall be nameless. So don;t go looking for Judy's personal love life here! Her love was with her audience, and it shows. Also I think this book will contribute to vindicating Judy from some misinterpretations of her worth as a person and entertainer.

Be warned, it gets sad towards the end....

This is a fascinating book,even if you buy it for the pictures alone..it's worth the money!!!!! It will become a collectors item I think and will give pleasure for generations to come. Keep it for the treasury.

Brilliant
I read all the other reviews posted here prior to purchasing this book, and was curious as to how I would respond to this book. I have read everything that has been written or done on Garland, and this far outshines all the others. This is not a tired rehashing of the same old stories. It is a loving tribute that allows Garland's genius to shine through. My partner has always patiently tolerated my love of Judy--after looking through this book, he said that he finally could see what the hubbub is all about. Now THAT's an achievement. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

BEST JUDY GARLAND BIOGRAPHY WRITTEN!!!!
Gerold Frank has taken a subject of innumerable facets, a larger-than-life personality, and an almost indescribable talent and has put the history of her life to words as no writer before or since has been able to accomplish. Judy Garland, one of the silver screen's most beloved stars, is accurately and honestly conveyed in this biography. Frank's style is unique: when he tells of the tradgedies or failures of the star, he is not incriminating against the subject. Frank's book is one as written by an observer, sometimes voyueristically so. His thorough research bring Garland through in all her glory: as the vaudeville headliner, the little girl on the rise to stardom, the MGM superstar, loving wife and mother, and the sometimes self-destructive woman, taken from this earth too soon by the disease brought on by a lifetime of pills, but most of all, the woman trying to find her place in the world and the love she always craved and needed. Judy Garland is a human being, not a media figure, in this book. Gerold Frank is to be well commended for his excellent portrayal of Judy Garland, and readers will also be delighted or surprised by the informative tidbits along this Yellow Brick Road into the life of the great Judy Garland.

Garland Under The Microscope
Gerold Frank's biography is probably the single most comprehensive book written concerning Judy Garland: meticulously researched, debunking many myths, and richly detailed, it is certainly a standard for any one seriously interested in Garland. Even so, I have several issues with the book.

My single greatest complaint about the book is that Frank often seems to include detail for the sake of detail, and at times these details don't seem to make any cohesive statement. That aside, while Frank places Garland under a microscope, he never really quite delivers any sense of the world in which she moved; consequently, we never really have any background against which we may judge her. There is no context.

These are serious flaws, and while the book is certainly readable and enjoyable, I do not think it is one to which the average reader would return, nor would I particularly recommend it to any but the toughest of hard-core Garland fans.

A MUST HAVE for true Judy fans...
This is a very well written book. There is a lot of interesting and detailed information that I have not heard about before. This book sets the facts straight through primary sources. Gerold Frank spoke to Judy's children, husbands, friends, fellow cast members, and even to her doctors. He is the only author that Judy's family and friends completely cooperated with. This was very informative; and it is a real page-turner, unlike so many biographies that merely present fact after fact, or promote fictitious legends. This book sorts through all of this. It is, I believe, one of the best biographies yet written about Judy Garland. A definite must have:)

THE GREATEST BIOGRAPHY OF THE GREATEST ENTERTAINER!
There won't be any point in anyone writing a biography of Judy Garland ever again, because Gerold Frank has outdone them all with "Judy", which is undoubtedly the finest marriage of biographer and subject that I have ever read. Here is Judy Garland, in all her colors and facets, revealed in an outstandingly candid and refreshingly honest story that dispels all the false rumors spread over the years and will be read with surprise, warmth,love, pity but more often joy, as we meet Judy Garland through the pages of "Judy".

Born Frances Ethel Gumm, Judy Garland was a vaudeville headliner at ten years old, was a signed player at MGM at thirteen, and achieved immortality at seventeen in "The Wizard of Oz". From there on, the superstar endured a blockbuster-after-blockbuster decade at MGM, surviving on various prescribed medications that she soon came to depend on just to get out of bed in the morning. For the next twenty years of her life, Garland performed in thousands of live concerts, television shows, and engagements. In the midst of all this, Garland was married five times, had three children, and was hailed as one of Hollywood's greatest tragedies at the time of her death.

But all that changes here: Frank captures Garland's wry wit, her ability to laugh at the world, her bitterness when she was wronged, to be a "tragic clown", to love passionately, and to exhaust endlessly. Frank captures with a poignant honesty the Garland whose exasperating mood swings, brought on by pills and barbiturates, exhausted those closest to her, but never stopped loving her. You will become a person who tries to keep Judy happy but doesn't know to keep her happy, just keep loving her, through Frank's recreating of events and times in her life.

He captures the Judy who loved her children desperately, who loved to be loved, and was sometimes selfish and manipulative, but ultimately, was a warm, funny, glorious treasure, just a beautiful lady with a very mixed-up life. Garland's life was filled with so much emotion, so many ecstatic joys and bitter disappointments, and she vented the emotions in many different ways, depending on her mood and the people around her.

Frank also captures the people who knew Judy best, like her father Frank Gumm, her beloved mentor Roger Edens, her dear friend Kay Thompson, her third husband Sid Luft, and her children Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft. These were the people to whom Judy meant the most, and they became a part of the whirling maelstrom of love and erratic behaviors, and the harsh realities and unbelievably wonderful times that loving Judy Garland meant. They never stopped loving Judy, or she them, but the inevitable was Garland's lapses of reality, or refusing to believe reality, admonishing it, or laughing at it. They saw all facets of Judy Garland, and they learned to live with her and love her, no matter what.

Frank writes convincingly and digs deep into Garland's depths. For the people who say, If only she had been loved more, she would have lived, if they read this book, they will realize just how easy it was to fall in love with Judy, but they will also find out exactly how exasperating and horribly difficult it was sometimes to hold Judy up. But again, this book is not tragedy: Even the tragedy and gossip hunters will be enthralled with the Garland who could love and laugh as no one could, and celebrated here is also the love and admiration that so many different people held for her. The contents of the book are also overwhelming in their scope: the author held countless interviews with many individuals closest to Garland, includes hundreds of little-known details, and also had access to audio tapes that Garland used to write her never-finished autobiography. These reveal Garland most tellingly, and most poignantly.

For those who want to know all about Judy Garland, this book does even better: after reading it, the reader feels that they actually knew Judy Garland, and loved her. It is an extraordinary book, a spectacular book. Any reader can take delight, Garland fan or not, in "Judy", the capital biography that the world's greatest entertainer has long deserved.

"Judy" by Gerold Frank
The library is a wonderful thing. I have read all the Garland biographies. If I had to pick one to own, it would be two - this one by Gerold Frank and Lorna Lufts' "Family Memoir."

A reader. ... Read more

Book Description

Judiologist Scott Schechter presents an account of every day of the singer and actress's life, from her earliest show-business performances at the age of two to her misunderstood final years. The book includes excerpts from personal letters, transcripts o ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Wonderful!!
Absolutely fascinating.

Despite what the Library Journal may say (and frankly how you rely on a review by anyone who recommends Sheridan Morley's appallingly incompetent effort is beyond me), this is a tremendously detailed and revealing look at the life of one of America's few genuine legends.

As someone who has read virtually all the books about Miss Garland I would certainly rank this book in the top three. Highly recommended to anyone who has an interest in Judy Garland, Hollywood or what the highs and lows of stardom can really be like.

Wow! What a great Book!
I loved this book. I have been a Garland fan all of my life. I have read almost everything written about her. Reading this book I found out things I didn't know. It's so interesting to follow Judy's path from great star to a woman that must live from friend to friend. At one point she even sang for $100 a night. I was totaly taken with this book. I couldn't help but be left with a profound sadness after I had finished. Judy was loved but just never was able to see it. Even though I knew she was going to die at the end I kept hoping she would get it together and come out on top. If you love Judy READ this book.

A record of how HARD Judy worked.
Judy Garland worked harder than any other performer of her era. Detailing this work, as Scott Schechter does, day-by-day, does more to emphasize that work than any other biography that has been released.
What is sad is that one can predict, long before a Garland project comes out, who will like it and who will not. Does it have to do with Judy's artistry? No. Is it related to the breadth of the research? No. Is it critically reviewed based on its own merits and not on personal feelings about the author? No.
Judy Garland has, most definitely, groups (perhaps COVENS is a better word) who reject or accept a Garland project based solely on who was involved in its making. I will be the first to agree that John Fricke's Garland biography "World's Greatest Entertainer" is brilliant, and sumptuously illustrated. Steve Sanders' "Rainbow's End" is also excellent, dealing specifically with Judy's 1963-64 CBS television series (although Sanders seems almost fixated on Judy's weight throughout the book).
The recent Garland biography by Gerald Clarke was raked over the coals in a very sanctimonious manner, and one had to be private about their feelings for this book, to avoid being chastised by other Garland fans/biographers.
Well, I am not a Garland biographer. I am a collector of her memorabilia, and have been collecting for 30 years. People like myself and a VERY small handful of collectors are responsible for making ANY Garland biography have unique and rare photographs and memorabilia, whether the coven approves of it or not.
I have been around, dear readers. I know that personal feelings interfere with every single negative review of this book, or ANY Garland book. That is a part of the mystique of Judy Garland and the emotional response her art can create in an individual. Scott Schechter did what all of Garland's fans have moaned about forever. He presented a chronological perspective of how HARD Judy worked, from December 1924 through March 1969.
It is sad, shameful, and even egregious that the quality of a Garland biography, DVD, or CD release is filtered through the perceptor's own personal feelings about the individual that made it possible.
Not liking something based on who was responsible for its creation means that the individual likes Judy Garland on a conditional basis. And conditional love for Judy Garland is not love at all. It is haughty, noxious, and disgusting behavior that is in complete opposition to the attitude and message of Judy Garland the person, and Judy Garland the artist.
W. Eric Hemphill B.A., M.Ed.

Best Book Ever on Garland
Loved this book. Yes, it is "intense," but so was/is the subject. Gotta have it if you're a major Garland fan.

WHAT A DUD! Too bad I can't rate this "no stars"
JUDY GARLAND was an incomparable talent, and many authors have celebrated her amazing life with very special literary tributes to her gifts.

This poorly conceived, and cheaply-produced rip-off isn't one of them. It tells you nothing about Garland's artistry or personality, but lets you know everything you already read elsewhere, or didn't want to know.

Amateurish and sloppy, this book is an insult to Garland and her fans. Save your money, even though the used copies are now going for less than $3.00!.

A DUD! ... Read more

Book Description

The question follows Lorna Luft to this day: "What's it like to be Dorothy's daughter?" Although by appearances glamorous and truly thrilling, growing up as the daughter of Judy Garland was anything but a journey over the rainbow.

With unsparing candor, Lorna Luft offers the first-ever insider portrait of one of Hollywood's most celebrated families: a rare story of a little girl, her half-sister Liza, and her baby brother trying desperately to hang on to the mother whose life seemed destined to burn brightly but briefly. Lorna makes an extraordinary journey back into the spiral of love, addiction, pain, and loss that lurked behind a charmed facade.

Filled with behind-the-scenes dramas, hilarious untold stories, and little-known details of Garland family life, Me and My Shadows is a tribute to Lorna's victory over her own past, a story of hope, of love and its limitations, and a deeply moving testament to the healing powers of embracing one's past and charting a course of self-love and discovery. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

A real page-turner; I couldn't put it down
Lorna Luft tells her personal story about growing up the daughter of an adored and afflicted mother. As the child of one of the world's truly legendary stars, Luft tells what it was like to love and live with the tragedy and triumph that was Judy Garland. She pulls no punches, opens herself up honestly, presenting both the positive and negative sides of all the members of this difficult family from her own perspective. Yet, the the love and admiration she has for all of them is clear. Her feelings are honest and open (for good or bad). Luft givews you an insight into the real life that the publicity mills hid. Her devotion to her mother AND her father is a testament to true love which loves in spite of as much as because of who you are. Her ability to rise above her own fears and weaknesses, problems and addictions as well as her vivid storytelling makes this a real page-turner. Is it all true? Is it exaggerated? Is it fair? I'm not here to judge that. It's a great read. THAT, I can judge.

Starred Publishers Weekly review (3/16/98)
"It's a funny thing about the past. If you don't watch out, it will become the present." In this candid and often moving autobiography, Luft demonstrates the truth of that observation as she recounts the tribulations of growing up as the child of a show-biz legend (and as the younger sibling of another famous performer, Liza Minnelli). The book's first half chronicles Luft's hectic, often traumatic childhood. By the time Luft was 10, Garland's marriage to Sid Luft was over and her addiction to prescription drugs has grown steadily worse. Here, as in the book's later sections, the author's matter-of-fact reportage ("At twelve years old, I would become my mother's keeper") makes the harrowing episodes all the more believable--and tragic. The book is no Mommy Dearest wannabe, however; Luft repeatedly talks about her abiding affection for her mother and takes pains to clear up commonly held "facts" about Garland's decline and fall. The book's second half covers the years after 1969, when drugs claimed Garland. Luft, then 16, had already embarked upon a performing career--a path that led her to replicate much of her mother's destructive behavior. It's to Luft's credit that, while she pulls no punches about Garland, she is equally frank about herself, her drug addiction (from which she is now free) and her problems with men. Though Luft's life has had its share of melodrama, her tale is far from bleak, as it's spiced up by many humorous asides and incidental dish--and its sales could go through the roof and over the rainbow. Photos. (Major ad/promo; Literary Guild, Doubleday Direct and Stage & Screen Book Club selection; film rights to ABC TV for a four-hour miniseries; author tour. Apr.) (Copyright Publishers Weekly)

Brilliant
I loved this book. Although i wasn't really a fan of Judy Garland's (i had only ever seen her in The Wizard of Oz), i was by the time i finished this book. This book is beautifully written, and i thought the mini-series was fantastic. Lorna writes honestly, covering both the good and bad points of Judy's -as well as her own- life. It is particularly sad at times, but there are some happy, joyful memories that Lorna has of her mom. As Lorna once said, 'I didn't know her as a legend, I didn't know her as an icon, all i knew her as was my mother', a mother who loved her children fiercely, even in her final years of addiction. There is no doubt that Judy Garland was a brilliant and gifted performer - and if she had not had the tradgies of being co-dependent on her pills, or if addiction had been more understood - she would still be alive today, instead of being alive only in the memories of her loved ones.

buy it and read it! completely brialliant.
I thought this book was fantastic. All true Judy Garland fans should read this because it is brilliant. Luft seems to tell the whole truth and it does contradict some other books which makes me feel a lot better.
In Anne Edwards book "Judy Garland Biography" it says that L.B. Mayer hated Judy Garland. It says he treated her like rubbish and didn't care about her at all but then in Lufts book it says Mayer loved Judy like a daughter and she never once complained about him. Although Luft probably does exaggerate some of it and she probably can't quite remember everything so she has to do her best, even if its not true, it is still a fantastically detailed review of the ups and downs of Judy's and the family's life.
At one point Luft says that the night of Judys funeral, she was on the balony looking at the stars and she felt her mothers presence. I thought that was lovely and it really touched me. All the things about Judys ghost haunting Liza is absolute rubbish from the press. I don't know how some reporters can be so harsh and not even seem to care. As Lorna said, if her mother was "haunting" Liza, it wasn't "haunting", she was simply trying to comfort her because she is her daughter.
I love Judy Garland and hope wherever she is that she is very happy and has finally found piece.
This book is fantastic and, as I said before, any fan of Judys should read it and if you still come of loving her as much as you did when you started the book, or more, then you are a true fan of a fantastic legend.

Very Interesting Life
The book starts off with the story of Lorna Luft's grandparents (Judy's parents) Frank and Ethel Gumm and tells the story about how they met and the family they raised. The book then goes into the story of Lorna's mother Judy Garland growing up baby Frances Ethel Gumm. Lorna tells how her mother loved to perform and loved living in Grand Rapids, Minnesota (were she was born) and hated living in Lancaster, California where they moved when Judy was 4.
Lorna then goes into the story of the MGM years of Judy's life going from a radio singer to the star of The Wizard of OZ, one of the greatest hits of MGM's history all in the space of a year. After that, it was all pretty much down hill as far as MGM goes for Judy according to Lorna. Judy started on drugs to help her lose weight and help her sleep, and they soon controlled her life. Lorna tells that when Judy was 18 she got married to David Rose and after only a short period of time divorced him. She did this to get out of Ethel's hair because she could not stand being near her after the death of Frank and Ethel's marrying a man exactly four years to the day after her father's death.
Lorna then goes into the sorted affair that was Judy's marriage to Vincent Minnelli and the birth of their daughter Liza. After only a few years though they divorced and Lorna goes on to talk about the next man in Judy's life, Lorna's father Sid Luft.
Lorna tells the story about her father being raised by a bon-vivent and a Russian Jewish designer in New York City. Lorna also tells a ridiculous story that her father once heard his father tell his mother about a mysterious note a woman wrote to him when his family was in Europe one summer.
Lorna tells about her parent's early relationship and how she never knew that she was actually on the way when they decided to get married. She tells the story about her early years in the house and then the hubbub of having little Joey come into the world. Lorna tells the story about how when Joey was a little boy she actually went into his crib and scratched him so hard that to this day there are still scratch marks on his face.
This leads into the story about Lorna's own life. Going from one step-father to another constantly moving, never being able to see her father, until at the age of 15 she moves in with her dad and several months later finds out that her mother was dead.
After her mother died, Lorna moved to New York to work in plays and things and had some love affairs (one with Barry Mataloe.) She tells about her dabbling with cocaine for several years and the diabolical that was her relationship with Burt Reynolds until she found the absolute wrong man for her-her husband Jake Hooker.
Lorna vividly details her relationship of almost 20 years with her husband. She tells about at first they were fine, and then after their son was born it was more like they were client and clientele instead of husband and wife and their daughters birth only made it worse. She details how their marriage broke up when their daughter was an infant and how only a week later she met the next man she was to marry.
Last, but not least Lorna describes her relationship with her sister Liza Minnelli. She tells that because Liza was seven years older than her she does not really have any memories of her when they were young, but she has a lot when they were older. Lorna details the struggle Liza had with drugs that culminated in Lorna virtually kidnapping her sister and taking her to the Betty Ford Center in about 1984. ... Read more

Book Description

She lived at full throttle on stage, screen, and in real life, with highs that made history and lows that finally brought down the curtain at age forty-seven. Judy Garland died over thirty years ago, but no biography has so completely captured her spirit--and demons--until now. From her tumultuous early years as a child performer to her tragic last days, Gerald Clarke reveals the authentic Judy in a biography rich in new detail and unprecedented revelations. Based on hundreds of interviews and drawing on her own unfinished--and unpublished--autobiography, Get Happy presents the real Judy Garland in all her flawed glory.

With the same skill, style, and storytelling flair that made his bestselling Capote a landmark literary biography, Gerald Clarke sorts through the secrets and the scandals, the legends and the lies, to create a portrait of Judy Garland as candid as it is compassionate. Here are her early years, during which her parents sowed the seeds of heartbreak and self-destruction that would plague her for decades...the golden age of Hollywood, brought into sharp focus with cinematic urgency, from the hidden private lives of the movie world's biggest stars to the cold-eyed businessmen who controlled the machine...and a parade of brilliant and gifted men--lovers and artists, impresarios and crooks--who helped her reach so many creative pinnacles yet left her hopeless and alone after each seemingly inevitable fall. Here, then, is Judy Garland in all her magic and despair: the woman, the star, the legend, in a riveting saga of tragedy, resurrection, and genius. ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Get Happy, and get the book!
Gerald Clarke tackles a very difficult subject, Judy Garland, in his newest biography "Get Happy". We all realize that probably one of the most complex lives in modern times has been that of Judy herself. She was a singer extraordinaire, gifted actress, beautiful woman, and a human, none-the-less. What Clarke's biography manages to capture is her humanness. There is a succinct danger in deifying someone so much that they lose those essential qualities that endear us to them in the first place. Judy was troubled, had drug issues, marital problems, all true and well-documented, and she also could belt out a song like no one else. I loved Judy Garland since childhood, and now, knowing her foibles and follies as well as her gifts, makes me love her all the more.

Clarke's book moves very quickly. He doesn't dally on any points, and the chapters are organized into short sections. I rated it four stars because I wished he had "dallied" a little bit more in certain areas, especially in her later singing career!

Give Me A Break!
Now, I have loved Judy scince I was two. Gerald Clark's book is nothing but a tabloid make money biography! Now, don't get me wrong,there are 1 or2 good stories but 99.9 percent of them are pure fiction! if you want to read a good Judy book, read Lorna's book!!!

Judy Garland by Clarke
The reviewers who believe that this is an accurate portrait of Judy Garland are pathetically misinformed. To begin with nearly 85% of this book - if not more - is based entirely unpon speculation and conjecture, from both the author and his sources. The number of unnamed, unsubstantiated and uncorraborated sources is astounding, but then again, you couldn't write the type of salacious, tabloid "Confidential magazine-like story that Clarke has using named, credible and reputable sources.

As for the tapes and the so called autobiography; do your research admirers of Clarke's tome. The so-called autobiography is only an 80 page outline of notes which Judy never edited or reviewed. The so-called most scandalous details were revealed and worked though by others only AFTER she died. All of the other stuff in the notes were previously published in McCall's magazine during the 1960's.

Sorry, but Judy never spoke about the most "deliciously scandalous" items printed in this and other books. The person said they were Judy's words, but could never show any proof. Those tapes....listen to them for yourself. They say nothing of the stories told here. That's the way it is throughout the book. Just read his sources, one after another anonymous source.

Do yourself a favor and read World's Greatest Entertainer, Judy Garland The Golden Years and Judy Portrait of a Legend or even Judy by Frank and Rainbow by Finch.

Good But Ho Hum
This book is what made me a Judy fan, where before I had only been a Judy admirer from afar. I read this book without having read any reviews or knowing anything about the controversy surrounding it. I found Mr Clarke's treatment of Judy candid and sympathetic, but not sentimental or rose-colored - which is what I have a feeling Judy fans didn't like about it. In spite of the sordid details, and as the trajectory of her life story spiraled downward, I found myself liking Judy the Person more and more - flaws and all. I appreciated the quotes Clarke used from Judy herself to describe her life - they show how refreshingly honest and humble she was, especially toward the end. I did not appreciate his long-winded, professorial essays about various side subjects and the sex-obssessed leaning of the book. I did not appreciate the $10 words he uses that leave you running to a dictionary to figure out what he means. I ended it feeling that I wanted to know a little more about the making of her films than just start and end dates and a little less about the sex. Where the book excels is at the beginning, where Clarke really did his research into Judy's parental history, unhappy aspects of her early life, her father's pederasty and her "love affair" with her Dad. It explains much about her subsequent histrionic behavior and constant striving for normalcy, especially in the romance and marriage departments. Controversial or not, trashy or not, I still recommend the book. If you can't love her, or at least sympathize with her, by the end of this book, you're probably not a true fan.

LITTLE GIRL [BLACK AND] BLUE
Somewhere over the rainbow, Judy Garland ain't very happy. That's because her entire life---and we mean her entire life---has been laid out, in minute detail, in Gerald Clarke's latest biography. We all already know about the evil stage mother, the gay father, the hospitalizations, the pill popping, the marriages to gay husbands, the abortions, the mean managers.. Here we learn about Judy's lesbian affairs and about the one (unnamed, of course) male lover who made her she sing "Over the Rainbow" after giving him oral satisfaction. Yikes! Still, even though Judy has been the subject of too many books already, Clarke manages to write with candor and clarity, thanks to interviews with sources who kept mum before, as well as the benefit of an autobiography Garland herself had started, but never finished. Wonder if Liza still thinks life is a cabaret after this one. ... Read more

Book Description

Garbo and Crawford. Ava, Hedy, Judy, Liz. They epitomized Hollywood’s golden era. With a trembling lip or sultry eye, with a tear or song or husky whisper, they held moviegoers across America in their sway from the hard times of the 1930s through the booming postwar years. They were royalty, they were box office. They led pampered public lives—furs, jewels, limos, designer gowns, handsome escorts—that captured the national imagination. They also signed seven-year contracts with a morals clause, and the more they slipped, the more the secret abortions, efficient cover-ups, legal legerdemain, and dropped charges bound them to the wizard in their Oz, Louis B. Mayer. The slips are here, and the successes, the personal triumphs as well as the private tragedies. Here are the Blonde Bombshell Jean Harlow, who made movie history (at nineteen) with the line "Do you mind if I slip into something more comfortable?"; Sweater Girl Lana Turner, whose career spanned four decades even if "she couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag"; and bad girl Ava Gardner, whose screen test prompted Mayer to say, "She can’t act. She can’t talk. She’s terrific." From Jeanette MacDonald and Norma Shearer to Princess Grace, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, and Million Dollar Mermaid Esther Williams, the sixteen portraits in this lively volume, each accompanied by the star’s filmography, tell the tales that lay hidden behind the gossip and the glories of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s glamorous golden girls. 16 pages of photographs enhance these intimate insider biographies of the most radiant stars in movie mogul Louis B. Mayer’s galaxy. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Revealing
I loved this book. I felt that I got ten and more biographies of the most famous actresses in the world.It's well researched, and it's fun to read. The author emphasizes the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. I've read all of Jane Ellen's books and enjoy her style. The Golden Girls of MGM is one of her best.

Biased and uninteresting
I bought this book at a local bookstore and I'm grateful because it'll be much easier to return there than on Amazon. Some reviews said that this author didn't say much about anyone but I disagree. I found her bias towards and against some actresses obvious. This leads me to believe that we are only getting half of the story. I mean calling Joan Crawford a "victim" is laughable to me. If you know anything about Joan, you know that she was no one's victim.
Also, many of the conversations that Wayne quotes have no source. How do we know that they were real or just garbage that she made up? Either she stole some of these quotes from other books or they existed in her head. We don't know because she rarely explains where she got her information.
This is like a one-sided Cliff's notes version of the lives of these fabulous women. And if anyone would like to use this as source material, may I suggest using it to solve the mystery of how so many beautiful, fascinating, sexy women fell for Mickey Rooney? I would really like an explaination on that!!

How did this author ever get published?
Ms. Wayne is one of the worst writers I have ever read. Not only is her writing amateurish and ungrammatical, it is downright annoying. Your average seventh grader is probably a better writer.

I could put up with her writing if the book did not have numerous other faults.

One example of this book's many faults is that in the chapter on Hepburn, the decade between 1928 and 1938 -- when Hepburn started in the movies and achieved stardom -- is not even mentioned. I don't know if this is Wayne's fault or simply an editing glitch.

I bought this book because I am a fan of several of these actresses, but I was disappointed that most of the information on them appeared to have been stolen from other sources. Including conversations at which the author could not possibly have been present is the height of bad journalism and a hallmark of sleazy biographical writing. In addition, I didn't learn anything new about any of the actresses whom I had already read a lot about, and I tired of the sensationalistic recounting of their affairs, abortions, tantrums, divorces, drunkenness, and so forth. How about mentioning something positive about them? Surely there was something. But wait. I guess that doesn't sell books.

If you want to learn about these stars, there are bound to be well-researched, balanced, in-depth books about each one, particularly Crawford and Hepburn. So don't waste your money on this crapfest.

All glitz, no glamour
In their own time, these "golden-age Hollywood" stars were protected by ruthless P.R. men and a media veil of silence. Now most of their failings are common knowledge. And in "Golden Girls of MGM : Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, and Others," Jane Ellen Wayne only soils their names more by making them dull.

Wayne opens each chapter with a coyly feeble teaser. She then gives a brief description of the women's lives and how they got into the movie biz, and what they did when they got there. Among these actresses: much-married Elizabeth Taylor, deceptively icy Grace Kelly, busty Lana Turner, fiery ex-Sinatra wife Ava Gardner, mysterious Greta Garbo, tragic Judy Garland, and some weren't quite so juicy (Katherine Hepburn, Hedy Lamarr, Esther Williams).

Why bother with one trashy biography when you can have a bunch all in one book? Be assured that Wayne will give you a detailed description of every lover, abortion, suicide, police-cover up and failed marriage that went on under Louis B. Mayer. Despite all this dirt, Wayne seems to be scared to have any strong opinions about anything (Joan Crawford is painted very blandly). You'll find every rumor -- true or not -- reported in various other trashy bios. Insights? New information? Decent writing? Not a trace.

"Golden Girls" fails even as a guilty pleasure. In a word, it's boring. Very boring. Gossip about stuff like affairs, abortions, failed marriages and massive scandals are related in the driest prose that Wayne can manage. She glosses over major events in these actresses' lives, but gives detailed transcripts of uninteresting personal conversations. It only makes her inept attempts at being coy painful. And it takes a special kind of ineptitude to make Katherine Hepburn so boring.

The worst kind of trashy biography is a dull one. And "Golden Girls of MGM : Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, and Others" is very boring indeed. Wayne can't even manage to make this a naughty pleasure.

Trashy and Sloppy
The content was trashy, and the writing was sloppy. If you like trashy and you can tolerate sloppy for a few hours, this book will give you the worst highlights of the lives of the stars discussed. On the other hand, if you want to know the truth about these women in depth, you should search for individual, well-researched, well-written books on these subjects' lives.

If you like to read bad writing, this book is a treat. Misplaced modifiers can be especially mirth provoking, and this writer is an adept in the genre. Other grammatical errors and plenty of typos add to the fun. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

THIS BIOGRAPHY STINKS!
I have to go with the general consensus on this biography.Mr. Shipman has his details muddled and inaccurate in many aspects.How he can go into such detail about Judy's private life, sexual deviances, etc. is astonishing....was HE actually present during the actions he describes??That's the only way he could be so "forthright and honest"....hah!!Also, it seems Mr. Shipman thinks that everyone with whom Judy was involved was homosexual or bisexual.Heck, he goes on to state that nearly everyone in Hollywood is homosexual.Obviously, Mr. Shipman himself would qualify in this category as he seems obssessed with the subject.It is inferred to in every chapter of this non-sensical biography.We know Judy had problems, no one is denying that.Fans can accept the truth about her but have something substantive with which to back up your claims.....not just hearsay.This biography stinks and is an insult to the memory of Judy Garland.As someone else suggested, read "Rainbow...the Stormy Life of Judy Garland"......that is the best Garland biography ever and does not shortchange or mislead the reader in any way!

Judy Garland: The Life on an American Legend - Yeah Right!!!
This book is utter CRAP to be frank. The writing is fine,and easy to follow, but there are MAJOUR problems with this book. The facts are wrong - at the end he states "At 46...Judy Garland was dead" Correct me if Im wrong, butJudy Garland was 47 when she died. He also seems ro have a dislike of Judy, by calling her "Garland" when refering to her.

Take my advice go with World's Greatest Entertainer of Judy, to get a good bio of Miss Show Biz: Judy Garland

I hated this book
Although Shipman was quite good when writing about her performances when it got to her as a person he seems to hate her.Just a few examples which got me shaking my head and saying how stupid does he think we are, is his version of her reason for not showing at Liza's off-broadway debut.He wants to imply it is her selfishness and jealousy of her daughter, (how stupid can you get, Shipman).Anyone really understanding the enormous heart of Judy Garland knows she didn't want to draw attention away from her daughter's debut, which of course she would have been unable to avoid, and suffered for her daughter's sake missing what she would have absolutely loved to have been able to attend. There are so many of these examples throughout the book.When before an interview with Jacqueline Suzanne before the making of 'Valley of the Dolls' she insists Suzanne proceed her, he again wants to say it was to draw attention to herself.As if she needed to draw attention to herself!Of course that was just what she was trying not to do but of course couldn't stop it.There are so many good books about Judy, don't read this one, unless you want to just concentrate on Shipman's good reviews and ignore is absolutely stupid interpretations of her motives.

Disgustingly Disrespectful to a Legend!!
One reviewer states this book to be "The truth"! Ha! Hey, how about actually reading other books written on Judy Garland, (as I have), and you will see the error of your convictions.
This piece of filth has so many entirely erroneous facts! What is it with English writers hating Judy Garland?! This book even asserts Judy was bisexual! She may have had many sexually alternative persons in her life, but she was not! Yes, Judy was by no stretch perfect! She was a smoker, but she was no alcoholic! She did have problems with perscription drugs, but that wasn't etirely her falt! She was given medications by her mother before she could talk, to wake up, to sleep, whatever she felt they needed to "get these girls moving". Yes, Judy Garland was addicted to "pep-up" pills, and "downers", but she did try various times in her life to get off them, but she never quite could. Her body simply needing astronomical amounts as her life progressed, due to an ever growing tolerance.
Contray to manys' beliefs, Judy did not commit suicide, or intentionally overdose on sleeping pills. She had said herself in life that sometimes it was hard to remember what pills she had taken when, and would on occasion accidently overdose, which is what happened on the night/morning she died.
She had said, just days before her death, how she utterly feared death, thinking of it often. If anything, Judy wanted to live, she was always making plans for the future. At the time of her death, she was thinking of going to Paris, to the Olympiad. She would never make it to Paris...
This book, should be titled "The Totally False Rumors of Judy Garland", because that is what it is! It is just as much a piece of tawdry trash as Gerold Clark's "Get Happy."
If you want the truth of Judy Garland's life, I recommend "Judy" by Gerold Frank or "Me and My Shadows: Living with the Legacy of Judy Garland" by Judy's daughter Lorna Luft. Buy one of those!
Don't waste your time with this waste!

the truth
Although this book is well written and endearing, i have readthat shipman wa sued by a few people in contrast to trhe contents. if you aree a judy fan to my extent then you will realise that some of the points in the bookare muddled or untrue. It displays a bad example of the relationshipbetween her and her children, which infact is untrue.i would read it ifyou are a fan, but dont take it as gospel. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

THE BOOK HAS NO PEERS
I bought it during Christmas in 1992... And u know what; It`s the definitive book on Judy!!!It really is an open love-letter 2 the Great 1 From 1 Of Her Fans....At times u might say that John Fricke is glorifying Judy - but I don`t mind... It`s the kind of book u would want if u were on a desert island(with the CD`s "Judy at Carnegie Hall", "The London Sessions" and the "25th Retrospective"(compiled by Fricke) and the films "The Wizard Of Oz", "Meet Me in St. Louis", "The Pirate", "Easter Parade", "In the Good Old Summertime", "Summer Stock", "A Star is Born"(just 4 the musical scenes) and "I Could Go On Singing" - her BEST dramatic performance!! And The DVD collection of her 1963-64 TV-series...

Come 2 think of it... With THIS book and her music and films... I THINK I wouldn`t have noticed the palms, animals and ocean surrounding me on that island hehehehe

One of the all-time great books about the magnificent JUDY!
Along with Gerold Frank's 1975 biography "JUDY", John Fricke's book THE WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINER is the definitive book about the sensational talent and fascinating life of the legendary lady. Fricke has done the research that no one before him could do to really give a broad insight into the career that has made Garland an icon. Beautifully written and handsomely illustrated, this is a book for the ages, and a must-have for any Garland fan. Anyone who doesn't love this book clearly hasn't a clue what great books are all about.

Judy: The World's Greatest Entertainer!
This book is simply marvelous!This book has hundreds and hundreds of crisp, clear pictures of Judy, many not previously published!
This book covers Judy's entire carear, from her first performace at age two until her death on June 22, 1969!This book is packed full of both black and white and color pictures!
All of her movies are covered in this book, as well as her hundreds of concerts particually the landmark concert on April 23, 1961 at Carnigie Hall! Also covered is her 1963- 1964 television show on CBS: The Judy Garland Show!
If your looking for information on Judy's career, this definatly is the right book for you! Or if your looking for lots and lots of pictures of Miss Garland and all her movies, this is still the right book for you!
If you just love Judy in any way at all, and want more information on her life, this is the book to buy!

If you love Judy Garland than this is a must!
If you just love Judy Garland, then this is a "must have" book. Refreshingly, Judy Garland-World's Greatest Entertainer is not written inthe tabloid style of many of the prolific biographies about Judy.

This isan open, honest almost scholarly look at Judy's life. It spans hertheatrical career from age two until her tragic death at ageforty-seven.

The text is a rich and lavish exposition that has beenwritten by a man who obviously loves Judy's talent and his admiration showsin his thoughtful manner in which he presents the great legacy that wasJudy's life.

If "a picture is worth a thousand words" then this book hasto be one of the richest in publishing history. There are dozens of blackand white stills but also the book contains more color photographs than Ihave ever seen on Judy.

This book is of the quality in a book that wecall "coffee table" eye catchers. When you buy this book, do yourself afavor and read it from cover to cover.It belongs in every library of Judylovers.Then if you wish, put it on the coffee table.

It is thisMunchkin's opinion that John Fricke is the world-leading expert on the lifeand times of Judy Garland.

One more "albeit" and I'll scream
I am horrified by the poor quality of writing in this work. In particular, the tedious use of the word "albeit" reflects a poverty of vocabulary rare for authors or journalists. Mr. Fricke would much benefitfrom a Thesaurus. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Sad but yes, true
I finally bought a copy of this book - and it is disturbing to read. Judy Garland's body and brain were shorting out from the excess of pills (speed) and alcohol she was consuming in 1968 - but she was still trying to live life to the fullest: experiencing new things, seeing new places, meeting new people. The pills scrambled her thoughts and made her act irrational at times - but she still went on! Meyer gives us a first hand account of this period of Judy's life: it is sad, happy, shocking, and quite interesting. I remember seeing Judy on TV during this period of time: Mike Douglas Show, then Merv Griffin, Johnny Carson. She seemed to be getting worse and worse. I remember thinking: What is going on with Judy? She seems confused. Now I know what was going on - thanks to this book. In closing - let me say this - even at her worst (Merv's appearance was quite something, as I remember) - I loved Judy - what a brilliant talent! - I wish she was still with us.

Hard to believe Meyer
I am one of those fans that understand that Judy had her good days and bad days and accept the good as well as the bad about my favorite person. This book was nothing but a way for John Meyer to say that he "screwed" (to put it lightly) Judy in a hospital bed. It's a shame that people feel that they need to make up stories to make them look better and even make money off of it. The book is only interesting if you're into reading explicit details about sex between two people but who knows if it even happened. Other books about Judy do not even mention that she had a relationship with this man. Anyway, read it if you want but take it with a HUGE grain of salt.

FAN MEETS -BEDS-and (ALMOST) WEDS a STAR
I have read every book written about the amazing Judy Garland. I happen to love this book. (For Garland fans who idolize Judy and feel she could do no wrong, this is not the book for you.) This book is the story of a 30-something struggling songwriter, living with his parents who makes a living playing show tunes in local New York piano bar. He also composes music, writes lyrics and has a pet project, a script for his play called "The Draft Dodger." New York is filled with thousands of hopefuls just like him. What makes his story extraordinary is how he graduated from stuggling hopeful to (minor)celebrity in less than two months simply because of a chance meeting with Judy Garland. In the fall of 1968, Judy Garland was at her lowest point: she had no money, she was heavily in debt to the IRS for back taxes, she couldn't get a booking because her music arrangments were being held until she paid money she owed, her dependence on prescription drugs was worsening, her former husbands, lovers, and even her children had abandoned her because of her erratic behavior created by the drugs, and her health was declining. One of the fans/hangers-on who surrounded Judy during this period was going to plan a new show with new songs so Judy could work again, and decided John Meyer might have some suitable material. On the night he met Judy, Meyer was so enthralled with her that they snuck out of the fan's home (while the fan was in the shower) had dinner together and spent the night together at Meyer's parents home. ... This is a fascinating story, written in a diary style format, which indeed gives the impression of reading someone's private diary. I have spoken with Garland fans who knew Judy, Meyer and Deans during this period of time and was told that Meyer's story is quite accurate. Most telling through all of this is that Judy, although at her lowest point, was telling funny stories, laughing and enjoying herself despite such adverse conditions. This is a book you won't easily forget! As a footnote, Meyer later dated singer Margaret Whiting (who knew Judy) and she made positive comments regarding their relationship.

You'll Learn a Lot about Judy's Last Days
You will discover much about the latter-day Judy Garland
from John Meyer's book, actually a diary, about the legendary
performer. The only false note is the frequent sexual aspect
of it. It is improbable that the sexually ambiguous Meyer, (...),"screwed" the star. Everything else seems vivid and true and puts you there with Meyer and
Garland, as a "fly on the wall." It is a well-written diary
that will surely offend the diva-worshippers who wouldn't want

to know about Judy's appalling habits, i.e. kleptomania, selfishness, gulping pills and booze, and "two-hour make-up jobs." On the plus side, it offers us a close-up glimpse at a very, very sharp-witted and funny woman. Looking back at this
brief "affair" of the late-60s, you get a pang of sadness that
the ambitious Meyer never made it as songwriter. If you've
heard his songs, "I'd Like to Hate Myself in the Morning," or
"After the Holidays," you will understand why. His music
is middling to awful, and his only claim to fame will be his
Judy book, one of many, many, many written by husbands,
friends, associates, professional writers and fans. This one
is excellent in that you'll find out things you didn't know,
as opposed to rehashing the usual well-documented trivia.

Oh dear John Meyer what have you done?
This book is terible wriiten, We have an insight to Judy as a caring person In some ways. Unfortuantly as One other reviewer put it, this book IS just someone telling the world that he had sex with Judy Garland, IF that is in effect true, there is actually no evidence that anything between the two happened.

If you do buy this book, )but personally I would say dont waste your money) read it with an open mind.

but its not a good book, another terrible attempt to tarnish our legend! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Judy Garland in the Dream Factory
Coyne Steven Sanders is, undeniably, _under_ the rainbow with this treatment of Ms. Judy Garland. In a good sense. First, one must respond to the treatment here of Micky Rooney, without whom we would still probably be responding to Ms. Garland in the same way. In the birth of the cliche, there is a moment when the idea itself is not a cliche but is instead an archetype. In this way cliches are to be honored as original ideas so fitting to such a large number of {events} that they become, through no fault of their own, a cliche. Sadly, this treatment of Micky Rooney in relation to Ms. Garland does not recognize the fact that Mr.Rooney was a cliche _from the beginning_. He personified the cliche by occupying one from the moment he embarked on his character--the same wide-eyed, over-eager, lifelessly hyperbolic grating dunce he dusted off every time the cameras were stupid enough to have him within their frame. If only Steven Sanders would have bitten into this none-too-tender tendril of the gas that was Micky Rooney! Instead, it is waived away like a bad odor that the reader imagined should have dissipated 5 minutes earlier. By failing to contextualize Ms. Garland within this necessary border, Coyne Steven Sanders renders a full quarter of this book into a wide pie of plums and pits; into a full line of outergarments best suited for intemperate climes. Three cheers for Coyne! Because, after all, this author is able to, in this book, show us why we should all, as I do, love Judy Garland with each breath we take. I love her. Yes. I love this book, and I love Judy Garland.

THIS ONE SHOWS THE REAL 'JUDY'!!!!
Over the years I have read every book about JUDY and excluding the 'book' written by Mel Torme' many have been decent. But, not until this book has the talent, the class, the POWER that was JUDY GARLAND been properly conveyed!The book is informative about what went on in front of and behind the scenes of THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW. But also, it shows how at certain points JUDY wanted certain things done a certain way for a specific reason!!! Case in point, her singing 'THE BATTLE HYMM OF THE REPUBLIC'. She knew why it had to be done, she knew how it had to be done, and she knew that it had to be done!!!! AND SHE DID IT!!!! And what 'we' see on video during that performance is what JUDY was, is, and always will be!!! A performer who should have been left to do what she did-SING!And reading this book, you'll see why she is what she is, and how she got what will always be hers! LEGEND!!!!

Incredible reading
An incisive, detailed look at The Judy Garland Show. Blows away the myth that Ms. Garland was the psycho-tornado that destroyed the show. A wonderful book with many pictures, showing Ms. Garland at the peak of her performing abilities. A rare, realistic look at Judy Garland; the person and performer. A good buy!

One of the best books on Judy Garland available today
I'd rate this up there with Christopher Finch's "Rainbow" and "Judy", by Gerald Frank. Absolutely one of the best books written about her talent and her life and it shows finally that Ms. Garland was NOT the self-destructive psychotic that was featured in Mel Torme's book on the same subject. Having the hardcover version, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is comprehensive and well thought out. The pictures are fabulous! She never looked better! Along with some newer CD releases, such as "Judy' by 32 Records, they all show what a wonderful talent she was and at the peak of her abilities during the taping of her television show. Thank you, Mr. Sanders for finally setting the record straight on just what happened to The Judy Garland Show. A tragic story, not of her own doing, as Mr. Torme would have us believe. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

good but....
I thought this book was very good. I'm not entirely sure however what to think of the book.
After reading this I was VERY upset and cried several times because of what was said. It isn't the authors fault and her comments because they were fine, it was just what happened to Judy in life.
I don't think the book tells the whole truth because (for e.g.) Anne Edwards says that L.B.Mayer treated Judy literally like rubbish. Throwing her around wherever the hell he pleased BUT in Lorna Luft's Me and My shadows Lorna says that Judy loved Mayer dearly and never once complained about him and that he loved her.
I don't know who to believe but I am leaning towards Lorna's version.
Although this book doesn't have all the facts it is clear to see that Anne Edwards did do a lot of research before writing this but maybe didn't talk to all the right people.
Anne seems to be a fan of Judys and I do recommend this book to anyone who loves Judy as much as me.
Anne seems genuine with her love to Judy and so it isn't like Sheridan Morley with his book Over The Rainbow.
May you rest in piece Miss Judy Garland!

The Myth of Judy Garland
Like several other biographers (most recently Gerald Clarke), Anne Edwards makes the mistake of taking Garland herself as the ultimate authority on her own life--and since Garland never let the truth get in the way of a good story and frequently recast the facts in order to justify her excesses, this is a very serious mistake indeed.

Even so, the book is written in a very readable, slightly romanticized style, and while you have to take it with a whole shaker of salt it does a very good job of presenting Garland as she herself wished to be perceived--and in that sense Garland fans will find it quite interesting.But for a serious biography of Garland, I recommend Christopher Finch's RAINBOW and Gerald Frank's JUDY.

well...
I thinkthat Anne Edwards is a very good author, i have read her bookds on judy, vivien leigh, shirlet temple etc. I think that there is a bit ofhero- worship going on in her Judy book though. I dont see it as terriblyaccurate, but its quite a good read so if you want to get it,. But if youwabnt a detailed account of her life i would recomend grold franks book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Book!
I think this book is wonderful. It has all the movies Judy Garland was in and what people who worked with her think about her. There is alot of pictures to go with the movie. Over all this is a great book!

Great Book!
I thought this book had great pictures! It showed all the movies she had been in and some of the people she worked with told what they thought about her. It even tells about her t.v. show and tours she went on. Judy garland in AMAZING! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

have just bought the book
I ordered this book from the store and am getting it tomorrow (tuesday 6th jan 04). I am now very dissapointed that i ordered this book because after reading everyones reviews i feel i have wasted money on it and i havent even read it yet.
when i go to collect this book and i am going to order the lorna luft book that everyone keeps recommending.
I was very much looking forward to reading this book but now i dont think i can be bothered.
i loved judy garland dearly. i am only 16 and think she was such a wonderful actress and one of the best singers i think i have ever seen. I would like to apologise to everyone that the writers of this book are british (atleast i think they are... thats what someone said) and would also like to point out that not all brits are like that and many of us love judy garland as much as all other fans.
may you rest in piece judy!

My opinion of this book? LET THERE BE SILENCE!!!
I have worshipped Judy 4 25-26 years! Her legacy is astounding - and she continues 2 enrich my life!

This book(I WON`T EVEN MENTION THE WRITERS NAMES) is like dancing or spitting on Judy`s grave. There are 2 many numerous faults - in this book - worth mentioning....

The photographs are good, but years and their origins are 2 often wrong....

Please! If I were the publisher I would withdraw it from circulation. Liza, Lorna, Joey and Sid have plenty AMMUNATION for a lawsuit....

This book makes me cry! The authors HAVE NO SYMPATHY for its subject whatsover....

If u wanna read how CRUEL persons can be 2 other people; READ THIS TRAVESTY....

Hack Biography At Its Quick-Buck Worst
Garland was a tempestuous talent with serious emotional problems who began to use drugs at an early age. Her drug use served to intensify her emotional problems, distorted her personality, ruined her career, and ultimately took her life. These are facts, and any Garland biography that attempts to gloss over them does a disservice to its subject, who deserves the dignity of truth. But Sheridan Morley and Ruth Leon's JUDY GARLAND: BEYOND THE RAINBOW does not simply meet these facts, it turns them into superficial tabloid trash complete with pat explantions and superficial interpretations; worse still, the text is riddled with factual inaccuracy, relies upon rumor and mean-spirited speculation, and makes no attempt to place Garland's difficulties in perspective with the other aspects of her life.

I can think of no other Garland text, including the absolutely abominable biography by Anne Edwards, that so ill-serves its own subject. It is filled with unverified and self-serving gossip delivered in such a nasty tone that one wonders how Morley and Leon manage to sleep at night. If you wish to read a legitimate portrait of Garland, I recommend you seek out Christopher Finch's meticulously researched and elegantly written RAINBOW: THE STORMY LIFE OF JUDY GARLAND (sadly, now out of print) or Gerald Frank's exhaustive JUDY instead--and avoid this piece of coffee table trash as you would the plague.

WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE THE AWFULNESS!!!
I have to say that this book is the poorest excuse of a Judy bio I have ever read! It's a disgrace! How in the world did this get printed with all those lies and errors?! I don't even have words to describe my disgust! I feel so sorry for the authors if they have to resort to telling lies about the greatest female entertainer that ever lived just to make money! Judy was the most fantastic singer/actress of all time and I am indescribably angry at how the authors portray her! I am only 16 and I know more about Judy than those authors who supposedly researched her to write the book! How in the world can they even think they know all about Judy when they never even knew her? My advice is that if you want to read about Judy then read Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir by Lorna Luft. Lorna is Judy's own daughter and she knows the facts because she was there. Get the facts from Lorna and don't waste your money on the Beyond the Rainbow rubbish!

Judy book. Piece of trash
I dispise this book number 1 because of errors in grammar. I don't think any of the authors went to school. Number 2 because they keep saying that Judy is a gay icon. Somepeople may believe that but keep in mind many people love Judy around the world.

I agree with other people that the best books of Judy you could ever read are the ones that John Fricke writes.

I want to make something clear it doesn't mean that if someone is friends with bisexual people that one is bisexual too or that person is immediately called a gay icon. It's not fair to Judy, her family, and her fans who love her dearly.

The only thing I could say that this book is worth buying for the rare photos, but the text it horrible.

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