Judy, Judy, Judy

Quite rightly, I have been called on the carpet for the revelation I made in a previous blog entry: The only Judy Garland movies I have seen, from beginning to end, are The Wizard of Oz and Judgement at Nuremberg.

Somehow, some people think those films are not really the best illustration of the phenomenon which was Judy Garland. I'm sure they are right.

So, I determined that I should actually watch a full-length Garland flick. I went to Netflix to set up a rental of Annie Get Your Gun. Garland as Annie Oakley, singing "There's No Business Like Show Business," and all those other Irving Berlin tunes? What's not to like?

Oh, wait. She was fired from that movie.

Well, no matter. It's just as easy to catch one of Judy's dramatic roles. After all, she was nominated for an Oscar for her cameo appearance in Judgement at Nuremberg, and she didn't even sing! (Maybe she should have. She lost the award to Rita Moreno, who DID sing in her movie). So, I'll rent Valley of the Dolls!

Oh, wait, she was fired from that movie, too.

OK, this is getting ridiculous. I know there must be a lot of movies out there that Judy Garland was NOT fired from. I quickly finished up my current Netflix movie , in order to exchange it for one of Judy's Big Ones.

I really didn't mind giving up the movie I had, Uncommon Women and Others. It wasn't a movie anyway, it was a video tape of one of those PBS stage shows. I rented it because it was an early Wendy Wasserstein, who went on to win the Pulitzer. It also boasted performances by an early Meryl Streep, an early Swoozie Kurtz, and an early Jill Eikenberry. EVERYBODY was early in this video. I didn't mind sending it back to Netflix in order to get one of Garland's Greatest Hits. Wasserstein stole an idea from that classic show The Women, and populated her play with only females. Females who talk and talk and talk. Then they have tea and talk some more. Wendy undermines her point that these are all uncommon women who have so many choices, when her characters mostly talk about men.

Friday, one of Hollywood's Greatest Movie Musicals arrived, and I settled in to watch this classic Judy Garland film:

It took me almost no time at all to realize that wasn't Judy Garland. It was Debbie Reynolds. Now before you send me to the principal, let me defend myself. After all, there are a lot of similarities between Judy Garland and Debbie Reynolds.

...let me see.....hold on a minute....I'm thinking...

Oh, here's one: they both worked at MGM at the same time.

Oh, here's another one: they both have famous daughters.

OK, I'm dry. There are no similarities between Judy Garland and Debbie Reynolds. I don't know why I assumed Garland was in Singing in the Rain.

But not to worry. I have been back to Netflix and have rearranged my queue. I sent back Singing in the Rain (without finishing it. Donald O'Connor gives me the creeps), and Monday's mail will bring a terrific movie classic which I'm sure will really show Judy Garland off to great advantage:

The Bandwagon! That's entertainment...