Judy Garland - The Concert Years

Starring:Lorna Luft, Mort Lindsey, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Joey Luft, Ethel Merman, Edward Albee, Tony Bennett, Melissa Manchester
Director: David Heeley
Studio: White Star
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
In 1985, 16 years before her memoir became the basis for the television film Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, Lorna Luft narrated this documentary focusing on her mother's "second career" following her years at MGM. The 59-minute retrospective (reduced from its original 90 minutes) collects comments from family and colleagues, shows clips from concerts at the London Palladium, Carnegie Hall, and the Palace Theater, a previously unseen 30-second scene cut from her famous comeback film, A Star Is Born, and scenes from her short-lived TV show.

Amazon.com

In 1985, 16 years before her memoir became the basis for the television film Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, Lorna Luft narrated this documentary focusing on her mother's "second career" following her years at MGM. The 59-minute retrospective (reduced from its original 90 minutes) collects comments from family and colleagues, shows clips from concerts at the London Palladium, Carnegie Hall, and the Palace Theater, a previously unseen 30-second scene cut from her famous comeback film, A Star Is Born, and scenes from her short-lived TV show.

Customer Reviews:

A MUST FOR JUDY FANS.......2007-04-16

BEING A MUSICIAN, I LOVE GREAT SINGERS. JUDY GARLAND WAS AND IS A NATIONAL TREASURE AND WILL ALWAYS BE LOVED BY EVERYONE(ESPECIALLY ME). JUDY SINGS GREAT MATERIAL AND OF COURSE, HAS THAT MAGIC CONNECTION WITH THE AUDIANCE. THIS WONDERFUL LADY SINGS WITH AS MUCH POWER AND EMOTION AS ANYONE BEFORE OR SINCE. JUST GET THIS AND ENJOY.

Tour de Force a la Judy!.......2006-07-21

Being too young to have seen Judy Garland in concert has always been a regret of mine. The energy she projected in person must have been truly unique. Well, for those in the same boat as I am, here's the next best thing. What a shame that professional footage of her concerts were never made. Her TV series, however, is represented here quite well. The duets, the comedy sketches, the solo numbers, all show what a versatile performer Judy Garland was.

Without the constraints of a movie script or schedule, Judy allows herself to really project her full range of emotions in her songs. Particularly powerful are 'Old Man River' and 'Battle Hymn of the Republic'. Judy just sings her heart out in both songs, the emotional peak higher than anything in her movies. Particularly touching are her songs sung to her children Liza, Lorna and Joe. Lorna's song, with specially written lyrics by Johnny Mercer, is sung so lovingly by Judy that it left me in tears. There are also some lovely moments when all three children perform with Judy together. Liza's young strong voice is so much like her mother's.

If you think Judy was intense in her movie numbers, think again, for they are nothing compared to what she does on the stage and live in person. How lucky we are that they are captured and presented beautifully here in this hour-long DVD.

Simply a must-have if you're a Judy fan.

Judy garland-the concert years.......2006-03-14

If you like Judy Garland this is the dvd for you , it has many of her wonderful concerts and some very touching moments with her children. also a few surprises at the end . It's great! I loved it! Worth every penny. She was a great star and someone to be remembered .I am happy we have this to remember her by.

OUTSTANDING !....Worthy of the Greatest of them all...JUDY!!.......2004-02-21

If you're trying to decide whether to purchase this collection of Judy's best concert years performances, or JUST JUDY from the Judy Garland Show Collection, grab THIS collection and run, while it's still available. I own them both, and this one outclasses JUST JUDY in every way, especially if you have one of the new digital Widescreens and use a DVD player with Progressive Scan. JUST JUDY is a high tech, restored black and white presentation. However, in obtaining this remarkable pristeen clarity, the black and white is so vivid and harsh, it virtually removes all of Judy's makeup, even to the point of Judy's side teeth appearing as though there is a 1/8th black gap between each tooth! Oh, yes, and I mustn't forget the wrinkles, and heavy black eye shadow that contributes to Judy's stark appearance. Even the sound is far superior. BUY THIS DVD. YOU WON'T BE SORRY!!!

Great Film... Buy the DVD, not the VHS version.......2003-04-25

I am a big fan of Judy Garland, and this is one of my favorite Judy films, even though this was made in 1985, long after she passed away. Hosted by Judy's daughter, Lorna Luft,this movie overviews her career from 1951-1969, also known as "The Concert Years", and shows performances from The Judy Garland Show, The London Palladium, Carnegie Hall, and The Palace. They show parts of scenes from her movies, including "A Star is Born" and "Till the Clouds Roll By", but the film is mostly highlighting her concerts and TV years; not her movie career. (Extra on the DVD includes the A Star is Born premiere) The affection for her three kids are indeed shown in this film; performing with Liza at the London Palladium, and singing to her younger children, Lorna and Joe, on her TV show is also a great part of the film. Some other stars that shared the stage with her in this movie are Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Ethel Merman, Bob Newhart, Danny O'Connor, and of course Liza Minnelli. Some musical highlights are "The Man that Got Away", "Ol' Man River", "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (on her show after JFK was assassinated), "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy" (with Streisand), "Chicago", "Smile", "Get Happy", "You Made me Love You", "The Trolley Song", "For Me and My Gal", "Swanee", "San Francisco", and many others. And of course, her signature "Over the Rainbow" is there, filmed from her 1955 TV special, and the only existing film of Judy as she performed her song for hundreds of concerts; sitting on the edge of the stage, singing her heart out, tears on her cheeks, in her "little tramp" outfit. Extras are commentary by friends and family such as Sid Luft, Lorna Luft, Joe Luft, Tony Bennett, Mort Lindsey, and others. This is definitely a must have for any Judy Garland fan.

The Judy Garland Collection (The Judy Garland, Robert Goulet & Phil Silvers Special / Live at the London Palladium with Liza Minnelli / The Concert Years / Judy, Frank & Dean Once in a Lifetime)

Average customer rating:

4-Disc Set Captures The Legend That Was (And Still Is) Judy!
First-Rate Entertainment -- Third-Rate Video Transfer
The best!
The best!
If you are de video VHS, don't buy the DVD

The Judy Garland Collection (The Judy Garland, Robert Goulet & Phil Silvers Special / Live at the London Palladium with Liza Minnelli / The Concert Years / Judy, Frank & Dean Once in a Lifetime)
Starring: Judy Garland , Liza Minnelli , and Frank Sinatra
Manufacturer: White Star
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

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( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Judy Garland Show Collection, Vol. 2
The Judy Garland Show Collection
Liza with a "Z" - A Concert for Television (Collector's Edition)
I Could Go On Singing
Classic Garland: Capitol Years 1955-1965

ASIN: B0000714BA
Release Date: 2002-11-19

Amazon.com

After her MGM film career was derailed by personal problems, Judy Garland revived her career on the small screen and on the concert stage, as evidenced in the four-DVD Judy Garland Collection. In the one-hour 1962 TV special Judy, Frank, and Dean, Garland is in fine voice, belting out signature tunes like "When You're Smiling" and "The Man That Got Away." Rat Packers Sinatra and Martin are at their unctuous best, with Sinatra at one point casually flicking ash from his cigarette right onto the stage while singing an emotional "I See Your Face Before Me." The patter is a bit stiff, but the numbers are all showstoppers, and Garland, especially, is belting in her most over-the-top Carnegie Hall tradition. She also shares the stage with two costars, Robert Goulet and Phil Silvers, in a 1963 TV special. Garland's performances are forceful and confident, but, unfortunately, she gets little time to sing by herself; that would come later on her own TV show. She and Goulet sing a love medley that includes five complete songs, and there's also a bizarre sequence in which the trio changes costumes after every song; at one point they warble "If I Had a Hammer" while dressed as beatniks.

The novelty of Judy Garland: Live at the London Palladium is the spectacle of the great entertainer sharing the stage with her up-and-coming daughter. In November 1964 Liza Minnelli was not yet 20 and still pretty raw, and Garland seems alternately proud of and bemused by her, but fans of this brand of showbiz razzmatazz will be satisfied with the duets (especially trading verses on a medley of "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Get Happy"). Garland opens the show with the reliable chest sweller "Once in a Lifetime" and delivers a tutorial in song dynamics with "The Man That Got Away." She appears rather shrunken and tired but still comes on like a trouper, fending off the audience's constant heckling for "Over the Rainbow" (as though she might forget it?) before finally handing the song back to them as a touching sing-along.

Garland's "second career" is summed up in Judy Garland: The Concert Years, a 1985 documentary narrated by her "other" daughter, Lorna Luft. The 85-minute retrospective collects comments from family and colleagues and shows clips from concerts at the London Palladium, Carnegie Hall, and the Palace Theater; a 30-second scene cut from her famous comeback film, A Star Is Born; and scenes from her short-lived TV show. There are also a number of complete performances, including a duet with Barbra Streisand of "Get Happy" and "Happy Days Are Here Again," her dramatically charged rendition of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" following JFK's death, "Ol' Man River," and "The Man That Got Away." And of course "Over the Rainbow" is here, in a 1955 performance that is the only TV recording of how she performed the song in concert: sitting on the edge of the stage, face to face with the audience. And it's a credit to Garland that even in hobo makeup, she lets the raw emotion of the song pour through.

Customer Reviews:

4-Disc Set Captures The Legend That Was (And Still Is) Judy!.......2004-05-25

"The Judy Garland Collection" (marketed by "Kultur Video") is a 4-Pack DVD set, with each disc featuring one program/concert starring the incomparable Judy Garland. Miss Garland can belt out a tune like no one else before or since. And she's in fine voice during these four programs featured in this boxed set.

The video quality on these discs certainly isn't going to win any prizes; but it's not TOO terribly bad either. Maybe a tad better than you'd find on a VHS tape. Obviously, no major re-mastering or restoration process was undertaken for these DVD transfers here. However, it's nevertheless still nice to be able to have these "Classic Judy" programs on Digital Disc.

Programs included in this collectible DVD set (all presented in their original Full-Frame TV ratio of 1.33:1) .................

>> "Judy Garland: The Concert Years" (Color and B&W; 1 hr., 26 min.) --- This biography-like program, hosted by Judy's daughter Lorna Luft, presents many film clips of Judy "in action" on stage. Guest-star interviews also dot this touching tribute to Judy.

>> "Judy Garland: LIVE At The London Palladium With Liza Minnelli" (B&W; 54 minutes) --- This is a great, great concert (one of my faves). It was filmed in November of 1964, with an 18-year-old Liza Minnelli (an up-and-coming star in her own right) holding her own with her famed mom on stage in London. You can really tell that mother and daughter are having a blast as they sing and dance together here. Unfortunately, picture quality for this program is not real good. But even though it lacks a sharp, detailed picture, this disc is nevertheless still a must-have for any collector of Miss Garland's concert material.

Judy and Liza's "curtain call" at the end of this fun-filled hour elicits a spine-tingling (and nearly deafening) roar of approval from the Palladium crowd that will very nearly bring a tear to your eye. This concert is pure "Magic" from start to wonderful finish.

NOTE: The actual title of this program (altered slightly for this DVD release) is: "Judy And Liza At The Palladium".

>> "Judy, Frank And Dean: Once In A Lifetime" (Color; 51 minutes) --- I was kind of surprised to see this program presented in "color". The trio of legendary singers had never performed together before this "once in a lifetime" get-together, which aired on network TV on February 25, 1962. Judy looks a bit different here (her looks would often change during her career), but she sounds fantastic.

The color on this program is a tad dull. Evidently this show was originally shot in B&W; but was "colorized" for the video release. This is a darn good program, one that captured the fancy of many viewers during its original 1962 television airing -- so much so that it was nominated for FOUR Emmy Awards.

NOTE: Some interesting "Title Trivia" concerning this "Judy, Frank, and Dean" special -- The original title of this TV special was: "The Judy Garland Show" (not to be confused with Judy's other "series" with the very same title, which came a year later). Another alternate (home video) title for this concert program is: "Judy, Frank And Dean: The Legendary Concert". And this special had still *another* name as well before airing, being called "Miss Show Business" for a time before the moniker was changed to simply "The Judy Garland Show".

>> "Judy Garland, Robert Goulet & Phil Silvers Special" (B&W; 51 minutes) --- This TV Special from early 1963, with Judy kicking up her heels on stage with Mr. Goulet and Mr. Silvers, was instrumental in launching Judy's very own CBS-TV series in the fall of '63 ("The Judy Garland Show") -- a series that was sadly way too short-lived, surviving just one season and spanning 26 memorable shows with Judy and her array of guest stars.

NOTE: This program's original title is: "Judy Garland And Her Guests, Phil Silvers And Robert Goulet".

Two of the discs have bonus programs attached. .... The famous "Gala Hollywood Movie Premiere" of Judy's 1954 film "A Star Is Born" is presented as an extra bonus on "The Concert Years" DVD. Watch as dozens of top movie stars of the era file past the TV cameras and into the "Pantages Theatre" for the debut of Judy's triumphal "comeback" motion picture on September 29, 1954. Judy herself makes an on-camera appearance near the end of this enthralling 31-minute star-laden program.

The other bonus (on the "Goulet/Silvers" disc) is a 26-minute segment from an episode of Judy's TV series, in which Ken Murray appears and shows many of his "Home Movies of the Movie Stars". Video quality for this bonus is a notch or two above what we find on the rest of these discs.

Each of these discs also contains some "text" extras -- "Biography" and "Filmography" sections spotlighting Judy Garland. (The text is the same throughout the set of DVDs. However, different pictures of Judy are used within each disc's text areas.)

I'm very pleased with the packaging for this DVD collection (although the outer slipcase is a bit flimsy -- but still adequate enough). Each single-sided disc gets its own Keep Case package, complete with a colorful "Chapter Selections" insert. I also feel the need to praise the impressive work done on the "disc art" here. The labels on these four discs literally glisten. The artwork on each disc is smooth-as-glass to the touch. Very nicely done! It looks "classy".

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Diminutive in physical stature (at a mere 4-feet, 11.5-inches), but certainly not short on talent by any sane person's yardstick, Judy Garland wowed audiences with her incredible voice (and underrated acting ability) for more than forty years. Taken from us at much, much too early an age (47) when she passed away in England on June 22, 1969, her legacy remains as strong as ever. And DVD compilations like this nice one will only aid in keeping our memories of her strong and vivid for many generations to come.

First-Rate Entertainment -- Third-Rate Video Transfer.......2003-07-22

All four of these DVDs are first-rate entertainment. The Judy Garland Collection is made up of three television specials and a documentary/retrospective hosted by daugther Lorna Luft. Luft, who is best-known for her performances in "Grease 2" and "Where The Boys Are '84" and as author of the book "Me And My Shadows", appeared on her mother's television series in 1963. Since the interview sequences of Joey Luft (Judy Garland's mostly-forgotten son) are brief and Liza, who has evidently completed her transformation into her own mother (scary, isn't it?), is busy with her bizarre come-back, it is Lorna who gets to display her talent, which she does with ease and professionalism (although she does look a bit frostbitten by the chilly weather). She makes the most of this opportunity to remind the public that she is Judy Garland's daughter, too. Little-seen film clips as well as some of Garland's showstoppers from her self-titled television show round out the clips.

Another disc has a television special where Judy was accompanied onstage by daughter Liza Minnelli. Liza proves she's a chip off her mother's yellow brick block, and surprises her mother more than a few times with her talent. One humorous moment has Judy mouthing something--a question--to someone off camera. Evidently she was told to move Liza's microphone closer to her mouth.

A third disc has a TV special costarring Robert Goulet and Phil Silvers. Who knew Phil Silvers could sing? There is some great singing in this show, and some of the jokes are hilarious.

The last disc is Garland's television performance with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. Judy more than holds her own with these two powerhouse crooners, outsinging the two of them with one vocal chord tied behind her back.

The Lorna DVD has a very good quality image, the interviews being new and the old footage being mostly in top-notch condition. The other two shows (with Liza and Phil Silvers and Robert Goulet) are in pretty wretched shape. It's not the transfer to DVD, but rather the poor quality of the source material. The sound is okay, but just okay. What a shame these couldn't have received the same high quality restoration as the "Judy Garland Show" DVDs, but at least they are available and real fans of Judy shouldn't mind too much. It's the entertainment value on these four DVDs that make it worth the box-set price; the degraded video and sound aren't distracting enough to lessen the power of these incomparable performances. Judy Garland's legendary talent bumps what would have been a 1-star video treatment up to 5 stars.

The best!.......2003-01-22

Historical perfomances are difficult to duplicate. I have the DVD version of this set and it is incredible. So the quality of the DVDs aren't the best, the quality of the performances are. I highly recommend this set to anyone who enjoys great performances, and the video and audio are not that bad.

The best!.......2003-01-22

If you are de video VHS, don't buy the DVD.......2003-01-03

Everybody nows, Judy Garland, is the top. My only one star and my dissapointed is about the bad realese of this sad collecction, Believe me I'have the same in VHS and I prefer it. I'm feell so deceived. Nothing to compare with the Judy Garland Show in DVD.

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