The Judy Garland Show, Vol 03 - The Christmas Show (Show 15)

Starring:Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Mel Torme, Jack Jones, Lorna Luft
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
Product Type: DVD

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Spend a December evening with Judy Garland! This episode from her CBS- TV show, recorded December 6, 1963, and aired on the 22nd, captures the great entertainer and her kids, Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joe Luft, in a one-hour songfest taking place in the family living room (one large enough to accommodate 12 crooning carolers, six strutting Santas, three charming children, two pop stars, and a film legend named Judy--well, you get the idea). Garland is mostly a spectator, encouraging the 17-year-old Liza (who appears somewhat uncomfortable when not singing or dancing) and the younger kids, Lorna (who displays a big voice on "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and went on to have her own performing career) and the less-assured Joe (who sings one of the many nonseasonal selections, "Where Is Love," during which an anxious Garland can be glimpsed mouthing the words along with him). But she does sing two of her most memorable film songs--"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Over the Rainbow"--plus "Little Drops of Rain" (from Gay Purr-ee) and she can still kick up her heels. Even one of her flubs produces one of the best moments: she joins Mel Tormé at the piano for his "Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)," and when she botches the lyric, he gently chides her, "Close!" Also on hand are Liza's "beau," Tracy Everitt, a dancer on the series, and clean-cut pop star Jack Jones, who sings his Grammy-winning hit "Lollipops and Roses" as well as a nice a cappella version of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" with Tormé. The remastered DVD allows the original black and white to shine, and a new 5.1 surround sound track is available along with the original mono track. --David Horiuchi

Description

Pioneer Entertainment is proud to present The Judy Garland Show Christmas Special. See Judy with the three most important people in her life; her children. Guests include Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, Joey Luft, Mel Torme, Jack Jones and Tracy Everitt. Songs include: Over the Rainbow, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Consider Yourself, Where is Love, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells, and two Christmas medleys.

Customer Reviews:

Am I the Only One?.......2006-12-09

Okay, I love Judy and think she is in a league by herself. Check out my other reviews and you know I'm a huge fan. However, it is very clear she is struggling on this show. Her face is lined, her eyes lack sparkle, she is clearly pushing herself to be charming and enthusiastic. Her voice while fine and and her performances sometimes reaching the expected Judy heights, lacks the thrill and sparkle of other occasions.

I give her kudos for giving it her all. She clearly is and despite the rap on Judy that she only performed when she wanted to, here I'm sure she would have preferred to wait but had no choice. Still, I find it painful to watch Judy push herself to appear okay when its clear she wasn't.

I'm proud to have this in my collection, but...............2005-08-26

...it will tear your heart out. What a fantastic performer she was. What a tragic life. God bless her.

A great way to usher in the holidays each year.......2003-12-04

They don't make Christmas specials like this anymore. The Judy Garland Christmas Show (which aired December 22, 1963) is an intimate, informal night at home with Judy and the kids, a few guests, a group of carolers, and a troupe of skinny, dancing Santas. There are a few small gaffes here and there on the part of several individuals, but everyone just laughs them off and goes on singing; that does much to create the atmosphere of charm surrounding the whole presentation. As the show opens, we find Judy sitting in front of the windowsill of her "home" with her two youngest children, young Joe and Lorna Luft, to whom she sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - this song alone makes the show worth seeing. The kids seem a little nervous (this was recorded in front of a live studio audience, of course), but there is no end to the affection displayed by Judy as she sings. After this opening number, Judy opens the door to welcome us inside, whereupon she and the kids do a walk-around performance of Consider Yourself, during which daughter Liza arrives with her beau Tracy Everitt to join in the fun. Judy, ever the doting mother, then asks her son to sing Where Is Love? from Oliver. This can be rather painful to listen to and is luckily fairly short, as little Joe proves that singing ability can sometimes skip a generation.

Things get a little weird and less Christmas-y at this point, as Liza and Tracy show Judy the new song and dance number they have been working on - Steam Heat doesn't really scream Christmas. Finally, we get Judy to ourselves again singing Little Drops of Rain while all the kids are putting the final touches on the Christmas tree. No sooner is she finished than guest Jack Jones arrives singing Wouldn't It Be Loverly, after which he sings, at Judy's request, Lollipops and Roses. Lorna then climbs up on Jack's lap and does a wonderful version of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town; once she gets started, she really lets the sound pour out of her, making this my favorite part of the entire show. After Liza sings Alice Blue Gown, she, Jack, and Judy launch into a medley of Jingle Bells, Sleigh Ride, It Happened in Sun Valley, and Winter Wonderland. Judy pretty much lets Liza and Jack sing It Happened in Sun Valley, but she delivers a beautiful solo of Winter Wonderland.

Mel Torme is the next to arrive, with a whole troupe of carolers in tow. Torme arranged a lot of the music on The Judy Garland Show, and he also wrote the holiday classic The Christmas Song. He actually sings a new verse for the song on this night, after which Judy sings the famous chorus. She does mess up a couple of times, but it's no big deal at all (and one can sort of forgive her for singing "rainbow" instead of "reindeer"). Out comes the eggnog, and then the whole gang launches into another medley of songs. Judy's solo performance of What Child Is This? is simply beautiful. Jack Jones and Mel Torme give us a harmonized duet of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Liza and Tracy sing It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and Lorna and Joe team up to sing a slightly imperfect version of Silent Night. After the guests leave and the kids are put to bed, Lorna and Joe come back out to tell Judy she forgot to do something that she does every year for them at Christmas. Watching Judy sing Over the Rainbow to her two youngest children makes for a perfect conclusion to the night's festivities.

If you love both Judy Garland and Christmas, this is a great holiday video you can enjoy every year. If you're not a Judy Garland fan, you most likely won't enjoy the show. Several of the songs really have little to do with Christmas, some of the children's dialogue is rather wooden (they're just kids, of course), Joe's solo can be rather frightening, and even Judy and Jack Jones miss a word or two along the way. As I said, this makes it all the more charming to me, but a non-Judy fan might think otherwise. On a final note, let me say that I am happy that the world can get a glimpse of Judy and her kids all together in this special show; the obvious love and affection she has for Joe, Lorna, and Liza do much to dispel the negative impression some people today may have of Judy Garland due to all of the troubles she battled throughout her adult years. Do, as Judy says, consider yourself part of the family and make The Judy Garland Christmas Show a holiday tradition in your own household.

Instant Holiday Classic!.......2003-05-04

This episode of The Judy Garland Show is indeed my favorite of the 26. Judy seems to be at her best, with incredible voice (as always). Guest stars are Jack Jones, Mel Torme, Tracy Everitt, Liza Minnelli, Lorna and Joe Luft. Songs include, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Consider Yourself", "Little Drops of Rain", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Where is Love?", "Alice Blue Gown", "Steam Heat", "The Christmas Song", "Lollipops and Roses", "Wouldn't it be Loverly", "Holiday Medley", as well as Judy's signature, "Over the Rainbow", which she sings with much love to her two youngest children, Lorna and Joe, at the end of the show on the couch in their nightclothes. Her affection to her kids is greatly shown in this film; constantly hugging and kissing them. This DVD is a must-have for any Judy Garland fan, or if a family is looking into buying a good holiday film to watch. It's a great film anyway. I recommend it highly!

Another CLASSIC from JUDY.......2003-03-18

I got this show on video when it first came out and when it came out on DVD, I jumped on it. I watch this show every year as a Christmas special to brighten up the season. It is a must for anybody that loves Christmas specials. It's a true delight to see this old classic on DVD, as is all her shows. They are perfect to watch in this day and age. All I can say in regards to all the shows out so far on DVD is this...Judy Garland, in my opinion, is one of the best performers in any area of entertainment there ever was, A true legend. Buyers will not be sorry.

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