From cradle to tomb, it isn't that long a stay!

About a week ago, I stayed up way past my bedtime because I just couldn't turn off the video I was watching on youtube. I was mesmerized by the songs and stories and GRAND personality. She certainly is quite a dame!

Liza "with a Z" Minnelli!

I had my laptop sitting on top of me, while in my pajamas and under the covers of my bed. I was watching "Inside the Actors Studio: Liza Minnelli" and I couldn't stop it; I had to finish it!

Liza is someone, for me, that seems familiar while at the same time being such a stranger. I discovered how little I actually knew about this amazing woman. Before last week, I could have told you her name, big movies or things she's done in her life, and who her parents were, but beyond that................not much.

Plain and simple: I'm a fan of Judy Garland, not Liza. That by no means implies that I do not like Liza. Quite the contrary. Instead, she's just always been "Judy's daughter" to me. Nothing more and certainly nothing less.

Of course I know that she's appeared on Broadway, television, movies, and wow'd audiences for years with concerts and appearances. She's won an Oscar, Tonys, Golden Globes, Emmys, Grammys and a BAFTA and I'm assuming I'm even missing some more. She's decorated with all this recognition and that is just as it should be.

Despite all this fanfare, I've still only really ever seen her as "Judy's daughter" only because I haven't actually dove into her own work to really see her in a separate way. When I'd watch an interview with her, it was just to see what she'd say about her mother, knowing it was a matter of time before she'd be asked those personal questions. I was always fascinated how she remembered her mother and also how she'd share stories having to do with both the good and bad times. I'd only see "Judy's daughter" sharing stories.  


That is until now. 

Last night, watching "Inside the Actors Studio" with her as the guest, I finally saw Liza Minnelli in an interview. Of course she was still the daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli (basically royalty in the Golden Era of musicals), but she was also her own person. She was very gracious in answering questions about her parents, family struggles and her own demons, but I respect her immensely in how she chooses her words when speaking of her family. She speaks with a dose of blunt honesty but also an air of protection. She knows if she admits, "yeah she/I had some problems", that people won't push the buttons anymore. And she is always quick to finish up any story on a positive note.

She told a wonderful story of Judy and her concert at the Palladium in the 60's and described how Judy was a hard worker and loved the spotlight. Liza ends the story saying she (Liza) could "work with anybody after that, because I worked with her; the greatest there ever was!" Talk about a wonderful note to end on.

Here's a quote from Myrna Loy about Liza, who also knew Judy well from MGM and just being in show business. It's a wonderful quote.

"I love Liza. She is so original. People speak of her in terms of her mother, but she is herself, very definitely. A good, strong, unique person."

So true! I can finally see that.

Summer Stock (1950)

Judy Garland - Jane Falbury
Gene Kelly - Joe Ross
Gloria DeHaven - Abigail Falbury
Phil Silvers - Herb Blake
Eddie Bracken - Orville Wingait
Marjorie Main - Esme

This is not a movie I have seen recently and I'm not sure exactly how to explain this, but it is not a necessity for me to see this film again in order to remember each detail. I remember each detail down to specific colors, movements and script dialogue without aid. With that said, I feel it's time to contribute my own write-up/review of this classic musical.

As many of my friends and family know, I'm a Judy Garland fan. This is not something that I necessarily share with everyone though it definitely is not something I hide either. So, I will try and keep this simple and without too many words to get in the way of this wonderful, classic, MGM musical.

Things I know about the film (most will be Judy related):

This would be Judy's final film for MGM and I would say that though there were hiccups in the process, this is a slam bang way to go out! This musical has everything you'd want, to be entertained: humor, wonderful and inventive dancing, catchy and heartfelt songs, and a cast who's only job, in which they succeed, is to put a smile on your face. I'm tempted to include some excerpts from the movie and songs but there really are so many great ones that it's genuinely hard to choose. Not impossible, but hard none-the-less.

Judy Garland - Jane Falbury
By this time in MGM and musical history, Judy was already an established star and box office draw. She had already made so many great films and plenty of money for the studio to consider her run at MGM a success. By this time, American (and international) audiences would have already seen her as Dorothy Gale in "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), Esther Smith in "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944), an innocent ingenue in 8 films paired with Mickey Rooney** and many watched her "walk down the avenue" with Fred Astaire in "Easter Parade" (1948). She was the queen of musicals to say the least. Judy, having begun her career at the ripe "old" age of 2 years old, would be 28 years old at the time of this film and already considered a veteran of the stage (vaudeville) and screen! Though this was only the end of one part of her life and career, many know the things to come for Judy would continue to amaze audiences with more films, two Academy Award nominations and a slew of concerts attended by incomparably devoted fans.

Gene Kelly - Joe Ross
Gene Kelly was a veteran himself of vaudeville and screen (coincidentally his first film was "For Me and My Gal" (1942) with and staring Judy Garland), though many of us remember him for the movies he had yet to make: "An American In Paris" (1951), "Singin' In The Rain" (1952) and "Brigadoon" (1954). Gene should and must be remembered for his incredible talent in dance. He was a wonderful contrast to the dancing style of Fred Astaire and has been quoted as saying (in reference to Fred), "If Fred Astaire is the Cary Grant of dance, I'm the Marlon Brando." I couldn't have said it better myself. Fred was debonair and smooth where Gene was strong and athletic. Both were equally adventurous and inventive, but Gene had a style that I would imagine inspired many men to take up dance. Though he was a marvelous dancer you should also know he was a director, choreographer and producer; a man of many hats.

Now onto the movie:

The movie is about a young woman, Judy, who runs the family farm alone and is engaged to be married. One day, her sister and the traveling troupe of actors she is associated with, comes to the farm to "put on a show". Her sister, Gloria, assumes it will be alright to bring an entire show with props, sets and 30+ people to the farm without any notice or imposition. Gloria plays a diva actress who is dating Gene, the director. If you've seen any movies at all, you know that this pairing will not last and that Judy and Gene HAVE to end up together, so it's not a surprise THAT it happens, it's more the anticipation of WHEN and HOW. There are several funny gags showing how the different worlds collide including a memorable scene of all the actors and stage hands trying to help Judy do the farms daily chores. Eddie Bracken and Phil Silvers have a wonderful "where's my glasses" gag that, though it's not original, still gets me laughing every time. Marjorie Main is always a delight to watch. Her delivery is unrivaled and you're sure to laugh out loud at her a few, if not many, times in this film. I must also recognize Charles Walters. He was the director of this film among many many others including "Easter Parade" which I mentioned earlier. He had been an actor/dancer himself and worked with Judy on numerous occasions in film and her concert career.

There are so many wonderful songs in this film including one of my favorites called, "Happy Harvest". If you're not used to musicals, you will find this song to be incredibly cheesy. But if you've seen and loved even one musical in your lifetime, you will enjoy it and appreciate the ingenious, rhyming lyrics and catchy melody. If ever I am feeling blue, this song will ALWAYS cheer me up. You can't be sad with words like; "Come on along and take a ride, and look at life from the cheery side!" or the genius of, "We're gonna roll in plenty, spend and five or ten or twenty and those happy harvest bells are gonna chime. Remember neighbor, when you work for Mother nature, you get paid by Father time." Wonderfully cheesy and incredibly catchy. I must give credit where credit is due to Harry Warren, Harold Arlen ("Over The Rainbow"), Mack Gordon, Saul Chaplin, Ted Koehler and Jack Brooks. It wouldn't be a musical without these wonderful lyricists and composers. We just don't have musicians like these today. They are to be remembered and honored among so many others! 

There are many more wonderful songs and scenes to include, but, to keep this brief, there's really only one more for which to focus. I have two words for you, "Get Happy". As much as I'd like to go into detail about what makes this great, I really feel I won't do it justice and instead will just let you watch it and decide for yourself. Let's all, however, remember that to deem this clip/song/performance as nothing short of wonderful is the CORRECT answer! There will be a pop quiz later and we will see what you've learned. *wink*




Did everyone notice and love the guy with the crazy legs, lifting himself from a sitting position without any effort or need for knee surgery!? Talent. Talent, I say!

I would like to include a little piece of trivia in relation to Judy's outfit in this number. In "Easter Parade", two years earlier, there was to be a number incorporating this outfit called, "Mr. Monotony" (Irving Berlin). There are still dailies (several takes from the film at different angles) of this number which have been preserved and can be found on the DVD extras. I can just imagine the studio and many involved that wanted to somehow get that outfit into a movie because, well, Judy's legs could pull it off.

This was a rather long entry but you must understand I actually administered much restraint as there is so much from this film that garners attention, including one particular scene with Gene (in his wonderful, toned and tanned glory), a newspaper and a creaky floor board, but I refuse to give anything away. I now consider my work here to be done because now you're intrigued!

So, I encourage you to go on Netflix or to your local library, get this movie and enjoy a few hours of simple, solid entertainment. The movie is only 100 or so minutes but I said a few hours because I'm assuming you will rewatch some parts. I have every confidence in this as a fact and remember...."Forget your troubles, come on get happy!"

And so concludes another "Reel Vintage".


**Judy, in total, made 10 films with Mickey Rooney but only 8 where she was playing a character. The other 2 films are cameo roles.