Product Description

The world has yet to see another star like Judy Garland--a movie, television and singing icon. This biography recounts every significant day of her astounding career in show business, from her first appearance on stage when she was two years old, to her misunderstood final years. A trove of rare Judy material, the book includes concert set lists, testimonials from friends and critics, transcripts of radio and television performances, selections from interviews and press conferences, rare photographs, and much more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #643696 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

From Publishers Weekly
It's hard to imagine that there could ever be a more obsessive detailing of Garland's life than this day-by-day listing that brings new meaning to the word minutiae. There seems to be no detail too small or insignificant to escape Schechter's forensic-like attention to all things Judy (1922 1969). A $15.97 receipt from Lord & Taylor for a new hat (December 12, 1968) merits the same amount of space as the night (March 30, 1955) a camera crew was set up in her hospital room (the day after giving birth to her son) to record her Best Actress Oscar acceptance speech for A Star Is Born (she wound up losing to Grace Kelly). Given that this is a quotidian chronology, some entries are banal (numerous dates just note checks Garland wrote that day), but as anyone who has ever read a Garland bio knows, she didn't lead a dull life. There is a strange fascination to being able to chart the progress of the shooting of The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis and other MGM musicals (and hour-by-hour notations for Annie Get Your Gun before she was fired). Schechter (publisher and editor of the fanzine Garlands for Judy The Legend's Legacy) includes a generous sampling of reviews for films, albums and live appearances and dutifully notes current availability for fans. Although few enthusiasts will read this cover-to-cover, it is sure to have enormous appeal as a reference tome and have multiple uses for trivia buffs. 80 b&w photos.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Actress Janet Leigh is quoted as saying, "There can never be enough written about Judy Garland." However, the line must be drawn with this daily chronology of Garland's life. Do even the most rabid Garland fans really want to read that on April 7, 1944, Garland was called to the Meet Me in St. Louis set, was ready at 10:30, and dismissed at 4 p.m.? Entry after entry reads like this. It's true that Garland's will (included in the appendix) might be of interest to some, but also included are the names that appeared in her address book just names, no addresses. Schechter's publishers tout him as "the world's premier Garland authority," and this book is being published to coincide with what would have been Garland's 80th birthday. But it is mind-numbingly boring and does not do her justice. Try Gerald Clarke's Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland or Morley Sheridan's Judy Garland: Beyond the Rainbow instead. Not recommended. Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Cty. Free Libs., Salinas,CA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
"(The book) represents an incredible archival work by the author, and offers a lot of fascinating nuggets along the way." -- Frontiers Magazine

"80 high quality photographs and thoughtfully concluded with two indexes... This is a volume definitely destined for coffee tables." -- STONEWALL NEWS NORTHWEST

"An unparalleled treasure trove of rare Garland material." -- PM Magazine

"Exhaustively researched (and lushly illustrated) history of the diva's life" -- The Advocate

"It pins down not only Garland, but the life of a celebrity. The text painstakingly records the lifetime career" -- BOTTOM LINE Magazine

"Lavishly illustrated, oversized Bible of a coffee-table book ... May be preaching to the choir, but it makes a joyful noise." -- Unzipped magazine

"Schechter's research is as thorough as a Nobel scientist ... It's the most complete retrospective published on a celebrity ... absolutely mesmerizing." -- Robert Osborne, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"Scott Schechter's book not only chronicles her difficult life, but also proves how hard she worked to overcome obstacles" -- Susan King, LA TIMES

"Staggeringly thorough" -- Playbill

"Thoroughly and extensively researched ... A stunning literary monument. Anyone who loves Judy Garland will treasure this new classic." -- New York RESIDENT

Customer Reviews

Why all of the carping?
This book was never meant to be a "biography" in the tradional sense - nor is it meant to be an examination of the Garland psyche.

It is simply what the title says it is: A Day by Day chronicle of Judy's life. Everyone knows she was a workhorse - especially at MGM. This book shows that and more.

No, this book is not for the "new to Garland" people who want to read a bio about her - it's more for people who enjoy perusing through raw data and seeing not just how much Judy worked, but also just how "anal retentive" MGM was in keeping track of her every move. ESPECIALLY when she was labeled as "difficult."

It's great to read the long entries that have details about various milestones in her life, and it's also a great "quick reference" guide for those fans who want to find data easily (and don't have to wade through some biographer's personal opinions about that data).

If you don't like reading that she was late on a particular day while filming "Meet Me In St. Louis" - then fine - skim over than and concentrate on the lengthy and detailed entries.

I for one am glad Scott put this book out - and from what I have read, it could have been several hundred pages more (too bad it isn't). Scott has put the data out there for all to see and form their own opinion on Judy's career.

Forget all of the nasty posts/reviews - this is simply a record of her life/career in (as stated above) raw data form.

A fun book for Garland fans and fans of old Hollywood. So, put on one of the new CD's of Garlands Capitol albums and page through this book and simply have fun!

Thanks Scott for putting all of this data in one easy reference point!

A Gold Mine of Data
This book is a must-have for Judy fans. That's a given.
But be careful about a quick dismissive flip through the pages. This is, among other great things, a key reference book for collectors.
If you want to know about a particular song Judy sang and whether a recording exists, the Song Index in this book will lead you to the answer.
If you want to know if a particular radio show or concert was recorded, this book will tell you where to find it or will confirm that it exists in private collections.
If you want to know when and where Judy sang with Vic Damone, for instance, this book will lead you to the time, the place and provide info. on available recordings.
A keepsake volume and handy reference tool for the very serious Judy collector.

Amazing Chronicle!!
I wasn't sure what to make of this when I bought it......a day by day chronicle. However, I was soon caught up and totally fascinated. Not only is this an important document on Judy Garland but it is an important document on stardom during the "Golden Age??!!" of Hollywood. Good Grief, they most certainly earned their keep. That was a tough, tough business.
It's interesting to note that as Judy became more popular MGM did seem to make an effort to make her call times on pictures a little later, realizing the early morning was not her best time.
I had to keep wondering at how very confusing it must have been to be tying up lose ends on one movie while beginning production on another adding to the initial confusion of the make-believe world of making movies. I got tired just reading about her day to day existence. I can't imagine what it must have been like to live such an existence and I can't imagine trading so much of myself for anything. Those that made it as "stars" must have had a deep, deep need to be able to sell themselves body and soul to their studios to be repaid in fame. I don't know......you can think about this and think about it but you have to wonder how so many actually survived this gruelling situation. It most definitely is to Judy's credit she attained the quality as well as the amount of work she produced in such a short lifetime.
This book offers a real understanding of the star system as well as Judy Garland's position in it and once and for all de-glamorizes the whole thing. Fascinating!