Now, the affection that gay men have for Judy Garland is terribly cliché, but there is no denying how powerful this clip is if you know the story. President Kennedy often called Garland (an ardent supporter of his 1960 run for the presidency) when he was troubled. She would sing any song he requested — her knowledge of songs was encyclopedic. When he was killed, on November 22, 1963, her show was on hiatus. Her first live show on December 13 was, for her, a chance to pay tribute to a man she admired and loved. The poobahs at CBS decided that her tribute would or could be seen as an endorsement of specifically Democratic policies. As the Civil Rights Act was among them, they put the kibosh on her explicit dedication of songs to the slain president, for fear of losing viewers in the South. She wangled a tribute anyway, and her audience rewarded her with a standing ovation. Garland, no stranger to fans’ devotion, thought of this as one of the proudest moments of her life on stage.
I don’t generally like or even understand “the dance,” but this stirs me [non-typo] Celtic soul. That rythmic stomping is mesmerizing and no amount of criticizing the leads diminishes the joy I get from this clip.
In this mess of a film (1967, dir Mark Robson), Susan Hayward tells off Patty Duke — yes, that Patty Duke — in no uncertain terms. From a very messy novel. And everyone is a mess. Helen Lawson is based on Judy Garland, of course (note the sequined pantsuit so reminiscent of JG’s 60s ensembles). Hayward was the second choice for the role; they actually wanted the real Garland to play her on-screen self. Good Lord, what a mess it all was.
The great Carol Haney (see elsewhere on this site) does the remarkable “Steam Heat” number from the fair-to-middlin’ adaptation of Broadway’s “The Pajama Game” (1957, dirs George Abbot & Stanley Donen). While Gwen Verdon usually gets the attention, the coulda/woulda/shoulda story of Haney trumps all else in this poignant screen farewell. (She died soon thereafter, a victim of bum lungs.)
From “A Chorus Line.” Kay, Christine, and Maggie let — in the parlance of the 70s — it all hang out. I know Sheila Bishop plays Kay; I’ll get back to you on the others.
Of which I am one. “The Chalk Garden” is a very odd movie (1964, dir Ronald Neame) but it features great performances from all involved, especially EE, who was nominated for an Oscar. “The flaming impudence!” — don’t you wish you could use that retort in your life?
Chuck Jones gets all the glory, but for me it’s Robert McKimson who is the best director of the BB cartoons. This one is rarely seen, maybe because it has a less than ideal view of race relations, but it is full of the Brooklynese that endeared Bugs to us all. The furious exchange between BB and the First Nation fella rocks all over the place. Best delivery of a great line: “But that pouch deal is OUT!”
In 1948’s “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (dir, John Huston), Walter Huston does an inspired bit of business to accentuate his contempt for his fellow gold hunters, played by, of course, Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt. Walter and John won Oscars for the film, and moviegoers everywhere still enjoy that dance.
