[Press Release]
Turner Classic Movies plans to go all-out to celebrate Judy Garland’s 90th birthday with a 24-hour marathon, beginning Sunday, June 10 at 6 a.m. (EDT). Working with selections made by Emmy Award-winning Garland documentarian and author John Fricke, the cable television network has programmed eleven feature films, a documentary, and numerous short subjects for the event.
Fricke will also appear on TCM for much of the Garland retrospective, discussing her career with host Robert Osborne. Between 12 noon (EDT) on June 10th through the 2 a.m. screening on June 11th, the duo will introduce six of the motion pictures as well as the documentary.
Included in the programming:
* the four pinnacle films of the Garland career: The Wizard of Oz (1939), A Star is Born (1954), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and Easter Parade (1948, costarring Fred Astaire);
* three of the ten pictures in which she was billed with Mickey Rooney: Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), Strike Up the Band (1940), and Girl Crazy (1943);
* For Me and My Gal (1942) — the film in which Judy won her first sole-star-billing-above-the-title and in which Gene Kelly made his motion picture debut;
* the re-teaming of Garland and Kelly in Summer Stock (1950);
* one of Judy’s earliest feature showcases, Everybody Sing (1938); and
* her final film, I Could Go On Singing (1963).
Rounding out the Garland 90th birthday celebration is 1990’s The Wizard of Oz: Fifty Years of Magic. Hosted by Angela Lansbury, the Emmy Award-nominated documentary will precede the telecast of The Wizard of Oz.
Here is the complete schedule:
6am — Everybody Sing
7:45am – Love Finds Andy Hardy
9:30am – Strike Up the Band]
*12pm – For Me and My Gal
*2pm – Girl Crazy
*3:45pm – A Star Is Born
*7pm – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic (documentary)
8pm – The Wizard of Oz (ESSENTIALS JR. series)
*10pm – Meet Me in St. Louis
*12am – Easter Parade
*2am – Summer Stock
4:15am – I Could Go On Singing
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*screenings hosted by Robert Osborne and John Fricke
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Check out The Judy Room’s Judy Garland Filmography for more details on Judy’s films.
Note: As reported last November, the only other planned tribute (announced thus far) for Judy Garland’s 90th birthday is an all-day live broadcast by Radio France. Click here for details.