Posted by On January 5, 1937, 14-year-old Judy Garland made her first appearance on the popular CBS Radio show “Jack Oakie’s College” hosted by the film star Jack Oakie.
Judy’s introduction to the program was “Pennies From Heaven” sung as her “application” for a scholarship to Oakie’s “college.” Judy is presented as a “little country girl from the hills” who, after singing, gives Oakie some help with his books, claiming to have been a champion bookkeeper in “Doake’s County.” The presentation of Judy as a “little country girl from the hills” is in keeping with her recent feature film debut in “Pigskin Parade” in which she plays a similar character named Sairy Dodd. Learn more about “Pigskin Parade” at The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages about the film.
Later in this broadcast, Judy sang an outtake from the film, “Hold That Bulldog,” which you can listen to here: https://youtu.be/ZLhHg1LA2dU.
This is the only known recording of Judy Garland singing “Pennies From Heaven.” She certainly gives it her all!
This previously unreleased recording is presented here thanks to the generosity of collector John Newton. Thank you, John!
For more Judy Garland radio performances, check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Sings! On The Radio” pages here: http://www.thejudyroom.com/radiosongs.html
Everything Judy sang on Okies show is jaw-dropping- that someone could sing so powerful at age 14!