Posted by Judy Garland’s version – a winner – of You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun is released for the first time in a new volume of The Judy Garland Story. – Hollywood on Record, 1963
April 25, 1936: The trade magazine “Motion Picture Herald” published this short review of the film short La Fiesta de Santa Barbara. As noted in the release chart also published in the magazine on this date, the film was released on December 7, 1935. It was filmed on August 12, 1935, and was the last professional job for the Garland Sisters (Judy and her two older sisters). It was Judy’s first time on film in Technicolor as well as her first time in a film released by MGM. Judy wasn’t under contract with the studio yet. This engagement was a one-time-only job for the sister trio.
April 25, 1938: Judy recorded two singles for Decca Records at the label’s studios in Hollywood, California: “Cry, Baby, Cry” and “Sleep, My Baby, Sleep,” both released on Decca Single #1796 in May of 1938. Spike Jones played the drums for this session.
For details about Judy’s Decca recordings, check out The Judy Garland Online Discography’s Decca Records pages here.
The alternate (“B” take), of “Cry, Baby, Cry” was mistakenly issued instead of the “A” take when Decca released its two-LP set “Collector’s Items” in 1973.
The “A” take did not make its CD debut until the fantastic 2011 JSP Records 4-CD release “Smilin’ Through – The Singles Collection – 1936-1947.”
Listen to “Cry, Baby, Cry” here:
Listen to the “B” take of “Cry, Baby, Cry” here:
Listen to Sleep, My Baby, Sleep” here:
Disc images from The Rick Smith Collection. Thanks, Rick!
April 25, 1940: Filming continued on Strike Up The Band, specifically scenes shot for the prologue and on the “Exterior/Interior Delmonico’s” set. Time called: 9:00 a.m.; dismissed: 4:30 p.m.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on Strike Up The Band here.
April 25, 1941: Ziegfeld Girl.
April 25, 1943: Judy wears a mustache. The scene was deleted from the final cut of Girl Crazy.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on Girl Crazy here.
April 25, 1945: Filming continued on The Harvey Girls, with scenes shot on the “Exterior Picnic Ground” and “Interior Harvey House” sets. Time called: 10:00 a.m.; Judy arrived at 11:15 a.m.; dismissed: 5:30 p.m.
Photos: Cover and back cover of the 1980 bootleg soundtrack LP.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on The Harvey Girls here.
April 25, 1946: Ziegfeld Follies of 1946.
April 25, 1947: Filming continued on The Pirate with scenes shot on the “Interior Show Tent” set, specifically the “Voodoo” number.
Photo: Poster artwork created by Meg Myers. Thanks, Meg!
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on The Pirate here.
April 25, 1949: Recording session at MGM for Annie Get Your Gun. Judy pre-recorded “I’m An Indian, Too.” She arrived at 1:15 p.m. and finished the song in fifty-five minutes, dismissed at 2:10 p.m.
Listen to “I’m An Indian, Too” here:
The pre-recording stayed in the MGM vaults (aside from some poor-sounding bootleg LPs in the 1960s and 70s) until it premiered on the 1994 CD soundtrack to That’s Entertainment! III.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on Annie Get Your Gun here.
April 25, 1951: Judy’s colossal success at the London Palladium in 1951, followed by even greater success at New York’s Palace Theatre in 1951/52, prompted Hollywood to consider her for several film roles that never materialized, listed below. The on-screen teaming of Judy with Bing Crosby has always been one of the major “missed opportunities” of Judy’s career. She and Bing were magic together on the Decca Records singles they recorded and the many wonderful radio appearances. Below is a listing of some of the projects Judy was allegedly considered for during this time. More details about all of the film projects that Judy was considered can be found on The Judy Room’s “Films That Got Away” page.
The second clipping is Edwin Shallert’s latest column which gave some details about Judy’s hugely successful concert tour of England.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
April 25, 1961: Here’s a little fashion blurb about Judy and her famous sequined jacket.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
April 25, 1963: Hedda Hopper’s recent column was all about Judy.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
April 25, 1963, & April 25, 1965: Two reviews of then-recent Judy Garland compilation LPs from MGM Records. Every few years, the label released new compilations of songs from Judy’s films that were originally released by MGM Records in the late 40s and 1950.
First up is this review of the UK version of the 1962 release, “The Judy Garland Story Vol 2 – The Hollywood Years!” which is the first time the label released some of Judy’s pre-soundtrack album performances taken directly from the film soundtracks. Included was the premier release of Judy’s prerecording of “You Can’t Get A Man With A Gun” from Annie Get Your Gun (1950), recorded in 1949. Another outtake was included with no explanation that it was an outtake, “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen,” cut from 1938’s Love Finds Andy Hardy. As the reviewer notes, Judy Garland’s version – a winner – of You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun is released for the first time in a new volume of The Judy Garland Story. The song is one of several Judy recorded in 1950 when she was cast in the leading role in Annie Get Your Gun. Unfortunately, Judy could not complete the film. This was the only official release of any of Judy’s “Annie” recordings until Rhino Records released them in the 1990s.
In 1965, MGM Records released another Garland compilation on their “Metro” label, simply titled “Judy Garland.” This time, the LP was in “stereo.” The recordings used were all mono, but the label “electronically enhanced” them to create a stereo sound on a stereo LP made for stereo styluses. The effect sounded more like they increased the bass in one channel and the treble in another, adding some echo to balance it out. Over the years, the label released these stereo-enhanced recordings as well as mono versions.
Check out The Judy Garland Discography’s “Soundtracks” pages for information about all of these MGM Records compilations and all of the various releases of Judy Garland soundtracks over the years.
April 25, 1963: I Could Go On Singing was playing in a theater near you!
April 25, 1964: Here’s a short blurb about Judy’s upcoming concert engagements in Australia.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
April 25, 1968: Judy’s scheduled engagement in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for April 26, was canceled.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
