Posted by “I’ve been singing since I can remember. It’s what I love and what I want to keep on doing.” – Judy Garland, 1959
June 1, 1936: The first in a series of letters from Judy’s first trip to New York City in 1936. The letter gives insight into how she was being presented by MGM at the time. This is a letter of introduction by Ida Koverman, given to Judy to take with her to New York and present to MGM representative Florence Browning. Koverman was MGM Studios boss Louis B. Mayer’s secretary and a huge supporter of Judy, especially in those early years. Note how she gives Judy’s age as 12 even though she was just shy of her 14th birthday.
The second letter shown here is Judy’s letter to Koverman upon arrival in NY (dated June 3, 1936), and Koverman’s response (dated June 8).
June 1, 1937: Judy performed “Dinah” and “Where Are You?” on the “Jack Oakie’s College” radio show, broadcast by CBS Radio.
This is the only known recording of Judy singing the complete version of “Dinah.” She had previously recorded part of the song on March 29, 1935, when she made several test records for the Decca Records label. “Dinah” was part of a medley that also included “On The Good Ship Lollipop” and “The Object Of My Affection.”
Listen to “Where Are You?” here:
Download the complete transcription of this show here (PDF).
More of Judy’s radio performances can be heard, and downloaded, at The Judy Room’s “Judy Sings! On The Radio” pages.
Get more details about the LP and CD releases of Judy’s radio appearances at The Judy Garland Online Discography’s “Miscellaneous” pages here.
Thanks to the generosity of record collector John Newton, this performance has been restored and remastered from the original transcription disc and included in the wonderful 2-CD set, “Judy Garland – Lost Tracks 2 – 1936-1967,” released on February 22, 2019.
Below, Judy gets a mention and photo in Photoplay:
We couldn’t be knowing about that but we know someone who can sing (and we mean that plenty!). That’s Mrs. Garland’s little daughter, Judy. You’ll be mightly glad to know that she’s no longer just guesting with Jack Oakie’s college; she’s a regular now, and if you ask us, the high spot of the whole show. Take a trip right now on a sure thing – Judy Garland is the most terrific youngster ton the air, and a year from now – well, the sky’s the limit.
Don’t think Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer doesn’t know it, either. Judy’s going to be a screen star, too. yes, ma’am. No fumbling the ball a la Deanna Durbin.
Did we ever tell you that Deanna was at M-G-M for some months and did nothing but a shot? Well, one day Louis B. Mayer saw as the short, and said something like this, “Who is that girl? She’s great. Bring her in a let me see her.” He had to be told that he was just a bit too late. Deanna had been let go to Universal. And you know what happened over there in “Three Smart Girls.”
June 1, 1938: According to this article, not attributed to any author, Judy walked away from the scene of her recent auto accident (May 24) to phone her mom. The article also claims that when Judy was in the hospital she occupied a suite “recently vacated by her mother.” It’s unknown what Judy’s mom, Ethel, was in the hospital for, or if she was in the hospital at all!
June 1, 1939: The assistant director’s notes for Babes in Arms state that Judy was in school on this day and thus did no filming.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on Babes in Arms here.
June 1, 1940: Judy, Mickey Rooney, and the cast of Strike Up The Band were on MGM’s Lot 2 filming the farewell scene on the “Exterior R.R. Station” set, which was a standing set on the backlot used in countless films, including For Me And My Gal and Meet Me In St. Louis.
For more about Judy’s films shot on the backlots, check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland on the MGM Backlot” Section.
June 1, 1941: Two items. The first is a photo of Judy with her fiance David Rose. The second is a fun article by Barney Oldfield about Judy allegedly throwing “record parties.” Judy and David had announced their engagement at Ciro’s Restaurant in Hollywood on May 28th. The caption above gives that honor to Judy’s mom, Ethel, which is untrue.
Below, the text of Barney Oldfield’s column which might have some basis in fact. Judy did enjoy her records. But as far as the story about a monthly trek to a local record store with the rest of her Hollywood friends and the subsequent party goes, well, that’s most likely fiction.
ALTHOUGH the Hollywood columns frequently mention Judy Garland as a night club attendant, a ringside table in a plus stompery isn’t her idea of the best way to spend an evening. Judy is bug-eyed about music, and once each month all her engagements are sidestepped in the interests of staging a “record party.”
All the kids her age, attired in half socks, lowheeled shoes, and lounge garb if they’re girls, and corresponding rough tweeds if they’re boys, are invited to participate. They load up in cars and go to the back room of one or more of the record shops in Los Angeles, and there, seated on packing boxes or the floor, they play all the latest musical waxes [slang for records].
Judy is a collector, and has shelves upon shelves of albumed records at home. She pics from each month’s party, a whole new list to take home to add to her fast growing pile. Up to now, the split is about 70 percent classical, and 30 percent swingy.
Windup of this party is a return to Judy’s home with the selected records, which are played all over again in her music room. Hollywood’s kids sure are going to the dogs, aren’t they?
June 1, 1942: Filming continued on For Me And My Gal with scenes shot on the “Interior Railroad Coach” and “Exterior Battlefield.” Time called: 10 a.m.; dismissed: 12:00 p.m. Judy was not needed for the “battlefield” scenes, hence this short day.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on For Me And My Gal here.
June 1, 1945: Filming continued on The Harvey Girls with scenes shot on the “Exterior Desert” set. Time called: 10:00 a.m.; dismissed: 5:40 p.m. As this scene was not on location, it was most likely part of the end scene of the film obviously shot on one of MGM’s soundstages.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on The Harvey Girls here.
June 1, 1948: Judy and Mickey Rooney rehearsed “I Wish I Were In Love Again” for Words and Music. The duo had recorded the song on May 28th and would begin filming it on June 2nd. Time called: 4 p.m.; dismissed: 5 p.m. There is no explanation in the studio archives for the late start.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on Words and Music here.
June 1, 1950: Judy had wardrobe fittings and rehearsals for Royal Wedding. Time called: 10:30 a.m.; Judy arrived at 11 a.m.; dismissed at 3:55 p.m.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on Royal Wedding here.
June 1, 1957: Judy was on the third night of her one-week engagement at The Riviera Theatre in Detroit, Michigan when she injured her ankle and so was carried out on stage for the second half. The show must go on!
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
June 1, 1959: Judy opened at the Chicago Opera House, Chicago, Illinois. It was the second stop on her “Opera House” tour. Judy gave seven shows, with ticket prices that ranged from $2.50 to $10.00. This opening night performance was a benefit for the Mount Sinai Medical Research Foundation.
The Chicago Daily News quoted Judy as saying, “I’ve been singing since I can remember. It’s what I love and what I want to keep on doing.”
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
June 1, 1964: Judy left the Canossa Hospital in Hong Kong where she had been since May 28th, after recuperating from initially an overdose of pills which was succeeded by pleurisy in both lungs, a damaged heart, and also damaged vocal cords, and a coma. Judy’s doctor, Dr. Lee Siegel, gave her the OK to continue recuperating at her hotel room.
Photo above: Judy leaving the Canossa Hospital.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
June 1, 1967: Judy returned home from the hospital. She had entered the Cedars of Lebanon hospital in Los Angeles on May 23rd for a check-up. Columnist Harrison Carroll noted in his column that Judy was going to marry Tom Green, sometime in August, “at Dartmouth University, which is Tom’s alma mater.”
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
June 1, 1989: “Judy Garland will live forever on videocassettes.” Also included above is a review of Judy’s latest film on VHS, I Could Go On Singing.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on I Could Go On Singing here.
I was wondering whether, in your wonderful archives, you have a 1938 Screenland Magazine article, or maybe a link to it. I can’t remember what the title is, but I know it featured Susie (Mary Jane) Gumm, talking about being a ‘charming background’ to Judy in vaudeville. Many thanks for all you do.
I don’t have a copy of that article, unfortunately. I don’t even have a copy of any 1938 Screenland magazines. Sorry! 🙁