Posted by “Judy Garland is superb as a frightened Nazi victim.” – Leslie Dard, review of “Judgment at Nuremberg”, 1962
September 7, 1934: Judy and her sisters, as the newly christened “Garland Sisters,” opened a week-long engagement at the Michigan Theater in Detroit. This was their first stop on their way back to California after their successful run at several theaters in Chicago as part of the World’s Fair. Here they are billed as “3 Garland Sisters / Grace – Beauty – Songs.”
They were part of the new stage show that accompanied the opening of the MGM film Hide-Out. In The Detroit Free Press the following day (September 8, 1934), the sisters were mentioned in a review of the film and the live acts: “Three Garland Sisters – one looking like a little first grader off to school – in songs.”
September 7, 1939: Another ad promoting the success of The Wizard of Oz appeared in the trade publications. Also shown here is another of several newspaper coloring contests featuring the main characters from the films, this time the Tin Man.
More details and images of all of Judy’s activities during that golden year of 1939 can be found on The Judy Room’s Garland Centennial 1939 Page.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on The Wizard of Oz here.
September 7, 1939: Here is a fun and clever promotional stunt out of Victoria, Texas. Either the paper or the local theater owner (or both) came up with the idea of ‘bombing” the city with Oz books via parachutes. They were “propaganda booklets, all in beautiful colors.” The event took place that following Sunday, September 10, 1939.
More details and images of all of Judy’s activities during that golden year of 1939 can be found on The Judy Room’s Garland Centennial 1939 Page.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on The Wizard of Oz here.
September 7, 1940: The trade magazine “Motion Picture Herald” featured this great Kaprilik artwork for Strike Up The Band. The magazine also reported two promotions. The first was a nationwide “best band” contest sponsored by MGM. The second was a promotion in New Haven, Connecticut, for Andy Hardy Meets Debutante that featured a giant postcard displayed in the local Loew’s theater.
September 7, 1940: Judy continued work on Little Nellie Kelly. According to studio records Judy had no filming but instead “rehearsed song and dance” which was the “Nellie Kelly Waltz” (“Nellie Kelly I Love You”). Time called: 10:30 a.m.; dismissed: 2:05 p.m.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on Little Nellie Kelly here.
September 7, 1941: Judy appeared on the NBC Radio show “The Chase & Sanborn Hour” aka “The Charlie McCarthy Show.” She banters with “Charlie” and Edgar Bergen (Candace Bergen’s father) in one of her several appearances on the show. Judy’s obviously having a blast here.
Listen to the complete show here:
Listen to “Daddy” here:
Listen to “These Are The Things I Love” here:
September 7, 1943: Sidney Skolsky’s syndicated monthly column “Skolsky’s Hollywood” (dated September 6) began to run in newspapers around the country. It featured a story about Judy as an “Autograph Hound”
HOLLYWOOD, September 6 – While patrolling my Hollywood beat I drop into the Metro commissary. At the tables opposite me sit Ingrid Bergman and Hedy Lamarr. Miss Bergman is sitting with Bill Grady and Miss Lamarr is sitting with John Loder, who is visiting.
I sit there, and while waiting for food, I keep looking at the faces of Miss Bergman and Miss Lamarr. I am kept pretty busy, going from face to face. And I guess that I don’t have to tell you that I am looking at very nice scenery.
After about 15 minutes, Miss Lamarr has finished her lunch and leaves with John Loder. This makes it much easier for me, for now I just keep looking at Miss Bergman and do not have to shift from face to face.
Presently, Judy Garland and Betty Asher, her press agent and companion, enter. Judy takes a seat next to me, probably because she knows I am one of her fans, but more probably because my table is now the only one with vacant chairs.
Judy is now facing Ingrid Bergman, and after she gives her order, she said to Betty and me: “That’s my favorite actress – Ingrid Bergman. Hasn’t she got a lovely face?”
I agree to this, as who wouldn’t? Then Judy says, “I’m thrilled just sitting here looking at her. This is the first time I’ve ever seen her in person. I’d like to get her autograph.”
“Why don’t you?” I said, realizing it would be very interesting to see Judy Garland ask Ingrid Bergman for an autograph.
“I’d like to,” said Judy, “but I’m afraid I’d embarrass her. There I’d stand and I’d say, ‘Pardon me, I’m Judy Garland, and you’re my favorite actress. Could I have your autograph, please, Miss Bergman?’ Why, she’d be embarrassed, and she’d be forced to say, ‘Certainly, Miss Garland. And I think you’re wonderful, too. May I have your autograph?’ She’d believe that I was fishing for a compliment.”
“I’ll introduce you to her,” I said. “No,” said Judy, “if I do it, I want to do it on my own. But don’t you think she’d be embarrassed?”
“Would you be embarrassed, Judy, if Ingrid Bergman or another actress walked over and asked you for your autograph? asked Betty Asher.
“I’d be thrilled,” replied Judy.
“Well, I’m sure,” said Betty, “that she’d feel the same way. Don’t forget, she’s a movie actress just like you.”
Then, just before Judy got dessert and when Miss Bergman was getting ready to leave, Judy did it. She got up from the table and walked toward Ingrid Bergman.
I sat watching. Judy Garland and Ingrid Bergman were soon shaking hands. Then Miss Bergman tore off part of the menu and wrote on it. Then Judy tore off part of the remaining menu and wrote on it. They were both smiling. Then Miss Bergman and Billy Grady walked toward the door. Judy returned to the table.
“I saw that you got it,” I said. “She was very lovely, just as grand as she is on the screen,” said Judy. “Do you know what? She said that she saw me sit near her, and that she wanted to meet me, but didn’t want to come over for fear of embarrassing me.”
There you have seen a couple of movie actresses acting like movie fans, and now I will continue on my Hollywood beat and let you see some more performers acting when they aren’t facing the camera.
September 7, 1944: According to these numbers reported by Louella Parsons, Judy was the 6th most popular movie star of 1944.
September 7, 1944: Judy was due on The Clock set for more filming on the “Interior Alice’s Apartment” but called in sick. Louella Parsons’ column noted that according to the new edition of the Box Office Digest magazine, Judy placed at #6 in the top ten female film stars.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on The Clock here.
September 7, 1945: Judy was at the Decca Records studios in Hollywood, California, and recorded two songs for The Harvey Girls “Cast Album” of songs from the film: “It’s A Great Big World” and “In The Valley.” The former was recorded with co-star Virginia O’Brien along with vocalist Betty Russell standing in for the non-singing Cyd Charisse.
This is the third and last of Judy’s Decca cast albums. These albums featured studio recreations of songs from the films. The previous albums were “The Wizard of Oz“; “Girl Crazy“; and “Meet Me In St. Louis.” What makes this album even more special is the care that Decca took to emulate the performances from the film. Most of the film’s cast was involved, including Kenny Baker and the wonderful Virginia O’Brien. The arrangements were nearly identical to those used in the film because Decca brought in MGM’s musical director Lennie Hayton and vocal arranger Kay Thompson to repeat the work they had done for the soundtrack prerecordings.
Labels from the Rick Smith Collection. Thanks, Rick!
Listen to “It’s A Great Big World” here:
Listen to “In The Valley” here:
Check out The Judy Garland Online Discography’s “The Harvey Girls Cast Album” pages here.
September 7, 1945: Here is a story about MGM contract dancer Robert Trout who was from Oil City, Pennsylvania. Trout was one of the “reporters” in the “A Great Lady Gives An Interview” segment in Ziegfeld Follies of 1946 as well as an unnamed scene in The Clock.
September 7, 1949: More ads for The Wizard of Oz and In The Good Old Summertime. Both ads use images of Judy from In The Good Old Summertime.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on The Wizard of Oz here.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on In The Good Old Summertime here.
September 7, 1950: While still in New York, Judy was interviewed by Jack Elgin on MGM’s local radio network, WMGM.
September 7, 1955: This feature appeared in the Australian “Women’s Weekly” publication.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on A Star Is Born here.
September 7, 1958: Judy’s legs get some much-deserved attention. Judy was currently in concert for 6 nights (through September 9th) at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall.
Photos provided by Kim Lundgreen. Thanks, Kim!
September 7, 1962: Still playing in theaters, Judy’s Oscar-nominated performance in Stanley Kramer’s Judgment at Nuremberg. It premiered that previous December 1961. Although she lost the Oscar again (this time in the “Best Supporting Actress” category), Judy’s performance as Nazi victim Irene Hoffman is one for the ages.