Posted by “If she delighted her many admirers even more than usual last night it was perhaps a sign that while performing like mad she can also remain uninhibitedly her very charming and rather awkward self.” – “E.G.” 1957
October 16, 1938: “Judy Garland Sews A Fine Seam.” The young singer takes over a sewing machine to mend a dress. She has the skill to make one, but, nowadays, not the time.
Below, two more “Judy in the news” items, pertaining to Listen, Darling.
October 16, 1938: Here’s a fun blurb noting the work of Andriana Caselotti on The Wizard of Oz. She provided the “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?” vocal for “If I Only Had A Heart.” Note that at this point Buddy Ebsen was the “Tin Man.”
The vocal was prerecorded on September 30, 1938, part of a long recording session that included “If I Only Had A Brain,” “If I Only Had The Nerve,” and various versions of “We’re Off To See The Wizard.” The session was continued the next day (October 1st) as noted at the bottom of the second page of the Daily Music Report.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on The Wizard of Oz here.
October 16, 1938: Listen, Darling was released on this date.
October 16, 1939: Judy recorded “Oceans Apart”; “Figaro,” “Embraceable You” and “Swanee” for Decca Records. The singles were not released until the spring of 1940.
Judy had previously recorded “Swanee” for Decca during her July 29, 1939, session. Only one take, the “A” take, was recorded. It was ultimately rejected. That rejected “A” take is not known to exist.
Judy re-recorded “Embraceable You,” with the opening verse, for Decca on November 4, 1943, when recording some of the songs from her recent film, Girl Crazy.
Listen to “Oceans Apart: here:
Listen to “Figaro” here:
Listen to the alternate version of “Figaro” here:
Listen to “Embraceable You” here:
Listen to “Swanee” here:
Check out The Judy Garland Online Discography’s “Decca Records” Section for more about Judy’s Decca recordings.
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.
Label images from The Rick Smith Collection. Thanks, Rick!
October 16, 1942: Judy pre-recorded “Paging Mr. Greenback” for the film Presenting Lily Mars. The song was the original finale of the film before it was decided to record and film an entirely different and more elaborate finale. Filming of the number took place in the week after this recording date and before early November. The film footage no longer exists but the audio does, in glorious stereo!
Included here is a photo of the matte painting composite of the marquee that was meant to be used as the opening shot of the original finale. You can make out “Paging Mr. Greenback” on the marquee, and it’s noted in the upright corner.
Listen to the complete number here:
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on Presenting Lily Mars here.
October 16, 1944: Filming on The Clock continued with scenes shot on the “Interior Dingy Restaurant” set. Time called: 10 a.m.; dismissed: 6:05 p.m.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on The Clock here.
October 16, 1945: Till The Clouds Roll By filming continued with the “Look For The Silver Lining” number. Time called: 10 a.m.; dismissed: 4:45 p.m.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on Till The Clouds Roll By here.
October 16, 1947: Judy had a music rehearsal of “Mr. Monotony” for Easter Parade. Time called: 12 p.m.; dismissed at 3 p.m.
This is also the day that Fred Astaire took over the role of “Don Hewes” from Gene Kelly, who had broken his ankle on October 13th and couldn’t complete the film. Astaire began rehearsals on this day as well.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on Easter Parade here.
October 16, 1951: Judy’s legendary first appearance at The Palace Theatre in New York City.
The engagement made Broadway history, brought Vaudeville back to The Palace, and firmly established that seeing Judy Garland perform on stage was one of the greatest experiences in a person’s lifetime.
The appearance was such a success that the scheduled four-week run was extended to a record nineteen weeks!
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” Section here.
October 16, 1954: A Star Is Born was opening in theaters around the country. E.V. Durling of “The San Francisco Examiner” noted that Judy’s feature film debut in 1936’s Pigskin Parade was her best.
Note that the Chicago premiere had just occurred and Warner Bros. had not yet recalled the film to cut it from 182 minutes to 154 minutes. The second article above, from the “El Paso Times” (out of El Paso, Texas) noted that the recent opening of the film at the local Plaza Theater was the longer 182-minute version.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on A Star Is Born here.
October 16, 1954: The trade magazine, “Motion Picture Daily” featured this article about the recent New York premiere of A Star Is Born which Judy attended.
October 16, 1956: On the 5th anniversary of her Palace premiere, theater management announced onstage that they were mounting a gold plaque backstage to christen the “Judy Garland Dressing Room”–and they presented the Judy with a gold key to its door.
After the show and ceremony (and still in clown makeup from her closing numbers), Judy gazes out at “the house where I was reborn.”
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” Section here.
October 16, 1957: Judy opened her show, “The Judy Garland Show,” at the Dominion Theater in London, England. This was her first London appearance since beginning her “concert years” there at the Palladium in 1951. Earlier in the day, Judy had lunch with Aly Kahn, but reportedly hardly touched her salmon. She tried to rest but couldn’t and left for the theater at 5 p.m., three hours before the show started.
Judy’s act, with her “ten boyfriends,” played the second act. The first act was filled with various Vaudeville acts. $180,000 was spent refurbishing the venue which had advance ticket sales of $100k.
The new “Garland Overture” premiered here, arranged by Buddy Bregman. Judy’s songs: “It’s So Lovely To Be Back In London” (Capitol/EMI provided a special 45 record of the newly recorded song to the guests); “I Feel A Song Coming On”; “Judy’s Olio”; “Come Rain Or Come Shine”; “The Man That Got Away”; “Rock-A-Bye Your Baby”; “Lucky Day”; “How About Me?” “A Couple Of Swells” and “Over the Rainbow.” Her encores were “Me and My Shadow” and “Swanee.” Gordon Jenkins conducted.
Listen to “It’s So Lovely To Be Back In London” here:
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” Section here.
October 16, 1958: Many of us remember the good ol’ days of waiting for the local TV stations to play a Garland film on “The Late Show” or “The Late, Late Show” (and sometimes even later) as well as midday shows on weekends or weekdays. Apparently, Don Barber in Miami, host of their midday movie, loved Judy calling her “The Greatest!” twice in this ad. Or, the person who created the ad loved her. Or both!
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on Presenting Lily Mars here.
October 16, 1960: Judy took her one-woman concert to The Leeds Odeon Theater in Leeds, England.
Photo: Judy at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, October 4, 1960.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” Section here.
October 16, 1967: Judy sang at a party after an ASCAP salute thrown by “Cue” magazine, at Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall – in the lower level garage! Judy sang “Over the Rainbow” with composer Harold Arlen at the piano, among other songs.
Judy’s date (as seen in these photos) was Paul Millard, the fashion editor for Men’s Harper’s Bazaar. Earl Wilson gave the event some good space in his column which ran in papers across the country for several days. Judy is also seen giving Angie Dickinson a kiss.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” Section here.
October 16, 2011: This “tin case” edition of the recently restored The Wizard of Oz was released in stores in Canada. A similar edition had been released in the U.S.
Check out The Judy Room’s DVD/Blu-ray pages for details on this and other DVD/Blu-ray releases.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on The Wizard of Oz here.
October 16, 2012: Warner Home Video released this DVD boxed set of Gene Kelly films, which included For Me And My Gal and Summer Stock.
October 16, 2015: WaterTower Music re-released the vinyl version of The Wizard of Oz soundtrack they originally released on April 19, 2014. That previous edition featured a special green-colored vinyl. This 2015 rerelease was almost identical although it was on regular black vinyl and not green.
The big selling point for this release (and the producer’s lame attempt to get people to purchase the record), was their promotion of a “newly discovered” audio track of “If I Only Had A Brain” recorded by Ray Bolger and Judy Garland in on October 6, 1938. This recording was NOT “newly discovered” but had been available since the fall of 2009.
Check out The Judy Room’s Section on The Wizard of Oz here.
October 16, 2016: The Smithsonian Institution created a “Kickstarter” page to raise money to help with the restoration of their pair of Ruby Slippers as worn by Judy in The Wizard of Oz.
The funding period was October 16 through November 16, 2016, and included tiered levels for donators with specific incentified perks for each tier. They also announced a “stretch goal” to restore the Scarecrow costume worn by Ray Bolger.
Ruby Slippers Donation Tiers:
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Pledge $1 or more
Click your heels, step onto the yellow brick road and join our journey to preserve an American icon! This adventure comes with our heartfelt thanks and exclusive updates on our project.
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Pledge $10 or more
Digital Poster by William Ivey Long
A poster created exclusively for this Kickstarter project by William Ivey Long, the multiple Tony Award-winning Broadway designer — magically sent to you in digital format.
Also comes with our heartfelt thanks and exclusive updates on our project!
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Pledge $25 or more
Cling-on Decal by William Ivey Long
Whether in Munchkin Land, the Emerald City or your part of the world, show everyone you love the Ruby Slippers by displaying this decal designed by award-winning Broadway costume designer William Ivey Long. Size: 2.5″ x 4″
Plus everything at the $10 reward level!
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Pledge $50 or more
Tote Bag by William Ivey Long
This is a Toto-ly wonderful tote bag! Created by award-winning Broadway costume designer William Ivey Long exclusively for this project.
Plus everything at the $25 reward level!
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Pledge $75 or more
T-shirt by William Ivey Long
Any scarecrow with a brain would love wearing this t-shirt. We think you will, too! Another William Ivey Long original design. Toddler, youth and adult sizes. See our FAQs for size chart.
Plus everything at the $50 reward level!
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Pledge $100 or more
Printed Poster by William Ivey Long
6-time Tony Award-winning Broadway costume designer William Ivey Long created this unique poster exclusively for this project. Standard 18 x 24″ poster size for easy framing.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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Pledge $150 or more
Museum Membership & Smithsonian Magazine
Start a dynamic relationship with a membership to the National Museum of American History, home of the Ruby Slippers. Receive exclusive insider communications directly from the museum!
You’ll also receive as a benefit the Smithsonian Magazine, an informative publication that places a Smithsonian lens on the world. You’ll enjoy 11 monthly issues which look at the topics and subject matters researched, studied and exhibited by the Smithsonian Institution — science, history, art, pop culture and innovation.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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Pledge $200 or more
Google Hangout with John Fricke
If you can’t make it to see the Wizard in the Emerald City, we’ll bring him to you! Renowned historian and author on the Wizard of Oz and Judy Garland will chat with you and answer questions. John Fricke has authored 7 books, won 2 Emmy Awards, and has been nominated for a Grammy for his work related to Oz and Judy Garland.
We’ll schedule 3 chats between January to December 2017.
Plus everything at the $150 reward level!
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Live Conservation Video Tour
You’ll get to pay attention to what’s behind the curtain as we take you on a video tour of of the Ruby Slippers in conservation! The tour will be scheduled between September 2017 to April 2018.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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Pledge $350 or more
Coffee with Wizard of Oz Historian (1)
John Fricke is truly the wizard of wiz, if ever a wiz there was! Before the museum is open to the public, you’ll have coffee and pastries by the Slippers with other fans and renowned historian and author on the Wizard of Oz and Judy Garland. You’ll also have an opportunity to view objects-out-of-storage from the museum’s popular culture collection. This group event will be scheduled in Washington, DC between February to December 2017.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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Pledge $500 or more
Signed & Glitterized Poster
This reward excites us so much we can barely hear our hearts beating! Designer William Ivey Long will personally sprinkle his design with glitter and magic — and sign it, too! 8.5 x 10″ size for easy framing.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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Pledge $500 or more
Exhibition Preview for 4 People
Join us at the National Museum of American History for an exclusive opportunity to preview the exhibition tentatively titled “On with the Show” with other Wizard of Oz fans, where the newly conserved Ruby Slippers will be on display! This event will take place between June to December 2018 in Washington, DC.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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Pledge $600 or more
Coffee with Wizard of Oz Historian (2)
John Fricke is truly the wizard of wiz, if ever a wiz there was! Before the museum is open to the public, you and a guest will have coffee and pastries by the Slippers with other fans and renowned historian and author on the Wizard of Oz and Judy Garland. You’ll also have an opportunity to view objects-out-of-storage from the museum’s popular culture collection. This group event will be scheduled in Washington, DC between February to December 2017.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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Pledge $1,000 or more
Lunch and Group Tour with a Curator
“You’ve always had the power, my dear — you’ve just had to learn it for yourself.” But sometimes, you get to learn from a curator!
Get answers to your burning questions about the Ruby Slippers, the Wizard of Oz and other museum topics during this lunch and tour with a National Museum of American History curator.
The tour will be at the museum in Washington, DC and will be scheduled between February 2017 to April 2018.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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Pledge $5,000 or more
Pre-Opening Party
Come celebrate with us at this exclusive party in 2018! The Ruby Slippers will be freshly conserved and back on display in the “On with the Show” exhibition at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, and you and a guest can be among the first in the public to see them in their brand new case. This event will be scheduled between June to December 2018.
Plus everything at the $75 level!
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Pledge $7,000 or more
Replica Ruby Slippers
These replica ruby slippers look so real, your friends might be tempted to drop a house on *you* just so that they can get them!
The base for these shoes were crafted in white silk faille on antique size 6 shoe lasts from 1936, lined in white kid skin leather. The white silk faille was spray dyed as MGM did with the originals. The custom-made “Innes Shoe Company” logo is heat embossed onto the insole of the right shoe. Custom-made French sequins with a hand-applied flaked metallic aging treatment are applied to the back side and sewn using the same methods as the original slippers. Contains several more custom-made features. Recommended for display only. See our FAQs for details.
Plus everything at the $75 level!
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Pledge $10,000
Custom Museum Tour & Name on Donor Wall
We’d love to take you over the rainbow and make your dreams come true by taking you on a customized tour of the National Museum of American History, home of the Ruby Slippers! Explore our exhibition halls as well as behind-the-scenes spaces with a museum expert. We’ll accommodate up to a group of 6 of your friends and family. This will be scheduled between Sep 2017 and April 2018 in Washington, DC.
Comes with Donor Wall recognition.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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Pledge $10,000
Ruby Slippers Up Close & Donor Wall
The Wicked Witch of the West could never get this close to the Ruby Slippers, but YOU can! See them behind-the-scenes with our museum experts while they’re being conserved. This exclusive access will be scheduled between September 2017 to April 2018 in Washington, DC.
Comes with Donor Wall recognition.
Plus everything at the $75 reward level!
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