“It’s a certainty that if Judy gets any more talented, she’ll probably explode.” – “Liberty” magazine, 1946
January 9, 1926: “The Gumm Sisters” (Judy and her sisters) performed at the Garden Theater in Hibbing, Minnesota.
January 9, 1937: The 1935 short film La Fiesta de Santa Barbara was still in circulation, at least in state prisons! In the “What The Picture Did For Me” feature in the trade magazine “Motion Picture Daily” shows, J.A. Reynolds, Director of Recreation at the State Prison in Trenton, New Jersey, had this to say about the short:
Another beautiful color film from Leo’s stamping grounds. Not quite up to the “Starlit Days” or “Pirate Party” standard, but still away above the average for musical shorts. Joe Morrison’s “Heading for the Last Troundup” is perhaps the outstanding act of two reelers.
January 9, 1937: In the trade magazine “Motion Picture Herald” is this notice about the staff of the Waco Theatre in Waco, Texas, suited up in football uniforms for the showings of Pigskin Parade (1936).
January 9, 1939: The first of three days of filming “The Jitterbug” number for The Wizard of Oz. The number was also filmed on January 11th and 13th. It was famously cut after the first previews and the footage no longer exists. Silent color home movies made of a dress rehearsal by the film’s composer, Harold Arlen, have survived and have made the rounds on video and online for years.
The pre-recordings exist and have also been released on home media for over 30 years now. The first release of “The Jitterbug” on CD was in 1989, on the CBS Special Products version of the film’s soundtrack. This version was also the first time the film’s soundtrack appeared on CD in the U.S.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on The Wizard of Oz here.
January 9, 1939: This notice appeared in the Film Daily trade paper. It referenced the previous night’s premiere of the new CBS Radio show “Hollywood Screen Guild.” It read:
SAG, Lasky Shows on Air
First show in the new series being put on by the Screen Actors Guild went on a CBS Coast-to-Coast hookup last night with Joan Crawford, Jack Benny, Judy Garland and Reginal Gardner featured. New Jessy Lasky show tied in with RKO also bowed last night over CBS.
Judy sang “Shall I Sing A Melody? (Sweet or Swing)” from Everybody Sing and “Thanks For The Memory.”
Listen to “Sweet or Swing” here:
http://www.thejudyroom.com/songs/Sweet-or-Swing-01-08-1939.mp3
Listen to “Thanks For The Memory” here:
http://www.thejudyroom.com/songs/Thanks-For-The-Memory-01-08-1939.mp3
For more information about Judy’s golden year of 1939, check out The Judy Room’s Garland Biography pages here.
January 9, 1941: In theaters, Little Nellie Kelly (released in 1940).
January 9, 1943: Judy participated in the recording of the radio transcription disc, “Mail Call #19” which was recorded and sent overseas to entertain the troops over the Armed Forces Radio Service.
Judy appeared on several editions of “Mail Call” during World War II. This edition featured Judy singing “I Never Knew” and “The Joint Is Really Jumpin’ Down At Carnegie Hall” (with Jose Iturbi). Also featured in this edition were: Bill Goodman (host), Groucho Marx, Jose Iturbi, and Betty Grable.
Judy had already spent the afternoon filming “I Got Rhythm” for Girl Crazy at MGM from 1:30 to 6 p.m. Quite the busy day/night for Judy!
Listen to the entire show here:
http://www.thejudyroom.com/songs/Mail-Call-Jan-9-1943.mp3
Listen to “I Never Knew” here:
http://www.thejudyroom.com/songs/I-Never-Knew-1-9-43.mp3
Listen to “The Joint Is Really Jumpin'” here:
http://www.thejudyroom.com/songs/The-Joint-Is-Really-Jumpin-1-9-43.mp3″
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on Girl Crazy here.
January 9, 1943: For Me And My Gal still in theaters.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on For Me And My Gal here.
January 9, 1945: Judy had a dress rehearsal of the “It’s A Great Big World” number for The Harvey Girls. Time called: 10 a.m.; dismissed: 4:45 p.m.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on The Harvey Girls here.
January 9, 1945: This blurb mentions the fact that Judy was seen out on the town wearing one of her costumes from Meet Me In St. Louis (which premiered that previous November 1944). It’s true. Judy wore the “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” gown on at least a couple of occasions. The photo here shows Judy with her future husband Vincente Minnelli at a party in New York at the Ziegfeld Theatre after seeing the opening of the Billy Rose musical “Seven Lively Arts.” on December 7, 1944.
January 9, 1952: This newspaper photo of Judy posing with Mr. & Mrs. Walter A. Goerss of Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, is dated by the “Cleveland News” with this date. The couple recently won a weekend trip to New York which included seeing Judy at The Palace and getting to meet her backstage. Since the photo is dated by the newspaper with this date, it means that the event happened days or even a week earlier. Possibly over the New Year’s holiday. Note that this press photo has obviously been manually altered (the background) by the paper for printing.
January 9, 1955: Do you want your hair to look like Judy’s in A Star Is Born? Harding Beauty can help you out.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on A Star Is Born here.
January 9, 1961: Judy appeared at the Deauville Hotel in Miami, Florida. This was an engagement that was originally planned for the end of 1959 before her bout with hepatitis. She was paid $10,000 for one performance.
On this same day, all lawsuits were dropped between Judy and CBS, with CBS having an option for her television services in the immediate future; they were looking for her to do a special for the network in the fall of 1961.
At this same time, Judy signed a management contract with Freddie Fields Associates and also signed with Arthur P. Jacobs to handle her press relations. His chief assistant, John Springer, would work closely with Judy. Judy and Fields, along with Fields’ new partner David Begelman, formed “Kingsrow Enterprises.” The two would rebuild Judy’s career with Begelman assigned to work exclusively with Judy.
Photos: Notices about Judy’s return to the States and her trip to Miami. Judy in performance at the Deauville Hotel.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
January 9, 1962: Day three, the final day, of videotaping “The Judy Garland Show” (now known as “Judy, Frank, and Dean”) for Judy, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin at the NBC studios in Hollywood, California (although the show was a CBS show). The first day was January 5th and the second was January 8th. The taping included the final (concert) segment. During the blocking of “San Francisco,” Judy sang “I never will forget Deanna Durbin” (instead of “Jeanette MacDonald”). Judy worked until 1:30 a.m.; at 3:00 a.m. was signing autographs for her fans. The show was first broadcast on February 25, beating “Bonanza” and was the second-highest-rated show to air that season and the highest-rated special in CBS history up to that date.
Artwork above was created by John C. Broomfield.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
January 9, 1966: Judy watched The Wizard of Oz on TV, allegedly for the first time all the way through.
“Always before,” she told the “Louisiana Baton Rouge Morning Advocate’s” Dick Kleiner, “I’d spend most of the show trying to keep the children from crying. I’d tell them, ‘Don’t worry kids, those munchkins are only little boys, they won’t hurt you.’ I think it’s too scary for kids.”
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on The Wizard of Oz here.
January 9, 1966: Judy was scheduled to appear at The Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. She filled in for Robert Goulet, giving shows from February 2 through February 10.

January 9, 1966: This uncredited UPI article about Judy being back on top was published.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
January 9, 1969: Judy married her fifth, and last, husband, Mickey Deans, in a secret ceremony in a chapel, St. Marylebone Parish, by the Reverend Peter Delaney. It is doubtful that this private ceremony was legal, for according to Judy’s California attorney, Godfrey Issacs, the final divorce papers on Judy’s marriage to Mark Herron had not been picked up. Judy and Deans were legally married on March 15th.
Photo: Judy in London, January 1969.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
January 9, 2004: Warner Home Video announced the upcoming premiere DVD release of Meet Me In St. Louis, newly remastered using their new “Ultra-Resolution Process.”
January 9, 2018: Judgment at Nuremberg was re-released on Blu-ray. It has since been re-released by the BFI in a special two-disc Blu-ray set.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on Judgment at Nuremberg here.
Wow! So much to today’s entry. First, that killer performance of “The Joint is Really Jumpin'”, gives us an idea of how electric Judy would’ve been in concert in 1943. Her voice is sooooo pure, yet so strong. Great fun. “It’s a Great Big World” is one of the most beautifully arranged, staged, photographed numbers of her career. Judy’s voice here (and in “Harvey Girls” in general) is so rich and beautiful, but, again, also so powerful. My very favorite era of her look and sound.
Thanks again!
Great post! I’m particularly impressed by the Jitterbug dance. It could not have been easy in those costumes!
I think Bert Lahr did an especially good job, considering the weight of his lion skin. I’ve never seen the number synced before. It’s sensational.
Also love the Great Big World shots. Dottie Ponedel’s touch is clear on all three faces. I’ve been mad about Virginia O’Brien since I was a kid. She can do no wrong in my book! Anyone else think so?