Posted by “I don’t think we’ll see another performer in our time who draws the adulation that Judy Garland gets and deserves. She is truly a legend in her own time.” – Jack Weston, 1962
February 10, 1926: “The Gumm Sisters” (Judy and her sisters) performed at the Grand Rapids Women’s Club Benefit for Permanent Boys and Girls Scout Camps Fund, held at the theater that Judy’s father, Frank Gumm, owned, the New Grad Theater, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
February 10, 1938: Judy made her first appearance on a New York stage at the Loew’s State Theatre as part of her personal appearance tour supporting her recent film Everybody Sing. Her musical mentor, Roger Edens, and her mother, Ethel, accompanied her on this tour.
“Variety” gave this review on February 16, 1938:
Youngster is a resounding wallop in her first vaudeville appearance. Comes to the house with a rep in films and after a single date on the Chase and Sanborn radio show. Apparent at the outset that the girl is no mere flash, but has both the personality and the skill to develop into a box-office wow in any line of show business.
Offered three numbers at last show Thursday (10), and then bowed out. Applause was solid and insistent, however, she encored twice, finally begging off with an integrating and shrewd thank-you speech. Her 20-minute stint didn’t seem that long, and she could have stayed indefinitely.
Kid is ballyed as 14 years old, which seems about right according to her appearance, mannerisms, dress, etc. She’s big for her age, however. Voice is pleasant in its quieter tones. At such times it has exact pitch, with espressive warmth and not a little richness. She has a tendency to turn on the steam, however, and then her voice becomes nasal, strident and loses [sic] its expressive shadings. She knows how to put over the appealing parts of a song, builds a number well and has definite rhythmic sense, but she must learn the discipline of modulation. Enunciates clearly.
Judy’s appearance at the State grossed $10k more for the theater than their average weekly gross at the time.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on Everybody Sing here.
February 10, 1938: Judy is seen modeling some summer wear during her recent trip to Miami Beach, Florida. Also, as late as 1938, the 1936 film short Every Sunday, co-starring Judy and Deanna Durbin, was still a popular short film to fill the bill in theaters around the country and be advertised as such.
Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry was still playing in theaters around the country and along with Everybody Sing. Judy was definitely in the public eye.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry here.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on Everybody Sing here.
February 10, 1939: Judy attended Artie Shaw’s opening at the Palomar nightclub in Hollywood, California. Shaw was Judy’s first “adult” and “true” (In Judy’s eyes) love. Judy believed that she and Shaw would marry in spite of the fact that he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. When he eloped with Lana Turner, Judy was devastated.
It was around this time that MGM appointed Betty Asher as Judy’s assistant. Asher turned out to be a studio spy, and Judy was again devastated when she found out several years later, but not before Asher stood up with Judy for her marriage to Vincente Minnelli on June 15, 1945.
Photos: An undated photo of Artie Shaw; Ira Gershwin, Louis B. Mayer, and Betty Asher pose with newlyweds Judy and Vincente Minnelli on June 15, 1945.
February 10, 1940: In the regular “What The Picture Did For Me” feature in the “Motion Picture Herald” trade magazine, M. Mailey of the Strand Theatre in Dryden, Ontario, Canada, had this to say about The Wizard of Oz (released in 1939):
“Nice business. Beautiful picture. More for children than adult patronage. It is a top picture.”
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on The Wizard of Oz here.
February 10, 1943: Filming continued on Girl Crazy, specifically the “Interior Western Dance Hall” set. Time called: 10:00 a.m.; dismissed: 6:00 p.m.
Sheet music scan provided by Kim Lundgreen. Thanks, Kim!
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on Girl Crazy here.
February 10, 1944: This snapshot was taken of Judy and fellow MGM star Hedy Lamarr at the premiere of the film version of the Broadway hit musical “Lady in the Dark” starring Ginger Rogers.
It’s amazing that Judy never thought of herself as beautiful. As this photo proves, at this point Judy could more than hold her own in the beauty department with someone like Lamarr.
Earlier this day, Judy had an easy one at MGM. She worked on “Synch Loops” (dubbing) for Meet Me In St. Louis. Time called: 1 p.m.; Judy arrived at 3:15 p.m.; dismissed: 4:40 p.m.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on Meet Me In St. Louis here.
February 10, 1945: This four-page spread appeared in the “Showmen’s Trade Review” promoting Meet Me In St. Louis, The Clock, and Ziegfeld Follies, among other MGM films.
On this day at MGM, Judy was working on The Harvey Girls. She had a call to be on the set at 2:00 p.m.; she arrived at 2:00 p.m. and was dismissed at 2:50 p.m. According to the assistant director’s notes: “Company cannot shoot as Judy Garland does not accept call on account of her teeth; therefore Company is taking advantage of time to rehearse numbers.”
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on The Harvey Girls here.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on Meet Me In St. Louis here.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on The Clock here.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on Ziegfeld Follies here.
February 10, 1945: This two-page spread also appeared in the “Showmen’s Trade Review,” promoting the success of both Van Johnson and Margaret O’Brien in their recent MGM hits, including Meet Me In St. Louis.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on Meet Me In St. Louis here.
February 10, 1946: The Harvey Girls.
February 10, 1947: Columnist Louella Parsons reported on Irving Berlin being signed by MGM to write new songs for Easter Parade. In theaters, Till The Clouds Roll By (released in 1946).
Photo: Irving Berlin, MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer, Judy, and producer Arthur Freed pose for a publicity photo promoting the production of Easter Parade.
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on Easter Parade here.
February 10, 1951: This photo of Judy with Louisiana Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc and Groucho Marx was published. It was taken on January 12, 1951, during the “Hollywood Party” radio show.
February 10, 1954: Judy was scheduled to continue filming on the “Someone At Last” number continued on the “Interior Malibu House” set for A Star Is Born. However, the assistant director’s notes state: “Miss Garland reported to stage at 10:10 a.m. – was ill and could not work and left stage at 12:10 p.m.
Photo provided by Kim Lundgreen. Thanks, Kim!
Check out The Judy Room’s Spotlight on A Star Is Born here.
February 10, 1963: Here’s a photo of Judy with CBS SVP of Programs, Hubbell Robinson, just after Judy signed her contract with the network for a weekly series (which she signed on December 28, 1962).
On this day, Judy was enjoying her successful engagement at Harrah’s Resort in Lake Tahoe, which would, unfortunately, come to an end the next day due to Judy contracting a case of the flu.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
February 10, 1964: Columnist Rick DuBrow reviewed the previous night’s “The Judy Garland Show” broadcast in which Judy was “in concert” for the entire show. However, he did not enjoy the tributes Judy gave to her son, Joey, and daughter, Lorna, calling it “pretty embarrassing.” He ended with, “The sock [socko] concert atmosphere Miss Garland had built up evaporated, and though she finished strong, she never recovered. She had three-quarters of a honey of a show. It’s a shame about the lapse of taste.”
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
February 10, 1965: On the advice of Dr. L.A. Kane, Judy canceled both the matinee and evening shows of her engagement at the O’Keefe Center in Toronto, Canada, due to severe cold and laryngitis. The newspaper blurb here references Judy’s recent appearance on the TV show “On Broadway Tonight.” The “boys” that the unnamed author mentions were The Allen Brothers, featuring Peter Allen, Liza’s future husband.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
February 10, 1966: The recent passing of both Sophie Tucker and Billy Rose is the subject of this article. Tucker was an early supporter of Judy’s, co-starring with her in both Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) and Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry (1937). She crowned Judy “The Next Red Hot Mama” (Tucker’s nickname was “The Red Hot Mama”). Rose was a big fan, and after her suicide attempt in 1950, he wrote this open fan letter of support (below).
The Garland/Lamarr photo is very interesting, as Judy’s looks (and weight) had changed significantly since “Ziegfeld Girl.” But as much as I stand by Judy being very lovely, even pretty at her MGM best, I don’t think she could touch Lamarr technically.
Question: Was that 1962 comment made by the ACTOR Jack Weston??
Lamarr was a goddess! Her beauty was truly out of this world. Yep, that was actor Jack Weston. 🙂