Judy & Liza Live At The London Palladium

This concert as well as the recording has quite a history. It all started in 1964 when Judy finished a tour of Australia and nearly died in Hong Kong. She made her way to London with then husband, Mark Harron and planned a return engagement at the London Palladium. Judy loved London and the Palladium was a very special theatre. It was where, in 1951, after being fired from MGM, she made her comeback on the concert stage for the first time. This kick-started a whole new career and led her to the Palace Theatre in New York, where she made history.

Anyway, when she planned this particular concert, she asked Liza if she would share the bill with her. Liza (perhaps wisely) said no. But Judy was not one to take no for an answer, so she called the press and announced that Liza would be appearing with her. The concert was sold out within hours and another show was added. Liza was trapped. Capitol Records recorded the concert and released it on a VERY abridged 2 record set in 1964. It would be Judy's last professional live recording.

There are many opinions out there about this concert and many excuses as to why it's been cut down so many times. Some claim that Judy was not in her best form. This may be true to some extent, but she's far from her worst. She sings her heart out in every single number and being the terrific showman she was, never ceased to entertain and receive a roaring ovation from her devoted English fans. The most recent release was about two years in the making. A few years ago D&G records announced that they were releasing the entire concert uncut with some bonus rehearsal tracks! Naturally, all us fans were overjoyed. Unfortunately though, the release was cancelled. Luckily, D&G sent out some promotional copies of the album, so it can be heard if you can track down a copy. It was then picked up by another label and once again edited down to show Judy in the "best possible light". I, personally, think this entire concept is absolutely ridiculous. Judy was great that night for one thing, and for another, you need to take into consideration what she'd been through prior to this. She endured severe damage to her vocal cords while doctors in Hong Kong were doing everything they could to save her life and also, any Judy fan would want to hear the entire thing no matter what shape she was in. Judy could read the telephone book and have most of us in tears.

However, the quality of the latest release is unmatched by anything previously released. It's crystal clear and a joy to listen to! It's a real treat to hear Judy and Liza together before Liza was "Liza". You can see the beginnings of the legend that was to come and hear her voice starting to mature and develop. People today (and sadly the powers that be) seem to forget what a triumph this concert was! The audience loved it, it broke records, the record was a best seller, and over the years, it has endured. Luckily, we also have some video footage of the concert available on VHS & DVD that originally aired on British television back in '64. Hopefully one day, we'll have the complete concert publicly released, but in the meantime, this is absolutely worth getting! There's more material here than we've ever heard before and as I said, the quality is superb! I'm very glad to have this record of that wonderful night in such great shape.

"Tip It!" By Maggie Griffin

Who doesn't love Kathy Griffin's mother, Maggie Griffin? She's 90 years old and quite the pistol! Her new book, "Tip It" is an absolute joy to read! In it, she discusses all kinds of topics and shares her opinions on things like cursing, television, movies, technology, politics, and of course, how much she hates her daughter, Kathy's potty mouth. The book is filled with lots of fun family stories and the chapter about her late husband, Johnny is the sweetest thing I've ever read. Maggie grew up in the big band era and she talks about how music has changed (mostly for the worst) and she also tells a lot of interesting WWII stories and gives you a very clear picture of what life was like back then. She's had a pretty fascinating life. Being a huge movie fan, she often "stalked" celebrities and she writes about many of her adventures. My favorite moment was when in 1937 she managed to get on the MGM lot and saw Judy on her way to a set! What I would give to have been there! Throughout the book, Kathy gives a running commentary of wise cracks that are, as one would expect, hilarious! Especially when she gets on her mother for her love of Bill O'Reilly and the Kardashians! Another highlight of the book are her little How to guides. The one I identify the most with is of course, "I Can Live Out Of My Purse". I'm with you, Mag! She also has a chapter entitled "My Gays". Her views on homosexuality are both eye opening and hilarious!

It's a very quick read (I read it in two days) because you can't put it down! You get a real sense that Maggie is sitting in the room with you, Tippin' it and telling you a story. I especially enjoyed the final chapter "Life is a Box of Wine". Of course, Maggie is famous for her love of boxed wine (much like my best friend, Andrew, who, I regret to say, is not a 90 year old woman so he has no excuse). She explains why boxed wine is so practical and wonderful. "It has a spigot and won't spill!". So all in all, an absolutely fabulous, well-written, funny, heartfelt book that will have you double over with laughter and even thinking a little. So, curl up in your Maglet with a glass of Frenzia and Tip it with Maggie! :)

"Missing"

I’ve lost my sense of humor.
It fell into a well
That’s full of dark self-pity
as far as I can tell.

I’m glared at by the children,
I’m yelled at by the boss.
And every little word I say,
Makes everybody cross.

I’d run away and not come back
If it would do some good.
But nobody would notice,
So I don’t think I should.

I miss my sense of humor,
And if by chance you see
It peeking ’round the corner,
Please send it back to me.

(Julie Andrews)

"A Star Is Born" Blu-Ray Book

"A Star Is Born" is perhaps Judy Garland's most well-known movie next to "The Wizard Of Oz". It was her comeback to motion pictures after a four year absence. In the meantime, she had been touring Europe and the U.S. doing one-woman vaudeville shows and concerts. "A Star Is Born" had all the makings of a smash hit. Judy Garland & James Mason in the leads, George Cuckor directing, Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin writing the score, and an A-List crew. The film was the most expensive film to that date (1954) and opened to rave reviews. It's original running time was just over 3 hours. Theatre owners complained about the length because they wanted more showings per day, so Jack Warner, the head of Warner Bros. ordered the movie drastically shortened. Approximately 37 minutes were cut from the movie without the supervision of anyone involved in it, including Cuckor. The film was ruthlessly hacked into and as a result, though it was still a success, fell far short of expectations due to the fact that the public was aware of the cuts made. This, most people believe is the reason Judy (who was a shoe-in) lost the oscar that year to Grace Kelly for "The Country Girl".

In 1983, a search began to find the missing footage from "A Star Is Born" in order to reconstruct it to it's original length. The man mostly responsible for this was the late film historian, Ronald Haver. The complete soundtrack still existed in the warner vaults, but unfortunately not all of the lost footage survived. However, the film was reconstructed using various elements found all over the world along with a few stills to accompany those scenes that are no longer known to exist.

Judy is in top form in this film. In it, she sings one of her most iconic numbers, acknowledged to be one of the greatest ever filmed, "The Man That Got Away". It's also (not the first time) but the legend-defining time when she sang "Swanee" during the famous "Born In A Trunk" medley. It's quite simply a perfect movie with a stellar cast, wonderful songs, amazing cinematography, and a testament to the talent of the people who worked so hard on it and to the Hollywood of that era during the end of the big one-man studios and the star system. It also remains the quintessential Hollywood backstory. It was filmed previously in 1937 and again in 1976 with Barbra Streisand. There's some buzz going on now that they're planning to film it yet again, which should be interesting because each version, while they have the same concept, manage to keep the story fresh and interesting.

Now, the Blu-Ray. What's so great about it? Well, for starters it comes with a wonderful book of behind the scenes information along with some gorgeous pictures of Judy and promotional material of the time which is a good start if you're at all interested in the making of this film or old Hollywood in general. "A Star Is Born" was the first one strip technicolor picture to be made. Previously, Technicolor was a three strip process involving three strips of solid color film that were then run simultaneously through a projector. This being a new process, they had their share of problems restoring it to what it looked like (and in some cases even better than it looked in 1954). I believe it took two years to complete the 8k resolution restoration, which is the highest available resolution we have today. The detail is amazing! Especially when you consider the shape some of the source material was in. People just didn't take any steps to preserve these films back then.

The Extra features on the second disc are also little treasures. Recording sessions, Rehearsals, Alternate Takes, Tv Spots and specials, Premiere footage... I'll list them the end this entry. But o wrap up, if you love good movies, old movies, musicals, Judy Garland, or if you're just interested in a fascination piece of American film history, I would strongly recommend purchasing this blu-ray. It's worth every penny and was well worth the year and a half I waited for it to be released!

A Star is Born (1954) 2-Disc Deluxe Special Edition Blu-ray Book Enhanced Content:
Introduction: Run time 3:01
The Man That Got Away - Pink Dress: Run time 5:11 - Additional Take
The Man that Got Away - Brown Dress #1: Run time 4:49 - Additional Take
The Man that Got Away - Brown Dress #2: Run time 4:24 - Additional Take
The Man that Got Away - Brown Dress #3: Run time 4:00 - Additional Take
The Man That Got Away - Brown Dress #4: Run time 4:00 - Additional Take
Here's What I'm here For - Alternate Take: Run time 2:36 - Additional Take
Lose That Long Face - Alternate Take: Run time 4:55 - Additional Take
Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo - Alternate Take: Run time 1:24 - Additional Take
When My Sugar Walks Down the Street - Outtake: Run time 0:58 - Additional Take
Suicide Scene - Alternate Take: Run time 2:15 - Additional Take
Film Effects Reel: Run time 0:54
A Report by Jack L. Warner: Run time 6:24 - Vintage Featurette
Huge Premiere Hails 'A Star is Born' Newsreel Montage: Run time 7:49 - Vintage Featurette
'A Star is Born' Premiere in Cinemascope: Run time 2:05
Pantages Premiere TV Special: Run time 29:30 - Vintage Featurette
A Star is Bored (1956 WB Cartoon): Run time 7:00 - New Featurette
A Star is Born (1937): Run time 2:46 - Trailer
A Star is Born (1954): Run time 3:52 - Trailer
A Star is Born (1976): Run time 3:46 - Trailer
Audio Vault - Oliver on the Phone with the Director Discussing Norman - Outtakes: Run time 2:00 - Audio Only
Audio Vault - Norman and Esther on the Roof of the Hotel Lancaster - Outtakes: Run time 2:00 - Audio Only
Audio Vault - 12/28/1942 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with Judy Garland and Walter Pidgeon) Run time 60:00 - Audio Only
Audio Vault - Judy Garland Radio Interview: Run time 4:00 - Audio Only
Audio Vault - Born in a Trunk: Run time 9:05 - Audio Only
Audio Vault - Someone At Last - Rehearsal: Run time 10:34 - Audio Only
Audio Vault - Someone At Last: Run time 7:16 - Audio Only
Audio Vault - My Melancholy Baby: Run time 7:06 - Audio Only
Audio Vault - Black Bottom: Run time 1:48 - Audio Only
Audio Vault - Swanee: Run time 4:57 - Audio Only

Barbra at the Village Vanguard

Barbra, Barbra, Barbra... Now, I'm not sure if my review of this will be considered unbiased because, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I worship this woman. However, I can tell you why this particular show is very special and unlike anything we've seen from Babs before.

First off, everything Barbra does, she knocks out of the park. Whenever she performs anywhere, it's a sell-out. The Village Vanguard is a little jazz club in the Village that's been around since the 30's. A club Barbra actually sang in when she was first starting out on the nightclub circuit. She hasn't sung in a club since the 60's. The audience consisted of about 135 people crammed into the tiny club. Among them were Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Donna Karen, Bill & Hillary Clinton, Marilyn and Allan Bergman, and a bunch of other celebrities and contest winners who were lucky enough to win tickets to be there. I, though I tried in vein, failed to win any of the contests. Anyway, you've never seen Barbra in such an intimate setting. She completely lets loose and just chats and sings and it feels like you're seeing a whole other side to her, which is quite something since she's been around for almost 50 years.

Every song choice is flawless. My favorite is one of the old songs that she used to sing when she was in her late teens called "Nobody's Heart Belongs To Me". I've always loved that song. She also sings a few songs she hasn't done since the 60's like "Bewitched" and "My Funny Valentine". The program consists mostly of songs from her new album, "Love is The Answer", including my favorite, "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning".

Seeing Barbra so laid-back and uninhibited has made me only love her more. That incredible talent, that dry sense of humor, and those character defining gestures are all there, only on a much more personal level. If you love Barbra as I do, if you love jazz, or if you simply like to hear good music, go out and get this on dvd or blu-ray! We don't have many legends left so it's a good thing the few that we do have keep on singing!

"All About All About Eve"

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I have an obsession as well as an extensive knowledge of classic films and classic movie trivia. "All About Eve" is one of my all-time favorites! It's undoubtably one of if not the greatest performances Bette Davis ever gave. It's perhaps only eclipsed by Baby Jane, however, Jane is a completely different sort of character so I'm not sure there's really a comparison. It's a true quality film and an extremely intelligent one.

Sam Staggs' book tells the story in excruciating detail! Everything you could possibly want to know about the original story, "The Wisdom Of Eve", published in Cosmopolitan magazine, to the true story that was based on, to the on-set antics and casting issues. I've rarely read a book as well researched. You get a real sense of the genius behind this picture and how important it really was. I didn't think it was possible, but I actually liked one of my old favorite movies even more after reading so much about it! Staggs has a great conversational and sometimes hilariously bitchy and honest way of presenting the information, making the book not only extremely informative, but great fun to read! I couldn't put it down. If you have any interest at all in the film itself, Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, classic films, or moviemaking in general, this is an extremely informative and well presented look at what goes into the making of a classic. He gets into the psyche and motives of people like Bette Davis and director/screenwriter Joeseph Mankiewitz. All in all, a marvelous book! Sam Staggs has also written books on the making of "Sunset Boulevard", "A Streetcar Named Desire", and most recently "Imitation Of Life", all of which I look forward to reading!

John Barrowman

John Barrowman is the new love of my life. He's been around for quite a few years and I've always liked him, but it's only recently that I've discovered how great his body of work really is. He's done countless musical theatere-related shows and concerts and he has quite a following in the U.K. where he lives with his boyfriend, Scott. I've watched a lot of interviews that he's done and I really appreciate his sense of humor and genuine love for what he does. He seems like a really down to earth guy. He has what I consider to be the most beautiful voice of any male singer living today. There's something so soothing and tranquil about it. He also has the ability to belt like a pro! I recently bought his album, "John Barrowman Swings Cole Porter", which has a lot of my old favorites on it. He managed to make them all sound brand new. You might recognize him from his cameo appearance in "De-Lovely". He was also in the show (and dvd) "Putting it Together" with Carol Burnett. He's currently playing a recurring role on "Desperate Housewives". He also just published his second book, "I Am What I Am" which I'm very anxious to read! Anyway, check him out. He's a very versatile performer and I really like how he can go from traditional to modern in a heartbeat. He has one of those voices that doesn't come along very often and he knows how to use it.