Customer Reviews

The Judy Garland Show Collection, Vol. 2

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Being a fan of the great Judy Garland, one has many options to enjoy her. Her movies, which are a true testament to her talent, and she made so many!! Her recordings, which capture her voice, and often doing songs that were never in films.

But THIS Second Box Set release from Pioneer, tops them all, in terms of the chemistry Judy had over an audience.

During her one season TV Series, on CBS, during the 1963-64 season, boasts some of the finest moments of Garland's career. So much so that bootleg tapes of these shows have circulated for over 30 years; most in bad quality, but the magic of Judy still came through like lightning.

In THIS second set, Pioneer has saved the best for last!! FIVE Concert shows, which Judy threw herself into and present her in her finest light. The remastered sound and picture is truly something to listen and look in awe, as the magic of Garland has never been so apparent.

During the time that Judy Garland was giving her legendary concerts, performances of that sort were virtually never recorded, leaving a HUGE void in the concert career of one of the best. This television show was the closest one could ever get to seeing the great Garland LIVE and in person. With the remastered sound, both on the FIRST box set, and this one, therein lies probably about 12 albums worth of new songs, all in great fidelity, and Judy never sang them before or after this series. What a miracle that the original 2-inch masters were found after so many years, and that Pioneer has enlisted such tremendous talent, both in the technical department, and for the liner notes, and commentaries.

In watching the tremendous amount of "outtakes", there is no evidence of Judy being anything but a professional, at all times. Even if the orchestra screwed up, SHE took the blame, always with a laugh, and a snappy comeback. Not to mention the tremendous array of guest stars, which have been talked about so much, I won't repeat them all here.

For those Garland fans who have really wondered exactly WHAT to order, as the numbering system, with each individual DVD release got very confusing, it's very simple. Just buy the FIRST and SECOND box set, this one, and you have EVERY episode of the classic Judy Garland Show. Not to mention the countless outtakes, commentaries and great liner notes, that will bring you right into the CBS studio!!

This second box set is sure to receive as much, if not more, raves than the first. However, you must have both. After 40 years, here is a true record of a Great Artist at her peak, and uncluttered by a film script, the magic of Judy and her audience, that you read so much about, is right here for you to see and hear for yourself.

Hat's off to Pioneer, and ALL involved, in taking a mammoth task, and, finally, bringing it to us ALL to enjoy, FOREVER!!

Not only recommended, but more than a must have. Every detail has class written all over it, and together with the first box, a collection that is likely never to be topped by anyone in show business.

First, let me state that I served as creative consultant on the Pioneer DVD Garland series from its onset to conclusion. I must respond to the irate reviewer who attacked Pioneer for 'cheating' consumers by releasing product in a 'trickle' before generating the second boxed set. The reason the DVDs were released in single/double DVDs in a 'trickle' prior to this boxed set is two-fold. There was no conspiracy on Pioneer's part; on the contrary, Pioneer was faced with the challenge of extensive and expensive audio and video restoration for each episode. At the beginning, it was uncertain if certain episodes would be available to them and/or if certain programs would respond to restoration. Pioneer released programs as the restoration process was complete and in single/double DVDs because early on, it wasn't certain if there would be a second boxed set due to the fact that it seemed not all episodes were available or would be up to par for release. So as they were 'fixed,' they hit the marketplace. No conspiracy. And when Pioneer released complilation titles featuring clips of then-unreleased episodes, it was to give the consumer something new as the ongoing restoration process proceeded. It wasn't to milk the money out of consumers but rather to give them something and something new while the entire show was being restored, a process often taking many months. It wasn't certain until a short time ago that a second boxed set would be released because Pioneer would not release said set unless all 26 episodes qualified for release (or, again, if they had all the episodes, which they did not until the very end, more or less). So rather than complain or site conspiracy, why not be grateful to Pioneer's ongoing efforts to release all 26 episodes, a feat which I am certain no other company would have done...certainly to this meticulous and first-rate level? That's why, btw, quality may vary between or within episodes, because the restoration process called for it...if some shows have inferior video or audio spots, it was THAT or release nothing at all. I may be biased here, because I was involved in the product (and as the author of 'Rainbow's End') but I think we all owe Pioneer a huge debt of thanks and it's time once and for all to end the carping and claims of conspiracy. Did any of us dream even five years ago that we would have all 26 programs in largely-pristine condition AND with outtakes, post-taping moments, deleted performances, audio commentaries, audio outtakes, photo galleries, extensive liner notes and never-before-published photos? I think not. It's time to have a little perspective and appreciation and stop complaining. These shows would not and will not have a finer showcase than what Pioneer provided.
Steve Sanders

In 1962 the greatest musical introduction happened in my life when my loving older sis sat me down and played Judy At Carnegie Hall and life was not quite the same after...1963 came this great legend on television every Sunday night and I instantly fell in love and never missed a show and on Monday morning in High School Choir the first topic of discussion was always about Judy's tremendous and gorgeous voice, the songs that Judy sang the night before and who she did those incredible duets with which was a spectacular array of the whose who in the great musical world of the sixties such as Tony Bennett, Count Basie, Bobby Darin, Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, Vic Damone, Jack Jones and on and on! I remember being awe struck as a teen watching this dynamo every Sunday night and being thrilled beyond belief...1965 opening night in the front row (I have the program and ticket stub to prove it!) at the Greek Theatre was sublime and this remains the greatest to this day that I have ever experienced and I have seen most of the greats over the past forty years. Anyone who experiences this wonderous box set will see what I mean as this is the closest that we can now get to the genius that was Judy Garland the Live Concert performer...and this set captures this brilliantly!!! Never in my lifetime did I think that I would have all the episodes of this incomparable series all beautifully remastered with such loving care but this second box set now completes this legendary series in the grand fashion that this classic musical series and this grand legend deserves. Glorious outtakes and stunning masterful unused performances fill out this collection and it is amazing to watch the incredibly moving series finale "Here's To Us" and realize that this amazing performance was not used...one watches transfixed as this soulful wonder goes to emotional depths unreached by other singers...this extraordinary performance is stunning beyond belief and quite possibly the greatest performance ever captured on film by any singer...certainly the most deeply moving. Aretha Franklin rates Judy as one of the greatest soul singers ever and watching this performance makes one know that Aretha knows what she is talking about. Judy Garland had a spectacular natural voice and was the greatest female popular singer plus peerless performer ever and this beautifully crafted box set clearly demonstrates this and is the next best thing to what it was like to experience Judy In Concert...there are a number of Concert Special Shows between these two magnificent box sets and they are the ultimate! Thank you Judy for working so hard and leaving us these two wonderous treasure chests of the best there is in the world of entertainment to savor and enjoy over and over again we do miss you alot...for always.

Good grief, I just read the 'sneer for Pioneer' submission and I can't believe this crackpot conspiracy theory, that Pioneer deliberately duped fans by releasing DVDs in random order and/or sometimes in compilation form for extra coin. (I think he referred to me as Mr. Sandler, so his penchant for accuracy can be questioned from the get-to LOL) You either can choose to believe the truth or create your own fantasy of your version of the truth, I can only tell you that I was involved in the Pioneer restoration from the beginning through the final release and everything I wrote previously is the truth and every conjecture the 'sneers for Pioneer' writer creates is false. Any so-called extra money derived by Pioneer for releasing the DVDs as they did (and there wasn't any) is offset and then some by the tens of thousands of dollars spent on each release to restore them as material was made available to them. Sometimes, as in this case, there is nothing hidden, even if the truth seems too obvious. Truth is, Pioneer received said material not at once and had to restore the tapes as they came available...it's no more sinister or complex than that. Trust me, I was there. I have no agenda to be Pioneer's mouthpiece; I'm not on the payroll nor am I am shill for the company. But to blast Pioneer after the fine work they did to bring these shows to the public, painstakingly, and in such fine condition is shameful. No one else was lining up to release all 26 episodes on DVD, might I remind you. And Pioneer did a first-rate job all the way and dealt with the material with integrity and with taste and understood the importance of the material and always worked to please the fans, eager to include outtakes, bonus material, audio commentaries, alternate performances, etc. on every release to satisfy the fans first and the general public second. I hope this puts such whining and carping and nonsensical attacks to rest once and for all.

There really are no words to express the genius of Judy Garland. With all of her emotional and financial problems (not to mention the horrible treatment she got from CBS), this supposedly "unreliable" woman sang her heart out week after week in what is indisputably the best musical series in the history of television. Every single show was like a special event. The shows produced by Bill Colleran are of course the best, because the "comedy sidekick" format was finally dropped and the focus was purely on the music. The 2 boxed sets, taken in their entirety, are an absolute must for any Garland fan. Most interesting to me were the out-takes (which show no indication of a temperamental, intoxicated diva), and the audio commentaries. Too bad there's no commentary from any of Judy's children, but I highly recommend the DVD of "Me and My Shadows: Life with Judy Garland" produced by Lorna Luft - she gives an excellent audio commentary on that DVD. Major Kudos to Pioneer Entertainment for a superb job on these 2 boxed sets - they are timeless treasures, and have gone a long way to satisfying my insatiable appetite for all things Garland.

For me, the defining moment of the first series was Garland's rendition of "Cottage for Sale." In the second series, her performance of Steve Allen's "I'll Show Them All," defines this package. It is absolutely electrifying, and not to be missed by any serious Judy fan.

Despite what Coyne Steve Sanders says in his book about the show, she seems much more confident in this second package. Specifically, she tells her hilarious anecdotes in a louder voice, but she still speaks in those charming, characteristic half-sentences that get her point across more clearly than full sentences ever could.

However, no anecdote in this series matches the exquisite telling of "Judy's Oscar Story" in the first series.

She does, however, impersonate Marlon Brando in "The Wild One," and her delivery of the line, "Where you come from, While Wun?" is fall-down funny. It gets the same huge laugh that Rooney got with his Carioca drumming in the first episode.

The Steve Allen/Mel Torme episode deserves its reputation as the best of the variety-format portion of the series. Although it lacks the nostalgic quality of the Rooney episode, Torme and Allen obviously spruced up the usually weak, sometimes even nonsensical comedy material seen in this series.

Garland is less nervous with these two sure-footed (and highly competitive) performers, and the "Be My Guest" sequence is, in my opinion, inarguably the strongest of the entire series. Allen is charming beyond words, and yes, Torme's "Comin' Home Baby" is as pretentious as Judy said it was. It's great to see it at last, and hoot!

Garland always relaxes and works best in the variety format with very confident performers, don't you agree?

There are many delicious secondary audio programs in this second series. They're fascinating in their diverse viewpoints. Jayne Meadows babbles on with alarming candor and endearing reverence for Garland, and gets so far-afield with her charming commentary that she even throws in her spot-on perfect impersonation of Katharine Hepburn.

Others tell hair-raising tales, and some, like Bob Mackie and the assistant choreographer and others, give enlightening insight into the day-to-day workings of the show. Mort Lindsay is very interesting, and not fawning. There isn't much that you haven't read in the Sanders book, however. Norman Jewison totes out his weary old "Calling JFK" anecdote, but he throws in a lots more, too, about the Garland/Sinatra/Martin special, and other things.

I loved the Secondary Audio. There is much more of it than there was in series one, and everyone seems to be trying hard to give a balanced viewpoint. Most sort of echo Vic Damone's wonderful comment in the book, "Yes, she was late, but she was getting ready!"

There is a "Legends" compilation that seems unnecessary if you've purchased both series. It includes Judy with some of her various guest stars, and the stars alone. There is also one whole DVD devoted to indexing the songs, stars and shows. I paid for that?!

The last show is shown with all of it's many starts and stops. Honest to Pete, if she was upset or drunk or drugged, I can't see it. It's a real lesson in how people can twist the truth. She is a good-natured pro throughout, but the taping is obviously riddled with problems and fatigue on the parts of many who participated, not just Judy.

The die-hard fan will be fascinated to see how her funny little quips after her own mistakes and others' technical failures have been twisted around to make her seem upset, or drunk, or downright insane during this taping. She is fine!

Anyone who knows that Judy Lindsay was her "singing stand-in" gets her cute joke about how Judy Lindsay is making all of the mistakes, not Judy Garland. And yet, how many times have the Judy books tried to turn this into mentally ill person's third-person reference to herself?

And the one time she really swears, she apologizes to the audience with brief, believable sincerity: "I really am sorry."

What can I say, if you love Judy, you must have this. If you're really a die-hard fan - run don't walk. It's delicious. If you're on a budget, get the Allen/Torme show, and the Donald O'Connor show. If you love the singing and aren't curious about the variety format, buy the concert DVDs.

I just wanted to say Thank you to the team at Pioneer for giving Judy fans like myself, this remarkable treasure - all your efforts, as Im sure you have discovered, payed off in the hearts of many souls who have purchased these collections and DVDs. I feel truly fortunate to have these episodes to watch and experience. And to whomever came up with the LOOK of these box sets knew exactly how to capture the essence of Judy in the overall design of the two sets as they are just gorgeous to look at. They practically need a display case all their own. ( I wish I had POSTERS of the two covers!)Hat's off to you! I also would like to thank Steven Sanders for posting his comment, which contained information helpful to me, and I'm sure others (I myself was wondering why some {and very few} scenes weren't restored). Everyone should be grateful for these DVD releases being available to the public as people have spent months restoring these to the best that present technology can allow, and any whining or bickering in the way these were released should cease to exist because they did't have to be released at all- remember that! The only words that should be coming out of anyone's mouth are, Thank You. I'd rather have bought every singular DVD released before the box sets than nothing. But I for one, thank Steven Sanders (great book, by the way) and the team he worked with for their outstanding restoration and presentation in the releasing of The Judy Garland Show. Your work is greatly appreciated and will always be regarded as one of the most important and finest projects ever to be tackeled and completed, for anything else could never do when one of the most important and finest women is at hand, Judy Garland.

I first saw these shows in the basement of our home 2 inches from a lousy black and white TV set while my parents watched "guess what" on our color TV upstairs. I was 16 years old at the time, and remember that I was depressed when the show was cancelled. I haven't seen any of them since, until now! I hope Mr.Sanders is reading this, because I want to publically thank him, all the experts at Pioneer, and everyone else involved with the remastering and release of these shows. Also, for years, I thought that Mel Torme's book was the definitive story on what went on behind the scenes leading to that cancellation. That is, until I read Rainbow's End. His (Torme's)book had actually slightly turned me off to my admiration of Judy, which is now restored. Each time I read it (Rainbow's End) I find out some tidbit that I didn't know. Thank you! Now to the DVD's themselves. They are fantastic! She was fantastic! I saw her in person in Chicago once, and this is as close as it comes to that excitement. I only have a couple of things to add to the comments that have already been written. With a little research I was able to determine that I could get the DVD's as they were released, and then wait and be a little patient. When I read that volumes #7 and #8 would have the last 5 shows, I snatched them up when they came out last month. The restoration is remarkable not only because of how old these tapes are, but how much they moved around (garages?). Thank you so much, Pioneer!! I wish you had gotten a hold of the four DVD's that Sid Luft had Kultur do. They could have used your expertise. Finally, much has been written about the hold and effect Garland had on her audience. I only have a couple of observances to add. I believe her respect for her audience was unique to a performer. I can think of no other performer that played to everyone as she did. The TV shows demonstrate this in the trunk spots, as she makes eye contact with every inch of the studio, and bows and blows kisses to all-front row and rear, left and right. Secondly, as intelligent as she was, she never talked down to her audience, but was informative, and enlightening. At almost every trunk spot she introduced her song with a mini history lesson- who wrote it-what movie or play it was in- what year it was written. Then she would sing it like no one else before or since! Again, thank you Pioneer, Mr. Sanders and everyone else involved

I just got this, and haven't stopped watching it...
I am glad I bought this box set. Pioneer did an amazing job of putting all of these tv shows to DVD... The picture and sound are outstanding... Very Sharp and Clear.. All of the extras are incredible.. and you really feel like you are watching this as if it was on now, and you don't want to change the channel to Lorne Green and Bonanza.. It's a shame that they never changed the night of the show. Because Bonanza was Number one of all shows that year, and Judy's show was competing against that one.. Ed Sullivan's show was on just before Judy's show on CBS on Sunday night the same network as Judy's show. Lots of guest stars on this DVD collection. It is incredible the amount of work Judy must have during this series.. Memorizing dance routines, singing, plus having a couple of kids. She must have got little rest.. But, she gave her all for the people that loved her... and if she were still alive, would still be singing and entertaining the folks as she always did. Judy knew the best singers, actors of the time, because she was one of the best herself.. and I don't think she knew it... These Dvd collections of her shows show how talented she was... and that people care enough about her to buy these Dvd's of her shows, 40 years after being made.
As Judy sang about "That's Entertainment" that's what her tv show is all about...

I have seen most of the Judy Garland Show episodes through the years, but this is a clean and fun collection, long overdue. Although I wish the episodes had been offered in the order of original viewing, this restored version is heavenly to watch and to hear. Bravo for making this collection available to Judy fans!