Customer Reviews

The Judy Garland Show Collection

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This new set of the Judy Garland television series has got to be one of the best things that could happen to a Garland fan. The quality is exceptional. I'll bet the shows didn't look this good on the dates of their initial broadcast in the early 60's! Judy's program still holds up all these years later. As I said to a friend of mine who is not a fan of Miss Garland's, even just to watch the guest roster. Judy had some of the all time greats on her show. From Peggy Lee to Lena Horne to Ethel Merman to Jack Jones. Can't wait for the second set, scheduled as I understand, to be released in the spring. Try it, you'll love it!

A must have for any fans of great performers. Judy is better than we remember. Over the years everyone has dismissed the series as a disaster. This collection proves the opposite.

Yes, there are moments when things go wrong and there are moments when the support players are simply awful. Through all of this Miss Garland triumphs and is completely mesmerizing.

A wonderful way to relive the season of 1963-64 when these shows were originally broadcast. They truly don't make them like this anymore and we are all the sadder that they don't.

The set is exemplary, especially if you read the book while watching hte programs. This is particularly illuminating.

The set advertises a commmentary by George Schlatter (originaly producer). I could not find it anywhere. Ok Pioneer, own up is this a boo boo in an otherwise perfect set?

We all have a few defining moments in our lives. Man on themoon. A first kiss. Death of a loved one. Our first puppy. This DVDcollection is one of those such moments. As one who had never seen 'Judy' live, I apprehensively ordered Volume One of the Judy Garland Show. From the second Judy opens with 'I Feel a Song Coming On' I was hooked.Stunned.Overwhelmed. I ordered this boxed set. It's even better. The pictures are astoundingly crisp and sharp, in fact it's hard to believe it's off videotape! The resolution is light years ahead of any VHS tape - in fact it's so good you can pick the (few) slightly out of focus shots better than the camera operator could! The pictures have excellent texture and contrast ratio- there are very few video releases that can come under such scrutiny on an 8 foot screen. This 39 year old release looks better than most stuff shot yesterday! If the pictures are stunning, the audio is simply dazzling! The Dolby digital soundtrack is a masterpiece in audio transfers. But it would all be pointless without the real star of the show. Judy. Isn't it ironic. We spend thousands of dollars on sophisticated home theaters,projectors that can show 2 million colors, Dolby 5.1 sound, the best speakers we can afford......... And this nearly 40 year old black & white boxed set makes it all worthwhile. Finally someone has got it right, congratulations to Pioneer for what is, in my opinion, quite simply the best release, of the best artist, of the century.

A virtual video feast. Judy in the prime of her powers, as any anti-Bonanza baby-boomer will warmly recall. I too bought a DVD Player for the sole purpose of basking in the wonder of this collection. Flawless sound quality and video too.What a joy to see not only Judy performing, but also to catch the glimpses of Judy being Judy: interacting with her melange of guest stars, improvising her way around disaster, laughing at herself. In short: being the wonderously engaging woman that she was, out from behind the masks of movie roles.Only one gripe: the rather jumbled index of content in the program booklet, and the lack of executive creative talent credits for each show (God knows it was a revolving door.) But the styles of the various regimes were palpable and it would add interest value to have them clearly delineated.All in all, a stellar offering. Also, it's great to share it (in small doses at a time) with non-Judy-ists. They seem quite surprised and enchanted by her unyielding sophistication and genuine wit. This collection shall garner lots of fresh converts, I guarantee. Also the wardrobe offers a fashion feast. Edith Head, Ray Agyahan, Bob Mackie... the essence of '60s show-biz chic!I eagerly await release of the as-yet-unreleased shows: i.e. Barbra, etc. I do hope La Streisand hasn't, in some greedy way, blocked its release!I also hope that Liza, Lorna & Joey (not just Mr. Luft) are profitting in some way from this venture. It would only seem fair!If you don't have it yet, GET IT. If you don't have a DVD Player yet, GET ONE. And take yourself back to that brief shining season when Judy was on top of the world!Brava! Brava! Encore! Encore!

I have this collection, as well as Vols. 3-5 and "Legends" (aka Vol. 6). I was confused during my research regarding the content and possible overlaps between the various discs that are out there. Now that I've had a chance to review my own copy of the collection (love it), here is some information that might be helpful to others:

There are 4 DVDs in the box:
1. Just Judy compilation & Shows #21 & #22 (The Just Judy portion was recently released individually without #21 & #22)
2. Shows #1, #2, #3, #4 (recently released individually and split into two discs as Vol. 1: Shows #1 & #3, and Vol. 2: Shows #2 & #4)
3. Shows #5, #6, #10, #12
4. Shows #13, #16, #17, #18

Also released individually:
Vol. 3 - Show #15
Vol. 4 - Shows #8, #19, #24, #25
Vol. 5 - Shows #7, #9
Vol. 6 - "Legends" is a compilation

So, if you buy the Collection and Vols. 3-6, you will have 21 of the 26 shows. The Collection comes in a case shaped like a trunk. Inside the trunk, you'll find a piece of foam, a Collection insert, and a paperback book in addition to the 4 DVDs. If you remove the foam and the book, you'll be able to fit Vols. 3-6 inside as well...but then what to do with the book? Anyway...

The DVD insert provides an index to the guests and provides the Show # on which they appear. It also indexes each song performed and provides the Show # or #s. The DVD insert indices only reference the discs included in the Collection.

The feature mentioned in the product description for the Collection regarding an index to *all 26 shows* is actually found in the paperback book, "Rainbow's End," which is included inside the Collection box.

Another issue is that the spines of the DVDs in the Collection are labeled Disc 1, Disc 2, etc while the supplemental discs are labeled Vol 3, Vol 4, etc.

If you have the Collection, and Vols. 3-6, the "missing" episodes are:
Show #11 - Steve Allen, Mel Torme, Jayne Meadows
Show #14 - Bobby Darin, Bob Newhart
Show #20 - Judy Garland in Concert
Show #23 - Judy Garland in Concert: Music from Movies
Show #26 - Judy Garland in Concert

Shows #11 and #14 will be released on 2/18/2003 in Vol. 7!

Enjoy!

What a great collection--15 hours of the Judy Garland show! The included book was a wonderful, unexpected pleasure of this set--with all the backstage stories of each episode--interesting to read how Judy performed all the songs on show 1 in just one take! (Before other material was inserted later.) Or to know that Judy was coming down off an OD just hours before the Count Basie episode, and yet is simply riveting! You've probably seen some of Judy's best songs from the show over and over on PBS, but there are many forgotten gems that are just sublime! (Did you know she sang 'Some People' from Gypsy? Or 'Shenandoah'?) Even when Judy forgets the lyric she can still play a song (and ad lib new lyrics on the fly) to the hilt! Yes, some (most) of the non-musical material (like comedy sketches) is below par. But how great for a JG fanatic to experience the shows in their entirety. And the guests! Wonderful to see the obvious love between Judy and Mickey Rooney! Liza Minelli is young but already a powerhouse. Martha Raye and her hilarious faces as she tries to steal the scene from Judy. Rich Little's TV debut. A young Chita Rivera dancing a 60's style 'I Got Plenty of Nothin'.' Ethel Merman belting and playing (old-school) to the camera while Judy plays to Ethel. (And don't miss the easter egg--the only time you'll ever hear Barbra Streisand's voice get overpowered--by both Judy and Ethel!) Lots of outtakes give you the opportunity to watch alternate takes (I only wish more were included!). The only question is when will they release the rest of the episodes (like show 9 with Barbra Streisand)!

Ultimate musical introduction of a lifetime happened in 1962 when my loving sis played Judy At Carnegie Hall and life was never quite the same after...1963 came this spectacular legend on television every Sunday night and never missed a show & Monday in High School Choir first topic of discussion was always about "The Judy Garland Show", her gorgeous voice and those incredibly great duets with the likes of Peggy Lee, Bobby Darin, Vic Damone,Ethel Merman, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Liza Minnelli, Lena Horne, and you can go on and on with this list of the whose who in the world of music in the great musical sixties appearing as guests with Judy on her blazing series! Remember being awe struck as a teen watching this dynamo every Sunday night being thrilled beyond belief...front row 1965 (have ticket stub for proof in my scrap book) at the Greek Theatre was sublime and the greatest to date having seen most of the greats over the past forty years. Anyone experiencing this wondrous box set will come closest that we can now get to the genius that was Judy Garland brilliant In Concert performer. Never dreamed of having all the episodes of this incomparable series beautifully remastered with such loving care. Along with now available second box set, this legendary series presented in grand fashion this once-in-a-lifetime ground-breaking musical series deserves. Judy Garland had the most glorious voice and easily the greatest female popular singer AND performer ever as this beautifully crafted box set clearly illustrates and these magnificent box sets are the next best thing to what it was like to experience Judy In Concert. Miss you madly Judy and thank you for all of those great years of being the best there is in the wonderful world of entertainment...BRAVO & RIP

I'm not too much of a fan of the songs that Garland sings. I'm really much more into Rock-n-Roll. But what you see through this DVD collection of her TV work is the truely great artist that was Judy Garland. I wish that modern singers would put as much into their artistry as Ms. Garland did. Maybe some of today's current divas should watch these shows and take notes.

Depending upon the quality of your home entertainment system, this DVD compendium of Garland's CBS' shows verges on a resurrection of Judy Garland. Sure, the series features awkward moments thanks to the passive-aggressive politics of CBS Executives Aubrey and Stromberg. Still, Garland's performances are offered to us as a testament to her genius as an entertainer. There are so many moments in this collection where she triumphs despite the politics of CBS, gifting us with a legacy of her of genius in which we are allowed to participate so intimately. Itt would be a joke to pit this collection against THE COMPLETE BONANZA, Judy's competition in '63-'64.

It's imperative that the entire CBS series is preserved and soon finds its way onto DVD and into our homes. The mere thought that the last show, #26, could present viewers with the audio and visual of outakes such as "Here's To Us!" is the Pop equivalent of the restoration of Davinci's THE LAST SUPPER. Judy is at her best in this collection, for those of us too young to have seen her perform live, it's the next best thing --- don't miss it!

Critic Judith Crist once said, "Either you are are you aren't a Judy Garland fan." If you are a Garland fan, you owe it to yourself to buy this excellect collection. The DVD format presents these black and white shows with such picture and sound quality that they seem almost new. The format also allows easy access to favorite moments. Judy shines in her solo moments, giving performances that range from good to great. Her guests give good performances, and her duets with many of them are real treats. Lena Horne, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Vic Damone, Ethel Merman, Jack Jones and Steve Lawrence are a few of the shining stars featured. Young Liza make a memorable appearance, and Martha Raye does a funny duet with Garland. Even June Allyson, nervous at best, has some clumsily charming moments with Judy. Ray Bolger chatting with Garland about "Wizard of Oz" is also fun. As previous reviewers have commented, some of Judy's quiet moments are the revealation here. "A Cottage for Sale" is a heartbreaker, and Judy's version of "A Foggy Day" sung directly to Terry Thomas is incredible. All in all, a wonderful group of shows. I am looking forward to the second half of the collection.