Customer Reviews

Judy Garland: World's Greatest Entertainer

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Never will i forget the day my copy of this book came in the mail. Not knowing exactly what i was getting as many JUDY books have been read by myself, this 1 was 'sent from JUDY herself'!! Mr. Fricke should be very pleased with what he has done. Hopefully an honor or two-maybe....This is THE JUDY book!!!! Yes it tells everything about her and her life, the ups and downs, the pills, the 'everything'. But most importantly it tells, and shows through hundreds of beautiful pictures, what JUDY was and always will be-THE WORLDS GREATEST ENTERTAINER!!! Tho i've had the book a couple of years now, i still find myself looking through it for hours. looking at all the photographs, the concerts photos, the behind the scenes movie photos, the personal photos, the studio photos, and reading, and reading, all the while her 'CARNEGIE HALL' concert is still 'doing' what it 'did' all those years ago! GARLAND, doing what she still does, giving that voice of hers to ALL OF US!!! 2 or 3 hours can slip by as i read and look and change albums on the phonograph, and yet it seems like only moments. But, as we know, that is what made JUDY so GREAT!!!! You never tire listening to her. And to have this added gift given by Mr. John Fricketo us, only keeps her alive for those of us to young to have been honored by seeing her 'live'.THANK YOU MR. JOHN FRICKE!!!!!! JUDY, I'M SURE, IS PLEASED AS PUNCH THAT SOMEBODY FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT!!! [And I wouldn't be surprised if, when your time came, she wasn't there waiting with open arms to say, 'THANK YOU!!!']

Other books will tell you what brought Judy Garland down, but no other book will show you in such loving detail what made Judy soar. I know a lot of devout Judy fans, and for each of them, this is their favorite Judy book. The reviewers below are bizarrely out of sync with the majority of Judy people on this title. Every page literally overflows with detail, insight, and love.

Even if I weren't a dyed-in-the-wool true-blue Judy Garland fan, Fricke's book would make me one. Without a doubt, I feel that this is the most careful, thorough, and loving pictorial tribute to Garland I've ever seen. Thumbing through this book, as I listened to the stunning 1961 Carnegie Hall Concert, I was struck by how completely, how thoroughly the many faces and phases of Garland are represented in this book--from the little girl with the leather lungs; to the MGM musical doll; to the glamorous cover girl of the 40s; to the serious movie actress; to the television star of the early 60s; to the most powerful of the Garland personas: the concert Garland, in utter control of her rapt and adoring audiences. She's all there. In all her modulations. In all her transmogrifications.

You see it in her face on every page; you see it in her stance and her stride, so much so that you almost expect her to jump off the page and do "Get Happy" on your living room floor; you hear it, because her voice, almost literally, leaps off every page of Fricke's very alive book. This book is Judy Garland in constant motion. What you see, what you hear, is pure Judy, pure genius, all talent. I cannot thank John Fricke enough for this marvelous and colorful tribute.

If he can do this for Judy Garland, I would love to see what he could do for Ella Fitzgerald. The world is still waiting for her life in pictures.

But the title of this book is indeed accurate: WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINER. The epigraph by Frank Sinatra is right on the mark: "The rest of us will be forgotten, never Judy."

Thank you John.

--Dan

This book covers the sad, sweet, drug-addled life and times of Judy Garland. It's all in here! The diet pills, the drugs, the childhood that never was, the little girl just longing to be loved loved loved! There is absolutely nothing better than putting some Judy music on, and crackin' open this book, and laughing and crying right along with Judy. I was fortunate enough to have met her through a friend of a friend, and I can tell you, she was absolutely the sweetest person on the face of this earth. We all miss her terribly.

This book is simply marvelous! This book has hundreds and hundreds of crisp, clear pictures of Judy, many not previously published!
This book covers Judy's entire carear, from her first performace at age two until her death on June 22, 1969! This book is packed full of both black and white and color pictures!
All of her movies are covered in this book, as well as her hundreds of concerts particually the landmark concert on April 23, 1961 at Carnigie Hall! Also covered is her 1963- 1964 television show on CBS: The Judy Garland Show!
If your looking for information on Judy's career, this definatly is the right book for you! Or if your looking for lots and lots of pictures of Miss Garland and all her movies, this is still the right book for you!
If you just love Judy in any way at all, and want more information on her life, this is the book to buy!

If you just love Judy Garland, then this is a "must have" book. Refreshingly, Judy Garland-World's Greatest Entertainer is not written in the tabloid style of many of the prolific biographies about Judy.

This is an open, honest almost scholarly look at Judy's life. It spans her theatrical career from age two until her tragic death at age forty-seven.

The text is a rich and lavish exposition that has been written by a man who obviously loves Judy's talent and his admiration shows in his thoughtful manner in which he presents the great legacy that was Judy's life.

If "a picture is worth a thousand words" then this book has to be one of the richest in publishing history. There are dozens of black and white stills but also the book contains more color photographs than I have ever seen on Judy.

This book is of the quality in a book that we call "coffee table" eye catchers. When you buy this book, do yourself a favor and read it from cover to cover. It belongs in every library of Judy lovers. Then if you wish, put it on the coffee table.

It is this Munchkin's opinion that John Fricke is the world-leading expert on the life and times of Judy Garland.

If you're a fan of the great Judy Garland, you can never go wrong purchasing any title written by John Fricke. He loves, respects, and honors Judy in every sentence he writes. He puts class into every work he has contributed towards, be it a book or a compact disc booklet. His research is comprehensive and exhaustive. This book is a MUST for any fan of Judy - from a neophyte to octogenarian! Kudos, John. The fans of Judy salute you!

Judy Garland: World's Greatest Entertainer is certainly the world's greatest book on Judy, covering every aspect of her multifaceted career in exquisite pictures (quite a few rare) and reliable writing. Many of Judy's biographers tend to be either hysterically gushing fans or cold and distant, and neither style makes the reader particularly comfortable. But Fricke has struck the perfect balance - his writing has warmth and credibility at the same time. He focuses mostly on her tremendous achievements in music and movies, and less on her troubled personal life. A Judy fan, new or old, can't go wrong with this masterpiece.

Fricke's recent commemorative edition on 100th Anniversary "OZ" should be read first--Judy's career...& careening started with MGM. See 'world's Greatest Entertainer" hometown Children's Museum (non-profit) in Grand Rapids,MN..online..Mickey Rooney visted '99.

Along with Gerold Frank's 1975 biography "JUDY", John Fricke's book THE WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINER is the definitive book about the sensational talent and fascinating life of the legendary lady. Fricke has done the research that no one before him could do to really give a broad insight into the career that has made Garland an icon. Beautifully written and handsomely illustrated, this is a book for the ages, and a must-have for any Garland fan. Anyone who doesn't love this book clearly hasn't a clue what great books are all about.