Judy Garland: The Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Legend (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's hard to imagine that there could ever be a more obsessive detailing of Garland's life than this day-by-day listing that brings new meaning to the word minutiae. There seems to be no detail too small or insignificant to escape Schechter's forensic-like attention to all things Judy (1922 1969). A $15.97 receipt from Lord & Taylor for a new hat (December 12, 1968) merits the same amount of space as the night (March 30, 1955) a camera crew was set up in her hospital room (the day after giving birth to her son) to record her Best Actress Oscar acceptance speech for A Star Is Born (she wound up losing to Grace Kelly). Given that this is a quotidian chronology, some entries are banal (numerous dates just note checks Garland wrote that day), but as anyone who has ever read a Garland bio knows, she didn't lead a dull life. There is a strange fascination to being able to chart the progress of the shooting of The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis and other MGM musicals (and hour-by-hour notations for Annie Get Your Gun before she was fired). Schechter (publisher and editor of the fanzine Garlands for Judy The Legend's Legacy) includes a generous sampling of reviews for films, albums and live appearances and dutifully notes current availability for fans. Although few enthusiasts will read this cover-to-cover, it is sure to have enormous appeal as a reference tome and have multiple uses for trivia buffs. 80 b&w photos.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Actress Janet Leigh is quoted as saying, "There can never be enough written about Judy Garland." However, the line must be drawn with this daily chronology of Garland's life. Do even the most rabid Garland fans really want to read that on April 7, 1944, Garland was called to the Meet Me in St. Louis set, was ready at 10:30, and dismissed at 4 p.m.? Entry after entry reads like this. It's true that Garland's will (included in the appendix) might be of interest to some, but also included are the names that appeared in her address book just names, no addresses. Schechter's publishers tout him as "the world's premier Garland authority," and this book is being published to coincide with what would have been Garland's 80th birthday. But it is mind-numbingly boring and does not do her justice. Try Gerald Clarke's Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland or Morley Sheridan's Judy Garland: Beyond the Rainbow instead. Not recommended. Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Cty. Free Libs., Salinas,CA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; 1 edition (June 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815412053
• ISBN-13: 978-0815412052
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,218,752 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why all of the carping?, June 23, 2002

By A Customer

This book was never meant to be a "biography" in the tradional sense - nor is it meant to be an examination of the Garland psyche.

It is simply what the title says it is: A Day by Day chronicle of Judy's life. Everyone knows she was a workhorse - especially at MGM. This book shows that and more.

No, this book is not for the "new to Garland" people who want to read a bio about her - it's more for people who enjoy perusing through raw data and seeing not just how much Judy worked, but also just how "anal retentive" MGM was in keeping track of her every move. ESPECIALLY when she was labeled as "difficult."

It's great to read the long entries that have details about various milestones in her life, and it's also a great "quick reference" guide for those fans who want to find data easily (and don't have to wade through some biographer's personal opinions about that data).

If you don't like reading that she was late on a particular day while filming "Meet Me In St. Louis" - then fine - skim over than and concentrate on the lengthy and detailed entries.

I for one am glad Scott put this book out - and from what I have read, it could have been several hundred pages more (too bad it isn't). Scott has put the data out there for all to see and form their own opinion on Judy's career.

Forget all of the nasty posts/reviews - this is simply a record of her life/career in (as stated above) raw data form.

A fun book for Garland fans and fans of old Hollywood. So, put on one of the new CD's of Garlands Capitol albums and page through this book and simply have fun!

Thanks Scott for putting all of this data in one easy reference point!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gold Mine of Data, March 21, 2006

By	Staysun "staysun" (Downers Grove, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a must-have for Judy fans. That's a given.
But be careful about a quick dismissive flip through the pages. This is, among other great things, a key reference book for collectors.
If you want to know about a particular song Judy sang and whether a recording exists, the Song Index in this book will lead you to the answer.
If you want to know if a particular radio show or concert was recorded, this book will tell you where to find it or will confirm that it exists in private collections.
If you want to know when and where Judy sang with Vic Damone, for instance, this book will lead you to the time, the place and provide info. on available recordings.
A keepsake volume and handy reference tool for the very serious Judy collector.

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Chronicle!!, May 20, 2002

By	W. D LaRue (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I wasn't sure what to make of this when I bought it......a day by day chronicle. However, I was soon caught up and totally fascinated. Not only is this an important document on Judy Garland but it is an important document on stardom during the "Golden Age??!!" of Hollywood. Good Grief, they most certainly earned their keep. That was a tough, tough business.
It's interesting to note that as Judy became more popular MGM did seem to make an effort to make her call times on pictures a little later, realizing the early morning was not her best time.
I had to keep wondering at how very confusing it must have been to be tying up lose ends on one movie while beginning production on another adding to the initial confusion of the make-believe world of making movies. I got tired just reading about her day to day existence. I can't imagine what it must have been like to live such an existence and I can't imagine trading so much of myself for anything. Those that made it as "stars" must have had a deep, deep need to be able to sell themselves body and soul to their studios to be repaid in fame. I don't know......you can think about this and think about it but you have to wonder how so many actually survived this gruelling situation. It most definitely is to Judy's credit she attained the quality as well as the amount of work she produced in such a short lifetime.
This book offers a real understanding of the star system as well as Judy Garland's position in it and once and for all de-glamorizes the whole thing. Fascinating!