The other side of the rainbow; with Judy Garland on the dawn patrol [Unknown Binding]

Mel Torme (Author)

Product Details

• Unknown Binding
• ASIN: B00005WJB6
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,096,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not that bad!, June 20, 2006

By 

Lurcher (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The other side of the rainbow: With Judy Garland on the dawn patrol (Hardcover)

This book moves along pretty well, and reads pretty well.

I believe that Mel was being honest, as he saw things. He gave Judy her due many times. He talks about how he got goosebumps the first time she sang in rehearsal. He freely attributed the "Get Happy / Happy Days are Here Again" duet idea to Judy Garland. He talked about Judy's idea for an American tribute show after Kennedy was killed, and how it was quashed by the network brass.

He also talked about Judy's darker side, and how that affected the show.

He also talked about the problems the show had with the network / format changes, etc.

He seemed to be pretty self-aware, and talked about his problems along with the rest.

I think he was still bitter over the outcome, who wouldn't be? I think this book was his way of getting closure on an intense experience which had good and bad parts.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Honest Book About Judy, July 19, 2008

By 

R. Libott (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The other side of the rainbow: With Judy Garland on the dawn patrol (Hardcover)

I adore Judy Garland. (I also appreciate Mel Torme's singing.)
She is one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th Century.
That said, this book is a journal of what a nightmare it can be like dealing with what the French correctly call a "sacred monster".
Torme doesn't tarnish Judy's legacy. Here he harshly but honestly illuminates a dark corner of her life.
She wasn't perfect. By this time of her life, she was somewhat impossible to work with: like an injured creature, wounding those around her.
This isn't an easy read for many Garland fans, I know. But it is a valuable contribution to understanding her.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars As a writer, Mel Torme is a good singer!, April 5, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The other side of the rainbow: With Judy Garland on the dawn patrol (Hardcover)

First published shortly after the death of Judy Garland in 1969, this book attempts to show the true personality of the legendary performer. Written in a manner that points all criticism for the failure of Garland's CBS Television series to her, and away from him and others behind the scenes, Torme instead shows how much bitterness he still had 5 years after the demise of the show. Inaccuracies abound throughout the book and, after reading it, you feel Garland was a shameless has-been. Nothing could be further from the truth. As testament one only needs to view the recently released DVDs of the complete television series which show Garland as a powerful entertainer who elevated show after show to something quite entertaining even today. For a better view of Garland and the TV-series, read "Rainbows End" by Coyne steven Sanders - a book that puts you center stage for all of the shows, and behind the scenes for all of the intrigue that helped doom the show. 'The Other Side of the Rainbow' is a poor choice of reading material to learn about the magic that is (still) Judy Garland.