"In march of 1969, Judy married her fifth hband, Mickey Devko, better known as Mickey Deans, a gay night-club promoter. Judy had an unfortunate hab of marryg gay men. They lived together a ty mews hoe Chelsea, London. The eveng of Saturday June 21 1969, Judy and Mickey were watchg a documentary, The…
Contents:
- WHY DID GAY MEN MARRY JUDY GARLAND?
- OVER THE RABOW, AND THEN SOME!PILLS AND THRILLS: GARLAND PERFORMG AT CARNEGIE HALL, APRIL 23, 1961. BY FRIEDMAN-ABEL/JOHN FRICKE; DIGAL LORIZATN BY LORNA CLARK.BY JAM KAPLANMAY 1, 2011SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAT 37, JUDY GARLAND WAS NEAR ATH, THANKS TO ALHOL AND PILLS. HER ACTG-AND-SGG REER HAD ALREADY flATLED. THEN, FYG DOCTORS’ ORRS, THE STAR THREW EVERYTHG SHE HAD TO A 1961 CARNEGIE HALL PERFORMANCE THAT BEME A MOMENT TIME FOR THOSE WHO WERE THERE, AND A SHOWBIZ LEGEND FOR EVERYONE ELSE.IN DECEMBER 1959, JUDY GARLAND, ONLY 37 BUT WH A QUARTER-CENTURY OF HARD LIVG BEHD HER, LAY NEAR ATH NEW YORK’S DOCTORS HOSPAL. ALHOL AND PILLS WERE THE CULPRS. WHEN REASONABLY GOOD HEALTH, GARLAND, WHO STOOD AN CH UNR FIVE FEET, WEIGHED 100 POUNDS. NOW SHE WEIGHED 180. HER TY AME WAS GROTQUELY SWOLLEN WH FLUID AND HER LIVER SEVERELY PROMISED. HER EY WERE GLAZED; HER MEMORY WAS FAILG; HER BODY WAS SHUTTG DOWN. WALKG BY GARLAND’S HOSPAL ROOM, A CLOSE IEND OVERHEARD A CLUTCH OF DOCTORS DISCSG HER NDN. ONE OF THEM TURNED TO THE IEND. “I HAVE TO TELL YOU THE TTH,” THE DOCTOR SAID. “I DON’T THK SHE’S GOG TO MAKE .” SHE MA . “SHE HAD THE NSTUTN OF AN ARMY,” GARLAND’S DGHTER LORNA LUFT SAYS. “SHE JT KNEW SHE HAD TO KEEP GOG.” BUT THREE WEEKS LATER, AFTER 20 QUARTS OF FLUID HAD BEEN DRAED OM HER BODY, HER LEAD PHYSICIAN TOLD GARLAND, “FOR THE RT OF YOUR LIFE, ALL YOUR PHYSIL ACTIVY MT BE CURTAILED. YOU ARE A PERMANENT SEMI-VALID.… IT GO WHOUT SAYG THAT UNR NO CIRCUMSTANC N YOU EVER WORK AGA.” GARLAND FELL BACK ONTO HER PILLOWS. “WHOOPEE!” SHE CRIED, WEAKLY.AFTER I WAS THROWN OUT OF METRO, I REALLY WENT TO PIEC FOR A WHILE,” GARLAND TOLD LIFE WRER SHANA ALEXANR 1961. “ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS EAT AND HI . . . . WHEN I WORKED, I SUFFERED AGONI OF STAGE IGHT. PEOPLE HAD LERALLY TO PH ME OUT ON STAGE.” GARLAND HAD SPENT MUCH OF THE 50S, UNR THE GUIDANCE OF HER THIRD HBAND (AND MANAGER), SID LUFT, DOG NCERTS ON THE ROAD, “SGG FOR MY SUPPER,” AS SHE PUT . IT WAS A LONG HL. BUT WHEN SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH A SHOW, SHE WAS A STUPENDO PERFORMER. “SHE JT HAD THAT ABILY TO PLETELY ENTHRALL YOU—EVEN WHEN YOU DIDN’T LIKE HER, WHICH I DIDN’T,” SAYS THE ACTRS AND SGER POLLY BERGEN, WHO WAS ONCE MARRIED TO GARLAND’S AGENT FREDDIE FIELDS. “THERE’S NO WAY TO SCRIBE HER PACY FOR OPENG HERSELF, AS WHAT I WOULD LL AN ACTG SGER.’ IT’S REALLY ALL ABOUT YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU E A SONG. BUT SHE JT WENT SO EP AND SO OPEN, AND OF URSE HER LIFE EXPERIENCE WAS SO HORRIFIC. IT WAS VASTATG TO WATCH HER. THE EXHILARATN OF THE HIGH TIM, AND THE VASTATN OF THE LOW TIM, WAS JT MD-BLOWG. IF ANYONE ELSE DID WHAT SHE DID, YOU WOULD LL EXTREME OVERACTG. BUT WHEN SHE DID , WAS TE AND HONT AND REAL. BEE HER LIFE WAS OVERACTG.” AS THE MYTH OF GARLAND HAD GROWN, THE RERD CROWDS THAT ME TO SEE AND HEAR HER WERE DRAWN BY A BATN OF AWE AND MORBID CURSY. AND FOR A WHILE THE CROWDS HAD E: 1956 SHE WAS ABLE TO MAND $55,000 A WEEK AT THE FRONTIER HOTEL LAS VEGAS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SHE WAS EPLY BT. SHE OWED THE I.R.S.; SHE OWED HER TERR RATOR; SHE OWED EVERYBODY. GARLAND AND LUFT WERE EQUALLY TO BLAME. SHE POSSSED ZERO BS SENSE, AND THE BEEFY, NATTY, BATIVE SID—WHO HAD FIRST DAZZLED GARLAND ROMANTILLY MUCH AS THE PRIZEFIGHTER MARCEL CERDAN HAD IMPRSED EDH PIAF: WH HIS FISTIC SKILL—HADN’T MUCH MORE. ADDICTED TO RACETRACK GAMBLG AND EXPENSIVE, CTOM-MA ENGLISH SUS AND SHO, SID LUFT SPENT HIS WIFE’S EARNGS ALMOST AS FAST AS THEY ME . HE LOVED HER HIS FASHN, AND WHEN SHE WASN’T MANIC OR ATOSE OR THREATENG SUICI OR ACCINTALLY SETTG THE HOE ON FIRE, HE WORKED HARD TO SEE TO HER NEEDS, BUT SHE WAS BEYOND HIGH-MATENANCE, AND HE PENSATED HIMSELF. [#IMAGE: /PHOTOS/56CC4C4DAE46A861DF136B]|||||| <A HREF="/HOLLYWOOD/FEATUR/2000/04/JUDY-GARLAND-EXCERPT-200004">• A SELECTN OM GET HAPPY: THE LIFE OF JUDY GARLAND (GERALD CLARKE, APRIL 2000) <A HREF="/HOLLYWOOD/FEATUR/2002/03/JUDY-GARLAND-200203">• LIZA MNELLI CHANNELS HER MOTHER’S DARK YEARS (JONATHAN VAN METER, MARCH 2002) LUFT’S REER PLAN FOR HIS GENI WIFE WAS: CHERCHEZ LE PAYCHECK. IT WAS LS A STRATEGY THAN A FORMULA FOR RIDG GARLAND TO THE GROUND. AND AS THE 50S END, AS SHE GAED WEIGHT AND LOST ALTU, THE GROUND SEEMED TO BE JT WHERE SHE WAS HEAD. ANDREW VELEZ, A VOUT GARLAND FAN FOR MANY YEARS, RELLED A NCERT SHE HAD DONE AT THE OLD METROPOLAN OPERA HOE MAY 1959: “SHE WAS NOT GOOD VOICE, AND SHE WAS PRETTY CHUBBY AND WEARG SOME PURPLE KD OF ROBE— LOOKED LIKE A SHY PURPLE BATHROBE.” OF URSE, SHE WASN’T GOOD VOICE; SHE WAS DYG. AMAZG, THEN, TO THK THAT LS THAN TWO YEARS BOTH GARLAND AND HER REER WOULD BE REVIVED SPECTACULAR FASHN.AFTER WEATHERG HER PHYSIL CRISIS, GARLAND SPENT MUCH OF THE FIRST PART OF 1960 LIVG AND RTG LONDON, AS FAR OM HOLLYWOOD AS POSSIBLE, AND WHOUT LUFT. (AFTER NUMERABLE RENCILIATNS AND SEPARATNS, THE UPLE WOULD FALLY DIVORCE 1965.) TOWARD THE END OF THE SUMMER, SID ME OVER AND FOUND HER REVIVIFIED AND EXCED ABOUT THE POSSIBILY OF SGG AGA. BUT LUFT HAD TIRED OF PHG HIS WIFE’S WANG REER. HE HAD A BS SCHEME OF HIS OWN, A PLAN TO PUT -FLIGHT MIC SYSTEMS ON MERCIAL AIRLERS, AND WHILE HE PURSUED , HE CID JUDY SHOULD HAVE AN AGENT. THE MAN HE BROUGHT OVER TO LONDON TO MEET WH HER WAS NAMED FREDDIE FIELDS. FIELDS WAS HANDSOME, CHARMG, AND YOUNG—NOT YET 40—AND A RISG VICE PRINT AT THE POWERHOE AGENCY MIC CORPORATN OF AMERI (MCA), BUT HE WAS CHG TO GO OUT ON HIS OWN. HIS IA WAS TO START A BOUTIQUE AGENCY, WH JT A DOZEN SUPERSTAR CLIENTS HE ULD GIVE HIS PERSONAL ATTENTN. THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS, HE DIDN’T HAVE ANY SUPERSTARS YET. HE NEED ONE TO ATTRACT OTHERS, AND HE NEED ONE WHO NEED HIM. NO ONE F THE BILL BETTER THAN JUDY GARLAND.IN JANUARY 1961, FIELDS AND HIS NEW PARTNER, A FELLOW MCA REFUGEE NAMED DAVID BEGELMAN, LAID OUT FOR AN EAGERLY RECEPTIVE GARLAND WHAT SHE HAD NEVER HAD BEFORE: A GRAND PLAN. ACRDG TO GARLAND BGRAPHER GEROLD FRANK, THE STRATAGEM, WHICH WOULD BEG WH A CROSS-UNTRY NCERT TOUR, WAS AS FOLLOWS: 1) PROVE TO THE ENTERTAMENT MUNY THAT JUDY GARLAND WAS ANX TO WORK … AND ULD BE RELIED UPON. THAT MEANT, TABLISH HER CREDIBILY BY SEEG THAT SHE MA EVERY PERSONAL APPEARANCE SCHLED, FIRST CI LIKE BUFFALO OR ALBANY, WHERE, IF SHE DID FAIL TO SHOW, WOULD NOT BE SO GREAT A LAMY; THEN, LATER, MAJOR CI. 2) MAKE HER AGA THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRACTN THE NIGHTCLUB FIELD, FLORIDA, VEGAS, TAHOE. 3) THEN RE-TABLISH HER IMPORTANCE AS A MOTN-PICTURE ACTRS. FIRST THE TOUR. “JT GIVE HER A STAGE AND A SPOTLIGHT,” HAROLD ARLEN SAID, “AND GET OUT OF THE WAY.” CY AFTER CY, WAS THE SAME SHOW EVERY NIGHT, BETIFUL S SIMPLICY: JT JUDY ONSTAGE, M THE CLOWN AND TRAMP STUM SHE’D WORN DURG THE BAD OLD DAYS OF THE 50S, AND WHOUT THE CHOS BOYS WHO HAD ACPANIED HER. JT JUDY, HER NDUCTOR, MORT LDSEY, A BAND, AND SOME TWO DOZEN OF HER SIGNATURE SONGS. “ACT ONE: JUDY,” THE PROGRAM READ. “ACT TWO: MORE JUDY.” THE TOUR WENT WELL OM THE BEGNG. IT HELPED THAT SHE HAD MORE OR LS CLEANED UP HER ACT: ALL SHE DRANK WAS A SWEET GERMAN WE LLED BLUE NUN. AS FOR PILLS, “I DON’T THK SHE TOOK DGS AT ALL,” MORT LDSEY, NOW 88, TELLS ME. LORNA LUFT BEGS TO DIFFER, GENTLY: “SHE WAS AS SOBER AS SHE ULD BE. INSTEAD OF TWO OR THREE DEXEDRE, THERE WAS ONE.” ACTUALLY, WAS PROBABLY RAL, BUT WHY SPL HAIRS? SHE WAS CLEAR-EYED AND VERTIL. GARLAND WAS STILL PLUMP, BUT THE CROWDS THAT ME TO SEE HER BUFFALO AND ATLANTA AND BIRMGHAM DIDN’T RE: THEY WERE CRAZY ABOUT HER. SHE FELT , AND GAVE AS GOOD AS SHE GOT. “HER PIP WERE NEVER BETTER,” VARIETY WROTE OF HER DALLAS SHOW. AND HOTON, TWO NIGHTS LATER: “UNQUTNABLY THE GREATT SHOW EVER GIVEN HOTON.” “LISTEN, EVERYBODY WANTED TO GO”IN WASHGTON, D.C., EARLY APRIL, SHE PLAYED CONSTUTN HALL, THEN SHE AND SID (WHO’D JOED HER ON THE ROAD FOR THEIR SON JOEY’S SIXTH BIRTHDAY) VISED JOHN F. KENNEDY THE OVAL OFFICE. THIS WAS DURG THE BRIGHT EARLY DAYS OF HIS PRINCY. JUDY, WHO’D FIRST MET J.F.K. YEARS BEFORE THROUGH HER IEND AND OLD MGM -STAR PETER LAWFORD, HAD H OFF WH HIM OM THE START. “THEY REMAED CLOSE EVEN AFTER KENNEDY’S GURATN,” WROTE GARLAND BGRAPHER GERALD CLARKE, “JUDY EQUENTLY TELEPHONG THE WHE HOE TO ASK THE PRINT’S ADVICE ON HOW TO AL WH THE DIFFICULT PEOPLE HER LIFE. KENNEDY, FOR HIS PART, SOMETIM LLED HER FOR A PRIVATE NCERT—A FEW BARS OF OVER THE RABOW’ SUNG A PPELLA OVER THE PHONE.” THEN ON TO NEW YORK. DRIVG DALLAS AND HOTON AND BIRMGHAM DIENC CRAZY WAS ALL WELL AND GOOD; CARNEGIE HALL WAS SOMETHG ELSE AGA. THE NEW YORK HOE WOULD BE PACKED WH SHOW-BS PEOPLE, G NOT JT OUT OF AFFECTN AND MORBID CURSY BUT—WHETHER WAS ACKNOWLEDGED OR NOT—TO SEE IF SHE WAS F TO REJO THE FOLD. “LISTEN, EVERYBODY WANTED TO GO,” POLLY BERGEN TELLS ME. “IT WAS LIKE THE BIG EVENT. SHE’D BEEN GONE, AND HER REER WAS OVER. NOBODY REALLY UNRSTANDS. HER REER WAS OVER. NOBODY WANTED TO SEE HER. NOBODY WANTED TO PUT UP WH HER. NOBODY RED. I’M TALKG ABOUT NOBODY THE BS. AND LET’S FACE , THE BS IS WHAT CREAT THE BS. SO IF PEOPLE THE BS DIDN’T RE, NOTHG WAS GOG TO HAPPEN.” EVEN GARLAND’S OWN RERD LABEL WASN’T SURE. ALAN LIVGSTON, THE PRINT OF CAPOL, WAS KNOWN FOR TAKG BOTTOM-LE GAMBL IF AN ARTISTIC PAYOFF WAS LIKELY: AFTER ALL, HE WAS THE MAN RPONSIBLE FOR SIGNG FRANK SATRA 1953, WHEN SATRA’S REER WAS D.O.A. LATELY, THOUGH, LIVGSTON’S WAGER ON GARLAND WASN’T LOOKG SO SMART. AND SO WHEN FREDDIE FIELDS WENT TO HIM WH THE IA OF RERDG THE CARNEGIE HALL NCERT, LIVGSTON BALKED. “I DIDN’T REALLY KNOW WHETHER I WANTED TO SPEND THE MONEY,” HE TOLD GARLAND CHRONICLER JOHN FRICKE. “BUT I MT GIVE FREDDIE FIELDS CRED, BEE HE WAS ON MY BACK ABOUT : ALAN, YOU’RE CRAZY. YOU’VE GOT TO DO THIS.’ ” LIVGSTON’S WIDOW, NANCY OLSON LIVGSTON, RELLS THAT GARLAND HAD BEE NOT JT A BS LIABILY BUT, BEE OF HER EMOTNAL WHIPSAWS, A PERSONAL CHALLENGE TO THE CAPOL PRINT. “YOU ULD NOT GET HER TO A STUD,” SHE SAYS. “SO THAT, EVEN THOUGH WAS DARG TO DO LIVE, WAS THE ONLY WAY TO [RERD GARLAND], WAS WHAT HE THOUGHT.”THE EVENG OF APRIL 23, 1961, WAS WARM AND DRIZZLY; THE CROWD STARTED GATHERG ONT OF CARNEGIE HALL HOURS BEFORE THE 8:30 P.M. CURTA TIME. THE NCERT HAD SOLD OUT WH HOURS AFTER A SMALL AD, WH A DAVID STONE MART DRAWG OF GARLAND, APPEARED THE NEW YORK TIM. MANY OF THE FAHFUL WERE GAY MEN, A KEY PONENT OF HER DIENCE SCE THE BEGNG. “I ALMOST GOT THERE THE DAY BEFORE, BEE I ULDN’T SLEEP,” SAYS GARLAND VOTEE FRANK CRAPANZANO. “I KNEW EVERYBODY THERE ON THE STREET, BEE THEY WERE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED HER AROUND EVERYWHERE.” HE RELLS THAT WHEN THE CROWD SPOTTED A LIMO WH GARLAND THE BACKSEAT, HER HAIR CURLERS, THEY RAN, EN MASSE, TO THE STAGE DOOR. “THEN SHE GOT OUT OF THE R, AND PEOPLE JT SCREAMED AND CLAPPED AND RRIED ON.” THE JUDY GARLAND WHO STEPPED OUT OF THE R WAS LM AND HEALTHY. “THE THG WAS THAT SHE LOOKED GOOD,” SAYS FILMMAKER STEVE LIPPMAN, WHO’S MAKG A DOCUMENTARY, STAY ALL NIGHT, ABOUT THE NCERT. “THE BUILDG OF NFINCE BETWEEN THE PERFORMER AND THE DIENCE HAPPENED BEFORE SHE EVEN STEPPED ONSTAGE.” “YOU WILL HEAR THE STORI ABOUT OH, SHE WAS TERRIFIED BACKSTAGE—SHE WAS AN IRON LUNG, AND THEY GOT A DWARF TO TEASE HER OUT OF THE IRON LUNG, BEE DWARV CRACKED HER UP,’ ” JOHN FRICKE SAYS. IN REALY, SHE WAS ALL BS. WHEN PRODUCER ANDY WISWELL ASKED GARLAND IF SHE ULD TELL HER DMMER TO KEEP THE SOUND LEVEL DOWN FOR THE SAKE OF THE RERDG EQUIPMENT, SHE GAVE HIM BOTH BARRELS. “SHE SAID,” MORT LDSEY REMEMBERS, LGHG, “ LISTEN, YOU MOTHERFUCKER, THIS IS MY NIGHT, AND I DON’T RE IF YOU GET A RERDG. I’M GOG TO GET THE WAY I WANT . IF I WANT THE DMS LOUD, THEY’RE GOG TO BE LOUD.’ ” SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT SHE WAS DOG. AS ALL 3,165 TICKET HOLRS FILED , AND THEN FOR A GOOD LONG TIME AFTERWARD, GARLAND SAT HER DRSG ROOM, BIDG HER TIME. “EIGHT-THIRTY, NO JUDY,” RELLS MIKE NICHOLS, WHO WAS A BOX WH ELAE MAY, RICHARD BURTON (THEN STARRG CAMELOT ON BROADWAY) AND HIS WIFE, SYBIL, AND RODDY MCDOWALL, AMONG OTHERS. “EIGHT FORTY-FIVE, NO JUDY. SUDNLY, THIS GUY BURSTS AND SAYS, SHE WANTS RODDY.’ ” WAS GARLAND IMPLODG? NOTHG LIKE . “RODDY MCDOWALL, WHO HAD BEEN A IEND OF HERS, TOLD ME QUE SIMPLY THAT HE WENT BACKSTAGE, AND SHE WASN’T A WRECK,” FRICKE SAYS. “SHE JT WANTED TO SEE A FAIAR FACE AND TALK TO SOMEBODY BEFORE GOG ON.” “JUDY KNEW HOW TO K AN DIENCE,” MORT LDSEY SAYS. “I SEE HER STANDG THE WGS. SHE’S NOT DOG ANYTHG, JT LOOKG ACROSS THE STAGE. SHE’S LOOKG AT ME AND I’M LOOKG AT HER. I LOOK THE DIENCE, AND THERE’S ETHEL MERMAN AND ROCK HUDSON AND BENNY GOODMAN, ALL THE BIG SHOTS STG DOWN THE FIRST ROW, WAG AND WAG. IS SHE GOG TO E OUT? IS SHE GOG TO DO ? BUT SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE’S DOG. FALLY SHE GIV ME A NOD, AND I START THE OVERTURE.” “MORT HAD A WONRFUL OVERTURE, WHICH BUILT UP TREMENDO EXCEMENT,” SHANA ALEXANR RELLED. “AND JT BUILT, AND GOT BIGGER AND BIGGER. AND BY THAT TIME JUDY WAS STANDG BACKSTAGE, AND SHE WOULD GRAB THE CURTA. AND AS THE DMS WERE GOG, SHE WOULD YELL AT THE DIENCE, FUCK ’EM! FUCK ’EM! FUCK ’EM!’ AND SHE SEEMED TO SORT OF BLOW UP LIKE A BALLOON A MACY’S THANKSGIVG DAY PARA—SHE WOULD FLATE! AND THEN, AT THE LAST EXPLOSN OF THE CHORDS, SHE WOULD JT SAIL OUT ONTO THE STAGE; WAS LIKE SHE WAS A PULL TOY—SHE WAS ON A STRG, AND SHE WOULD GLI OUT. AND YOU WOULD HEAR ROARS OF APPLSE.” THE EDIAN ALAN KG, WHO HAD OPENED FOR GARLAND THE LATE 50S, WAS STG NEXT TO HAROLD ARLEN, WHO’D WRTEN THE MIC FOR MANY OF THE SONGS SHE WOULD SG AT CARNEGIE HALL THAT NIGHT—CLUDG “OVER THE RABOW.” JT BEFORE GARLAND ME OUT, KG REMEMBERED, ARLEN ASKED HIM, “HAVE YOU SEEN JUDY?” BUT THEN GARLAND EMERGED AND WENT TO HER FIRST NUMBER, “WHEN YOU’RE SG,” AND PUMP-WALKED—STEP-TOUCH, STEP-TOUCH—DOWN TOWARD THE ONT OF THE STAGE. ARLEN LOOKED AT KG AND SAID DRYLY, “I THK WE’RE GOOD SHAPE TONIGHT.” < H4>“I JT REMEMBER THAT OUR JAWS DROPPED”THE DIENCE, STARS AND CIVILIANS ALIKE, AGREED. “EVERYBODY LOVED JUDY GARLAND, AND I LIKED HER, BUT I WASN’T OBSSED WH HER,” MIKE NICHOLS SAYS. “THEN SHE OUT AND SHE’S LIKE ON FIRE OM THE FIRST MOMENT. YOU JT THOUGHT, HOLY SH! WHAT IS THIS? I DON’T REMEMBER WHAT SHE SANG WHEN. I JT REMEMBER THAT OUR JAWS DROPPED, BEE SHE SEEMED TO BE SGG THE SONGS FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH OF URSE WAS HER GIFT ANYWAY. WE KEPT CLUTCHG EACH OTHER AND GASPG AND CHEERG AND YELLG AND RRYG ON.” “THERE WAS A FEELG THE HALL OF ELECTRICY, OF THE WALLS PUMPG,” GARLAND FAN DONALD SMH RELLS. “THE DIENCE WERE LIKE HOLY ROLLERS— WAS LIKE A REVIVAL MEETG. ONE YOUNG MAN HAD DONE AN OIL PATG OF HER, AND AS THE CHEERS WOULD BREAK OUT AT THE END OF A NUMBER, HE WOULD JT HOLD UP THE AIR AND SHAKE THERE WAS SOME ACTRS—I NNOT THK OF HER NAME; [MAYBE] MYRNA LOY, MAYBE CONSTANCE BENT. I WAS A BOX, AND I LOOKED DOWN AND I SAW THIS WOMAN STANDG ON HER SEAT—I ULD SEE THE GEO EVENG SLIPPERS—YELLG, GO, BABY, GO!’ ” AT THE SAME TIME, POLLY BERGEN SAYS, WHENEVER GARLAND SANG, “THE SILENC WERE SILENC UNHEARD OF A PLACE THAT SIZE—EVERYBODY WAS RAPT.” THE CLICHé HAS A PERFORMER HOLDG AN DIENCE THE PALM OF HER HAND. THIS WAS SOMETHG DIFFERENT: PERFORMER AND DIENCE SUPPORTG EACH OTHER, MUNITG WH EACH OTHER, AS TIMAT, LOVERS ALMOST, A HALL OF 3,000 PEOPLE. GARLAND MA EFFORTLS FUN OF HERSELF, SCRIBG A RO IF FLICTED ON HER BY A PARISIAN HAIRDRSER WHICH LLAPSED AS SOON AS SHE BEGAN TO PERFORM: “I DON’T KNOW WHY IS I N’T PERSPIRE—I JT SWEAT.” SHE REUNTED THE STORY OF A BRISH JOURNALIST WHO KEPT TELLG HER HOW WONRFUL SHE LOOKED, AND THEN WROTE A LUMN THE NEXT MORNG, “JUDY GARLAND IS FAT—BUT SHE’S JOLLY AND IF YOU SAY ANYTHG FUNNY TO HER, SHE THROWS HER HEAD BACK AND HER CHS JOGGLE HAPPILY.”THE DIENCE ATE ALL UP. BUT AT THE END OF THE SEND ACT, WHEN THE BAND TRIED TO PLAY HER OFF WH AN STMENTAL OF “OVER THE RABOW”—WHICH SHE HADN’T SUNG YET—AN ENRE, OR ENR, WAS CLEARLY LLED FOR. THE CROWD STARTG LLG OUT SONG TL. GARLAND PERKED UP. “I KNOW!” SHE CROWED. “I’LL SG ’EM ALL, AND WE’LL STAY ALL NIGHT!” IT PRODUCED THE EXPECTED REACTN. AND WAS RIGHT AROUND THEN THAT THE DAM BURST. “ALL THOSE QUEENS ULDN’T NTROL THEMSELV,” FRANK CRAPANZANO SAYS. THE GAY MEN THE DIENCE, MOST STG UPPER LEVELS, WENT DOWNSTAIRS AND RAN UP THE AISL. “EVERYBODY JT STOOD ONT OF THE STAGE,” CRAPANZANO RELLS. “SO JUDY REALIZ THAT PEOPLE N’T SEE—THE PEOPLE WHO WERE STG THE FIRST ROW, WHO I GUS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE. ANNA MARIA ALBERGHETTI TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULR, AND I SAID, I’M REALLY SORRY.’ SO JUDY SAYS, WOULD YOU MD STG ON THE FLOOR?’ BEE WAS RPETED. SO EVERYBODY SAT DOWN, ADORG.” BUT THEN, AFTER THE FAL ENRE (“DO YOU REALLY WANT MORE? AREN’T YOU TIRED?” “NO!!!”)—THE SONG WAS “CHIGO,” THE LAST NUMBER FOR WHICH THE BAND HAD SHEET MIC—ME A FAL, ROARG CHARGE TO THE STAGE: BOUQUETS PROFFERED, PROGRAMS EAGERLY RAISED FOR TOGRAPHS, DOZENS OF HANDS HELD OUT JT TO TRY TO TOUCH HERS. FREDDIE FIELDS, POLLY BERGEN CLAIMS, HAD “HIRED A HUNDRED GUYS AT $50 A POP TO STORM THE STAGE AT THE END OF THE SHOW.” MAYBE HE DID; EVEN IF HE DID, THOUGH, WAS SURANCE HE SRCELY NEED. “THE ONE THG I REMEMBER,” SAYS LORNA LUFT, WHO WAS STG THE ONT ROW WH HER BROTHER, JOEY, AND THEIR 15-YEAR-OLD HALF-SISTER, LIZA, “IS THAT WHEN YOU’RE 8, ADULTS ARE SUPPOSED TO ACT LIKE ADULTS. THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO JUMP OUT OF THEIR CHAIRS, SCREAMG, YELLG, NNG TOWARDS THE STAGE. THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE NTROL. THERE THEY WERE, ALL DRSED UP THE TUXEDOS, GOG NUTS.” AND WH THAT, ROCK HUDSON LIFTED LIZA AND LORNA AND JOEY UP ONTO THE STAGE, TO THEIR MOTHER, AND ALL FOUR TOOK A BOW, TOGETHER.A THOAND FANS STOOD OUTSI THE STAGE ENTRANCE, ON 56TH STREET, UNWILLG TO GO HOME. AFTER A WHILE GARLAND OPENED HER DRSG-ROOM WDOW AND THREW THEM KISS, BUT THEY STILL WOULDN’T LEAVE. AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER, MOST OF THEM WERE STILL THERE WHEN SHE FALLY EMERGED. “IT WAS LIKE THAT FAMO CROWD SCENE OM A STAR IS BORN,’ ” A LUMNIST WROTE, “AS SHE TRIED TO GET TO HER BIG BLACK LIMOE, SURROUND BY POLICE AND IENDS, AS HER ADMIRERS TRIED TO GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH HER.” LIKE A STAR IS BORN, Y, EXCEPT THAT THIS SE THE STAR WAS REBORN. “SHE WAS QUEEN AGA,” POLLY BERGEN SAYS, REMEMBERG THE STAR-PACKED AFTER-PARTY AT LUCHOW’S, WHERE GARLAND ARRIVED A LTLE WHILE LATER, BEAMG, TO APPLSE AND SHOUTED BRAVOS. HER REIGN WOULD BE BRIEF.THE ALBUM REMAS, STILL VIVID AND ASTONISHG, AND LISTENG TO , AND IMAGG THE EVENG (“PROBABLY THE GREATT EVENG SHOW BS HISTORY,” ACRDG TO THE ORIGAL LER NOT: A D EXAGGERATN, PERHAPS, BUT A FIVABLE ONE), YOU HEAR WHY PEOPLE SAY WHAT THEY SAY. THE MULTI-GRAMMY-WNG RERD—NO. 1 ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS FOR 13 WEEKS 1961, AND NEVER OUT OF PRT SCE—IS, ACRDG TO MIC CRIC WILL FRIEDWALD, “JT ABOUT THE SGLE GREATT LIVE ALBUM BY A SGER OF POPULAR AMERIN STANDARDS.” JUDY AT CARNEGIE HALL IS A TALISMAN FOR MANY. WHOOPI GOLDBERG: “WHEN SHE SGS COME RA OR COME SHE’ AND SHE BTS ONSTAGE AT THE END OF , THAT’S HOW I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AS AN ACTOR. THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY BARS TO REACH, THAT STATE OF GRACE THAT SHE GO TO AT THE END OF THAT SONG, WHEN SHE SOUNDS LIKE SHE’S SHAKG LIKE A BRANCH THAT’S BEG BLOWN, AND SHE’S SLIGHTLY OFF-KEY—JT SLIGHTLY. BUT DON’T MATTER, BEE SHE’S ON FIRE.” BARRY MANILOW: “NAME ME ONE OTHER ARTIST, EVER, WHOSE NCERT IS CELEBRATED 50 YEARS AFTER THE NCERT WAS DONE WHEN HER VOICE WAS TIP-TOP SHAPE, EVERYTHG SHE DID WAS FILLED WH THE TTH. I THK THAT’S THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HER AND EVERYBODY ELSE. EVERYBODY ELSE, OH YEAH, THEY’RE GREAT SGERS—THEY DO VOL ACROBATICS. BUT THEY DON’T TELL THE TTH. THIS WOMAN ALWAYS TOLD THE TTH, AND PECIALLY THAT NIGHT.” AND THEN THERE’S THE SGER-SONGWRER RUF WAWRIGHT, WHO PERFORMED AND RERD A RE-CREATN OF THE NCERT, WH THE INTIL SONG LIST AND ORCHTRATNS, AT CARNEGIE HALL 2006. (HE’LL ALSO PERFORM THE SHOW FOR TWO NIGHTS THIS SUMMER AT LONDON’S ROYAL OPERA HOE.) SOME FELT THIS FEAT WAS DISRPECTFUL, BUT WAWRIGHT’S MOTIV APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN SCERE: “RIGHT AFTER THE IRAQ VASN,” HE SAYS, “I WAS SO KD OF HORRIFIED BY WHAT HAD HAPPENED [AFTER] 9/11, WHERE THERE WAS THIS MOMENT OF HOPE WHERE EVERYBODY LOOKED AS IF THEY WANTED TO GET TOGETHER AND FIX THE WORLD, AND BH CID TO THROW A WRENCH PLETELY I WAS LIVG AMERI, AND I JT ULDN’T STAND , EXCEPT WHEN I WOULD PUT ON THE JUDY GARLAND RERD, AND REMD ME OF THIS SORT OF GOLN ERA, THIS HOPEFUL TIME, THIS EXCELLENCE THAT WE ONCE TREASURED.” IT WAS ED A HOPEFUL TIME, CAMELOT’S BRIEF FLICKER, AND WAS A HOPEFUL TIME FOR GARLAND TOO. FIELDS AND BEGELMAN’S MASTER PLAN SEEMED TO BE ON TRACK. IN FEBARY 1962, GARLAND WAS NOMATED FOR A BT-SUPPORTG-ACTRS OSR FOR HER MEO ROLE STANLEY KRAMER’S JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG; THAT SAME MONTH, A CBS TV SPECIAL SHE DID WH FRANK SATRA AND DEAN MART WAS A SMASH H, LEADG THE WORK TO SIGN HER TO A FOUR-SEASON, $24 LN VARIETY SERI. BUT SHE RAN AFOUL OF HER SUNDAY-NIGHT PETN, NBC BLOCKBTER BONANZA, AND OF CBS PRINT JAM AUBREY JR., WHO TURNED OUT TO TT HER. AND WE KNOW THE RT OF THE SAD SAGA: SHE ULDN’T STAY AWAY OM PILLS, AND HER HEALTH WORSENED, AS DID HER LOVE LIFE. SHE MET HER FIFTH HBAND, MICKEY DEANS, 1967, WHEN HE LIVERED PRCRIPTN DGS TO HER HOTEL ROOM. WHEN THEY MARRIED, MARCH 1969, SHE SAID, “THIS IS . FOR THE FIRST TIME MY LIFE, I AM REALLY HAPPY. FALLY, FALLY, I AM LOVED.” THREE MONTHS LATER, SOON AFTER HER 47TH BIRTHDAY, DEANS FOUND HER AD OF A BARBURATE OVERDOSE THE BATHROOM OF THEIR LONDON APARTMENT. THE TWO-DAY VIEWG OF HER BODY AT THE FRANK E. CAMPBELL FUNERAL HOME, MANHATTAN, BEME A MASS SPECTACLE, DRAWG THOANDS OF MOURNERS—AND PRECED BY JT DAYS THE STONEWALL RTS, A CINCE THAT HAS LKED THE TWO EVENTS MANY PEOPLE’S MDS AND CEMENTED GARLAND’S STAT AS A GAY IN. [#IMAGE: /PHOTOS/56CC4C4DAE46A861DF136B]|||||| <A HREF="/HOLLYWOOD/FEATUR/2000/04/JUDY-GARLAND-EXCERPT-200004">• A SELECTN OM GET HAPPY: THE LIFE OF JUDY GARLAND (GERALD CLARKE, APRIL 2000) <A HREF="/HOLLYWOOD/FEATUR/2002/03/JUDY-GARLAND-200203">• LIZA MNELLI CHANNELS HER MOTHER’S DARK YEARS (JONATHAN VAN METER, MARCH 2002) BUT JUDY GARLAND WAS A GREAT ARTIST AND REMAS AN IN TO PEOPLE OF ALL PERSUASNS, AND THE DIENCE AT HER GREATT NCERT WAS DISTGUISHED AS MUCH BY S DIVERSY AS BY S PASSN. AND WHILE GARLAND WAS NEVER ONE TO DWELL THE PAST—HER SIGNATURE SONG IS NOTHG IF NOT A YEARNG FOR A SPLENDID FUTURE—WHEN I ASKED LORNA LUFT IF HER MOTHER EVER TALKED ABOUT CARNEGIE HALL, LUFT NODD VIGOROLY. “SHE SAID, THAT WAS SOMETHG, WASN’T ?’ ” LUFT TOLD ME. “AND WAS.”MOST POPULARKYLE DCHANEL, THE ROTHSCHILD WHO WASN’TBY NATE FREEMANAND JT LIKE THAT: MICHAEL PATRICK KG KNOWS WHEN THE AUDIENCE TURNED ON CHE DIAZBY CHRIS MURPHYADAM SANDLER FDS LOW-KEY TRIUMPH YOU ARE SO NOT INVED TO MY BAT MZVAHBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAM KAPLAN
WHY DID GAY MEN MARRY JUDY GARLAND?
” Garland beme a gay in, particularly later her reer The film picts a gay uple, played by Andy Nyman and Daniel Cerqueira, who are dited fans and repeat atten of Garland’s shows. Their votn is a movg tribute to the way which Garland was, and remas, idolized by many gay men. A 1998 mic review the LGBTQ magaze The Advote reads, “the name Judy Garland is nearly synonymo wh gayns.
She is an Elvis for Homosexuals — an in who transcends mic to occupy realms of sheer mythology.
” This fanbase was also regnized wily durg her lifetime, although often phrased negative terms; a 1967 TIME article referred to the “hysteria” of both Judy and her gay male fanbase, scribed as “the boys tight troers.
OVER THE RABOW, AND THEN SOME!PILLS AND THRILLS: GARLAND PERFORMG AT CARNEGIE HALL, APRIL 23, 1961. BY FRIEDMAN-ABEL/JOHN FRICKE; DIGAL LORIZATN BY LORNA CLARK.BY JAM KAPLANMAY 1, 2011SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAT 37, JUDY GARLAND WAS NEAR ATH, THANKS TO ALHOL AND PILLS. HER ACTG-AND-SGG REER HAD ALREADY flATLED. THEN, FYG DOCTORS’ ORRS, THE STAR THREW EVERYTHG SHE HAD TO A 1961 CARNEGIE HALL PERFORMANCE THAT BEME A MOMENT TIME FOR THOSE WHO WERE THERE, AND A SHOWBIZ LEGEND FOR EVERYONE ELSE.IN DECEMBER 1959, JUDY GARLAND, ONLY 37 BUT WH A QUARTER-CENTURY OF HARD LIVG BEHD HER, LAY NEAR ATH NEW YORK’S DOCTORS HOSPAL. ALHOL AND PILLS WERE THE CULPRS. WHEN REASONABLY GOOD HEALTH, GARLAND, WHO STOOD AN CH UNR FIVE FEET, WEIGHED 100 POUNDS. NOW SHE WEIGHED 180. HER TY AME WAS GROTQUELY SWOLLEN WH FLUID AND HER LIVER SEVERELY PROMISED. HER EY WERE GLAZED; HER MEMORY WAS FAILG; HER BODY WAS SHUTTG DOWN. WALKG BY GARLAND’S HOSPAL ROOM, A CLOSE IEND OVERHEARD A CLUTCH OF DOCTORS DISCSG HER NDN. ONE OF THEM TURNED TO THE IEND. “I HAVE TO TELL YOU THE TTH,” THE DOCTOR SAID. “I DON’T THK SHE’S GOG TO MAKE .” SHE MA . “SHE HAD THE NSTUTN OF AN ARMY,” GARLAND’S DGHTER LORNA LUFT SAYS. “SHE JT KNEW SHE HAD TO KEEP GOG.” BUT THREE WEEKS LATER, AFTER 20 QUARTS OF FLUID HAD BEEN DRAED OM HER BODY, HER LEAD PHYSICIAN TOLD GARLAND, “FOR THE RT OF YOUR LIFE, ALL YOUR PHYSIL ACTIVY MT BE CURTAILED. YOU ARE A PERMANENT SEMI-VALID.… IT GO WHOUT SAYG THAT UNR NO CIRCUMSTANC N YOU EVER WORK AGA.” GARLAND FELL BACK ONTO HER PILLOWS. “WHOOPEE!” SHE CRIED, WEAKLY.AFTER I WAS THROWN OUT OF METRO, I REALLY WENT TO PIEC FOR A WHILE,” GARLAND TOLD LIFE WRER SHANA ALEXANR 1961. “ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS EAT AND HI . . . . WHEN I WORKED, I SUFFERED AGONI OF STAGE IGHT. PEOPLE HAD LERALLY TO PH ME OUT ON STAGE.” GARLAND HAD SPENT MUCH OF THE 50S, UNR THE GUIDANCE OF HER THIRD HBAND (AND MANAGER), SID LUFT, DOG NCERTS ON THE ROAD, “SGG FOR MY SUPPER,” AS SHE PUT . IT WAS A LONG HL. BUT WHEN SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH A SHOW, SHE WAS A STUPENDO PERFORMER. “SHE JT HAD THAT ABILY TO PLETELY ENTHRALL YOU—EVEN WHEN YOU DIDN’T LIKE HER, WHICH I DIDN’T,” SAYS THE ACTRS AND SGER POLLY BERGEN, WHO WAS ONCE MARRIED TO GARLAND’S AGENT FREDDIE FIELDS. “THERE’S NO WAY TO SCRIBE HER PACY FOR OPENG HERSELF, AS WHAT I WOULD LL AN ACTG SGER.’ IT’S REALLY ALL ABOUT YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU E A SONG. BUT SHE JT WENT SO EP AND SO OPEN, AND OF URSE HER LIFE EXPERIENCE WAS SO HORRIFIC. IT WAS VASTATG TO WATCH HER. THE EXHILARATN OF THE HIGH TIM, AND THE VASTATN OF THE LOW TIM, WAS JT MD-BLOWG. IF ANYONE ELSE DID WHAT SHE DID, YOU WOULD LL EXTREME OVERACTG. BUT WHEN SHE DID , WAS TE AND HONT AND REAL. BEE HER LIFE WAS OVERACTG.” AS THE MYTH OF GARLAND HAD GROWN, THE RERD CROWDS THAT ME TO SEE AND HEAR HER WERE DRAWN BY A BATN OF AWE AND MORBID CURSY. AND FOR A WHILE THE CROWDS HAD E: 1956 SHE WAS ABLE TO MAND $55,000 A WEEK AT THE FRONTIER HOTEL LAS VEGAS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SHE WAS EPLY BT. SHE OWED THE I.R.S.; SHE OWED HER TERR RATOR; SHE OWED EVERYBODY. GARLAND AND LUFT WERE EQUALLY TO BLAME. SHE POSSSED ZERO BS SENSE, AND THE BEEFY, NATTY, BATIVE SID—WHO HAD FIRST DAZZLED GARLAND ROMANTILLY MUCH AS THE PRIZEFIGHTER MARCEL CERDAN HAD IMPRSED EDH PIAF: WH HIS FISTIC SKILL—HADN’T MUCH MORE. ADDICTED TO RACETRACK GAMBLG AND EXPENSIVE, CTOM-MA ENGLISH SUS AND SHO, SID LUFT SPENT HIS WIFE’S EARNGS ALMOST AS FAST AS THEY ME . HE LOVED HER HIS FASHN, AND WHEN SHE WASN’T MANIC OR ATOSE OR THREATENG SUICI OR ACCINTALLY SETTG THE HOE ON FIRE, HE WORKED HARD TO SEE TO HER NEEDS, BUT SHE WAS BEYOND HIGH-MATENANCE, AND HE PENSATED HIMSELF. [#IMAGE: /PHOTOS/56CC4C4DAE46A861DF136B]|||||| <A HREF="/HOLLYWOOD/FEATUR/2000/04/JUDY-GARLAND-EXCERPT-200004">• A SELECTN OM GET HAPPY: THE LIFE OF JUDY GARLAND (GERALD CLARKE, APRIL 2000) <A HREF="/HOLLYWOOD/FEATUR/2002/03/JUDY-GARLAND-200203">• LIZA MNELLI CHANNELS HER MOTHER’S DARK YEARS (JONATHAN VAN METER, MARCH 2002) LUFT’S REER PLAN FOR HIS GENI WIFE WAS: CHERCHEZ LE PAYCHECK. IT WAS LS A STRATEGY THAN A FORMULA FOR RIDG GARLAND TO THE GROUND. AND AS THE 50S END, AS SHE GAED WEIGHT AND LOST ALTU, THE GROUND SEEMED TO BE JT WHERE SHE WAS HEAD. ANDREW VELEZ, A VOUT GARLAND FAN FOR MANY YEARS, RELLED A NCERT SHE HAD DONE AT THE OLD METROPOLAN OPERA HOE MAY 1959: “SHE WAS NOT GOOD VOICE, AND SHE WAS PRETTY CHUBBY AND WEARG SOME PURPLE KD OF ROBE— LOOKED LIKE A SHY PURPLE BATHROBE.” OF URSE, SHE WASN’T GOOD VOICE; SHE WAS DYG. AMAZG, THEN, TO THK THAT LS THAN TWO YEARS BOTH GARLAND AND HER REER WOULD BE REVIVED SPECTACULAR FASHN.AFTER WEATHERG HER PHYSIL CRISIS, GARLAND SPENT MUCH OF THE FIRST PART OF 1960 LIVG AND RTG LONDON, AS FAR OM HOLLYWOOD AS POSSIBLE, AND WHOUT LUFT. (AFTER NUMERABLE RENCILIATNS AND SEPARATNS, THE UPLE WOULD FALLY DIVORCE 1965.) TOWARD THE END OF THE SUMMER, SID ME OVER AND FOUND HER REVIVIFIED AND EXCED ABOUT THE POSSIBILY OF SGG AGA. BUT LUFT HAD TIRED OF PHG HIS WIFE’S WANG REER. HE HAD A BS SCHEME OF HIS OWN, A PLAN TO PUT -FLIGHT MIC SYSTEMS ON MERCIAL AIRLERS, AND WHILE HE PURSUED , HE CID JUDY SHOULD HAVE AN AGENT. THE MAN HE BROUGHT OVER TO LONDON TO MEET WH HER WAS NAMED FREDDIE FIELDS. FIELDS WAS HANDSOME, CHARMG, AND YOUNG—NOT YET 40—AND A RISG VICE PRINT AT THE POWERHOE AGENCY MIC CORPORATN OF AMERI (MCA), BUT HE WAS CHG TO GO OUT ON HIS OWN. HIS IA WAS TO START A BOUTIQUE AGENCY, WH JT A DOZEN SUPERSTAR CLIENTS HE ULD GIVE HIS PERSONAL ATTENTN. THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS, HE DIDN’T HAVE ANY SUPERSTARS YET. HE NEED ONE TO ATTRACT OTHERS, AND HE NEED ONE WHO NEED HIM. NO ONE F THE BILL BETTER THAN JUDY GARLAND.IN JANUARY 1961, FIELDS AND HIS NEW PARTNER, A FELLOW MCA REFUGEE NAMED DAVID BEGELMAN, LAID OUT FOR AN EAGERLY RECEPTIVE GARLAND WHAT SHE HAD NEVER HAD BEFORE: A GRAND PLAN. ACRDG TO GARLAND BGRAPHER GEROLD FRANK, THE STRATAGEM, WHICH WOULD BEG WH A CROSS-UNTRY NCERT TOUR, WAS AS FOLLOWS: 1) PROVE TO THE ENTERTAMENT MUNY THAT JUDY GARLAND WAS ANX TO WORK … AND ULD BE RELIED UPON. THAT MEANT, TABLISH HER CREDIBILY BY SEEG THAT SHE MA EVERY PERSONAL APPEARANCE SCHLED, FIRST CI LIKE BUFFALO OR ALBANY, WHERE, IF SHE DID FAIL TO SHOW, WOULD NOT BE SO GREAT A LAMY; THEN, LATER, MAJOR CI. 2) MAKE HER AGA THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRACTN THE NIGHTCLUB FIELD, FLORIDA, VEGAS, TAHOE. 3) THEN RE-TABLISH HER IMPORTANCE AS A MOTN-PICTURE ACTRS. FIRST THE TOUR. “JT GIVE HER A STAGE AND A SPOTLIGHT,” HAROLD ARLEN SAID, “AND GET OUT OF THE WAY.” CY AFTER CY, WAS THE SAME SHOW EVERY NIGHT, BETIFUL S SIMPLICY: JT JUDY ONSTAGE, M THE CLOWN AND TRAMP STUM SHE’D WORN DURG THE BAD OLD DAYS OF THE 50S, AND WHOUT THE CHOS BOYS WHO HAD ACPANIED HER. JT JUDY, HER NDUCTOR, MORT LDSEY, A BAND, AND SOME TWO DOZEN OF HER SIGNATURE SONGS. “ACT ONE: JUDY,” THE PROGRAM READ. “ACT TWO: MORE JUDY.” THE TOUR WENT WELL OM THE BEGNG. IT HELPED THAT SHE HAD MORE OR LS CLEANED UP HER ACT: ALL SHE DRANK WAS A SWEET GERMAN WE LLED BLUE NUN. AS FOR PILLS, “I DON’T THK SHE TOOK DGS AT ALL,” MORT LDSEY, NOW 88, TELLS ME. LORNA LUFT BEGS TO DIFFER, GENTLY: “SHE WAS AS SOBER AS SHE ULD BE. INSTEAD OF TWO OR THREE DEXEDRE, THERE WAS ONE.” ACTUALLY, WAS PROBABLY RAL, BUT WHY SPL HAIRS? SHE WAS CLEAR-EYED AND VERTIL. GARLAND WAS STILL PLUMP, BUT THE CROWDS THAT ME TO SEE HER BUFFALO AND ATLANTA AND BIRMGHAM DIDN’T RE: THEY WERE CRAZY ABOUT HER. SHE FELT , AND GAVE AS GOOD AS SHE GOT. “HER PIP WERE NEVER BETTER,” VARIETY WROTE OF HER DALLAS SHOW. AND HOTON, TWO NIGHTS LATER: “UNQUTNABLY THE GREATT SHOW EVER GIVEN HOTON.” “LISTEN, EVERYBODY WANTED TO GO”IN WASHGTON, D.C., EARLY APRIL, SHE PLAYED CONSTUTN HALL, THEN SHE AND SID (WHO’D JOED HER ON THE ROAD FOR THEIR SON JOEY’S SIXTH BIRTHDAY) VISED JOHN F. KENNEDY THE OVAL OFFICE. THIS WAS DURG THE BRIGHT EARLY DAYS OF HIS PRINCY. JUDY, WHO’D FIRST MET J.F.K. YEARS BEFORE THROUGH HER IEND AND OLD MGM -STAR PETER LAWFORD, HAD H OFF WH HIM OM THE START. “THEY REMAED CLOSE EVEN AFTER KENNEDY’S GURATN,” WROTE GARLAND BGRAPHER GERALD CLARKE, “JUDY EQUENTLY TELEPHONG THE WHE HOE TO ASK THE PRINT’S ADVICE ON HOW TO AL WH THE DIFFICULT PEOPLE HER LIFE. KENNEDY, FOR HIS PART, SOMETIM LLED HER FOR A PRIVATE NCERT—A FEW BARS OF OVER THE RABOW’ SUNG A PPELLA OVER THE PHONE.” THEN ON TO NEW YORK. DRIVG DALLAS AND HOTON AND BIRMGHAM DIENC CRAZY WAS ALL WELL AND GOOD; CARNEGIE HALL WAS SOMETHG ELSE AGA. THE NEW YORK HOE WOULD BE PACKED WH SHOW-BS PEOPLE, G NOT JT OUT OF AFFECTN AND MORBID CURSY BUT—WHETHER WAS ACKNOWLEDGED OR NOT—TO SEE IF SHE WAS F TO REJO THE FOLD. “LISTEN, EVERYBODY WANTED TO GO,” POLLY BERGEN TELLS ME. “IT WAS LIKE THE BIG EVENT. SHE’D BEEN GONE, AND HER REER WAS OVER. NOBODY REALLY UNRSTANDS. HER REER WAS OVER. NOBODY WANTED TO SEE HER. NOBODY WANTED TO PUT UP WH HER. NOBODY RED. I’M TALKG ABOUT NOBODY THE BS. AND LET’S FACE , THE BS IS WHAT CREAT THE BS. SO IF PEOPLE THE BS DIDN’T RE, NOTHG WAS GOG TO HAPPEN.” EVEN GARLAND’S OWN RERD LABEL WASN’T SURE. ALAN LIVGSTON, THE PRINT OF CAPOL, WAS KNOWN FOR TAKG BOTTOM-LE GAMBL IF AN ARTISTIC PAYOFF WAS LIKELY: AFTER ALL, HE WAS THE MAN RPONSIBLE FOR SIGNG FRANK SATRA 1953, WHEN SATRA’S REER WAS D.O.A. LATELY, THOUGH, LIVGSTON’S WAGER ON GARLAND WASN’T LOOKG SO SMART. AND SO WHEN FREDDIE FIELDS WENT TO HIM WH THE IA OF RERDG THE CARNEGIE HALL NCERT, LIVGSTON BALKED. “I DIDN’T REALLY KNOW WHETHER I WANTED TO SPEND THE MONEY,” HE TOLD GARLAND CHRONICLER JOHN FRICKE. “BUT I MT GIVE FREDDIE FIELDS CRED, BEE HE WAS ON MY BACK ABOUT : ALAN, YOU’RE CRAZY. YOU’VE GOT TO DO THIS.’ ” LIVGSTON’S WIDOW, NANCY OLSON LIVGSTON, RELLS THAT GARLAND HAD BEE NOT JT A BS LIABILY BUT, BEE OF HER EMOTNAL WHIPSAWS, A PERSONAL CHALLENGE TO THE CAPOL PRINT. “YOU ULD NOT GET HER TO A STUD,” SHE SAYS. “SO THAT, EVEN THOUGH WAS DARG TO DO LIVE, WAS THE ONLY WAY TO [RERD GARLAND], WAS WHAT HE THOUGHT.”THE EVENG OF APRIL 23, 1961, WAS WARM AND DRIZZLY; THE CROWD STARTED GATHERG ONT OF CARNEGIE HALL HOURS BEFORE THE 8:30 P.M. CURTA TIME. THE NCERT HAD SOLD OUT WH HOURS AFTER A SMALL AD, WH A DAVID STONE MART DRAWG OF GARLAND, APPEARED THE NEW YORK TIM. MANY OF THE FAHFUL WERE GAY MEN, A KEY PONENT OF HER DIENCE SCE THE BEGNG. “I ALMOST GOT THERE THE DAY BEFORE, BEE I ULDN’T SLEEP,” SAYS GARLAND VOTEE FRANK CRAPANZANO. “I KNEW EVERYBODY THERE ON THE STREET, BEE THEY WERE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED HER AROUND EVERYWHERE.” HE RELLS THAT WHEN THE CROWD SPOTTED A LIMO WH GARLAND THE BACKSEAT, HER HAIR CURLERS, THEY RAN, EN MASSE, TO THE STAGE DOOR. “THEN SHE GOT OUT OF THE R, AND PEOPLE JT SCREAMED AND CLAPPED AND RRIED ON.” THE JUDY GARLAND WHO STEPPED OUT OF THE R WAS LM AND HEALTHY. “THE THG WAS THAT SHE LOOKED GOOD,” SAYS FILMMAKER STEVE LIPPMAN, WHO’S MAKG A DOCUMENTARY, STAY ALL NIGHT, ABOUT THE NCERT. “THE BUILDG OF NFINCE BETWEEN THE PERFORMER AND THE DIENCE HAPPENED BEFORE SHE EVEN STEPPED ONSTAGE.” “YOU WILL HEAR THE STORI ABOUT OH, SHE WAS TERRIFIED BACKSTAGE—SHE WAS AN IRON LUNG, AND THEY GOT A DWARF TO TEASE HER OUT OF THE IRON LUNG, BEE DWARV CRACKED HER UP,’ ” JOHN FRICKE SAYS. IN REALY, SHE WAS ALL BS. WHEN PRODUCER ANDY WISWELL ASKED GARLAND IF SHE ULD TELL HER DMMER TO KEEP THE SOUND LEVEL DOWN FOR THE SAKE OF THE RERDG EQUIPMENT, SHE GAVE HIM BOTH BARRELS. “SHE SAID,” MORT LDSEY REMEMBERS, LGHG, “ LISTEN, YOU MOTHERFUCKER, THIS IS MY NIGHT, AND I DON’T RE IF YOU GET A RERDG. I’M GOG TO GET THE WAY I WANT . IF I WANT THE DMS LOUD, THEY’RE GOG TO BE LOUD.’ ” SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT SHE WAS DOG. AS ALL 3,165 TICKET HOLRS FILED , AND THEN FOR A GOOD LONG TIME AFTERWARD, GARLAND SAT HER DRSG ROOM, BIDG HER TIME. “EIGHT-THIRTY, NO JUDY,” RELLS MIKE NICHOLS, WHO WAS A BOX WH ELAE MAY, RICHARD BURTON (THEN STARRG CAMELOT ON BROADWAY) AND HIS WIFE, SYBIL, AND RODDY MCDOWALL, AMONG OTHERS. “EIGHT FORTY-FIVE, NO JUDY. SUDNLY, THIS GUY BURSTS AND SAYS, SHE WANTS RODDY.’ ” WAS GARLAND IMPLODG? NOTHG LIKE . “RODDY MCDOWALL, WHO HAD BEEN A IEND OF HERS, TOLD ME QUE SIMPLY THAT HE WENT BACKSTAGE, AND SHE WASN’T A WRECK,” FRICKE SAYS. “SHE JT WANTED TO SEE A FAIAR FACE AND TALK TO SOMEBODY BEFORE GOG ON.” “JUDY KNEW HOW TO K AN DIENCE,” MORT LDSEY SAYS. “I SEE HER STANDG THE WGS. SHE’S NOT DOG ANYTHG, JT LOOKG ACROSS THE STAGE. SHE’S LOOKG AT ME AND I’M LOOKG AT HER. I LOOK THE DIENCE, AND THERE’S ETHEL MERMAN AND ROCK HUDSON AND BENNY GOODMAN, ALL THE BIG SHOTS STG DOWN THE FIRST ROW, WAG AND WAG. IS SHE GOG TO E OUT? IS SHE GOG TO DO ? BUT SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE’S DOG. FALLY SHE GIV ME A NOD, AND I START THE OVERTURE.” “MORT HAD A WONRFUL OVERTURE, WHICH BUILT UP TREMENDO EXCEMENT,” SHANA ALEXANR RELLED. “AND JT BUILT, AND GOT BIGGER AND BIGGER. AND BY THAT TIME JUDY WAS STANDG BACKSTAGE, AND SHE WOULD GRAB THE CURTA. AND AS THE DMS WERE GOG, SHE WOULD YELL AT THE DIENCE, FUCK ’EM! FUCK ’EM! FUCK ’EM!’ AND SHE SEEMED TO SORT OF BLOW UP LIKE A BALLOON A MACY’S THANKSGIVG DAY PARA—SHE WOULD FLATE! AND THEN, AT THE LAST EXPLOSN OF THE CHORDS, SHE WOULD JT SAIL OUT ONTO THE STAGE; WAS LIKE SHE WAS A PULL TOY—SHE WAS ON A STRG, AND SHE WOULD GLI OUT. AND YOU WOULD HEAR ROARS OF APPLSE.” THE EDIAN ALAN KG, WHO HAD OPENED FOR GARLAND THE LATE 50S, WAS STG NEXT TO HAROLD ARLEN, WHO’D WRTEN THE MIC FOR MANY OF THE SONGS SHE WOULD SG AT CARNEGIE HALL THAT NIGHT—CLUDG “OVER THE RABOW.” JT BEFORE GARLAND ME OUT, KG REMEMBERED, ARLEN ASKED HIM, “HAVE YOU SEEN JUDY?” BUT THEN GARLAND EMERGED AND WENT TO HER FIRST NUMBER, “WHEN YOU’RE SG,” AND PUMP-WALKED—STEP-TOUCH, STEP-TOUCH—DOWN TOWARD THE ONT OF THE STAGE. ARLEN LOOKED AT KG AND SAID DRYLY, “I THK WE’RE GOOD SHAPE TONIGHT.” < H4>“I JT REMEMBER THAT OUR JAWS DROPPED”THE DIENCE, STARS AND CIVILIANS ALIKE, AGREED. “EVERYBODY LOVED JUDY GARLAND, AND I LIKED HER, BUT I WASN’T OBSSED WH HER,” MIKE NICHOLS SAYS. “THEN SHE OUT AND SHE’S LIKE ON FIRE OM THE FIRST MOMENT. YOU JT THOUGHT, HOLY SH! WHAT IS THIS? I DON’T REMEMBER WHAT SHE SANG WHEN. I JT REMEMBER THAT OUR JAWS DROPPED, BEE SHE SEEMED TO BE SGG THE SONGS FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH OF URSE WAS HER GIFT ANYWAY. WE KEPT CLUTCHG EACH OTHER AND GASPG AND CHEERG AND YELLG AND RRYG ON.” “THERE WAS A FEELG THE HALL OF ELECTRICY, OF THE WALLS PUMPG,” GARLAND FAN DONALD SMH RELLS. “THE DIENCE WERE LIKE HOLY ROLLERS— WAS LIKE A REVIVAL MEETG. ONE YOUNG MAN HAD DONE AN OIL PATG OF HER, AND AS THE CHEERS WOULD BREAK OUT AT THE END OF A NUMBER, HE WOULD JT HOLD UP THE AIR AND SHAKE THERE WAS SOME ACTRS—I NNOT THK OF HER NAME; [MAYBE] MYRNA LOY, MAYBE CONSTANCE BENT. I WAS A BOX, AND I LOOKED DOWN AND I SAW THIS WOMAN STANDG ON HER SEAT—I ULD SEE THE GEO EVENG SLIPPERS—YELLG, GO, BABY, GO!’ ” AT THE SAME TIME, POLLY BERGEN SAYS, WHENEVER GARLAND SANG, “THE SILENC WERE SILENC UNHEARD OF A PLACE THAT SIZE—EVERYBODY WAS RAPT.” THE CLICHé HAS A PERFORMER HOLDG AN DIENCE THE PALM OF HER HAND. THIS WAS SOMETHG DIFFERENT: PERFORMER AND DIENCE SUPPORTG EACH OTHER, MUNITG WH EACH OTHER, AS TIMAT, LOVERS ALMOST, A HALL OF 3,000 PEOPLE. GARLAND MA EFFORTLS FUN OF HERSELF, SCRIBG A RO IF FLICTED ON HER BY A PARISIAN HAIRDRSER WHICH LLAPSED AS SOON AS SHE BEGAN TO PERFORM: “I DON’T KNOW WHY IS I N’T PERSPIRE—I JT SWEAT.” SHE REUNTED THE STORY OF A BRISH JOURNALIST WHO KEPT TELLG HER HOW WONRFUL SHE LOOKED, AND THEN WROTE A LUMN THE NEXT MORNG, “JUDY GARLAND IS FAT—BUT SHE’S JOLLY AND IF YOU SAY ANYTHG FUNNY TO HER, SHE THROWS HER HEAD BACK AND HER CHS JOGGLE HAPPILY.”THE DIENCE ATE ALL UP. BUT AT THE END OF THE SEND ACT, WHEN THE BAND TRIED TO PLAY HER OFF WH AN STMENTAL OF “OVER THE RABOW”—WHICH SHE HADN’T SUNG YET—AN ENRE, OR ENR, WAS CLEARLY LLED FOR. THE CROWD STARTG LLG OUT SONG TL. GARLAND PERKED UP. “I KNOW!” SHE CROWED. “I’LL SG ’EM ALL, AND WE’LL STAY ALL NIGHT!” IT PRODUCED THE EXPECTED REACTN. AND WAS RIGHT AROUND THEN THAT THE DAM BURST. “ALL THOSE QUEENS ULDN’T NTROL THEMSELV,” FRANK CRAPANZANO SAYS. THE GAY MEN THE DIENCE, MOST STG UPPER LEVELS, WENT DOWNSTAIRS AND RAN UP THE AISL. “EVERYBODY JT STOOD ONT OF THE STAGE,” CRAPANZANO RELLS. “SO JUDY REALIZ THAT PEOPLE N’T SEE—THE PEOPLE WHO WERE STG THE FIRST ROW, WHO I GUS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE. ANNA MARIA ALBERGHETTI TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULR, AND I SAID, I’M REALLY SORRY.’ SO JUDY SAYS, WOULD YOU MD STG ON THE FLOOR?’ BEE WAS RPETED. SO EVERYBODY SAT DOWN, ADORG.” BUT THEN, AFTER THE FAL ENRE (“DO YOU REALLY WANT MORE? AREN’T YOU TIRED?” “NO!!!”)—THE SONG WAS “CHIGO,” THE LAST NUMBER FOR WHICH THE BAND HAD SHEET MIC—ME A FAL, ROARG CHARGE TO THE STAGE: BOUQUETS PROFFERED, PROGRAMS EAGERLY RAISED FOR TOGRAPHS, DOZENS OF HANDS HELD OUT JT TO TRY TO TOUCH HERS. FREDDIE FIELDS, POLLY BERGEN CLAIMS, HAD “HIRED A HUNDRED GUYS AT $50 A POP TO STORM THE STAGE AT THE END OF THE SHOW.” MAYBE HE DID; EVEN IF HE DID, THOUGH, WAS SURANCE HE SRCELY NEED. “THE ONE THG I REMEMBER,” SAYS LORNA LUFT, WHO WAS STG THE ONT ROW WH HER BROTHER, JOEY, AND THEIR 15-YEAR-OLD HALF-SISTER, LIZA, “IS THAT WHEN YOU’RE 8, ADULTS ARE SUPPOSED TO ACT LIKE ADULTS. THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO JUMP OUT OF THEIR CHAIRS, SCREAMG, YELLG, NNG TOWARDS THE STAGE. THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE NTROL. THERE THEY WERE, ALL DRSED UP THE TUXEDOS, GOG NUTS.” AND WH THAT, ROCK HUDSON LIFTED LIZA AND LORNA AND JOEY UP ONTO THE STAGE, TO THEIR MOTHER, AND ALL FOUR TOOK A BOW, TOGETHER.A THOAND FANS STOOD OUTSI THE STAGE ENTRANCE, ON 56TH STREET, UNWILLG TO GO HOME. AFTER A WHILE GARLAND OPENED HER DRSG-ROOM WDOW AND THREW THEM KISS, BUT THEY STILL WOULDN’T LEAVE. AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER, MOST OF THEM WERE STILL THERE WHEN SHE FALLY EMERGED. “IT WAS LIKE THAT FAMO CROWD SCENE OM A STAR IS BORN,’ ” A LUMNIST WROTE, “AS SHE TRIED TO GET TO HER BIG BLACK LIMOE, SURROUND BY POLICE AND IENDS, AS HER ADMIRERS TRIED TO GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH HER.” LIKE A STAR IS BORN, Y, EXCEPT THAT THIS SE THE STAR WAS REBORN. “SHE WAS QUEEN AGA,” POLLY BERGEN SAYS, REMEMBERG THE STAR-PACKED AFTER-PARTY AT LUCHOW’S, WHERE GARLAND ARRIVED A LTLE WHILE LATER, BEAMG, TO APPLSE AND SHOUTED BRAVOS. HER REIGN WOULD BE BRIEF.THE ALBUM REMAS, STILL VIVID AND ASTONISHG, AND LISTENG TO , AND IMAGG THE EVENG (“PROBABLY THE GREATT EVENG SHOW BS HISTORY,” ACRDG TO THE ORIGAL LER NOT: A D EXAGGERATN, PERHAPS, BUT A FIVABLE ONE), YOU HEAR WHY PEOPLE SAY WHAT THEY SAY. THE MULTI-GRAMMY-WNG RERD—NO. 1 ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS FOR 13 WEEKS 1961, AND NEVER OUT OF PRT SCE—IS, ACRDG TO MIC CRIC WILL FRIEDWALD, “JT ABOUT THE SGLE GREATT LIVE ALBUM BY A SGER OF POPULAR AMERIN STANDARDS.” JUDY AT CARNEGIE HALL IS A TALISMAN FOR MANY. WHOOPI GOLDBERG: “WHEN SHE SGS COME RA OR COME SHE’ AND SHE BTS ONSTAGE AT THE END OF , THAT’S HOW I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AS AN ACTOR. THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY BARS TO REACH, THAT STATE OF GRACE THAT SHE GO TO AT THE END OF THAT SONG, WHEN SHE SOUNDS LIKE SHE’S SHAKG LIKE A BRANCH THAT’S BEG BLOWN, AND SHE’S SLIGHTLY OFF-KEY—JT SLIGHTLY. BUT DON’T MATTER, BEE SHE’S ON FIRE.” BARRY MANILOW: “NAME ME ONE OTHER ARTIST, EVER, WHOSE NCERT IS CELEBRATED 50 YEARS AFTER THE NCERT WAS DONE WHEN HER VOICE WAS TIP-TOP SHAPE, EVERYTHG SHE DID WAS FILLED WH THE TTH. I THK THAT’S THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HER AND EVERYBODY ELSE. EVERYBODY ELSE, OH YEAH, THEY’RE GREAT SGERS—THEY DO VOL ACROBATICS. BUT THEY DON’T TELL THE TTH. THIS WOMAN ALWAYS TOLD THE TTH, AND PECIALLY THAT NIGHT.” AND THEN THERE’S THE SGER-SONGWRER RUF WAWRIGHT, WHO PERFORMED AND RERD A RE-CREATN OF THE NCERT, WH THE INTIL SONG LIST AND ORCHTRATNS, AT CARNEGIE HALL 2006. (HE’LL ALSO PERFORM THE SHOW FOR TWO NIGHTS THIS SUMMER AT LONDON’S ROYAL OPERA HOE.) SOME FELT THIS FEAT WAS DISRPECTFUL, BUT WAWRIGHT’S MOTIV APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN SCERE: “RIGHT AFTER THE IRAQ VASN,” HE SAYS, “I WAS SO KD OF HORRIFIED BY WHAT HAD HAPPENED [AFTER] 9/11, WHERE THERE WAS THIS MOMENT OF HOPE WHERE EVERYBODY LOOKED AS IF THEY WANTED TO GET TOGETHER AND FIX THE WORLD, AND BH CID TO THROW A WRENCH PLETELY I WAS LIVG AMERI, AND I JT ULDN’T STAND , EXCEPT WHEN I WOULD PUT ON THE JUDY GARLAND RERD, AND REMD ME OF THIS SORT OF GOLN ERA, THIS HOPEFUL TIME, THIS EXCELLENCE THAT WE ONCE TREASURED.” IT WAS ED A HOPEFUL TIME, CAMELOT’S BRIEF FLICKER, AND WAS A HOPEFUL TIME FOR GARLAND TOO. FIELDS AND BEGELMAN’S MASTER PLAN SEEMED TO BE ON TRACK. IN FEBARY 1962, GARLAND WAS NOMATED FOR A BT-SUPPORTG-ACTRS OSR FOR HER MEO ROLE STANLEY KRAMER’S JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG; THAT SAME MONTH, A CBS TV SPECIAL SHE DID WH FRANK SATRA AND DEAN MART WAS A SMASH H, LEADG THE WORK TO SIGN HER TO A FOUR-SEASON, $24 LN VARIETY SERI. BUT SHE RAN AFOUL OF HER SUNDAY-NIGHT PETN, NBC BLOCKBTER BONANZA, AND OF CBS PRINT JAM AUBREY JR., WHO TURNED OUT TO TT HER. AND WE KNOW THE RT OF THE SAD SAGA: SHE ULDN’T STAY AWAY OM PILLS, AND HER HEALTH WORSENED, AS DID HER LOVE LIFE. SHE MET HER FIFTH HBAND, MICKEY DEANS, 1967, WHEN HE LIVERED PRCRIPTN DGS TO HER HOTEL ROOM. WHEN THEY MARRIED, MARCH 1969, SHE SAID, “THIS IS . FOR THE FIRST TIME MY LIFE, I AM REALLY HAPPY. FALLY, FALLY, I AM LOVED.” THREE MONTHS LATER, SOON AFTER HER 47TH BIRTHDAY, DEANS FOUND HER AD OF A BARBURATE OVERDOSE THE BATHROOM OF THEIR LONDON APARTMENT. THE TWO-DAY VIEWG OF HER BODY AT THE FRANK E. CAMPBELL FUNERAL HOME, MANHATTAN, BEME A MASS SPECTACLE, DRAWG THOANDS OF MOURNERS—AND PRECED BY JT DAYS THE STONEWALL RTS, A CINCE THAT HAS LKED THE TWO EVENTS MANY PEOPLE’S MDS AND CEMENTED GARLAND’S STAT AS A GAY IN. [#IMAGE: /PHOTOS/56CC4C4DAE46A861DF136B]|||||| <A HREF="/HOLLYWOOD/FEATUR/2000/04/JUDY-GARLAND-EXCERPT-200004">• A SELECTN OM GET HAPPY: THE LIFE OF JUDY GARLAND (GERALD CLARKE, APRIL 2000) <A HREF="/HOLLYWOOD/FEATUR/2002/03/JUDY-GARLAND-200203">• LIZA MNELLI CHANNELS HER MOTHER’S DARK YEARS (JONATHAN VAN METER, MARCH 2002) BUT JUDY GARLAND WAS A GREAT ARTIST AND REMAS AN IN TO PEOPLE OF ALL PERSUASNS, AND THE DIENCE AT HER GREATT NCERT WAS DISTGUISHED AS MUCH BY S DIVERSY AS BY S PASSN. AND WHILE GARLAND WAS NEVER ONE TO DWELL THE PAST—HER SIGNATURE SONG IS NOTHG IF NOT A YEARNG FOR A SPLENDID FUTURE—WHEN I ASKED LORNA LUFT IF HER MOTHER EVER TALKED ABOUT CARNEGIE HALL, LUFT NODD VIGOROLY. “SHE SAID, THAT WAS SOMETHG, WASN’T ?’ ” LUFT TOLD ME. “AND WAS.”MOST POPULARKYLE DCHANEL, THE ROTHSCHILD WHO WASN’TBY NATE FREEMANAND JT LIKE THAT: MICHAEL PATRICK KG KNOWS WHEN THE AUDIENCE TURNED ON CHE DIAZBY CHRIS MURPHYADAM SANDLER FDS LOW-KEY TRIUMPH YOU ARE SO NOT INVED TO MY BAT MZVAHBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAM KAPLAN
” There are several theori as to what ntributed to Garland’s stat as a gay in.
Acrdg to Richard Dyer, thor of Heavenly Bodi: Film Stars and Society, reverence of Garland among gay men took on a new form 1950, when she broke off her ntract wh MGM and fed a rejuvenated reer off the back of the succs of 1954’s A Star Is Born and her on-stage enavors.
Not only did her image “speak to different elements wh male gay subcultur, ” wr Dyer, but she me to reprent “gay men’s rilience the face of opprsn, ” stemmg om the perceptn of her as a star who had been knocked down only to triumphantly rise back up aga. A ment om one fan, clud Heavenly Bodi, says “her dience, we, the gay people, uld intify wh her…uld relate to her the problems she had on and off stage.