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Rainbow's End: The Judy Garland Show
A profile of the legendary performer during the run of her successful television program discusses her battle with substance abuse and includes previously unpublished photographs. Reprint.
- GenresNonfictionBiographyTv
416 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 28, 2007
Fascinating review of the making of The Judy Garland Show and how it was sunk almost before it had ever begun. The behind the scenes politicking, the sheer evil of James Aubrey, and the juggernaut that was Bonanza (the show opposite Judy's), were all too much for this marvelous television program to stand up to. If you have a DVD player, you owe it to yourself to rent or buy the Judy Garland Show DVDs in order to see what a treat the show was, and watch the programs as companion pieces to this well-written book.
September 18, 2019
Here is an amazing chronicle of an amazing woman, who fashioned an amazing life amidst hardships and betrayals that would have felled a lesser mortal. Judy Garland is one of the top performers of all time (I rank her far higher than overrated wannabes like F Sinatra and J Cash, for example), and her ability to rise above travail and still sing like some sort of sacred angel have thrilled us for many, many years.
This particular book focuses on the ill-fated CBS television series "The Judy Garland Show," lasting only one tumultuous season in 1963-1964. Having seen several of the original episodes with my mother, and loving them dearly, we were both sorely disappointed when the show was cancelled by a fickle CBS, as it was almost as if Broadway had come to the lowly medium of television, just for a brief while.
The book deftly chronicles the shows themselves, in admirable detail, listing all the songs performed, various takes required, the stellar list of guest stars, the cataclysmic change in personnel, etc. Even more important, if heartbreaking to read at times, is the recounting of all the villains of the piece, those powerful men (always men) who conspired against, sabotaged, extorted from, and undermined the Divine Ms G at every turn.
Freddie Fields, David Begelman, James Aubrey, Hunt Stromberg Jr., and Mel Torme all get righteously roasted as their nefarious deeds against Judy are chronicled in sometimes-painful detail. Truthfully, these and other men acted as financial and career parasites, using Judy and her prestige to their own gain, and causing Judy immeasurable suffering as a result.
But Judy showed them all, by overcoming these obstacles and performing for her fans and audience like nobody, arguably, had ever done before, and how nobody has ever since. There will never be moments like Garland in duets with a kooky young unknown named Barbra Streisand, or belting out "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" in response to the heinous murder of her dear friend, JFK, by the CIA.
And where are those greedy male clowns now? Aubrey, Stromberg, Fields, Begelman? They are pathetic history, whereas Judy Garland will live on and on. The only remaining injustice in the story of "The Judy Garland Show" is that Sid Luft, Garland's estranged husband at the time, owns the rights to program on home media, and so is still extracting financial gain from a woman he treated like dirt. The lesson may be that nobody escapes the machinations of shady characters in show business, but the real trouper will rise above calamity to become the legend they were meant to be. Like Judy.
As for the bloated, self-absorbed tool known as Mel Torme, his inane ego-fueled warbling is, to this day, not allowed in my house, nor will I bear to hear of him in conversation. Hated within the industry even at the time, the vapid fool was known as "Mel Torment" and "The Velvet Schmuck!"
This particular book focuses on the ill-fated CBS television series "The Judy Garland Show," lasting only one tumultuous season in 1963-1964. Having seen several of the original episodes with my mother, and loving them dearly, we were both sorely disappointed when the show was cancelled by a fickle CBS, as it was almost as if Broadway had come to the lowly medium of television, just for a brief while.
The book deftly chronicles the shows themselves, in admirable detail, listing all the songs performed, various takes required, the stellar list of guest stars, the cataclysmic change in personnel, etc. Even more important, if heartbreaking to read at times, is the recounting of all the villains of the piece, those powerful men (always men) who conspired against, sabotaged, extorted from, and undermined the Divine Ms G at every turn.
Freddie Fields, David Begelman, James Aubrey, Hunt Stromberg Jr., and Mel Torme all get righteously roasted as their nefarious deeds against Judy are chronicled in sometimes-painful detail. Truthfully, these and other men acted as financial and career parasites, using Judy and her prestige to their own gain, and causing Judy immeasurable suffering as a result.
But Judy showed them all, by overcoming these obstacles and performing for her fans and audience like nobody, arguably, had ever done before, and how nobody has ever since. There will never be moments like Garland in duets with a kooky young unknown named Barbra Streisand, or belting out "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" in response to the heinous murder of her dear friend, JFK, by the CIA.
And where are those greedy male clowns now? Aubrey, Stromberg, Fields, Begelman? They are pathetic history, whereas Judy Garland will live on and on. The only remaining injustice in the story of "The Judy Garland Show" is that Sid Luft, Garland's estranged husband at the time, owns the rights to program on home media, and so is still extracting financial gain from a woman he treated like dirt. The lesson may be that nobody escapes the machinations of shady characters in show business, but the real trouper will rise above calamity to become the legend they were meant to be. Like Judy.
As for the bloated, self-absorbed tool known as Mel Torme, his inane ego-fueled warbling is, to this day, not allowed in my house, nor will I bear to hear of him in conversation. Hated within the industry even at the time, the vapid fool was known as "Mel Torment" and "The Velvet Schmuck!"
July 25, 2020
This is the definitive book on the under-appreciated but magnificent series, The Judy Garland Show (1963-64). Coyne's research ... tracking down as many living persons affiliated with the show, or their relatives... is incredible.
YouTube has an abundance of clips and episodes of this short-lived 26 episode series. It's a point of TV history for all sorts of reasons: production values, wardrobe and set innovations and the high quality video preservation of Judy at one of her best periods. Coyne tells the story as comprehensively as it was understood and by 1990, a lot more was known about the network's relationship and attitudes toward Judy and people were willing to speak.
I relied extensively on this book in producing my podcast series on Judy's show for my podcast, Advanced TV Herstory. Amid so many books written by men, this one is perhaps the most balanced and best-researched one of the series and its players.
YouTube has an abundance of clips and episodes of this short-lived 26 episode series. It's a point of TV history for all sorts of reasons: production values, wardrobe and set innovations and the high quality video preservation of Judy at one of her best periods. Coyne tells the story as comprehensively as it was understood and by 1990, a lot more was known about the network's relationship and attitudes toward Judy and people were willing to speak.
I relied extensively on this book in producing my podcast series on Judy's show for my podcast, Advanced TV Herstory. Amid so many books written by men, this one is perhaps the most balanced and best-researched one of the series and its players.
July 30, 2019
The chronicles of the ill fated Judy Garland Show. This is sad because this is a fantastic show that stands the test of time. Judy Garland is amazing.
November 1, 2016
I had been watching reruns of the old Judy Garland show on Get TV and was curious about the wildly veering style and content of the show from week to week. This book lays out, episode by episode, the backstage fight for creative control of the series and the troubled situation of Miss Garland. The author seems to take a very balanced view and makes it clear that there was plenty of blame to go around. In the end one is left with the feeling that much talent and effort was sadly wasted by all concerned.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews