Search - The Judy Garland Show Collection, Vol. 2 on DVD

A GARLAND FAN BONZANA~AWESOME PERFORMANCES!!!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 09/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1962 the greatest musical introduction happened in my life when my loving older sis sat me down and played Judy At Carnegie Hall and life was not quite the same after...1963 came this great legend on television every Sunday night and I instantly fell in love and never missed a show and on Monday morning in High School Choir the first topic of discussion was always about Judy's tremendous and gorgeous voice, the songs that Judy sang the night before and who she did those incredible duets with which was a spectacular array of the whose who in the great musical world of the sixties such as Tony Bennett, Count Basie, Bobby Darin, Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, Vic Damone, Jack Jones and on and on! I remember being awe struck as a teen watching this dynamo every Sunday night and being thrilled beyond belief...1965 opening night in the front row (I have the program and ticket stub to prove it!) at the Greek Theatre was sublime and this remains the greatest to this day that I have ever experienced and I have seen most of the greats over the past forty years. Anyone who experiences this wonderous box set will see what I mean as this is the closest that we can now get to the genius that was Judy Garland the Live Concert performer...and this set captures this brilliantly!!! Never in my lifetime did I think that I would have all the episodes of this incomparable series all beautifully remastered with such loving care but this second box set now completes this legendary series in the grand fashion that this classic musical series and this grand legend deserves. Glorious outtakes and stunning masterful unused performances fill out this collection and it is amazing to watch the incredibly moving series finale "Here's To Us" and realize that this amazing performance was not used...one watches transfixed as this soulful wonder goes to emotional depths unreached by other singers...this extraordinary performance is stunning beyond belief and quite possibly the greatest performance ever captured on film by any singer...certainly the most deeply moving. Aretha Franklin rates Judy as one of the greatest soul singers ever and watching this performance makes one know that Aretha knows what she is talking about. Judy Garland had a spectacular natural voice and was the greatest female popular singer plus peerless performer ever and this beautifully crafted box set clearly demonstrates this and is the next best thing to what it was like to experience Judy In Concert...there are a number of Concert Special Shows between these two magnificent box sets and they are the ultimate! Thank you Judy for working so hard and leaving us these two wonderous treasure chests of the best there is in the world of entertainment to savor and enjoy over and over again we do miss you alot...for always."

Great Shows, Cumbersome Package

John J. Schauer | Chicago, IL USA | 11/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'd give this set five stars if it had been packaged properly. There's no need to waste words here about how terrific these historical TV shows are, and I appreciate the efforts that went into making the entire series available in such stunning transfers on DVD. However, now that all of the shows have been restored, they ought to reconfigure this set (as has already been done with volume one of the complete collection). As cute an idea as the "trunk" package may seem, it is unwieldy and redundant in its contents. As at least one disc in the set demonstrates, four full episodes can easily be put on a single two-sided disc. So why is this set bulging with seven discs? Two discs contain three episodes each; another contains two; and another disc contains only one episode (The Christmas show). Even more wasteful, one disc is devoted to highlights of Judy with famous guests, and another contains a mere 17 minutes of music--four "Songs for America" culled from various shows. If a person is collecting the entire series (and you wouldn't be buying this package if you weren't), there is no need for separate "highlights" discs. Let's hope they get around to putting these legendary programs in a sensible format as they already have for volume 1, which originally also came in the bulky "trunk" format. Serious collectors, which such sets are obviously aimed at, don't have extra shelf space to waste on useless "extras.""

A Unique Entertainer In Her Many Moods

Chad Williams | Daly City, CA | 06/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must begin by saying that my love affair with Judy began, as it was the case with so many kids, with the annual showing of The Wizard of Oz. Thereafter, I'd catch her old movies on TV, frequently sneaking in a late show of Little Nellie Kelly or Presenting Lily Mars, or whatever, it was a wonderful treat for a little boy in one of the less fashionable parts of New Yawk. Judy lifted me, transported me into a better world, if only temporarily. I loved her voice, her style, her vulnerability. Now Streisand is a great talent, but vulnerable she ain't! Having said that, I must report that Judy is not at the top of her singing form in The Judy Garland Show, meticulously cleaned and sharpened in both picture and sound, after years in careless storage. When, then, was Judy in peak vocal power in her long musical career? The answer is her Carnegie Hall period. Unfortunately, she wasn't much to look at then, having packed on plenty of pounds with her favorite foods, particularly mashed potatoes and chocolate pies, plus wine. But it was this extra weight that protected her from the effects of her prescription drug addiction and nicotine habit. There was a certain sound between 1961 and 1962, when she was managed by her new lover, CMA's David Begelman, that she had not uttered before or afterward. It was rich, clear and under total control. It is in great evidence in her special with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, originally titled The Judy Garland Show, but now often marketed on DVD as "Judy, Frank and Dean, Once in a Lifetime."
That lovely, exciting and rich voice is rarely in evidence on her series, but occasionally pops up in duets when she is competitive (with Streisand, Vic Damone, Ethel Merman) and in some solos (As Long as He Needs Me), but her startling weight loss, which lends itself to the high fashion of Ray Aghayan, was murder on her voice. Some may want to chop off my head, but I speaketh the truth: a steady diet of tea, Newport cigarettes and Ritalin do not promote good singing. There, I said it. Given that, she did the best she could with that diminished ability but still was a consummate comedienne, and a surprisingly lithe, limber dancer. There was a lot of backstage politicking at the time about second-rate guests being on the show, but there were plenty of first-rate talents, too, making a lovely time capsule of that period, the early '60s. I highly recommend the DVD set as an historical account of Judy and her special place in show business, and, in case anyone didn't know what all the fuss was about."

I've got it in the bank...

Henning Sebastian Jahre | Oslo, Norway | 01/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes I do... I had to buy it twice so that I have it in the house as well. JUDY GARLAND 1962-1964 is the best Judy ..... Need I say more???? She remains a working experience.... she is true.... her soul is true.... her vulrability is true...

The human soul never changes... and that`s why JUDY GARLAND always will find fans worldwide.... I saw Liza live on October 19 2005 in Oslo. She was magnificent and we met briefly after the show... You can see a photo of us in my profile... How proud you would have been of her Judy.....

Bless you Judy... You gave us your talent AND a God-gifted daughter. THANK YOU:-)"