Search - Judy, Frank & Dean - Once in a Lifetime on DVD

A Live "Television Spectacular" From 1962

Gary F. Taylor | Biloxi, MS USA | 09/18/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Judy Garland was super-hot in 1962--so hot that she could easily coax stars Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin into appearing as secondary attractions when she decided to recreate portions of her legendary Carnegie Hall concert for television. After opening the program with a medley including "Just in Time" and "When You're Smiling," Garland introduces her guests, and both Sinatra and Martin have their musical moments and share a bit of comic banter. But this show belongs to Garland, and she dominates it with considerable ease.Garland's voice was a delicate instrument, and although it was not in truly superior form for this performance it was certainly solid enough to deliver one knock-out punch after another, beginning with a ferocious performance of "The Man Who Got Away" and then a charming and memorable "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." But the highlight of the program comes at the end, when Garland dispenses with her guests and stomps out onto a runway surrounded by her audience to toss off a handful of songs as only she could: "Swanee," "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby," "San Francisco." And while she doesn't quite manage to catch that Carnegie Hall lightening, she still makes it more than worth the trip.The program has been tinkered with, of course, first remixed into stereo and then colorized. The stereo isn't bad--but the colorization was a mistake: Sinatra's famous blue eyes have a truly peculiar cast, and the skin tones have a painted-on look. But I wouldn't avoid this tape on that account. On the other hand, a lot of Garland's television work is being slowly but surely released on DVD, and you may prefer to bypass this particular out-of-print tape in favor of a future DVD release. But one way or another, this is one that hardcore Garland fans will want to have in their collection."

The BEST Garland On Television...

Old Legend Lover | Central Indiana | 07/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Forget the videos from her '63-64 CBS series, some good, some bad...a patchwork of quality. If you want to own the ULTIMATE 'Garland On TV' video, buy this one....immediately. Her television work never reached this level of excellence, before or after, and say what you may about 'colorization,' it adds a lot to the over-all impact of her performance. She had just reached the zenith of her concert career in 1961 at Carnegie Hall, and this '62 TV special is the closest we will ever come to witnessing the magic she created there.Her showmanship supreme is introduced by THE original, earth-shaking Overture from Carnegie Hall, which will put you in the mood to start clapping and shouting her name even from an easy chair in your living room. With "JUDY" in slowly illuminating lights as a background, she delivers a powerhouse version of "Just In Time" and then swings into her wonderful rendition of "When You're Smiling." "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" is sung more poignantly than ever before, and she delivers the most heartbreaking version of "The Man That Got Away" you will ever hear. It will take your breath away and make your spine tingle, and she does it in a simple cocktail bar setting, very restrained, no arms flying everywhere, just pure raw emotion in her voice.Fellow 'Rat-Packers' Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, certainly legends themselves, are perfect guests, and do some fine solo numbers. They also display their obvious affection and respect for their hostess when joining her in "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" and an upbeat version of "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You" that is truly fun to watch. Then...POW...Judy finishes the performance of her life with showstopper versions of "Swanee," "Rockabye Your Baby," and "San Francisco" that equal or surpass anything she ever gave us at Carnegie Hall or anywhere else.If you are 60 and you were actually there to watch this TV special forty years ago, or if you are 16 and just starting to discover The Greatest Entertainer Who Ever Lived....you need nothing more than this one video to 'know it all.'"

Big League.

F. Gentile | Lake Worth, Florida, United States | 06/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just saw this video for the first time, so you may have to forgive me if nostalgia causes me, to some anyway, to over-rate this. I notice some reviewers have dissected this filmed 1962 t.v. performance like a cadaver, but this is what I got from the viewing. I like varied styles of music, I'm not an expert, I like what I hear, or I don't. I found this filmed musical special just great! Seeing these legends perform together still gives one goosebumps. The entertainment industry back then was a smaller community, and the obvious affection, support, and comaraderie between these "friends", who also happened to be three of the biggest names in show-biz, is magic. Some find the staging, patter, etc..corny, I loved it. It's SHOW-BIZ, Baby!!! I found them all in great voice, Sinatra & Dino the definition of cool. And JUDY !...oh Judy, is so fantastic, when she sings "The Man That Got Away", from her "A Star Is Born", it's easy to see why many consider her the greatest talent Hollywood ever produced. Her voice, and the emotion in her renditions, justify the legend. And her finale may bring you to tears. This Baby-Boomer is SO glad I was around at that time , so that I was very familiar with these entertainment giants...was I lucky. I love music...many kinds, I'm just as likely to follow a Patsy Cline c.d. with Blondie, then Jefferson Airplane. But in this era of Puffy Daddys & Techno-Floozies, it is so refreshing to be reminded of these dear, now-gone people, all of whom evoke the term "God-given talent". A great video for "those who were there", and maybe even for those younger who weren't. As time goes by, and when all's said and done, these three will be of the relative hand-full of performers who will be remembered."

Judy is Spectacular (who are those other guys anyway?)

David E. Goodlett | Louisville, KY United States | 09/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This video showcases Judy at a point in her career when she looked and sounded her best. This tape is worth the price, if only for the spectacular opening number, "Just in Time" and the closing moments that attempt to recreate the legendary Carnegie Hall concert. Did Judy think she needed "guests?" Frank and Dean are fine, but they serve only to give Garland a break and time to change. It's no mistake that the program begins with the Garland Overture and Judy's name in huge lights--the show is her's. Also of note is director Norman Jewison's unique staging of "The Man That Got Away," that begins with a rather interesting overhead shot and has Judy sitting for much of the number. Even when Judy is surrounded by odd sets and unnecessary guest stars, she still shines. A must buy for the rabid Garland fan and those looking to discover her for the first time."