Search - Judy Garland Live at the London Palladium with Liza Minnelli on DVD

Powerful and Moving, showbiz in the raw...

Review Lover | At a place... | 10/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wary as I was of all the so-so and downright negative reviews of this DVD that I've seen strewn about the Web, it was with some reluctance that I bought it from Amazon.

I am deligted to be able to tell you all now to utterly disregard the criticisms, the complaints and the heckling - "Judy Garland Live at the London Palladium with Liza Minnelli" is, in my opinion, one of the best live concert DVDs I have ever seen.

Judy is older, more tired, and in noticably less voice than in previous outings. Liza is sometimes over-ambitious in her range and a shade on the awkward side. The DVD quality is blurry and jerky, and the sound quality, although you can hear pretty much everything perfectly well, is not as good as it could have been.

For all of that, though, the absolute and indefinable screen magic and stage presence that radiates from two of the world's most legendary entertainers is more than palpable here - it's real, heartfelt and honest. Judy and Liza seem both enamoured of and slightly overawed by each other, and their shared medleys and duets (which comprise most of the track listings) are breathtaking. Liza more than holds her own with her opening number "Gypsy In My Soul", and in terms of sheer enjoyment, their rendition of the classic "Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again" beats the Garland-Streisand version hands down.

An absolute and unequivocal must for fans of showbusiness, broadway, craftsmanship in music or either of these two indisputable treasures, "Judy Garland Live at the London Palladium with Liza Minnelli" is an outstanding testament to the power of talent.

To be owned and enjoyed immediately!"

A classic performance

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 10/02/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD of the famed Judy Garland-Liza Minnelli 1963 London Palladium concert is a must for all fans.

This was Minnelli's first big engagement (she would make her Off-Broadway debut the following year in BEST FOOT FORWARD, before landing a Tony Award for her Broadway debut in 1965's FLORA THE RED MENACE). Though as other reviewers have noted, her overall performance is quite raw and unpolished, this merely adds to the charm. Her kooky and knowing delivery of "It's Just a Matter of Time" is simply delicious and "The Gypsy in My Soul" is full of verve.

And the comic banter between Garland and Minnelli is hilarious! Garland was always a renowned raconteur, and she used it well during her concerts. When asking the audience which number they would like to hear next, a scream from the balcony suggests "There's a Hole in My Bucket". Liza asks "When did you sing that one, Momma?" and Garland dryly replies "When I was in the Hillbilly Three". When a microphone rises from beneath the stage, Garland remarks to Minnelli "It looks like Cleopatra's asp!".

The entire concert is a complete joy. Whilst sitting on the stage Garland makes time stand still with her rendition of "The Music That Makes Me Dance" from FUNNY GIRL and has the audience in stitches with her comic cavorting in "San Francisco".

Best of all is when Garland gets the audience to serenade her with "Over the Rainbow". For Garland-Minnelli admirers, this DVD is a mandatory one."

Judy Garland and Liza are magical together!

C. Clay | St Paul Minnesota | 09/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was Judy's last concert at the London Pallidium and was Liza's first on-stage appearance (excluding TV). Although the B&W video quality is poor, the magic of the two on stage is excellent! If you are a fan of Judy or Liza, you owe it to yourself to add this tape to your collection - just seeing the love between Judy & Liza as they sing "Happy Days Are Here Again" is worth the purchase. And as another viewer writes, "Over The Rainbow" is magical. Yes, Judy's career was sadly coming to a bitter end and it comes through in this concert - but the audience stood and cheered as Judy closed the show with everything she had singing "Chicago" with Liza at her side. There was a special bond between these two wonderful ladies!"

YES I bought it and I'm so thrilled!....

Stan Limburg | Amsterdam Netherlands | 03/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the Editorial Review I read: "In November 1964 Liza Minnelli was not yet 20 and not yet a Broadway success." In fact: Miss Minnelli just turned 18 years old on march 12th 1964!...
Years ago I could get an illegal copy on video. It was a very bad one, but I was so happy just to have it. This (legal) DVD-copy is an enormous improvement on the illegal VHS quality. Just keep in mind: the year is 1964. It's a TV-registration of a theatre show; not a TV-show with LIVE-audience. Therefore the entire concert had to be done in ONE take. I can live with some camera/director's mistakes and the (sometimes) poor sound quality. In fact: they just add up to the charm!... In those days ALL TV-programs were recorded on AMPEX-tapes. Which were VERY expensive. AMPEX-tapes were used over and over again because of the high costs. Many brilliant programs lost because of this. It's an ABSOLUTE MIRACLE that this tape was not re-used for some silly quiz-show or something. Let's Hail the people who found this show important enough to keep it in the vaults for so many years. Judy might have been tired, but she still was brilliant. Liza was just a very gifted and talented upcoming star. No lack of AMPEX-quality can mistify THAT!...
In an interview Liza once said: "When I was a little girl and I jumped on stage to dance while Mama sang, it was an unrehearsed, amateurish and spontaneous thing. But at the Palladium, Mama realized that she had a grown-up daughter and that I wasn't a kid anymore. I'm sure this happens with almost every mother and daughter. It happened to my mother in front of eight thousand people. Mama became very competitive with me. I wasn't Liza, but another woman in the same spotlight." Liza never did appear with Judy in a concert setting again. "Immediately after the Palladium show, Mama's competiviness disappeared. She then fell into a period of unparalleled motherhood."
This 'competiviness' is very clear in several songs. But it's very good television as well!... In spite of the so-called 'poor technical quality'..."