Judy Garland on Judy Garland

September 1, 2014

Although Judy Garland never wrote her long talked-of autobiography, her tumultuous life was the object of endless fascination. From her musical debut in 1935 up to her early death at 47 in 1969, her words--and those of MGM studio publicists--were avidly recorded. Music teacher Schmidt (Little Girl Blue), gathers many of these articles and interview transcripts chronologically, and provides a little context. When Garland was a successful MGM star, most articles were puff pieces written for movie magazines in which she expressed great happiness with her career and family. The tone changed after MGM fired her in 1950; more of the supposedly "true" Garland emerged. She talked more freely--and often bitterly--of failed relationships, career lows, and struggles with addictions. The problem is that even when seeming to be candid she was an inveterate teller of tales, many of which were repeated so often she seems to have believed them herself. The final piece, from just three months before she died, is an interview for Danish radio after she had married for the last time. VERDICT Any addition to the Garland canon is welcome, especially when it uncovers obscure material, but this does little to separate fact from fiction, and will likely be skimmed more than read in its entirety. Movie buffs, especially Garland fans, may find parts of it entertaining.--Roy Liebman, formerly with California State Univ., Los Angeles

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