Wampum Wednesday

*sigh*

So many ideas for posts, so little time.

First of all, here's a clip of probably my favorite Judy Garland performance. This is "The Man That Got Away" from the musical extravaganza "A Star Is Born":





For those who aren't familiar, this version of "A Star Is Born" is actually a remake of the 1937 (?) film starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. This film was hacked up beyond belief by Warner Brothers studios, went WAY over budget and was marred in some ways by Garland's erratic behavior and Sid Luft's (alleged) overspending.

It was nominated for several Oscars, including Judy Garland as Best Actress. When she lost to Grace Kelly for her performance in "The Country Girl", many in the industry felt that Garland was robbed. But Garland's reputation preceded her, and I think (as do many others) that her reputation was what robbed her of the Oscar. Not fair, but a theory nonetheless.

As I get older, I admire Garland's artistry more and more. If I wanted to get tweaky, I could say that her vocal production is not correct...her voice could become strained as a result. Some could say that she always seemed nervous and frantic...maybe even "mannered"? I know my mom isn't a fan, nor are some others.

But really, when you watch her sing...who cares?

Come on...her face is the canvas of the whole piece. You see emotion there...you see the pain and defeat, in this case. But when she's performing other songs, you see the joy and love. Her body is an extension of that...you can see her tense up like a violin string or relax like a cat after a nice stretch.

She IS the song, for better or worse. I think that's what scares some people.

Anyway, enjoy...I'll gripe about more stuff later.