Cheap The Judy Garland Show, Vol. 08 - Final Chapter (DVD) (Judy Garland, Jerry Van Dyke) (Dean Whitmore, Bill Hobin) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Judy Garland Show, Vol. 08 - Final Chapter

HERE'S TO US
I bought the boxed set if the Judy Garland show and all the subsequent releases.Sadly, this is the last- but what a collection. I must say these DVD's are the most played in my inventory.
Beautifully restored footage (from videotape!)the image quality is at times astounding, with extraordinary depth and detail. Those early Marconi cameras shot very much 'in your face' which gives an intimacy never seen with todays zoom lenses.Judy quickly mastered the art of looking- at suitable intervals- right down that lens - giving an almost 'I'm singing for YOU at home' feel which few performers have mastered.
Just watch as judy sings 'Smile' and just at the right moment- looks at us- the television audience.

The audio,recorded with excellent microphones,has been superbly mixed to a 5.1 soundtrack. It would have been so easy for pioneer to make a 'joke stereo' soundtrack- but they didn't and the results are spectacular.

For me the never released 'Here's to Us' was the most poignant thing i have ever seen.
The quality is lower than some of the other numbers- (possibly from a kinescope recording)- but who cares!
And somehow it IS for us, you, me, all the legions of Judy's fan's around the world.
I watched spellbound as Judy embraces the audience, Mort Lindsay, and then in a dramatic gesture blows a huge kiss to the television audience- which an over enthusiastic producer almost missed.
And Judy, here's to you,the greatest entertainer of all time.(raise cocktails!)
This is manna from heaven.
And here's to Pioneer- great job.
Only request- would like to have seen some before/after footage restoration and technical detail.Where were the videotapes found? And how on earth can Pioneer extract a sizzling top end you could fry eggs on from a lifeless monophonic audio track??
To Steven Sanders of Pioneer.Ignore the 'conspiracy theorists' of some reviewers re the staggered releases. You've done a wonderful job.The price of these discs is almost ridiculously cheap for the content and entertainment value.
What price can you put on the Holy Grail?
So finally, here's to you.

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show #ll
The final Pioneer Entertainment release of The Judy Garland Show is full of interesting bonus features and classic performances, but the real satisfaction comes from the inclusion of Show #11 with Steve Allen, Mel Torme, and an hilarious "interview" with Jayne Meadows. ("aka, Mrs. Steve Allen") It is the most balanced and successful of all the Norman Jewison directed shows, and a testament to what The Judy Garland Show could have been in the standard variety format. Garland herself is in top form here. Highly Recommended.

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One of the Artistic Highpoints of the 20th Century
Its so satisfying to know that all of Judy's shows as well as priceless outtakes are now preserved on DVD. The last 2 releases have been as good as the first box set in terms of extras and picture quality. The outtakes show Judy's professionalism, quick wit and the hard work that in its finished product looks so effortless. For years I read accounts of the show is which she is portrayed as bored and petulant, frequently phoning it in and that the series' failure was one more sign that she was washed up. I dare anyone who watches these shows and outtakes to say that Judy Garland didn't worked her rear off and give some of the best musical performances by anyone at anytime. For example, take "Suppertime" from the last show when Judy was apparently distraught about the end of her series. She performs "Suppertime" with such feeling that I see a film in my head as she sings the lyric. It is one of her best performances on a series that has more forty musical highlights in the course of 26 hours.

Finally, there is one song from show #11 that demonstrates what Judy Garland could do that no one else could. Its "Island in the West Indies" which is really nothing special but with a straw hit and a swaying bossa nova beat in her voice, Judy turns it into magic. After hearing her sing that song, I feel like I've been to the West Indies.