The Judy Garland Show (1963)
Barbra Streisand's appearance on Judy Garland’s weekly television show so impressed CBS brass, that it was quickly edited and broadcast two days after it was taped.
According to Variety:
CBS twin tycoons Bill Paley and Frank Stanton sat in on the [Friday] taping. They liked what they saw so much that the program department took its cue from there and moved pronto ... All concerned seemed awed by the result of the session.
Barbra has reflected several times about working with Judy Garland. In her liner notes for 1991's Just For the Record, Streisand wrote:
Extraordinary talent went into the making of this show. The director was Norman Jewison, the musical director was Mort Lindsey and Mel Torme did special musical material. There's also a brief visit by the wonderful Ethel Merman — but most of all there was Judy Garland. Miraculous ... soulful ... divine ... Singing these duets with her was sheer bliss. I was 21 years old.
In 2005, Barbra reminisced about working with Garland in an interview with Diane Sawyer. Barbra said, “[Garland] was great. She was wonderful. Loved her ... I was very secure then. I was only 21, I think. I wasn't afraid of failure or anything. But it was interesting to see someone who was so great and so famous and so gifted ... She was drinking Liebfraumilch—you know, a white wine—and her hands were shaking and she was holding onto me. I thought, what was this about? As one grows older, what is this fear? And I understand it now.”
Although it's hard to discern colors on a black-and-white program, Barbra actually wore a burgundy-colored sailor top during her “tea time” segment with Garland and Merman. The sailor top was auctioned in 2004.
Below, the famous duet between Streisand and Garland, each singing their signature songs:
End.
[ top of page ]
