Judy Garland‘s personal demons were never very secret, but the singing legend also didn’t shy away from translating her raw emotion through her art.
We’re reminded of this captivating quality of hers thanks to this recently recirculated, unaired clip from her variety show, The Judy Garland Show.
Related: Rare Footage Captures Bette Midler’s 1971 Farewell Performance At NYC Gay Bathhouse
The show only lasted one season, and this rendition of “By Myself” was slated to be the last episode’s final number before the show was canceled in 1964.
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Producers are rumored to have nixed the song because they felt it was too dark.
Here it is, 52 years after Judy delivered the goods:
h/t: SunnySkyz
David Bolton
“This Haunting Judy Garland Performance Was Cut In 1964 For Being Too Dark”
“Producers are rumored to have nixed the song because they felt it was too dark.”
According to… ?
bottom250
That was fabulous. I am in tears it was so good. I love her music so much.
Will Glitzern
Too dark? It goes from dark to a life-affirming explosion. Can’t believe she was only here 47 years…
David Sutton
Flawless!
Bill Ciampo
She can still give me the chills like few have ever done. Bravo!
Stephen Riscica
Matthew Kuriloff
Desert Boy
What a brilliant vocalist. Puts all those other singers like Streisand, Carey and Beyonce to shame.
bottom250
@Desert Boy: all those singers you mentioned are fabulous honey.
Billy Budd
Her voice didn’t have the same power as when she was young. You can feel her difficulty maintaining notes for a long time. But it is still very good.
Leo Radel
This ones for you Bob Butts. st. Judy
Robert Rainey
She has sung this song on many occasions and it’s on her Carnegie Hall album, nothing dark about it at all. I am glad that I saw her perform in 1964 even though she wasn’t at her best, she was still enthralling..
Bromancer7
@bottom250: Well, the first of the three is fabulous. The other two, not so much and wish they had a 1/100th the talent of Judy or Barbra.
dvlaries
Her TV show only lasted one season because CBS put it smack against Bonanza on Sunday nights. Then as now, the quality of your show only carries you so far; when it’s on, and what competition it faces, counts at least as much.
bottom250
@Bromancer7: Judy and Babs are so fabulous they bring me to tears every time i listen
Cody Goulette
Michael Alcaraz III
Doug Curtis
This was NOT cut from the show, and was broadcast as it was performed.
Dan Duprey
Miss Garland had few equals as a live performer.
John Gaunt
I was amazed when my mum told me that she saw Judy Garland perform twice in London, once she was amazing, the second time she was led off stage by the hand not long after the performance began.
William David French Jr
The head of CBS at the time made huge mistakes when it came to micromanaging her series. He didn’t understand what she and the producers were going for. And he didn’t understand that the viewers wanted to see what she was trying to give them. The failure of her series is one of the major things that lead to her death.
Mike Wonders
They have better studio lighting now
Desert Boy
@bottom250: Never said they weren’t. Honey.
Timothy Herbert
Strange to me that this seems more like a song of personal empowerment.
rtripboy
Sony’s GET TV runs The Judy Garland Show Monday’s at 8pm eastern. Repeats at 11pm, with additional runs on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
Check out this link to see if it’s available in your area.
http://www.get.tv/get-the-channel
If you have DISH it’s on channel 378.
sbw62
@Robert Rainey: This song was not sung on her Caregie Hall album. This song was featured in her last movie “I Could Go On Singing” where she performed it “live” on the stage of the Palladium in London.
sbw62
If you want another haunting performance from her show, look up Garland Old Man River on YouTube.
Brian
In those days, divas sang live. Today, women with no talent get called divas. Sad.
There was only Garland, and there will only ever be one Garland.
billeetee
PURE JUDY! And obviously the audience didn’ think it was ‘too dark’! God How I Miss Her!
Pete
@Desert Boy: Babs is okay. A bit too effusive at times, but she has a lovely voice, and for the most part sticks to the standards rep. With you on the other two and don’t get me started in that no-talent exhibitionist madonna!
Donald
Hi folks, a little correction – information, this song wasn’t deleted for any reason other than the show time ran long so the performance was edited from the air tape. The number turned up the following week on show # 26 as fill in material. Garland was unable to tape a full episode that night due to all the angst and raw emotion on her part; Due to it being her last show for CBS. The Judy Garland show from the 1963 – 1964 season showcased Garland quite near her peak. The ending of the Judy Garland show began the ending of Judy Garland. Garland traveled from triumph to disaster for a few more years before finally burning out in London just ten days past her 47th birthday. Rest in peace Judy, we all miss you.
Pete
Garland was a true prodigy. Not only sing like nobody else, but also dance and act. God, could she act!
Apparently Gene Kelly wanted to star Judy in his “Hello Dolly!” It was a return for the old favor she had done for him way back by insisting that the relative unknown be the leading man in “For Me and My Gal”. Only in 1969 the studios weren’t willing to take a chance on Garland (with some justification, I might add). Instead the opted for Streisand, who was hot off her Oscar turn in “Funny Girl!” At 27, she was completely inappropriate for a role demanding a woman of a certain age such as Carol Channing, Ethel Merman, Pearl Bailey, and Ginger Rogers (all of whom had played it on Broadway),and the film was a major flop.
Donald
it’s me again. Here’s the intended closer for The Judy Garland show final episode but was unused due to many reasons. More than can be explained here. It’s a wonderful number and says so much about the beautiful soul who was Judy Garland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSOd3B3gaWY
Pete
@Timothy Herbert: certainly a very different rendition than Astaire’s in The Bandwagon
Pete
The other half of the Garland equation (and the Sinatra, Bennett, Fitzgerald, etc.) is the quality of her material. Popular songwriting is a lost art. The last gasp of the Great American Songbook was Philly soul in the 70s.
Pete
@dvlaries: A weekly show was a mistake. She should have done seasonal specials, like her buddies Bing and Frank.
He BGB
There is a grest book that gives all the details of every episode Rainbows End I think. Like how June Allyson was drunk when she did her part (and you can tell) and other juicy tidbits. In the credits is ASSISTANT Costume Director Robert Mackie who was the lover of the Costume Director.
He BGB
Judy needed the money desperately, $1million. The show shows that Judy was quite funny and very intelligent. Jim Aubrey of CBS Programming hated Judy and wanted her show to fail. What a pro, she could cover up when she forgot lyrics and dance steps (most of the time).
He BGB
I love the story Patty Duke tells of when Judy was fired from The Valley of the Dolls. When La Duke went to see Judy in concert there was Judyperforming in the film’s costumes she had stolen on her way out.
Doughosier
Just did this song better in her special with Phil Silvers and Robert Goulet. She’s still great here but her voice sounds a little tired. Maybe the authors are confusing this song with the Battle Hymn of the Republic, which she sang after Kennedy was shot and the network cut it, although she repeated it later.