Judy sings the song - but not in the film - why?

[arthur]

Songs like "Love" and "yours and mine" performed AND recorded by Judy Garland are MUCH BETTER than the versions we can hear in the films (with Powel, etc) - anybody knows the background of why not so talented singers sang the songs (in modest performances!) and which Judy only recorded? On the records Judy sounds fantastic!
I might think there was some fear not letting sing the "usual ol fellows" of MGM the songs because otherwise they might have left MGM; or they had some love-affairs with MGM responsables... you never kow - or do you? Thanks for replying!
Arthur (Italy)

[conwention]

Hi Arthur. I guess your talking about the DVD " Broadway Melody 1938 ". I don't know if the song " Yours and Mine " was recorded on record but the recordings that are on the " Special Features " of the DVD are recording tests that I think the movie executives use to help them decide how to put the movie together. Judy's singing of " Yours and Mine " in the opening credits of the film are enough to move the earth on its axis. The " Yours and Mine " in the special features sung by Judy ( and a bunch of children ) was filmed ( now destroyed ) but left out of the movie. I think the " Yours and Mine " version with Eleanor Powell and Robert Taylor that is in the movie was a good decision by MGM. It flatters Powell's limited singing ability and establishes the love affair between the two in the movie. Judy's version with the children was just a little weak.

The real tragedy for me is the song " Your Broadway and My Broadway " in the special features. This was filmed ( and lost ) and recorded for the film. Judy's singing in this song is the low down nastiest bad girl Judy that I love. I thought a long time ago there was a possibility that the other actors fought to keep Judy's version of this song out of the movie. Judy had already killed everybody in the movie with the songs " Everybody Sing " and " Dear Mr Gable ". The version of the song " Your Broadway " that they did put in at the end was pathetic.

I'm not sure what you mean by the song " Love ". If you mean the song " Feeling Like a Million " Judy recorded a demo for this song but again I think it was a good choice to use Powell and George Murphy's version because it works so well with their dancing which was their strong point.

This was great to talk to someone from Italy about Judy. Hope to talk with you again. This web site needs some communication. conwention

P.S. Judy was not the big movie star in 1938 that we think of her as today. They jammed her into this movie at the last minute. MGM was still trying to judge the audiences reaction to her. That's why shes not singing every song and why she isn't the main star of this movie. They didn't know that one day in the future we would be dying to see her perform these songs.

Double P. S. I goggled the song " Love ". Its from the movie " Ziegfeld Follies "? I cannot comment on this film because I try not to study this time in Judy's career. Did someone else sing this song in the film other than Judy? In Hollywood at that time in the 1940s the simple answer might be that you could get to sing a song in a movie by trading sexual favors. So much for my analytical reasoning.

[Judydarlingguest]

Hey arthur

I will try to answer your question, although conwention gave a good answer too it's interesting to hear the songs Judy recorded that were not part and parcel with her movie career often she had a bit more creative licence to do what she wanted reather than what MGM required ..I take it you are talking about the songs she recorded for Decca?

'Love' was already a standard before it was filmed for movies, I think Lena Horne did a version as well, do you mean the one that says 'love is never, ever the same?'. Judy was able to interpret it how she wished, current fashion at the time was 'Swing' music so she sang it loud and hot, Lena did a more bluesy version that was filmed in one of those zigfield follies film.

'yours and mine' also is a good one too, i also like the songs she recorded with Bing, and funny she never made a movie with him as co-star they would have been natural together, they sounded sooo good on radio together too, and often those radio versions are even better than the studio cuts, because she did them LIVE on radio and it was more spontaneous, so if she made a boo-boo they had no time to call 'cut' and you could hear that even if she made a wrong thing technically she saved the song in the end anyway. And she was at her best voice in the 30's early 40's (before the pills and stress got to her) she had this clear honey tone..anyway I could go on..


Judy could sing anything, make a bad song sound good, she believed in the lyrics wether singing about peanuts or love..

hmm as for love afffairs, Hollywood then and was always a den of iniquity I wouldn't be surprised at the stuff that went on behind closed doors, wardrobes etc but also remember they acted love affairs for a living so sometimes I think people did genuinely get confused between fantasy and reality, especially if they'd been taking those pills and on top of that alcohol, never a good mix!