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- Get Happy truly isn't: the subject matter forbids it. Garland's life reads like a script for a bad TV movie of the week. Garland's life reads like a script for a bad TV movie of the week. The talented little girl who gets all the breaks. And none of them.
- The Life of Judy Garland. By Gerald Clarke. Random House. What do Odysseus, Sir Galahad and pigtailed little Dorothy from 'The Wizard of Oz' have in common?
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Judy Garland. The girl with the pigtails, the symbol of innocence in The Wizard of Oz. The brightest star of the Hollywood musical and an entertainer of almost magical power. The woman of a half-dozen comebacks, a hundred heartbreaks, and thousands of headlines. Yet much of what has been written about her is either inaccurate or incomplete, and the Garland the world though...more
Published November 9th 2000 by Little, Brown (first published March 28th 2000)
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Nov 20, 2007Paul Bryant rated it liked it
LADY GAGA AND PRINCE HARRY - FINALLY THE TRUTH
It's good that biography isn't hagiography, and if you go round censoring the lurid aspects of your subject you're now engaged in PR which is a whole other thing. I dunno. Do we really need to know that Marlon Brando and J Edgar Hoover were lovers? Or that Richard Nixon sired a love child in 1960 who later briefly married Britney Spears? And this thing about Prince Harry - well, I can never look at a koala bear in quite the same way again. You see ho...more
It's good that biography isn't hagiography, and if you go round censoring the lurid aspects of your subject you're now engaged in PR which is a whole other thing. I dunno. Do we really need to know that Marlon Brando and J Edgar Hoover were lovers? Or that Richard Nixon sired a love child in 1960 who later briefly married Britney Spears? And this thing about Prince Harry - well, I can never look at a koala bear in quite the same way again. You see ho...more
May 30, 2019Rebecca McNutt rated it liked it
Shelves: biography, actors-actresses, non-fiction, history, pop-culture
Judy Garland was not a happy person, that much has been known for a long time. Her childhood was stressful at best and even demeaning as she faced a barrage of fat comments from her own mother and the industry she worked in, as she was made to take pills, and later as she was coerced to terminate a pregnancy by her own mother in order to keep her career. Get Happy looks at Garland's life quite a bit differently, instead diving into things about her that fans never knew and exploring her chaotic...more
Jan 22, 2017GoldGato rated it liked it · review of another edition
There is a ride at Disneyland called, 'Mr. Toad's Wild Ride'. They could replace Mr. Toad with Judy Garland and it would still have the same effect. Wild and chaotic.
She was not singing songs: she was dispensing spiritual health and enlightenment, sustenance for the soul. And therein lay the magic.
She was born Frances Ethel Gumm and was soon on stage with her older sisters as part of a vaudeville act. Her mother was ambitious and quickly realized her youngest daughter had the makings of a star....more
She was not singing songs: she was dispensing spiritual health and enlightenment, sustenance for the soul. And therein lay the magic.
She was born Frances Ethel Gumm and was soon on stage with her older sisters as part of a vaudeville act. Her mother was ambitious and quickly realized her youngest daughter had the makings of a star....more
May 27, 2012Lisa rated it it was amazing
My teenage years were during the 1970s, probably the only decade since 1940 to mostly ignore Judy Garland's oeuvre. Yes, The Wizard of Oz was on TV every year (and it was miraculous), but other than than an occasional Andy Hardy movie on Saturday afternoons, her body of work didn't really make an appearance. I'm really just now discovering the depth of her acting and singing talent and her great movies.
I think that the world in the 1970s was too stunned, too sad, too ashamed, too angry, too dee...more
I think that the world in the 1970s was too stunned, too sad, too ashamed, too angry, too dee...more
Jul 27, 2011Kerra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I'm going to start off by saying that I love reading biographies so I may be a little biased.
I picked up this book because I needed a biography of a tragic hero for a grade 12 English assignment. I did not know anything about Judy Garland before reading this except for the fact that she was Dorothy in one of my favourite movies, 'The Wizard of Oz'.
The beginning chapters were a little dull because Judy had not yet entered the world of the famous, but it is necessary to know someone's past before...more
I picked up this book because I needed a biography of a tragic hero for a grade 12 English assignment. I did not know anything about Judy Garland before reading this except for the fact that she was Dorothy in one of my favourite movies, 'The Wizard of Oz'.
The beginning chapters were a little dull because Judy had not yet entered the world of the famous, but it is necessary to know someone's past before...more
Dec 11, 2011Jordan Kinsey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
*prepare for stereotypically gay comments and response to this book*
Pretty much everyone knows that Garland's life was a true American Tragedy. This book altered that opinion in me only by making it clear that the story is more complex than that. Was it ALL 'everyone else's' fault? (MGM, her parents, her lovers/husbands, etc.) or is she partially to blame? Some of her 'diva-like' behaviors in her later career (trashing dressing rooms, being completely impossible to work with, etc.) were nobody's...more
Pretty much everyone knows that Garland's life was a true American Tragedy. This book altered that opinion in me only by making it clear that the story is more complex than that. Was it ALL 'everyone else's' fault? (MGM, her parents, her lovers/husbands, etc.) or is she partially to blame? Some of her 'diva-like' behaviors in her later career (trashing dressing rooms, being completely impossible to work with, etc.) were nobody's...more
Credited as being one of the most researched and comprehensive accounts of the life of Judy Garland, Get Happy by Gerald Clarke is in essence the story of a girl who wanted to be loved. Born Frances Ethel Gumm and nicknamed “Baby,” Judy began singing in vaudeville acts with her two sisters by the age of three. Ten years later would find her with her first movie contract, and ten years after that in danger of becoming irrelevant, another child star grown up. As Clarke comments throughout the book...more
Mar 22, 2012Samantha Glasser rated it it was ok
Judy Garland is one of the most heralded stars in history. She is recognized by young and old because of her participation in The Wizard of Oz, but her long career and undeniable talent have made her a legend. Just 47 years old when she died, the victim of an overdose of sleeping pills, Judy drew masses to her funeral who loved her and felt sorry for the many hardships she faced in her life. They are all spelled out here in great detail, from her controlling and ambitious mother, to her difficul...more
This is actually a pretty good read. Not just because I’m currently in a trashy memoir/biography phase, but because Judy lived a hell of a life and is THE original train wreck. Amy Winehouse? Whitney Houston? Lilo? Whatever. Judy was the real deal. And if it’s sordid details you want out of a biography, then this will not disappoint.
The narrative reads like your guiltiest pleasure trashy fiction. It’s no wonder that Jacqueline Susann modeled her character Neely O’Hara after Judy (yes, I’ve read...more
The narrative reads like your guiltiest pleasure trashy fiction. It’s no wonder that Jacqueline Susann modeled her character Neely O’Hara after Judy (yes, I’ve read...more
What an incredible biography! Judy Garland was a gargantuan talent with an oversized personality and this book really spotlights both. We get an equal amount of her life both onstage and off with the book detailing her bouts with alcohol and prescription drugs and her tumultuous love life. We also get the fights with the studio over these demons she constantly battled and the way she was treated over her weight fluctuations through the years.
I read this book about 18 years ago but I think it's...more
I read this book about 18 years ago but I think it's...more
I finally got around to reading this and it was fascinating but so sad to see a person of her enormous gifts waste her life. Not sure if all of the facts were correct as Patty Duke gives quite a different account of the director of Valley of the Dolls.
Apr 23, 2016Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Well written, fascinating, occasionally tawdry, and downright devastating.
I only gave this four stars because I wanted to really like Judy at the end of it. I guess maybe I should have given it five stars because of just that. A good biographer should present an objective picture of the subject of his writing and Gerald Clarke definitely did that.
He painted a picture of a girl whose childhood went completely wrong. Consequently, her emotional development was completely wack and it all came back to bite her in the butt in the end.
She had an extraordinary life--a life s...more
He painted a picture of a girl whose childhood went completely wrong. Consequently, her emotional development was completely wack and it all came back to bite her in the butt in the end.
She had an extraordinary life--a life s...more
Jan 03, 2014Kayla rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Judy Garland never fails to break my heart. Lots of reviews have stated that this book is nothing but rumors...but if that's all it is, then they're true rumors. Judy's life was tragic - that's a fact that can't be denied. This books seems to successfully capture all that she went through...and perhaps those who are upset by such truths to the point that they say they're false are just fooling themselves. Stars with charmed lives were boring - Judy's wasn't even close. God, she was incredible. T...more
Apr 21, 2010Ellen rated it really liked it
As trashy celebrity biographies go, this is one of the best. Clarke manages to bring Judy Garland's world to life without just creating a laundry list of appearances or affairs or overdoses. He nicely balances all three. He also explores the hot mess that she became in her later years without making the reader completely lose sympathy for her or turning her into a saint.
But, I really toyed with stopping reading after her first comeback at the Palladium. I told myself to stop and to fabricate a...more
But, I really toyed with stopping reading after her first comeback at the Palladium. I told myself to stop and to fabricate a...more
Judy was kinda crazy. Not her fault, she had a pretty rough child hood. But she was self involved, impetuous, immature, notoriously difficult to work with, alcoholic, drug addicted and incapable of having a healthy relationship with anyone. She was also very talented so people put up with her. But I have to say I liked/respected her a lot less after I read this. Like a lot of old Hollywood biographies the author spent a lot of time talking about this or that movie and who directed it and product...more
Reads like an overly verbose diary; detailing every excruciating event in Garland's tragic life. For a book titled 'Get Happy,' there is not a lot of happy in this story. Used by her mother, the studio and finally her men, Judy endured a roller coaster life. She was blessed with a remarkable talent and cursed with demons that would rule her life. Just when she seemed to be 'getting it together,' everything would unravel yet again. I'm sure there are better biographies out there. One day, I may l...more
Wonderfully written, filled with stories and details of life from both the happy and devastating moments of her life. Includes lots of intimate photos, not just publicity shots. I had to give it 5 stars, not just for the writing, but because to me, she is one of the greatest entertainers the world has known.
this book was terribly written. i love judy garland, but the book didn't really explore either her powerful celebrity or who she might have actually been. It was packed with innuendos (i.e. Judy 'may' have slept with a lot of people in the book...using sex as a way to avoid real content) and flowery prose that bored me.
Dec 28, 2018Writer's Relief rated it it was amazing
The irony of titling a biography of Judy Garland Get Happy surely won’t go unnoticed by many. Despite her sunny persona, cultivated by starring in many MGM musicals such as “The Wizard of Oz” and “Meet Me in St. Louis,” Garland herself led a life laden with professional and romantic disappointments, addiction to a wide assortment of pills, and mental health problems that were never properly addressed.
By now, Garland’s tragic life is almost as iconic as her presence on stage and screen. Her multi...more
By now, Garland’s tragic life is almost as iconic as her presence on stage and screen. Her multi...more
Jul 22, 2018W. rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This book is a well-written and well-researched biography of Judy Garland. As with all celebrity stories there is a fine line between the pr spin, the star’s manufactured image and actual events. This narrative seems to tow a realistic line. There are occasions where the author’s adulation comes in to temper Garland’s wreckage, but overall the book is a fine work that both celebrates Garland’s talent and describes her horrible emotional descent. I had no idea her life included such ragged person...more
Good book, not great. The ending felt very rushed. Like, dude, we know she dies, but you could have waxed a little more poetic. It's Judy Garland, sir.
Damn the women in her family liked a particular type of man...namely those who preferred the company of other men. No wonder she's a gay icon.
Damn the women in her family liked a particular type of man...namely those who preferred the company of other men. No wonder she's a gay icon.
Whether you are a fan or not, this is an excellent read.
Apr 06, 2014C.S. Burrough rated it really liked it
As irresistible as its subject, this fine biography had me grinning for weeks, occasionally gasping and, now and then, just a tad teary.
Much has been written about Judy Garland, some of it even true. This, however, is well documented material that we instinctively trust to be uninvented.
Judy's artistic and aesthetic insecurities sometimes robbed her from knowing how widely loved she was. Nor was this not uncommon Hollywood syndrome helped by her not uncommon addiction. She did, however, know dee...more
Aug 15, 2016Rosey Waters rated it liked itMuch has been written about Judy Garland, some of it even true. This, however, is well documented material that we instinctively trust to be uninvented.
Judy's artistic and aesthetic insecurities sometimes robbed her from knowing how widely loved she was. Nor was this not uncommon Hollywood syndrome helped by her not uncommon addiction. She did, however, know dee...more
Shelves: author-male, type-full-length, category-non-fiction, age-adult, genre-history
I asked a friend for the best biography of Judy Garland (Judy being her favorite actress of all time) and got this as the answer.
I don't know how to feel about this. One the one hand, I learned a lot. I knew very little about Judy Garland, MGM and the golden age of Hollywood before reading this, and it certainly raised interesting questions for me to continue to research.
On the other hand -- the whole book was biphobic as shit and clearly written by an older white man. There were GLARING examp...more
I don't know how to feel about this. One the one hand, I learned a lot. I knew very little about Judy Garland, MGM and the golden age of Hollywood before reading this, and it certainly raised interesting questions for me to continue to research.
On the other hand -- the whole book was biphobic as shit and clearly written by an older white man. There were GLARING examp...more
Mar 05, 2011Julian rated it really liked it
This is, I suspect, not a book for those who maintain the belief in Judy as being eternally pure and happy, rather like Dorothy in 'Oz'. Such fans, like the person we meet at one point herein who called himself Judy's number-one fan but who refused to help a down-on-her luck Judy when she feared a plot to kill her, because his Judy (he said) existed only in sunlight, probably do her no good and, I would suggest, by denying the terrible nature of her final years, diminish Judy's achievement.
And t...more
And t...more
Jun 05, 2012Catherine M rated it liked it
Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland by Gerald Clarke gives you an in depth look at Judy Garlands life. This book told me more than I could ever imagine learning about someone who’s been dead since the 60’s. Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland is a biography, and a very good one at that. The biography starts out before Garland’s even born, giving you background information on her parents, Frank and Ethel Gumm, also illustrating their rocky courtship period. Upon Garland’s birth, Clarke jumps righ...more
Mar 15, 2011Lori L (She Treads Softly) rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Gerald Clarke's Get Happy is, perhaps, the definitive biography of Judy Garland. It was very well researched over ten years, including over five hundred interviews. At the back, the book includes an extensive section of notes, referenced to the book by page numbers, and a vast bibliography. Get Happy also features an index, photo credits, and acknowledgments. If you want to know anything about Judy Garland, this is the biography to read first.
Starting with her parents, Clarke follows Judy Garlan...more
Starting with her parents, Clarke follows Judy Garlan...more
Feb 21, 2018Jessica rated it it was amazing
Wow! This woman had a very tumultuous and tragic life! The studio she worked for as a teenager (MGM) was very mean to her by calling her names based on her weight and even sexually harassing her. She became terribly insecure and didn't have the best relationship with her mother. Like Judy, I too was also very unlucky when it came to love. I'm in my 30's and still have never found a guy that would feel the same way about me that I did for him. But Judy got married for the first time at a very you...more
The Judy Garland Story
I was in New York last month and caught the Broadway play, End of the Rainbow, which chronicles the final weeks of Judy Garland’s life. The actress, Tracie Bennett, was spellbinding in her performance, capturing Garland’s innocence, talent and self-destruction. I bought Get Happy afterwards to dig deeper into Garland’s life. Gerald Clarke does an excellent job of putting Garland into context, which is something we don’t always do with our celebrities. We prefer to see them in ways that suit our...more
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Gerald Clarke is a journalist and biographer.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.