‘The Judy Garland Show’ signed off 60 years ago

Susan King
·4 min read
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By the time the curtain rang down on CBS’ “The Judy Garland Show” on March 29, 1964, the musical variety show had, in just one season, three producers and three different formats. Despite good reviews from critics and Judy Garland’s devoted fan base, the series wasn’t felled by the mercurial Garland being difficult but by the Cartwrights — Ben, Little Joe, Adam, and Hoss — of NBC’s ratings powerhouse “Bonanza.”

Though “The Judy Garland Show” was cancelled after one season, it certainly has lived on over the past six decades.  The show was included in TV Guide’s 2013 list of 60 series that were “Cancelled Too Soon.” It certainly was the series that got away. Not only was the mercurial Garland in top (and emotional) voice, but the show also featured a powerhouse of guest stars from her frequent leading man Mickey Rooney, Ray Bolger from “The Wizard of Oz” and newcomers such as Barbra Streisand. Their medley of Garland’s “Get Happy” and Streisand’s “Happy Days Are Here Again” is the stuff of legend. And so was the Christmas episode with her children Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joey Luft. Garland opened the episode with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” the standard she introduced in 1944’s “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

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Producer George Schlatter, best known for ‘Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,’ oversaw the first five episodes of “The Judy Garland Show.” Schlatter had success as producer of NBC’s “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show”; the network wanted him to transform Garland into a laid-back Shore-type.

Schlatter told me in a 2019 L.A, Times interview that he attempted to push back on their plans. “I said you can’t do that. She wasn’t just a singer. She wasn’t just an actor. She was an event. I wanted to do the show very badly, right? I didn’t want to meet her until I had signed to do the show because I didn’t know how to audition.”

He finally met her at a CBS executive’s office in New York City. “I didn’t know what to say,” noted Schlatter. “So, I said ‘Miss Garland, I don’t know what you may think, but there’s no proof to the rumor I’m difficult.’ She said ‘You’re difficult? Let’s go out and have some wine.’ From then on, we had ball. She loved to laugh. “There was a little coil inside of her when she got ready to go on. So, when she came on stage, it was an explosion. What we could do is make her laugh. It broke that tension, and she went out and performed.”

After producing five episodes, Schlatter was replaced by Norman Jewison, who would become an  acclaimed film director earning Oscar nominations for 1967’s “In the Heat of the Night,” 1971’s “Fiddler on the Roof” and 1987’s “Moonstruck.” Jewison had directed the 1962 CBS Garland comeback special with guests Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. The success of the special lead to the series. Jewison told me in a 2009 L.A. Times interview that Garland was like “quicksilver. I always was trying to capture the moment because the moments were so sublime. She was a rare talent. “

Episodes aired out of order. The premiere episode with guest Donald O’Connor was the seventh episode taped; the second under Jewison. Reviews were generally good. Variety noted “If Judy Garland…is of mind to work every week with the same dedication and zeal that characterize her premiere this week, Bill Paley and his associates should be in clover…Miss Garland was in fine fettle.” Critics, though, were not impressed with the comedic stylings of regular Jerry Van Dyke. And for good reason. He and Garland were like chalk and cheese. He left after the tenth episode. Jewison departed after episode 13.

Bill Colleran was the producer of episodes 14-26. Initially there were comedic guests such as Bob Newhart, but  eventually the musical variety elements were jettisoned to showcase Garland in concert either with such performers as Lena Horne and Mel Torme or as a solo act. Though the series was cancelled by CBS in January, the network allowed the series to complete the full 26 episodes. The series was nominated for four Emmys including for Garland, Streisand, and outstanding programming achievement in the field of variety.

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