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Matt Hough

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In her final completed film, Judy Garland triumphs dramatically and musically in I Could Go On Singing. With its raw, honest emotions and its unique perspective into the psyche of a woman who is alive on stage but floundering when off it, the movie has easily stood the test of time.



I Could Go on Singing (1963)



Released: 11 Oct 1963
Rated: N/A
Runtime: 100 min




Director: Ronald Neame
Genre: Drama, Musical



Cast: Judy Garland, Dirk Bogarde, Jack Klugman, Aline MacMahon
Writer(s): Robert Dozier (story), Mayo Simon (screenplay)



Plot: Jenny Bowman is a successful singer who, while on an engagement at the London Palladium, visits David Donne to see her son Matt again, spending a few glorious days with him while his father...



IMDB rating: 7.1
MetaScore: N/A...

Continue reading...
 
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Virgoan

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Just a word about Judy's "Oscar-nominated tour de force" in "A Star is Born": She was CHEATED on Oscar night. No disrespect intended toward Grace Kelly, but Kelly's performance was routine compared to Garland's.
 

Dick

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Just a word about Judy's "Oscar-nominated tour de force" in "A Star is Born": She was CHEATED on Oscar night. No disrespect intended toward Grace Kelly, but Kelly's performance was routine compared to Garland's.
I tend to agree with that, although I have always had a huge crush on Kelly (despite her looking intentionally unglamorous in THE COUNTRY GIRL) and never felt that way about Garland. Nevertheless, I acknowledge that Judy was by leaps and bounds the more dynamic performer, and should have taken that statue home.
 

Panavision70

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After I finally saw "A Country Girl" I was struck by the realization Judy would have been much better in the part than Grace Kelly.

The award is supposed to be for the best performance by an actress. Judy by far gave the best performance. But Grace Kelly completed four major films in 1954 without causing any problems, making her "The Best Actress." That's why she got the Oscar.
 

warnerbro

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Both the two commentaries on this bluray are about the best I've ever heard. You actually get people who worked on this film and people who know what they are talking about. They don't just describe what you're seeing on your TV screen at the moment, they give you interesting anecdotes and behind the scene info on the film and about the scene that's currently playing. And they give you some good dirt, too, which we all love about the people who worked on this! They keep philosophizing on the story down to a bare minimum which is rare these days. No judgement of the time the film was made, just good old-fashioned, intriguing information. And the quality of the picture is good, too!
 

Danoldrati

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HI
I saw Judy Garland in concert in 1961, actually three concerts that year. She was and still is the greatest entertainer I ever seen and I've seen a few. I agree that her acting and singing are wonderful in this film and the rest of cast is very good. The Hospital scene near the end of the movie is worth the price of admission. The producer said in the commentary that it was improvised but in Dirk Bogarde's autobiography he states that He and Judy rewrote the scene. I think it's one of those scenes from a film you never forget.
 

Matt Hough

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I saw her here in 1965. She had some slight laryngitis and a dry throat (sounded similar to the way she sounds on the Palladium album with Liza Minnelli) and spent much of the concert apologizing profusely for not being in better voice. But she sang her entire show, and the audience didn't care that she wasn't at her vocal peak. She worked her magic and left us completely satisfied. A night I'll never forget.
 

Dick

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After I finally saw "A Country Girl" I was struck by the realization Judy would have been much better in the part than Grace Kelly.

The award is supposed to be for the best performance by an actress. Judy by far gave the best performance. But Grace Kelly completed four major films in 1954 without causing any problems, making her "The Best Actress." That's why she got the Oscar.
And your evidence, sir...
 

Panavision70

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The character in "A Country Girl" is a conflicted, but loyal spouse of a self-centered alcoholic. A part Garland had just nailed in "A Star is Born." Kelly was out out of her depth, but massively popular at the time. She was brilliant at what she did well. I would have nominated her for "Rear Window."
 

AnthonyClarke

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Can't wait to get my hands on this one. Just a couple of days ago I played through the DVD 'Judy at Carnegie Hall' and was bowled over again by her sensational performance. If you don't have a copy, try to find one .. it exists on disc in several versions .. I think I have them all .. and by far the best sounding one (the one to have) is on DCC Gold, mastered by audio guru Steve Hoffman. I found a second-hand copy a few months ago for about $20.
 

RolandL

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I was when I saw Judy. Now, not so much....

I was just in Charlotte to see my youngest daughter graduate from college. While we were there, my wife and I also went to this small theatre to see the musical Under the Rainbow.
 

John Maher_289910

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No disrespect to Judy, who I think is better than most Best Actress award winners; but, I hate A STAR IS BORN, and simply cannot be objective about her performance.

As for her concerts, I saw her twice. Once, one week following the recorded Carnegie Hall performance. Same performance, but at Philadelphia's Academy of Music. The other time was, what would be her very last United States concert, also in Philadelphia. The first was a super, polished affair, and most enjoyable. The second, was less polished, but even more memorable, as she completely engaged us in one-on-one conversations, between numbers. It remains among my most memorable theatrical moments (although it was in the cavernous JFK Stadium).
 

warnerbro

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Don't miss this one if you're a Garland fan. The picture is amazing and these commentaries don't get any better. The thing that struck me the most about the commentaries is that they all concur that this is as close to the real Garland concert experience as we can have today. Bogard's performance is also excellent and apparently he wasn't just acting in their confrontation scenes. Twilight Time does it once again. They are doing such excellent work with these classics and should be commended.
 

AnthonyClarke

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Just a quick check, John. I haven't been able to get the movie yet and it's years since I saw it, but I don't recall Judy doing 'Swanee' in it. She certainly does a definitive performance on the Carnegie Hall concert recording, but does she do it in 'I Could Go On Singing'?
 

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