![]() ![]() The music is frequently beautiful, and there is nothing to compare to Primary kids singing their hearts out. “But the good thing for us was that there were a lot of people we could reach personally on Zoom because they weren’t doing any gigs,” Johnson said.I like Primary songs just fine. Johnson said some of the research facilities were closed during the pandemic or they had offloaded their research materials into warehouses. They hoped to get the book released in conjunction with Garland’s 100th birthday in June 2022 but were slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 20. “There are dozens of people that we talked to that are still with us today that offered their insights into the film,” Fantle said. ![]() Johnson is a former senior editor at Netflix and is now a freelance journalist.įantle said Garland’s daughter Lorna Luft and Gene Kelly’s daughter Kerry Kelly Novick were great sources. The authors had the foresight to save the old cassettes from those interviews.įantle is an adjunct professor of film at Marquette University. Those initial interviews weren’t only about “Summer Stock,” but all touched on the musical. They also had interviews with “Summer Stock” director Charles Walters, co-star Eddie Bracken and Harry Warren, the musical’s primary songwriter. They saved money to go to Los Angeles, where they had interviews set up by requests through the mail. “We had the tenacity, hutzpah and dumb luck to have face-to-face interviews with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly,” Fantle said. They wrote an entertainment column for the Minnesota Daily. “Most people don’t realize that Gene Kelly’s all-time personal favorite solo tap dance is in ‘Summer Stock,’ so there are a lot of compelling reasons why we thought this story should be told,” Fantle said.įantle and Johnson began researching the golden age of Hollywood in 1978 when they were starting as college journalists at the University of Minnesota. The film ends with one of Garland’s iconic songs, “Get Happy.” Louis,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Easter Parade,” there are more wonderful musical numbers jammed into the 108 minutes than virtually any of the famous MGM musicals. It was the perfect storm.”įantle said while the movie is not as well-known as other Garland films such as “Meet Me in St. “She also had a growing dependence on prescription medications. “She was just worked to the bone,” Fantle said. ![]() She had concert appearances and radio recordings. We have to have empathy for Judy at this stage of her life.”įantle said during filming in 1949 and into early 1950, Garland’s marriage to movie director Vincent Minnelli was on the rocks. But we really go out of the way to tell the entire ‘Summer Stock’ story and make sure there were other factors beyond Judy’s own personal issues that caused these production delays. “Judy was part of the reason that there were delays and production delays. “The film was beset with behind-the-scenes issues,” Fantle said. There will be an archival display of materials relating to Garland’s life and legacy, donated to the Songbook Library and Archives by her daughter and fellow Songbook Hall of Fame member Liza Minnelli.įantle said there is a lot of significance to “Summer Stock.” It was Garland’s final film after 15 years at MGM. Fantle said Songbook Foundation founder Michael Feinstein provided great insight into Garland’s career. It’s fitting that the book release is held in Carmel, where the Great American Songbook Foundation is headquartered. 16, includes extensive interviews with the cast, crew and writers involved in the production. The book cover of “C’mon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock.” (Photo courtesy of Dave Fantle) screening of the movie and a brief Q&A after the screening. Fantle and Johnson will give a 15-minute talk before the 7 p.m. “People are endlessly fascinated by her life.” “There is worldwide fandom for Judy Garland that is very robust to this day,” Fantle said. 17 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. More than 50 years after her death, Judy Garland’s legacy lives on.įilm historians Tom Johnson and David Fantle will discuss their book, “C’mon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock,” at 6:45 p.m.
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