Rating: 
Summary: Terrific!
Review: I have long been a fan of Judy Garland, and this DVD takes the cake. It's fun, entertaining and quite enjoyable. It's kind of a weird and garish show...scarily like watching a showbiz freak show -- But that was how it happened. Everyone appears drunk, but it's true Hollywood. A classic!
Rating: 
Summary: Garland Croons ... Are Ya Listening?
Review: I love the way the people who are putting out the Garland TV shows have prepared the DVDs. They're really well done. This is the second one I've seen. They've featured the entire show, including the breaks: "This half of the Judy Garland Show is brought to you by ...." There is also special behind the scenes footage - clapboards and Judy trying to wish the folks at home "seasons greetings". And the transfer is gorgeous black and white video -- very high quality.So I give the DVD producers a big thumbs up. The Judy Christmas show is done in a way in which Judy invites the audience into her "home" (a gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright-ish set) for Christmas Eve with Lorna, Joey, Liza, and Liza's "beau" Tracy, a handsome dancer-guy. I doubt this is the way Christmas was at the Garland home, but it is a fun television version. It's easy to "read into" some of the family dynamics that are dramatized on the special (i.e. Liza being so eager to show Judy her new dance) but why do that? Garland and family put on a great show. Compared to some of the other Garland tv shows, this one is a little rough around the edges (Garland's voice seems tired, everyone seems to forget the words to songs at some point, etc.) However, this makes the show more immediate and seemingly "live". Jack Jones sounds great and he's a handsome, charming performer.
Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas show!
Review: The "Judy Garland Christmas Show" is worth every penny of the very reasonable price asked. It will take you back to a time when this genre was an event. What I most enjoy about watching this video is the air of relaxed spontaneity. It isn't a very structured attempt at taping a holiday special. In a sense, you do feel that you are part of an evening with Ms.Garland, her family and friends. Very good entertainment and we get to see Ms. Garland and her children, singing and joking with one another. Her rendition of "Little Drops of Rain" is absolutely charming and as always, she is able to make singing a song seem so easy. What a shame that her television show was not filmed in color! Garland fan or not, this is a great holiday video and wonderful family entertainment!
Rating:
Summary: You Are Invited To A Christmas Party At Judy's
Review: The Christmas episode of The Judy Garland Show was unlike any other show in the series. The set design was based on Judy's actual house, and the whole feel of the show is of a party that you are attending, not just watching. No matter that it was video taped forty years ago and is in black and white; Judy's relaxed, "what the hell" attitude makes you feel right at home. Judy's three children, Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft are there, and guests Mel Torme and Jack Jones drop in for some holiday cheer. Tracy Everitt, a dancer from the show whom Judy repeatedly refers to as "Liza's beau", adds to the entertainment. [I don't know if Tracy Everitt (the male dancer) is gay or not, but given Liza's propensity to marry men like Peter Allen, I suspect he was less a "beau" than a friend. My apologies to Mr. Everitt if I'm off base here.] The show is full of very natural moments--things that could actually happen at a party. While singing "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasing on an Open Fire)", accompanied on the piano by Mel Torme, who wrote the song, Judy butchers the lyrics pretty badly. A bemused Mel replies, "Close!" Later on, while carrying a punch bowl to the table, Tracy hits his head on a hanging lamp. Of course the youthful Liza wows us with a few tunes, but it's little Lorna who really impresses with a powerhouse version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." Despite a temporary crack in her voice, she proves that Liza is not Judy's only daughter. And then it's eight-year-old Joey's turn to sing. Here's where you really feel like you're at a party--you have to be polite when the hostess' son shrieks out a version of "Where Is Love?" from Oliver, which can only be described as heinous. It's no wonder he didn't go into show business like his sisters. Judy finishes the show with--what else?--"Over the Rainbow". Pure magic! All in all, this is a truly charming holiday special and deserves to be seen at least once a year. I defy you to attend a better party this holiday season!
Rating:
Summary: A great way to usher in the holidays each year
Review: They don't make Christmas specials like this anymore. The Judy Garland Christmas Show (which aired December 22, 1963) is an intimate, informal night at home with Judy and the kids, a few guests, a group of carolers, and a troupe of skinny, dancing Santas. There are a few small gaffes here and there on the part of several individuals, but everyone just laughs them off and goes on singing; that does much to create the atmosphere of charm surrounding the whole presentation. As the show opens, we find Judy sitting in front of the windowsill of her "home" with her two youngest children, young Joe and Lorna Luft, to whom she sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - this song alone makes the show worth seeing. The kids seem a little nervous (this was recorded in front of a live studio audience, of course), but there is no end to the affection displayed by Judy as she sings. After this opening number, Judy opens the door to welcome us inside, whereupon she and the kids do a walk-around performance of Consider Yourself, during which daughter Liza arrives with her beau Tracy Everitt to join in the fun. Judy, ever the doting mother, then asks her son to sing Where Is Love? from Oliver. This can be rather painful to listen to and is luckily fairly short, as little Joe proves that singing ability can sometimes skip a generation. Things get a little weird and less Christmas-y at this point, as Liza and Tracy show Judy the new song and dance number they have been working on - Steam Heat doesn't really scream Christmas. Finally, we get Judy to ourselves again singing Little Drops of Rain while all the kids are putting the final touches on the Christmas tree. No sooner is she finished than guest Jack Jones arrives singing Wouldn't It Be Loverly, after which he sings, at Judy's request, Lollipops and Roses. Lorna then climbs up on Jack's lap and does a wonderful version of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town; once she gets started, she really lets the sound pour out of her, making this my favorite part of the entire show. After Liza sings Alice Blue Gown, she, Jack, and Judy launch into a medley of Jingle Bells, Sleigh Ride, It Happened in Sun Valley, and Winter Wonderland. Judy pretty much lets Liza and Jack sing It Happened in Sun Valley, but she delivers a beautiful solo of Winter Wonderland. Mel Torme is the next to arrive, with a whole troupe of carolers in tow. Torme arranged a lot of the music on The Judy Garland Show, and he also wrote the holiday classic The Christmas Song. He actually sings a new verse for the song on this night, after which Judy sings the famous chorus. She does mess up a couple of times, but it's no big deal at all (and one can sort of forgive her for singing "rainbow" instead of "reindeer"). Out comes the eggnog, and then the whole gang launches into another medley of songs. Judy's solo performance of What Child Is This? is simply beautiful. Jack Jones and Mel Torme give us a harmonized duet of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Liza and Tracy sing It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and Lorna and Joe team up to sing a slightly imperfect version of Silent Night. After the guests leave and the kids are put to bed, Lorna and Joe come back out to tell Judy she forgot to do something that she does every year for them at Christmas. Watching Judy sing Over the Rainbow to her two youngest children makes for a perfect conclusion to the night's festivities. If you love both Judy Garland and Christmas, this is a great holiday video you can enjoy every year. If you're not a Judy Garland fan, you most likely won't enjoy the show. Several of the songs really have little to do with Christmas, some of the children's dialogue is rather wooden (they're just kids, of course), Joe's solo can be rather frightening, and even Judy and Jack Jones miss a word or two along the way. As I said, this makes it all the more charming to me, but a non-Judy fan might think otherwise. On a final note, let me say that I am happy that the world can get a glimpse of Judy and her kids all together in this special show; the obvious love and affection she has for Joe, Lorna, and Liza do much to dispel the negative impression some people today may have of Judy Garland due to all of the troubles she battled throughout her adult years. Do, as Judy says, consider yourself part of the family and make The Judy Garland Christmas Show a holiday tradition in your own household.
Rating:
Summary: A great way to usher in the holidays each year
Review: They don't make Christmas specials like this anymore. The Judy Garland Christmas Show (which aired December 22, 1963) is an intimate, informal night at home with Judy and the kids, a few guests, a group of carolers, and a troupe of skinny, dancing Santas. There are a few small gaffes here and there on the part of several individuals, but everyone just laughs them off and goes on singing; that does much to create the atmosphere of charm surrounding the whole presentation. As the show opens, we find Judy sitting in front of the windowsill of her "home" with her two youngest children, young Joe and Lorna Luft, to whom she sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - this song alone makes the show worth seeing. The kids seem a little nervous (this was recorded in front of a live studio audience, of course), but there is no end to the affection displayed by Judy as she sings. After this opening number, Judy opens the door to welcome us inside, whereupon she and the kids do a walk-around performance of Consider Yourself, during which daughter Liza arrives with her beau Tracy Everitt to join in the fun. Judy, ever the doting mother, then asks her son to sing Where Is Love? from Oliver. This can be rather painful to listen to and is luckily fairly short, as little Joe proves that singing ability can sometimes skip a generation. Things get a little weird and less Christmas-y at this point, as Liza and Tracy show Judy the new song and dance number they have been working on - Steam Heat doesn't really scream Christmas. Finally, we get Judy to ourselves again singing Little Drops of Rain while all the kids are putting the final touches on the Christmas tree. No sooner is she finished than guest Jack Jones arrives singing Wouldn't It Be Loverly, after which he sings, at Judy's request, Lollipops and Roses. Lorna then climbs up on Jack's lap and does a wonderful version of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town; once she gets started, she really lets the sound pour out of her, making this my favorite part of the entire show. After Liza sings Alice Blue Gown, she, Jack, and Judy launch into a medley of Jingle Bells, Sleigh Ride, It Happened in Sun Valley, and Winter Wonderland. Judy pretty much lets Liza and Jack sing It Happened in Sun Valley, but she delivers a beautiful solo of Winter Wonderland. Mel Torme is the next to arrive, with a whole troupe of carolers in tow. Torme arranged a lot of the music on The Judy Garland Show, and he also wrote the holiday classic The Christmas Song. He actually sings a new verse for the song on this night, after which Judy sings the famous chorus. She does mess up a couple of times, but it's no big deal at all (and one can sort of forgive her for singing "rainbow" instead of "reindeer"). Out comes the eggnog, and then the whole gang launches into another medley of songs. Judy's solo performance of What Child Is This? is simply beautiful. Jack Jones and Mel Torme give us a harmonized duet of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Liza and Tracy sing It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and Lorna and Joe team up to sing a slightly imperfect version of Silent Night. After the guests leave and the kids are put to bed, Lorna and Joe come back out to tell Judy she forgot to do something that she does every year for them at Christmas. Watching Judy sing Over the Rainbow to her two youngest children makes for a perfect conclusion to the night's festivities. If you love both Judy Garland and Christmas, this is a great holiday video you can enjoy every year. If you're not a Judy Garland fan, you most likely won't enjoy the show. Several of the songs really have little to do with Christmas, some of the children's dialogue is rather wooden (they're just kids, of course), Joe's solo can be rather frightening, and even Judy and Jack Jones miss a word or two along the way. As I said, this makes it all the more charming to me, but a non-Judy fan might think otherwise. On a final note, let me say that I am happy that the world can get a glimpse of Judy and her kids all together in this special show; the obvious love and affection she has for Joe, Lorna, and Liza do much to dispel the negative impression some people today may have of Judy Garland due to all of the troubles she battled throughout her adult years. Do, as Judy says, consider yourself part of the family and make The Judy Garland Christmas Show a holiday tradition in your own household.
Rating:
Summary: THIS ONE ALWAYS MAKES IT A MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Review: This absolutely perfect Christmas show is a wonderful treat for late-night viewing on Christmas Eve. We see Judy Garland in the autumn of her years still with the gun-ho spirit she always possessed and visibly passed on to her children: daughter Liza performs a delightfully vivacious song-and-dance duo with Tracy Everett to "Steam Heat", daughter Lorna sings a spirited "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town", and son Joey sits on a piano and wistfully sings "Where Is Love?". To add to the magical night of entertainment at "the Garland house" Judy invites some friends over to help celebrate the holidays: Jack Jones, who sings with her and Liza a medley of wonderful old Christmas tunes, and solo, a charming rendition of "Lollipops and Roses". Mel Torme sits next to her on a piano bench and croons "The Christmas Song". But the most touching drop of pure magic comes at the end of the show, Judy sitting on a couch, cuddling her beloved youngest children, kissing and hugging them, singing "Over the Rainbow" with all the hope and love any woman could ever have. Buy this one, it's absolutely perfect for Christmas. It's charming, sentimental, and always entertaining. Have a very Merry Christmas with Judy, Liza, Lorna, Joe, and all their friends with "The Judy Garland Christmas Show".
Rating:
Summary: Instant Holiday Classic!
Review: This episode of The Judy Garland Show is indeed my favorite of the 26. Judy seems to be at her best, with incredible voice (as always). Guest stars are Jack Jones, Mel Torme, Tracy Everitt, Liza Minnelli, Lorna and Joe Luft. Songs include, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Consider Yourself", "Little Drops of Rain", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Where is Love?", "Alice Blue Gown", "Steam Heat", "The Christmas Song", "Lollipops and Roses", "Wouldn't it be Loverly", "Holiday Medley", as well as Judy's signature, "Over the Rainbow", which she sings with much love to her two youngest children, Lorna and Joe, at the end of the show on the couch in their nightclothes. Her affection to her kids is greatly shown in this film; constantly hugging and kissing them. This DVD is a must-have for any Judy Garland fan, or if a family is looking into buying a good holiday film to watch. It's a great film anyway. I recommend it highly!
Rating:
Summary: Judy gives us a merry little Chrismas!
Review: This is my favorite of the Judy shows...she opens with "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" sung to Lorna and Joe through a window of a set of her home. Other highlights is Judy's "Little Drops of Rain" and guest Jack Jones "Lollipops and Roses." The kids get in the act with Joe singing "Where is Love" (from 'Oliver'), Lorna singing "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" and Liza doing "Steam Heat" (with her beaux!) and "Alice Blue Gown." The pinnacle is Judy singing "Over The Rainbow" to Joe and Lorna dressed in their pajamas. A GREAT show!
Rating:
Summary: A Heart-Warming Special With Judy & Family!
Review: This special Christmas installment of the sensational 1963-1964 "Judy Garland Show" is quite possibly the best of the series. For anybody who can remember watching this program when it originally aired on CBS-TV on Sunday night, December 22, 1963, I'm guessing that each one of you has a bit of a lump in your throat when re-watching this excellent DVD today, because you can no doubt recall very vividly the times in which it aired for the first time: exactly one month after our President (John F. Kennedy) had been killed in Dallas.
This Garland entry was then (and probably still is) kind of a bittersweet memory, coming so close to one of America's worst tragedies in our history. I can feel some of 1963 come right through the screen when I watch this Christmas show. It's just THERE, and it comes through (at least for me).
Judy and company do a standout job in comforting a distressed nation during this 1-hour party. Guests Jack Jones and Mel Torme are also on hand to add to the festive atmosphere, along with Judy's three children, Liza, Joe, and Lorna.
I know from reading various books that Christmas time was indeed very special to the Garland clan....and that fact really shines through during this program! The love these 4 had for one another is very evident. This point is driven home with force at the very end of this show, when Judy sits down, with pajama-clad Joe & Lorna by her side, and sings "Over The Rainbow", with the two kids snuggling ever-closer to their famous mom. A great end to a fine Christmas treat.
This program shines on DVD, but don't entirely dismiss the idea of getting this great show on VHS tape as well. The VHS version looks pretty good too (considering, of course, the limitations that exist on that video format).
Plus -- the "LaserLight" VHS edition (with the red box and the holly & berries on the cover) contains the original CBS-TV commercials that aired on the December night the show was broadcast for the first time in 1963. The VHS running time is 59 minutes, so you know nothing has been cut at all. The inclusion of the TV ads, in my opinion, is a good one. Being able to see the old TV commercials of the era brings back even more memories of the 1960s. The DVD version does not have these commercials included. But, of course, the DVD's picture quality is better than the VHS.
Judy Garland's legend and enormous talent lives on with Pioneer Artists' splendid series of DVD-Video programs spotlighting this one-of-a-kind superstar. Thanks, Pioneer, for giving us these wonderful DVDs! And thank you, Judy .... always!
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