Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland: Amazon.ca: Gerald Clarke: Books

Product Description

From Amazon

Like his renowned Capote, Clarke's Get Happy is an addictively readable bio of an addict genius. We learn that it wasn't just the Hollywood moguls who mangled Judy Garland's soul. Yes, MGM's Louis B. Mayer did paw her teenage breasts, exacerbate her insecurity by calling her "my little hunchback," feed her uppers and downers ("bolts and jolts"), and repel the U.S. drug czar's personal attempt to get her into rehab. But the true villain was Judy's diabolical stage mom, Ethel Gumm, who fed her pills at age 9. Judy's heart belonged to her daddy, a kindly theater owner cursed with pederastic yearnings that evidently got the family run out of various towns, once by a man named Doc Savage. Daddy died young, and Judy kept hooking up with older men, including two probably gay husbands, one of whom cheated on her with her daughter Liza's husband. Her first best girlfriend in Hollywood (and probable lover) turned out to be a studio spy. She knew at least one of her agents, nicknamed Loeb and Leopold, robbed her blind, but since betrayal was everybody's way of life, she just laughed it off--and died dead broke. Judy cheated on Liza's dad (and her own great director) Vincente Minnelli, with still-handsome Orson Welles, who was cheating on Rita Hayworth. "People like me don't grow up easily," Judy once said. Most people in this book deserved to go up in flames, but only nice Margaret Hamilton, playing the Wicked Witch of the West, actually did so in a filming accident. She recovered; Judy didn't. It's fascinating to read about Judy's self-immolating life. But for a jolt of joy afterward, I prescribe the CD Judy at Carnegie Hall. Clarke lets you know what the songs cost, and what they mean. --Tim Appelo

From Publishers Weekly

Judy Garland's on-screen longing for a land where "sorrows melt like lemon drops away above the chimney tops" was answered with a life plagued by emotional agony, dependency on drugs and alcohol, exploitative relationships, suicide attempts and physical violence. This exhaustively researched and illuminating biography by Clarke, whose bestselling 1988 life of Truman Capote won critical praise, is as compassionate as it is wrenching. It follows the basic themes established by the best of the more than 20 biographies and memoirs of Garland that have appeared since her 1969 death (in particular, Gerald Frank's 1975 bio, authorized by her family). But while most portray Garland as tormented by inexorable and sometimes inexplicable inner demons, Clarke brings to his work a far harsher evaluation of how the singer was treated by her employers, family and lovers: her mother gave her amphetamines at the age of four; producers at MGM sexually harassed her as a young teen; husband Vincente Minnelli cheated on her with men soon after their marriage; husband Sid Luft stole millions from her; fourth husband Mark Herron had an affair with Garland's son-in-law, Peter Allen (then married to Liza Minnelli). Many of Clarke's revelations are of a sexual nature--he mentions affairs with Sinatra, Glenn Ford, Yul Brynner and Tyrone Power as well as with women. Other revelations, such as of Garland attacking her young son, Joey, with a butcher's knife, are simply shocking. Yet Clarke never exploits this volatile material as cheap gossip; instead, he deftly weaves it into a detailed, respectful and haunting portrait. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Product Description

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

79 Reviews

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(27)

Average Customer Review

2.9 out of 5 stars (79 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Cheap and worthless., May 14 2007

By

Scorpio (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland (Paperback)

If people think this is the definitive biography on Judy Garland, they couldn't be more wrong. This book is nothing but a graphic, sensational, error-laden piece of trash. Judy Garland has been the subject of many biographies, but only a handful of them tell the real story. This book is not one of them, avoid it at all costs.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

1.0 out of 5 stars A slant on a great star., Sep 22 2006

By

Hodiak (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland (Paperback)

"I get so mad when people say unkind things about Judy". Those words, spoken with accuracy by Judy's close friend June Allyson serves as an invitation to everything wrong with this book, for I as well get mad when people say unkind things about Judy.

The whole book is just one faulty mess and Judy gets lost in a maze of lies and misconceptions (which is not unusual). We get Vincente Minnelli's homosexuality again. But it has to be said that there is no evidence that Minnelli was gay, no hard evidence at all. Judy did not catch Minnelli in bed with another man the night she cut her throat because there was no other man in the house that night. There is also no evidence to support Tom Drake's rumoured homosexuality, Clarke maintains that Judy hated Tom because she thought he rejected her, but the truth is Judy remained fond of Drake for decades after this film was made. They met again in 1963 and she was happy to see him. Dirk Bogarde and Mel Torme are two people who have unjustly tarnished Judy since her death with their arrogant remarks and self-serving lies. Last but not least there is the children, Clarke did not interview any of Judy's kids. Lorna confronted him and he was pretty arrogant and said "I never interviewed you so how would you know". I'm not sure what that even means.

Sometimes people accuse us of living in la la land, but I don't think that uncovering the real story outside of tabloid trash is living in la la land. In fact most people who believe this live in some kind of fantasy world. Most of this comes from people claiming to be fans of Judy, when really it is doing her a lot of harm. I can't make it any clearer, this book is not true.

Only a handful of books do Judy justice. Read this book if you want a cheap thrill and still live in a fantasy land where you believe every bad word written on a star. Read the books by John Fricke, Gerold Frank and Coyne Steven Sanders to uncover the real Judy.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

1.0 out of 5 stars Anyone who thinks that Judy was done justice by this book, think again., Aug 20 2006

By

Drake (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland (Paperback)

One of the most unjustly maligned stars, Judy Garland is once again done a great injustice. Here in this book we meet Judy Garland as invented by Gerald Clarke.

This book is full of lies, lies and more lies. Most of the lies are so bad, that some people I know couldn't even finish it and myself, I burst out laughing at it's stupidity. It constantly amazes me what wonderful reviews this book gets.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 79 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 92 reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Give Me A Break!
Now, I have loved Judy scince I was two. Gerald Clark's book is nothing but a tabloid make money biography! Now, don't get me wrong,there are 1 or2 good stories but 99. Read more

Published on Jun 13 2003 by J. Sestito

1.0 out of 5 stars Judy Garland by Clarke
The reviewers who believe that this is an accurate portrait of Judy Garland are pathetically misinformed. Read more

Published on April 14 2003