Most books on Judy Garland exist only for the purpose of providing fiction instead of fact. One of the most infamous and innaccurate was Mel Torme's "The Other Side of the Rainbow" in which he portrayed Judy as a hopelessly drug addicted, temperamental superstar intent on destroying herself, the tv series and everyone around her. It was accepted as fact when it was written in 1970.
However, with excellent research Coyne Steven Sanders reveals a different Judy than the one Torme wrote about. With over 75 interviews with many people connected to the series such as Norman Jewison, Bill Colleran and Mort Lindsey and also with Judy's guest stars such as Tony Bennett, Ethel Merman, Barbra Streisand, Vic Damone, Jerry Van Dyke, Rich Little, Martha Raye and Jane Powell as well as her children Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, Joey Luft as well as Glenn Ford, their affectionate and humourous recollections reveal a Judy who was affectionate, warm, witty, intelligent, professional and a joy to know and work with.
The blame for the "failure" of the series rests with presidents James Aubrey and Hunt Stromberg Jr, who refused to move Garland to a time slot of her own and pitted her against one of the most popular shows of the time, the Western series "Bonanza", they were more intent on destroying the series than helping it. Judy also had to contend with egotist Mel Torme and her agents Freddie Fields and David Beagleman who took her money and ran. The television series was deemed a failure by the bosses at CBS for which she was unjustly blamed. It is ironic that "The Judy Garland Show", once deemed unsuccessful is now considered amongst her greatest work. Liza Minnelli once said of the series "It's the closest to actually knowing her".
Highly reccomended for any fan of Judy Garland and for those who actually want to know the real woman.