Get Happy!!

Happy Tax Day, fellow Americans!! I don't know about you, but this is the first year in some time that instead of a refund, Alan and I actually OWE Uncle Sam!!  Needless to say, I really need a pick-me-up today!

So, I've chosen this great number from the movie Summer Stock, made in 1950.  This was Judy's last film with MGM, and she stars in it with my man, Gene Kelly.

The plot involves Judy's family farm being overtaken by her sister's boyfriend (Gene Kelly) and his troupe of performers.  They're in the process of putting together a show, and sister insists that the farm will be a perfect place to rehearse the numbers.

Judy, a simple farm girl, agrees to let the theater folk stay in exchange for helping out with the milking, plowing, and egg gathering.  She is soon bitten by the performing bug herself, of course, and she and Gene fall in love at the film's conclusion (once her sister has lost interest in both acting AND Gene, if you can imagine such a thing!).

I'm an enormous fan of Judy Garland.  Like every young girl over the last several decades, I fell in love with her the moment she leaned against that haystack and sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to her dog, Toto. That love carried-over to her cute "Let's Put on a Show" films with Mickey Rooney, then to the glorious technicolor classics like Meet Me in St. Louis and The Harvey Girls.

Here's something I learned a while back that you may not know:  Judy had a photographic memory.  Directors often spoke of how they'd show her the intricate blocking for a scene or dance number, and she follow behind, barely paying attention.  Then, they'd start rolling the cameras, call "Action!"  and Judy would come to life, executing the blocking/choreography perfectly, hitting every mark exactly.  She rarely required an additional take!  Neat, huh?

As you probably know, Judy struggled with her weight her entire career, and this movie was no exception.  This may have been the heaviest she'd ever been in any of her films.  On top of that, she had to appear in a pair of extremely unflattering overalls for a great many of the scenes!  Here's a picture from one of the Summer Stock scenes on the right.

Once the movie wrapped, everyone went their separate ways.  Judy was finally able to get some rest and drop the extra pounds she'd been carrying during filming.  Except that two months later, in post-production, the producers felt that there was still one final show-stopping number missing from the movie.  They called Judy and asked if she'd come back and film this number, "Get Happy."  As you can see, she is much trimmer, rested, and as always, AWESOME!!

I wish the quality of this clip were a little better, but see if you can make out Judy's expression, around 1:01.  I love her facial reactions when the chorus boys throw their hands at her!  I think perhaps her most underrated quality was her delightfully subtle comic timing.

Hope you like it!  And if you're about to step out the door like me and mail your check to Uncle Sam, hope this serves as a gentle reminder:  Forget your troubles, come on, Get Happy!!