Nancy Tabor
Barbara and Judy, Celebrities-at-large
Growing up, I fondly remember the songs of my
youth. First there was the incredible Judy Garland, star of stage and screen
and those memorable MGM films. Soon after came the incredibly talented Barbara
(who only needed one name to be recognized). Streisand epitomized what it meant
to be in-your-face candid, expressive with a winning voice that is like none
other
Streisand reflects on a now famous duet she
and Garland performed in 1963, “the same year she released
her first record—the Grammy-winning Barbra Streisand Album—and
was preparing to film Funny Girl. During her visit to the
variety show—for which Streisand would earn her first Emmy nomination—the
21-year-old performed two solo songs and joined Garland for a pair of
star-making duets including “Happy Days /Get Happy.” Although now 30 years
older than when she did the duet with Garland, Streisand remembers how it felt:
She was
holding my hand and I thought, “Gee, she seems nervous.” At that time, I wasn’t
nervous. I was still very young, I think, about to do Funny Girl, and now, when
I think back on it, I think, “Oh, my God, I know exactly what she’s feeling.”
Or, you know, the fears. It’s like, as you get older and people are kind of
looking for you to fail more, I think—not people, not the audience—but, you
know, critics or producers or whatever. And I just felt her. I felt her
anxiety. . . . Part of me is much more relaxed than I’ve ever been, less
frightened, less anxious. On the other hand, it’s a coming-of-age-thing, and
she was much younger than I am, but there are things with careers. . . . I just
understand the anxiety even though in a sense I’m calmer. It’s a dichotomy.
It’s hard to explain. . . . You wonder, “Well, do I give it up? Do I retire? Or
do I get more in before my time is up?”
The
voices of these two greats can be heard on the following Youtube video with
their wistful, joy:
Combing through the web about these two remarkable women, I find
another stunning similarity. They both
were featured in the advertising campaign called “What Becomes a Legend Most.”
One of the most startling campaigns of last century was launched in 1968 and
featured a series of celebrities draped in black mink. Way before women wearing minks were doused in
red paint, protesting animal rights, the company advertised luminaries under
the headline “The Blackglama Story.” I remember this even though I was fairly
young when it came out or maybe I’m remembering seeing the ads after
publication date. My mom had such a coat, which didn’t do her justice.
The first celebrity to be photographed was the 1940s
movie "legend" Lauren Bacall, followed by Greek movie star Melina
Mercouri, and “two other certifiably "legendary" Hollywood icons,
Bette Davis and Judy Garland.” Garland was
in her fifties as this campaign was targeted to women “of a certain age.”
Interestingly, the one “newcomer” in that year’s lineup was none
other than Barbara Streisand, just having starred in the film version of “Funny
Lady” which was the box office success story that year and would mean an Oscar
for her. The 26-year-old Streisand would be the exception in terms of her
youth.
http://www.biography.com/people/judy-garland-9306838
