Judy Garland: 1964 Australian Interview

Judy Garland interviewed at a press reception in Sydney Australia. May, 1964.

[@ApocalypsePlough]

She's so grounded and down-to-earth, and that was a big part of her charm. She also looks absolutely gorgeous here.

[@wilsonstone935]

Classy lady, passionate and true to herself, and others, -addictive personalities often are the most real

[@Ryanmichaelmac]

they don’t make them like this anymore. Really can’t think of one performer who can even hold a candle to Judy Garland.

[@heathersmith5405]

She seems very at ease in the interview and her warmth really shows. She refers to the love she gets and gives back to her audience. I think this coupled with the strong, beautiful voice, is what made her the most amazing of performers. Rest in peace, Judy Garland.

[@technicolour0]

Judy looked so well here and is so gracious and professional. Whatever problems would plague her in the last few years , she is definitely on top form in this interview.

[@nimaside]

She's definitely pulling an act that everything was fine, while in fact it was quite the opposite.

[@aloha1danster]

One of the most amazing talents ever that the world has seen. How unfortunate her studio "MGM" did not treat her as the talent she was but only as a money maker for the executives...so sad..

[@melisagalvalizi6982]

They didn't deserve her.

[@ForeverJudyGarland]

Judy was so gorgeous even as she got older. We love you Judy!! You will forever live on

[@phuzbrain]

Judy was a true talent and a genuinely sincere person... loved her

[@Belrivers]

Her tone and the sound of her voice speaks volumes. A sage of an entertainment.

[@SaxonC]

In Gerald Frank’s biography “Judy” (which is the first and most accurate biography of Garland) after her death, he writes about her 1949 stay in the Boston sanitarium. Mr. Frank wrote about Judy’s stay there and how she’d visit the children’s ward and sing for them. Each time she would visit, there was a little girl that wouldn’t talk to anyone and Judy knew this and everyday she would talk to her but the day Judy was discharged she went to say goodbye to the children and that little girl started screaming and talking to Judy begging her not to leave.. Well, I started to cry because it was so emotional.. This is a great biography because it doesn’t sensationalize Judy. Mr Frank tells the real story.

[@user-mn4kg3jb4j]

Not everything in Gerald Frank's book, Judy was accurate and factual! Judy Garland never did write her own biography or authorize a biography! I want to hear things firsthand from the person themselves! Not here say, gossip, or speculation!

[@CarmenZynger]

Wow. Just wow. Judys emotional intelligence about special needs children was so ahead of her time. She understood the special needs child here, as I've never really heard or seen in those years, etc. Just goes to show you how beautiful this woman was both inside and out. Her children still adore their mother and speak so wonderfully of her. Thank you for posting!

[@lindseysanders3656]

Del Cee I agree. I’ve always respected her statement, and it prompted me to see the film. So many special needs children indeed have many talents and high intelligence. I was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus(water on the brain), and I’ve done performance since I was a little girl. It meant a lot for her to say this, and I’m happy to have discovered the clip.

[@nicolestarkoniski5674]

Being a mother of children with autism this makes me so happy to hear. She sees kids with special needs as kids not like freaks. She for sure had a good understanding of them.

[@marisanmarisan357]

She was such a beautiful soul

[@multimill]

This is probably more true to her real personality than all the dramatic, histrionic stories people like to tell about her! She seems down to earth, warm and genuine in this interview and not at all the skittish, drug raddled neurotic that the books like to make her out to be.

[@glenconmc]

Totally agree.

[@SaxonC]

She was very down to earth and was very accessible to her fans.

[@nickyadams2108]

love this woman

[@JudyGarlandstarstruk]

WOW .... this is an incredible intimate look at Judy Garland in 1964....that I've never seen before! LOVE ..LOVE ..LOVE !!!

[@user-mn4kg3jb4j]

Wonderful Interview! Judy Garland is charming, friendly, kind, sincere, and witty!

[@emilyb3249]

I love this interview. She looks and sounds sober, which is my favorite thing to see of her.

[@MerleOberon]

Our Judy stayed one-step ahead of that reporter.....

[@thefaceofthecentury]

"You haven't blinked once" lol! Judy was the epitome of eloquence and class with this buffoon! Judy forever!

[@flyboy13131]

Those continual pathetic illness questions , and “you’ve been said you’re temperamental “ questions , and his “many comeback questions” literally flooded the interview . Couldn’t he have asked this brilliant talent something more intellectual or stimulating ? Hearing a wet fart come out of his mouth would have been more intelligent ….

[@renee-fm3po]

😅​@@flyboy13131

[@chrismcevoy2503]

She had a wonderful sense of humor.

[@Tadzio5050]

She IS so beautiful there and so damned funny. If had lived I could see her doing one of those one person shows a little song and a lot of talk. Long may she wave!

[@laurencebarton276]

Judy was gracious despite a truly inept interviewer. He asked questions that were so routine - but she held it together.

[@roydidlock1867]

British interviewer.

[@klassicalmuzik]

“I haven’t been ill for 108 years” lol Judy was wonderful 4:41

[@tigermaximus8003]

she sooo funny!;) she ask the guy why are you looking at me like that!;)? love that part!;)

[@dannychavez7876]

Frank Sinatra once said. And Tony Bennett quoted it. We will all be forgotten. Never Judy. ❤ U Joots.

[@cliff9685]

I was born to do that. That says it all

[@SultrySole]

cliff9685 omg, her face when she said that, was so pure. It touched my soul.

[@ALJarman1]

Thanks so much for posting this.... having seen her in concert that same week, and remembering her as looking better than ever, acting calm, confident, and consistently charming, and performing at the absolute top of her game, it's nice to see this (and hear the bootleg recording of the second Sydney concert) as proof that my memory hasn't failed me. She just knocked Sydney out... everybody came out here sooner or later, but nobody ever made an impact like this "temperamental Irish biddy"!

[@Rouben19]

Judy is beautiful,, what a lady

[@margaretmunro756]

Lovely Judy Garland!♥

[@jsmith034086]

Boy she was charming!!!

[@sarakat76]

wonderful woman! sweet and funny!

[@roydidlock1867]

This interview took place, 11th May 1964 at the Chevron Hotel Sydney. The interviewer is ABC TV journalist Gerald Lyons. British -born Lyons was a urbane and serious(and colourless) man known for his probing interview style. He interviewed many politicians, including several world leaders as well as visiting performers like Judy.

[@michaelreilly3513]

an* urbane.

[@sfsoma]

I enjoyed this very much. She looked so lovely. Thanks

[@WitoldBanasik]

The most brilliant, witty, truthworthy and hardworking lady who ever lived. Her multifaceted and mosaic personality wad and still impresses amd inspires artists all over the world. Judy never did anything wrong. Thats some strange folks around Her who pushed Judy to the limits... wish i was there before all that happened. And ypu lnow what I mean..

[@deanrobinson711]

I always feel like she's being interrogated, when being interviewed, she was such a nice gentle person, I feel so sorry for her. 7.33 looks like Boris Johnson and Maggie Thatcher.

[@SultrySole]

Dean Robinson I totally agree. She’s got so much grace.

[@sangesings]

I totally agree with you, as well!! People just couldn’t let her be. I wish I could have interviewed her. I would have showered her with such enormous respect.

[@deanersch1]

This interview is brutal and mean... She deflects as best she can!

[@2Hearts3]

Good for you, Judy! Good for her, that she called him out-- she defended herself, and always with a knowing smile and natural charm. Admire her so much 👏

[@Dani8132m]

Lovely to see :-)

[@louk231]

She is so patient with this 'emotionally empty and flat interviewer' . Is there more of this interview some place?

[@livingintorontorealestate]

" .. I've had about one hundred and eighty-five comebacks!" .. and then that laugher! .. I LOVE THIS!!!

[@troyannbladsacker1811]

David Murray Maclean Even her laughter sounds like a song. Beautiful inside and out.

[@lenwelch2195]

She could win over Stalin the way she attempts to connect with the interviewer, charming him from his impertinent questions., to lighten up. She made it her job to lighten up the audience, she tries her best to make the interviewer see her side. A charmer. A snake charmer.

[@petermckernan3661]

She was incredible

[@scotnick59]

Those who knew her well said Judy was a hilariously funny woman

[@marvinhenson3293]

What a Goddess!

[@Davidalp1]

God he is a vile reporter! At 05:41 she looks like she is going to pounce on him! Look at her eyes! ... Like someone else has said he is "digging digging digging" - and when she finally says "Well the money is for my children" I thought "Good for you Judy!!!!!!" - How did she put up with these idiots?

[@TaskerStreete]

Spot on!

[@peterdavino4408]

Well what else could she possibly have done at the inquisition this awful man put her through but just grin & bear it? Judy is timeless. She belongs to the immortals.

[@petermckernan3661]

She was so humble

[@millers3888]

Sad to realize that it was during this Australian tour she really went off the deep end in Melbourne. She seems so grounded and level here

[@glenconmc]

Judy is so sweet here xxx A shame what was to happen next in Melbourne, then in Hong Kong, it changed her forever. 😔

[@maxwellsmart6487]

Judylovedmorethanmost.

[@markwhitman9029]

Judy is very pretty in this interview

[@MrJyacub]

You're quite welcome. It's great that you actually got to see her at that "wrestling arena." I'm so jealous... :)

[@laurenhoffman2751]

Love her laugh

[@snarkyenigma9219]

It's ironic to me that from just a pure "acting" perspective, Judy's last films (A Child is Waiting, I Could Go On Singing) are actually among her best ... yet least popular. A Child is Waiting in particular is absolutely brilliant, albeit gut wrenching. She and Burt Lancaster should have both been nominated for Oscars.

[@bvheath]

Just in her eyes alone, she has that spark of genius -- like she's listening to some sort of cosmic music only a select few can hear. Michael Jackson had it, too.

[@dianabeurman9937]

Totally agree!

[@jimsher9880]

Did Liza really understudy Babs? I'd never heard that before. I know the show written for her was "Flora the Red Menace."

[@kittystolemycookie94]

I completely agree! Although Judy did have some issues, the media makes her out to seem like she was a tragic person who had a tragic life! I just wish more people could see this Judy; the real Judy.

[@motionless86]

She did have a tragic life. She died in an alcohol fueled drug overdose at 47. Garlands assistant watched her set herself on fire while smoking in bed. Garland slit her wrist with only a quizzical smirk as a reaction. The list goes on.

[@susanb2015]

@@motionless86 She didn't drink.

[@mk202]

Susan B Ummm- Judy was high functioning at times, but she was most definitely an alcoholic.

[@xxxyorks]

What a rude man, just like all journalists I suppose

[@wms5253]

Yes he keeps invading her privacy and so negative she remains a class act!

[@KitKatAmazing]

Ugh... You can hear the disgust in his voice when Judy claims how proud she is of Liza's (then) starting career in show business.

[@troyannbladsacker1811]

Shibori H. Minamino He was a pompous a$$. Our Judy had too much class to speak to someone the likes of him. Shameful to bring up her health issues. That is private but Judy turned it around beautifully speaking so compassionately of the struggles that mentally challenged people go through. No one like Judy.

[@stephenmurray32]

That man!!!! I think you had a nervous breakdown!!!???

[@belheredia7347]

"Because I was born to do that"

[@gabe-po9yi]

The interviewer acted like he didn't like Judy very much. I'm sorry she had to suffer through that.

[@2Hearts3]

Such a nice person. Horrible that her trust was betrayed and she was robbed by those closest to her.

[@mrmrsmsmisscloud7512]

What movie did she make about disabled children? Name of the movie please.

[@bigjonisback]

A Child is Waiting. It's on DVD

[@ilovebarbra2]

This guy was kind of jerky with the constant innuendo questions ,like he was hoping she'd flip her wig and start acting insane.

[@IanThaddiam]

Is this really a 1964 interview? Wasn't "A Child is Waiting" released in 1962?

[@MrJyacub]

Yes, but the movie wasn't released in Australia til 1964.

[@IanThaddiam]

Ahhhhhh. Gotcha. It confused me because this certainly LOOKS like Garland circa '64.

[@acastrohowell]

What film?

[@susanb2015]

A Child is Waiting 1963.

[@markmccabe-carton7800]

She called herself a "Temper mental Irish biddy". I think she was half Irish, her grandmother or something was Irish.

[@tobin2671]

temperamental

[@thomasbinninger1355]

A child is waiting with burt landcaster.1963.

[@jl3322]

She looked terrific in 1964 and would stay that way thru 1966 but she was still taking her diet pills obviously

[@davidallen508]

False eyelashes may be flattering but they must be ghastly to wear ; Judy had nice eyes anyway.

[@ladyangoth]

good time when evrybody smoked :-)

[@willec7105]

It's clearly apparent that this is a very sensitive person who has been forced to navigate the meat grinder of the show business system, starting with her demanding and controlling mother, moving on to the studio system, and later her dependency on drugs and other people to care for her such as husbands, agents, etc. due to her vulnerability and ultimate inability to navigate life in the often cruel reality of everyday life. Ann Miller said that she had a force field around her that could be felt by audiences all the way to the rear of a theater. like many true artists, she channeled much beauty to the world via her transcendent gifts while her personal life was painful.

[@alvarogines6788]

Looked like she was 60 and at that time she was 40 something

[@jess4metoo]

Who is that awful man? Never mind!

[@jkm6112]

Bless her She's a terrible liar!

[@shaunreilly774]

Asking her about her nervous breakdown was totally unnecessary and in extremely bad taste.