Somewhere Over the Rainbow - The Wizard of Oz - Judy Garland REACTION

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[@Marcus_1001]

"I can't imagine she could live up to the standard." Ummmm...sir? Judy IS the standard! This always has been and always will be *her* song.

[@fernandovicunalacherre5828]

yes, indeed SHE sang the ORIGINAL version lol, he did the cover

[@cathysorge8433]

You are so right!

[@TheJhtlag]

There are some odd takes here. "instant classic" when the tune has been around 85 years, seem oblivious to the temporal space like this tune just dropped. Rather presumptuous holding up Izzy's cover as the standard (and I even own the CD) And oh yeah, Israel's name is not Kama-cukie. A shallow and lazy reaction. PS Occurs to me this might be his gig to poke people to get a reaction ... from us.

[@erik3579]

@@TheJhtlag You said it! "Odd takes," indeed. And most certainly a shallow and lazy reaction. And I agree......this is his "gig" to get a reaction. Ugh.

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

That’s your subjective opinion.

[@debbiepochy6751]

This song was from the Wizard of Oz the movie, which debuted in 1939. To me, it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written and anyone else's version is a cover. No matter how many times I have seen this movie over the years, this song always brings a tear to my eyes. I think you can't really appreciate it, unless you see the movie. 😊

[@rgee3972]

I choke up a little every time!!

[@PeBoVision]

I bet you started humming Almira Gultch's theme and envisioning her riding on her bicycle the moment the song ended! I missed her short existential conversation with Toto that immediately precedes the song. Even the OST recording includes it as part of the song.

[@danm9006]

Just Garland herself said "Over the Rainbow" resonates with people because it reminds them of the idea of "home." It's a yearning that we all understand.

[@debbiepochy6751]

@@danm9006 Absolutely!

[@danm9006]

@@debbiepochy6751 you're sweet for replying. Have a nice day. (I'm still getting over the shock that that guy had never seen the wizard of oz... What's wrong with his parents?...lol....)

[@donnaneville192]

This is the original version as the song was written for this movie. Judy was 16 when she played Dorothy. The character in the book was 10. Judy started her career at 2 yrs old.

[@luminiferous1960]

Although Judy Garland had been in show business since the age of 2, her first film was the musical-short Every Sunday (1936) at age 13, with Deanna Durbin. The film contrasted her vocal range and swing style with Durbin's operatic soprano and served as an extended screen test for them, as studio executives were questioning the wisdom of having two girl singers on the roster. She made her feature length film debut at age 13 in the 1936 musical comedy Pigskin Parade, playing a plucky kid sister named Sairy who loves to sing. Though she's far from the star of the film, Garland easily steals the show during her three musical numbers.

[@rachelmann7488]

They called her the little girl with the big voice.

[@JonS0107]

She was really a professional at a young age. One movie she did later was called The Harvey Girls. And in one of the longest single shot movie musical numbers (The Aitchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe) she was walked through her choreography, shown her cues and marks, one time, and then she successfully completed the shot in a single take.

[@elizabethfranco1284]

First,it’s very important that you know that this the original version and not a cover! This is was and always will be her signature song. She was 15 or 16 when she played the part of Dorthy Gail in 1939. Garland was not one of the greatest female singers of all time but one of the greatest in general and one of the world’s greatest stars!

[@markwhitman9029]

I think you maybe meant to say garland was not only one of the greatest singers etc etc,?you left out only?

[@richruksenas5992]

What do you mean she wasn't one of the greatest singers of all time? She is. Are you deaf?

[@mamaasaiz]

Judy was a tremendous talent... they broke the mold when they made her! She was totally adorable in those old Andy Hardy shows.

[@OperaJH]

She was 14. The original. No one, but no one can sing this song like her. It is Judy Garland’s song and this IS the version to aspire to. Her voice was amazingly mature for her age. One of our iconic and perennial singing stars.

[@billyboycinci]

She was 16.

[@davidlewis1050]

She was playing 12, but was 16. Most people comment on her amazing control for 16. She was a natural.

[@johnhedtke7571]

Her rendition "Have yourself a Merry little Christmas" was first sung by Judy. She was allowed to be the standard in which some songs are compared. She was a beautiful girl/woman who was chewed up and spit out by the Hollywood Machine.

[@thomasbradley4505]

Hers is the only version of that song I like. Everyone says Frank Sinatra was the one who popularized it, but her version is the true original and so much better.

[@danm9006]

Judy's version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is The best. Second place in my mind is Karen Carpenter.

[@wiseguymaybe]

@@danm9006 Great comparison. Two the the riches female voices ever.

[@danm9006]

@@wiseguymaybe thank you. Anytime you hear either of those two legends, you can identify their voices. They both were amazing and left rich legacies.

[@Wordsmyth8]

I adore Judy’s version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

[@ChicagoDB]

84 years later…still capturing audiences.

[@brucematzen4678]

Agreed.

[@IFdude]

You REALLY need to watch The Wizard of Oz. It's a classic, with some wonderful music. It'll be well worth your time.

[@markwhitman9029]

I love this guy's critiques. He seems to love Judy but am a little surprised he doesn't really know who she was!! Even kids today have seen Wizard of Oz not all but most! He's cool nontheless

[@SBaby]

It's pretty much the movie that got me to like musicals.

[@3DJapan]

When I was a kid it was on TV every year and we had a living room picnic to watch it.

[@mrapp10143]

Wizard of Oz was a yearly watch for my family. It’s a classic movie and you missed out. You should really watch it. Then watch Wocked (both parts) when it comes out in theatres. Wicked tells the story of Alphaba and Glenda early childhood..and thd wizard evolvement.

[@SBaby]

@@mrapp10143 Wicked was really good. It's a 'What-If' story at its base level, but it's a good one.

[@dagmar.6954]

So glad you are doing one of the all time legends from the past. Her career spanned 40 years. I think everyone has seen the classic movie "The Wizard Of Oz" where she sung "Over The Rainbow". Hard to believe she was only 16 years of age (83 years ago). A lot of the singers today can't hold a candle to her talent.

[@joankisloski6972]

Judy Garland had a rough life. She was pushed to perform at a young age by her mother. From a young age she was pressured to lose weight. Garland's mother was the first person to give her pills. Judy wasn't even ten years old. At the age of 14, Louis B. Mayer and the MGM bosses called her “fat little pig with pigtails.” Mayer insisted she eat only chicken soup, black coffee and cigarettes, along with pills to curb her appetite. She made so many wonderful movies. She was a great talent. Her adult life was up & down. By the time she was 30, she was a full-blown alcoholic and drug addict. Sadly Ms. Garland died from a barbiturate overdose. She was only 47.

[@TheGarlandGab]

Coffee and cigarettes diet is a complete myth that keeps getting repeated

[@andrewft31]

Mayer was also sexually assaulting her

[@Shazzadut1]

I recall seeing that Mayer made a big thing about her birthday, I think turning 16? There was publicity of her cutting her cake and kissing Mickey Rooney. What the public didn’t know was that after the press left the cake was taken away as she wasn’t allowed to eat any. When she ate at the studio commissary she wanted a hamburger, but had to have a bowl of soup instead. She was watched constantly because Mayer thought she was fat. So sad.

[@docnflossie7351]

I can't believe you've never watched the Wizard of Oz! Follow the Yellow Brick Road!❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉😊

[@elizabethfranco1284]

I know that blows my mind

[@michaelwduffy]

I’ve heard of it just never bothered to watch it haha

[@bandmom3505]

​@@michaelwduffyYou gotta watch it!

[@dennydowling2169]

You would need to see the beginning of the movie in order to understand why she has this mood when singing the song. She has just gotten in trouble yet again with an unpleasant old woman, Miss Gulch, who is angry at her, this time because her dog, Toto, got in the woman's garden and in fact bit her leg. Miss Gulch threatened to have Toto taken away. She tries to explain her problems to her aunt and uncle (a farm couple who are her guardians) but they are too busy with a pressing problem on the farm to listen to her. Her aunt tells her to go find a place where there isn't any trouble to get into. A despondent Dorothy sings this song in response to the brush off.

[@SBaby]

Here's something that'll bug you later. At the end after Dorothy 'gets back home', we never see Miss Gulch again. Is the film implying that the latter died in the twister? Because she's never mentioned again after she takes Toto and the dog escapes and gets back to Dorothy.

[@dennydowling2169]

@@SBaby Well it’s not like there’s a lot of movie left after Dorothy awakens. I’m pretty sure the makers of the film did not feel a compelling need to continue the story along far enough to resolve the question of Miss Gulch’s fate. My own guess would be that she died In the storm, otherwise there’d be no happy ending for Toto. 🙂

[@SBaby]

@@dennydowling2169 That's the thing. If she was still around, she wouldn't have given up on trying to get rid of Toto.

[@dennydowling2169]

The movie is an adaption of events in a book. The book has no Miss Gulch, no Professor Marvell, no farmhands and the ruby slippers are made of silver. The writers of the screenplay just concocted a story line, perhaps because making it a dream was deemed more palatable for its ‘modern audience’. They could have cared less about resolving Miss Gulch’s fate.

[@darrenhoskins8382]

Well, she was probably one of the 3 most famous and loved singers/entertainers of the 20th century!!!

[@Buckboy2024]

Agreed !!

[@Anjuli50]

Judy Garland's vibrato, the quaver in her voice, was the heart-rending cry of a child-woman longing for someone to truly care for her.

[@johnniekight1879]

She sang it so effortlessly.

[@sharkdentures3247]

And yet, so Powerfully.

[@JulesfromHouston]

If you've never watched the Wizard of Oz, you definitely should! It's an iconic musical movie with about 10 more classic songs, dances, and 1940's special effects. Consider reacting to it on your channel - your viewers will love it!

[@luminiferous1960]

It was filmed starting in 1938 and released in 1939, so it had 1930's special effects.

[@JulesfromHouston]

@@luminiferous1960 thanks for the correction, my mistake. Even.more impressive.

[@walterrutherford8321]

@@luminiferous1960 They may have been 1930s special effects, but they were WAY ahead of their time. Some of those effects would be very difficult to reproduce today without CGI. For example, the tornado, and especially the flying monkeys. But he’ll have to watch the movie to see.

[@luminiferous1960]

@@walterrutherford8321 I was just correcting the erroneously stated time period. I was not denigrating the special effects in any way. I agree with you that the special effects were way ahead of their time.

[@forwardpeace]

The mood of this song comes from the events of the movie.

[@donnamoskowitz4978]

The "deep sadness" she sings with is because she was used and abused by her mother and Hollywood! This song makes me so very sad every time I hear it because Judy was such a beautiful girl with a beautiful voice and her life could have been so much different if it wasn't for greed and body shaming! Some things never change! RIP Judy💔💔💔

[@geniej9093]

I love Judy's voice.

[@mimiwiz1]

Another great version is by Eva Cassidy, an incredibly talented singer who died very young. Worth a listen. And, her rendition of Danny Boy is guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye!

[@beedeegee9374]

Her cover of Fields of Gold is one not to miss!

[@Dej24601]

Yes, Eva’s version will send shivers down your spine ! 💕

[@wethepeople5753]

Eva's version was recorded right after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. My soul leaves my body every time I hear it. I'm crying just thinking about it. BRB gotta go get my fix. . . . . . I'm back. If you haven't heard it, here is the KZbin link... kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKPHaYmhqblrrrs

[@garybradford8332]

Judy was paired with Mickey Rooney for 14 films and they were America's sweethearts. "We've got a barn, let's put on a show" was a common theme. Huge doesn't begin to describe their talents and popularity. I'm with the others. Watch "The Wizard of Oz". You won't regret it.

[@AlanCanon2222]

I perform at open mic nights in Louisville and it's ALL about "We've got a barn (pub), let's put on a show!" In my case, that show is the Muppet Show, more often than not.

[@kathrynbellerose6216]

Over the rainbow will forever be Judy’s song and l was lucky enough to hear her sing it. Rest in peace Judy you are missed.

[@sharonpeterson5415]

When I was young, I wanted to be like Judy Garland. But, alas, her life had a lot of sadness.

[@aharon59]

This is the original and was recorded in the late 1930`s making it close to 90 years old. The song and the movie are both classics of their respective genres and, as good as many covers have been over the years, none of them carry the weight of the original version. Judy Garland herself was a legend. The original Wizard Of Oz is a must watch for anyone who has not yet seen it.

[@charlessheifer2264]

It is truly a shame that the current generation has not been exposed to the real legends of entertainment. Judy Garland was an icon in every aspect of show business - singer, actress, dancer, comedy, drama, motion pictures, radio, television, night clubs, etc. Just her appearances in classic motion pictures like The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Harvey Girls, Easter Parade, Summer Stock, A Star Is Born, Judgment at Nuremberg, A Child Is Waiting alone would have cemented her legendary status. Her daughter, Liza Minnelli, followed in her mother's footsteps to a lesser degree. The Studio System had disappeared by then and "Stars" were few and far between. I would argue that sadly none exist today.

[@JanMike9]

I am amazed by how little younger people know about 20th Century history. There seems to be no curiosity regarding connections through the years of inventions, beliefs, traditions, etc. So much technology at their hands with the answers, but no interest in asking the questions.

[@gwwaz]

It’s been written that people who went to her concerts, left weeping.

[@gwwaz]

Mr. Duffy, I’ve mentioned this before. Judy Garland was the greatest performer of the twentieth century. Her work spans decades. She was 4’11” and had this booming voice when she chose to show it off. Here’s one you could view. It’s her performance of SWANEE from the original movie A STAR IS BORN. It’s about 3 minutes long.

[@doughoffman9463]

It's not just this song. It was, and always will be, Judy Garland's incredible talent. Early in her career a common comment was "Little girl, big voice!".

[@bandmom3505]

Judy Garland also had a daughter that was a star in her own right, Liza Minneli. Best examples of her work would be "Life is a Cabaret" and "Money makes the world go round" from the movie "Cabaret".

[@wendywoodruff2871]

I love Liza in Arthur! ❤️

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

Liza also had some fantastic songs written for her by *Cabaret* 's songwriting team, Kander & Ebb, like "Liza with a 'Z'" and "Ring Them Bells."

[@ericzeichert511]

Don't forget the pre-Sinatra version of New York, New York.

[@markwhitman9029]

@@ericzeichert511 new York new York will always be Liza's song.Frank stole it and butchered it IMO but since Liza was so close to Frank she let him slide but they teased each other

[@joeyjosephs]

Judy was the first to record over the rainbow, check out how she sang it as she got older

[@knockoutking3764]

She had phenomenal vocal ability!! RIP Judy Garland. ❤

[@nikolatesla5553]

Judy was 16 when they shot this scene. The song was written for the movie. So, she was the first to perform it professionally.

[@johngulley5396]

Such a beautiful voice, but such a tragic life. Her voice is so pure & I listened to her sing on the radio when I was a kid. Thanks Michael, this brought back many pleasant memories! 💯❤️😎

[@TheGarlandGab]

Her life wasn't as tragic as often documented. Her children and closest friends will tell you that.

[@toriweiler1950]

Judy Garland was perfect!! The Wizard of Oz was perfect!! I was born in 1965 and my parents were born in 1940. They sat me down when I was 5 and I LOVED it, even The Wicked Witch of the West and the Flying Monkeys! My family gathered every year to see it and The Ten Commandments, 1958, also. I think you would love The Carpenter’s -brother and sister singing. Karen Carpenter had an AWESOME, clear, alto voice EVER! 😮

[@reverts3031]

Judy Garland was the first! The song was created for this movie.

[@lindaeasley5606]

Iz did a masterful job with his own spin on the song but Over The Rainbow will always belong to Judy. She debuted the song in 1939's Wizard of Oz and she had a legendary singing career performing at prestigious venues in NYC ,London and all over the world. She would inevitably perform this on stage at every concert . Other great songs by her were performed in films in the 1940s like The Trolley Song and Meet Me In Saint Louis

[@yvonnephillips3888]

Would love to see your reaction to the movie "Wizard Of Oz". So unique.

[@joel65913]

She made her stage debut at 2 singing at her father's theatre. An obvious prodigy she was soon performing with her two sisters in an act called The Gumm Sisters (her birth name was Frances Ethel Gumm) and toured the vaudeville circuit overseen by their mother. At one juncture they were mistakenly billed as "The Glum Sisters" and one of the other performers on the bill mentioned their own name wasn't much better and suggested they change it to Garland. The song "Judy" was popular at the time and Frances chose it for her own new first name. Eventually word spread of her gift (her sisters were talented too but not at the same level) leading to better gigs and discovery by an MGM talent scout where she was signed at age 13. Not understanding the dangers of amphetamines and barbiturates, both relatively new to the public at large at that time, they were seen as miracle pills to give you boundless energy and Judy's mother would give them to the girls at an early age to help them deal with the rigors of the road, once she was signed by the studio they continued the practice and by the time they realized how damaging they were to her it was too late. She was trapped in a cycle of addiction. Terribly sad but most people who knew her don't describe her as a sad person. She was very intelligent with a razor sharp wit and of course an immense talent, she was however also incredibly insecure and as the years went on and the drugs affected her prone to paranoia. As others stated this song was written expressly for her to sing in the film and it became the one most identified with her. Where it is placed in the movie she is yearning for a place of no worries or troubles which her plaintive performance captures so well. In 1954 after she had left MGM she made the first musical version of "A Star is Born" (there had been a straight dramatic version in 1937) which provided her with the other song most associated with her "The Man That Got Away".

[@TheGarlandGab]

Thank you you summed it up perfectly! Too many myths out there!

[@Music_Lover26]

Great comment! (Michael, it would be great if you react to Judy singing "The Man That Got Away"!)

[@debramartin1583]

Seeing and listening to this brought tears to my eyes. Thank you.

[@markwhitman9029]

I enjoy Michael"s reactions to one of the greatest if not the greatest female singers of the 20th Century. Difficult to believe he never saw Wizard of Oz but some young people today aren't exposed to the great things of the past!

[@1079walter]

This 1939 song, from "The Wizard of Oz", became Judy's signature song throughout her incredible career. So much so that almost nobody dared sing it until after her death in June of 1969. btw: This is the actual scene from "Wizard", and the song was written especially for her, in the role of Dorothy.

[@jaygatz4335]

No Autotune back then! They had real voices. Note: this song has a lovely introduction, which I wish they had used in the movie.

[@kimtalley4496]

In the book, Dorothy Gayle is supposed to be 12. So they tried to make Judy Garland look twelve, but she was actually 16.

[@davidw7]

Judy was in many movies... sort of coming of age movies going to college movies with some singing... and true Musicals she sung in. "Meet me in St Louis", "For Me and My Gal", In the Good Ole Summertime" All feel good 40s musicals. So many clips from them movies also with always her own voice.

[@ladywhistledownton]

Dont forget "the Harvey girls"

[@gmunden1]

She was a child actress, and, yes , this is the original version of the song.

[@kimtalley4496]

Funny fact somewhere over the rainbow almost was left on the cutting floor for the wizard of oz, but thankfully they put it back in because in, became the most known song of the whole movie.

[@davidwayne9982]

Judy Garland was 17 when she made that--- she is the only actress that was known for ONE TAKE on everything-- she never had to do a retake of anything she did...

[@AP-gb3eh]

Her vocal control was like liquid color. Garland was astonishingly talented but most of all a complete professional . The scene called for longing and Judy delivered ☮️

[@timbrut256]

I have heard "over the rainbow" performed beautifully by so many artist, but no one can ever match the haunting mystic that Judy Garland was able to give it. She was not my favorite singer, but no one could sing this song better than she.

[@joele.campbell1532]

Judy could sing anything, she also was a very good dancer and actress. This is only a glimpse of what she could do, but what a glimpse it is !!

[@ilovefacebookandebay]

You have to watch the film, The Wizard of Oz. It's a masterpiece. BTW. One of Judy Garlands daughters is Liza Minnelli, the star of the film, Cabaret. ( She is one hell of a singer too).

[@l.l4456]

Judy was so incredible! You are very correct about her ability to control her vocals. I saw a voice coach analyze Judy singing The Man That Got Away, he was blown away with her ability to maintain her vibrato while descending with pitch perfect precision. He said he had never heard anyone be able to do that!

[@ed.z.]

The tear jerking version was Eva Cassidy a must see live performance is on KZbin.

[@dionysiacosmos]

Every first time reactors to The Wizard of Oz says the same thing those of us who grew up on it say: Delightful. Idiomatic English contains uncountable references to it. Do yourself a favor and watch it. Be delighted.❤❤❤

[@Cheryltwin2012]

Originally, the producers and even director Victor Fleming didn't want this song in the movie. They were afraid that, because it was so slow, it would affect the pacing of the film. But now, no one can imagine "The Wizard of Oz" without "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". My late father was a tough Marine who served in Korea, but he blubbered like a baby whenever this part of the movie played. That generation loved Judy Garland and it's easy to see why.

[@walterulasinksi7031]

Frances Gumm( Judy Garland), had been singing since she was three, in a vaudeville act with her sisters. He adult voice made it’s appearance when she was around 11. While she was 15 when she did this film, having been the second choice,( Shirley Temple was first choice but her contract was with a different studio and they would not permit her to do this film, Judy, who had already by then appeared in singing roles with Deanna Durban, the biggest child singing star, was chosen as she was under contract with MGM. When the public first heard her singing this song, they immediately recognized that despite only being a teen, she had a fully matured singing voice and she became a star.

[@bradleypaulus2926]

I have to remember to breathe when I hear Judy sing this every time. The most incredible voice.

[@Spiderman7Bob7]

I am glad that you have discovered JUDY GARLAND after listening to her sing "Ole' Man River" . Of course you noticed the difference in her voice between 1939 and 1964 .Judy's character as Dorothy in "The Wizard was supposed to be 12 0r 13 years old , but she was actually16 years old . I hoe you get a chance to view the whole movie . I know you will be amazed by the whole beautiful film . In between those years she had done it ALL . I have seen Judy in concert many times here in Chicago and she always brought the house down . But I of course discovered JUDY GARLAND in her big MGM musicals long before she took to the concert stage . Have you heard her biggest album "Judy Garland At Carnegie Hall" ? If not I'll send it to you . I love your reaction in listening to music and your knowledgable comments .

[@donaldzeigler8171]

Somewhere around 13 years ago there was a little girl on Britain's got talent who was six years old. Her name is Connie Talbot. She sang "Over the Rainbow" and while not an adult performance, she was note perfect. I can't watch that clip without crying.

[@billlyell8322]

She sounded like a professional because she WAS! She sang this for years and this version was muted compaired to other versions she really belted it out. Yet it was just as clear.

[@r.g.o3879]

Judy Garland was 16 then but did look younger. She had a beautiful voice. My mother was born in 1917 and saw this and Gone with the wind in 1939 when they first came to the theatres. Years later around 1964 they released both films again and she took my sister and me to see them on the big screen... unforgettable! Before she passed away in 1984 I took her to see them one last time in a theatre. I am always grateful for the love of old films and the old stars. My beloved wife shared this love of old films with me. She passed away in 2014 and I'm positive the two of them will be waiting for me in an old movie palace when I get there. I miss them both so very much

[@joyflowmonger248]

I love this version of the song. As well as Iz's version. And Eva Cassidy's version will change your perspective of life, forever. After you get lost in it, you may not make it back without at least a tear or two.

[@wilburross9709]

She sounds like a trained professional singer because, even at that young age, that's what she was by that time. A child actor raised in the studio by the studio and she was very serious about the whole thing. Dance classes, acting classes, voice training all built on her natural talent.

[@davidgregory5166]

She was 17. First moment anyone heard this song. Just give a huge love of her voice!

[@dancooper102]

Judy Garlands over the rainbow always gives me goosebumps.

[@walterrutherford8321]

Yes, this is the original. She’s singing and acting in a movie at the same time. Great movie, BTW. In my opinion one of the top 5 movies ever, maybe top 3.

[@katheryns1219]

Yeah, you need to see the movie. Not only for the beautiful music, but for the story. And you will recognize many of the lines, which are still quoted so often they've become part of the culture.

[@deborahmulcahy1421]

She started singing at three. An amazing voice!! Tragic life.

[@valerierice3046]

"She was probably first" 😂😂😂😂 Indeed she was and no matter who else sings this, it belongs to the great Judy Garland.

[@chrismackett9044]

It is amazing that someone has never heard of, let alone seen, The Wizard of Oz or indeed heard of Judy Garland. I think you just assume that it’s part of everyone’s cultural knowledge.

[@jennifertappan3823]

"She was probably the original and he was the cover..." Seriously? Uh, yeah. The Wizard of Oz came out in 1939. And she was 16 when it was filmed.

[@afhickman]

The song itself is often called the greatest song ever written for a movie. Judy Garland is probably the greatest singer ever to appear in a movie. Next time, listen to Scott Walker's "Montague Terrace in Blue," and enter a parallel universe.

[@bella-xp7qd]

I thought I was only one who can't understand half what is said in songs today. Also today's singers sound alike. Back in the day you knew who was singing just by their voice/sound.

[@mikefetterman6782]

As kids, mom made us watch this every New Year's eve. It was always on one of the 3 networks we could get.

[@sas9023055]

believe it or not, the film producers wanted to cut this song out of the movie. Yes, Judy Garland was the first among many singers generations after her who have recorded or performed this song. When she was older, she changed up the arrangement a bit like many other older singers as her vocal chords also grew u. She started at the age of 3 as the Gumm Sisters act, so yes she basically sang and performed all her life. Her diction, like so many artist of her generation were flawless. Adele is considered a great singer, but many times I do not understand a word she says. For an older Judy, check out the song, 'I Could Go On Singing'.

[@jarodM6]

Rest in peace Judy Garland you were fantastic, beautiful and a treasure to the world. No one better have the idea of ever remaking Wizard of Oz. As the saying goes don't fix what isn't broken.

[@cspringer333]

I agree with others...Eva Cassidy live performance of her and her guitar. Very sad knowing she died 10 months later.

[@JC-rb3hj]

She was a magnificent performer.

[@garyseven5791]

Garland was sixteen, when she was cast as Dorothy Gale. In the film, she sang the song with which she would be constantly identified afterward, "Over the Rainbow".

[@gmunden1]

Israel actually sings a medley of two songs: "Over the Rainbow" (from " The Wizard of Oz ") and "What a Wonderful World" (made famous by musician Louis Armstrong) The Wizard of Oz is based on a series of books by author L. Frank Baum. The books are also the inspiration for the Broadway musical "Wicked" which tells the backstory of Glinda, who became the good Witch who helps Dorothy return home in "The Wizard of Oz. " Glinda meets Elphaba at a sorcerer's university. Elphaba turns into the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz. "

[@jimkreider9997]

No one sings this song like Judy. This will always be her song. I believe She was 16 when she made the film.

[@ralphdye451]

Judy was 16 at the time of filming. This song and Judy broke all the rules of what was a hit record,, at that time The movie is a masterpiece and Judy is an all time legend.

[@darlenefragale6550]

She was 16 when she did this film.

[@Tessie46255]

I sang my kids to sleep every night to this song. That’s their forever memory. ❤

[@RayPointerChannel]

Michael Duffy, you are commended to recognize quality singing. It's the articulation aspect that you are recognizing in addition to having melodic control. And Judy Garland's performance WAS the first recording of OVER THE RAINBOW, which was her signature song. No one surpassed what she did with that song, and no one will. Finally, while she was playing a 12 year old as Dorothy, she was actually 16 when this was filmed after the Oz sequences were finished.

[@karidrgn]

If you watch the movie, you'll understand why she's longing for someplace else.

[@CCoburn3]

This is HER song. No one else has ever come close. And yes, she was singing at a VERY young age. The studio basically enslaved her from childhood. Her early life was a misery because she had such talent, and the studio bosses were determined to get every drop of talent out of her.

[@samtbenjamin]

For the longest time I was a purist when it come to this song and performance. I stupidly called EVERY cover of this song "a bastardized knockoff of Judy Garland's masterpiece". Looking back I want to smack my younger self for saying that! This song was the first song I ever sang. As a closeted gay kid with Autism that song was a safe place for me. In addition, I grew up lacking fatherly love and insecurities about my appearance I empathized with Judy before I even knew what empathy meant. So any other rendition felt like they were mocking the song and its original singer. Obviously that wasn't the case most of the time and I have learned to appreciate them more.

[@ApricotRse]

Judy was perhaps the greatest untrained singer and natural, versatile talent of the 20th century. She was a mega recording artist, concert star, film star, and TV star. Perhaps only Frank Sinatra could be considered her peer.

[@suepall5425]

You absolutely must watch The Wizard of Oz! This is the iconic Judy Garland, one of the most amazing singers and performers of all time and you will understand the sadness that she is projecting because of the situation in the life of Dorothy, the girl that she is portraying. This song is fundamental to the theme of The Wizard of Oz. I almost envy you because you have not experienced the talent of the other actors in this all time classic.

[@ericarachel55]

this never gets old!

[@jamessheridan4306]

Towards the end of her life you definitely heard sadness in her rendition of this song. But here she gives it exactly what the writers intended and the story needs. It's a song of a child's yearning. Also, what I find sad is that a man of your age never got to see this film as a child as I did. One of the greatest pleasures of my childhood.

[@debjorgo]

Wizard of Oz came out in 1939. It was shown on primetime network TV every year, well into the '70s. It was the kind of movie we would watch every year too. The flying monkeys still scare me.

[@bandmom3505]

The monkeys and "Surrender, Dorothy!" 🥺

[@cidweinberg]

Gosh, I remember it being a major event whenever it made its yearly appearance on TV as a young kid in the 1970’s. My aunt made certain every one had popcorn, their favorite candy, we were in our PJ’s…allowed to have soda. I vaguely remember it always aired around Easter!? As well as The Ten Commandments.

[@marke7441]

@@cidweinbergI think it was always on during Halloween where I lived.

[@andrewjackson8421]

Yeah I remember it coming on Halloween night which was an incentive to hurry up and get your candy early then get home so you could sort it while you watched the movie. Of course we had a B&W set until 1975 and I never realized that it went from B&W pre tornado to Color after going over the Rainbow until we got the color TV. It was one of the first movies to have color in it.

[@3DJapan]

They started showing it on TV in the 70s because the copyright ran out. It ran through the 80s, maybe into the 90s.

[@stevefoulston]

In 1938, when Garland was sixteen, she was cast as the young Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939), Garland began performing as a child with her two older sisters age 2 in a vaudeville group "The Gumm Sisters" and was later signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager. She appeared in more than two dozen films for MGM. Garland was a frequent on-screen partner of both Mickey Rooney and Gene Kelly and regularly collaborated with director and second husband Vincente Minnelli. Other starring roles during this period included Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), The Harvey Girls (1946), Easter Parade (1948) and Summer Stock (1950). Although her film career became intermittent thereafter, two of Garland's most critically acclaimed roles came later in her career: she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in A Star Is Born (1954) and a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). She also made record-breaking concert appearances, released eight studio albums and hosted her own Emmy-nominated television series, The Judy Garland Show (1963-1964). At age 39, Garland became the youngest and first female recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the film industry. In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and in 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her as the eighth-greatest female screen legend of classic Hollywood cinema. Peace out.

[@theophilos0910]

Frances Gumm (‘Judy Garland’) was 16 years old when she film’d the Wizard of Oz (the soundtrack recorded late October 1938, the sepia tinted B&W shot by King Vidor March 10/11 1939); the song was written specifically for her by songwriter Harold Arlen in Aug-Sept 1938-it is the definitive version but one she had to sing at ev’ry concert she gave to any live audience …

[@candywiersema3363]

Judy Garland was 16 years old, when she was in the Wizard of Oz. She started singing when she was around 3 years old. She was on Vaudeville at a very young age. The pain you hear and see, is from the loss of her father, just a couple years before this. Also, because she was 16, and the character she was playing was around 12, they used to try her breasts down, and it would also compress her ribs. At this time, she was also addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates. She was first prescribed the amphetamines, because according to the studio and Louis B. Mayer (MGM), she was considered fat. Then, because they kept her up at night, they started giving her barbiturates to put her to sleep at night. She needed pills to wake up and sleep the rest of her life, which tragically ended when she was 47 years old. All in all, she had a very rough life.

[@seanhunter4297]

The adoration in your eyes of Judy Garland's performance was authentic & awesome to see. It shows what a good person you are.

[@Emilyhildegaard1]

She was 16. Her voice was always amazing.

[@pttp5509]

Wonderful talent - tragic life

[@initiate22000]

Judy was 16 when she did this. She was not singing live, but lip synching to her prerecorded vocals, so she didn't have to worry about "getting it in one take,"

[@DRaymore44]

When this song was written for "The Wizard of Oz," the owner of MGM Studios, Louis B. Mayer, wanted to cut this song out of the movie. He thought this song would slow down the movie, but one of the five directors said no to that idea. I am glad that director stood his ground about this song because without it, the movie would not be so good as it is today. This song became iconic for Judy Garland, and she sang it throughout her career until her untimely death in 1969 at age 47 from a drug overdose. RIP Judy.