Get Happy (77 page)

“Oh, he’s wonderful!” Anne Shirley (Lederer) to GC.

It was as if a light came on The admirer was Rosalind Russell. Guiles,
Tyrone Power
, p. 67. The woman who perceived an aura was Coleen Gray. Davis,
The Glamour Factory
, p. 103.

“We’ve had them all” Guiles,
Tyrone Power
, p. 58.

A bisexual Power’s bisexuality is detailed in Hector Arce’s
The Secret Life of Tyrone Power
and discussed more discreetly in Guiles’s
Tyrone Power
. I have, in addition, interviewed one man who spoke convincingly of his own affair with Power and who told of other men who had also had sexual relations with Power.

That
, Judy did almost instantly Watson Webb to GC.

“Miss Garland has the faculty” Harry Mines, “Picturized Review,”
Los Angeles Daily News
, Nov. 26, 1942.

He had, to quote from his favorite author Cram,
Forever
, p. 13.

It was a youthful Among actors, birth dates are often suspect, and two or three dates have been given for Annabella’s birth. I accept the calculation of Watson Webb, who was her close friend as well as Power’s, that she was born in 1908.

“This is forever” Cram,
Forever
, p. 60.

Few other women Guiles,
Tyrone Power
, p. 152; Watson Webb to GC.

Aware, for her part Judy later told Harry Rubin that she was aware of Power’s bisexuality, but hoped to change it into unambiguous heterosexuality. Harry Rubin to GC.

Audiences liked The “now-come-of-age” quote is from “Picture of the Month,”
Lion’s Roar
, Nov. 1942.

For Me and My Gal
The overturning of the Astor Theater’s house record is from Chester B. Bahn, “The Astor’s Pet Picture,”
Lion’s Roar
, Nov. 1942.

“To be involved” Anne Shirley (Lederer) to GC.

The “vice-president” Rooney,
i.e.: An Autobiography
, p. 110.

“She gave a report” Judy Garland, as told to Joe Hyams, “The Real Me,”
McCall’s
, April 1957.

She had grown up in Beverly Hills For Betty Asher’s background, I am indebted to her brother, William Asher. The dates of her attendance at UCLA were confirmed by the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

“The next thing I knew” Artie Shaw to GC.

On orders from Mayer Al Jennings to GC. Jennings was the assistant director on several of Judy’s pictures during the forties, and it was his responsibility to ensure that such edicts were obeyed.

Asher’s friendship Judy Garland, as told to Joe Hyams, “The Real Me,”
McCall’s
, April 1957.

That Judy and Asher The fact that Judy had sexual relationships with women was confirmed by several people who knew her well, including one woman, Nancy Barr, with whom she later had sex. Asher’s sexual history was provided by her brother.

Much of her uneasiness Guiles,
Tyrone Power
, p. 156.

“It was hard for Tyrone” Watson Webb to GC.

Furious, she made Guiles,
Tyrone Power
, p. 156.

“Honey, don’t worry” Dona Massin to GC. Massin worked on
Girl Crazy
.

her doctor Memo from Fred Datig, January 29, 1943. Freed Collection.

Over dinner at Perino’s Watson Webb to GC.

“I’m just the luckiest” Tyrone Power to Watson Webb, April 6, 1943. I am indebted to Webb for showing me this letter.

Quick divorces For the divorce laws of the forties I am relying on Bacal and Sloane,
ABC of Divorce
.

Writing to Webb Tyrone Power to Watson Webb, May 25, 1943.

Whenever he brought up Guiles,
Tyrone Power
, p. 160.

The most damaging story Frank,
Judy
, pp. 174–75.

Retaliating, as she often did Dorothy Walsh (Morrison) to GC.

“We’ll find each other” Cram,
Forever
, p. 15.

“land of lost content” A. E. Housman, “A Shropshire Lad,” l. 40.

“It really was different” Guiles,
Tyrone Power
, p. 161.

“It was no small affair” Ibid., p. 194.

“My God” Ibid., pp. 184–85.

In a statement Carey,
All the Stars in Heaven
, p. 255, quotes the high-level praise for
Mrs. Miniver
.

Even films that, like most of Judy’s Hay,
MGM
, p. 193.

Pleased to accept Day,
This Was Hollywood
, p. 266.

Harvard College generally went Peter B. Flint, “Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Literate Skeptic of the Cinema, Dies at 83,”
The New York
Times
, Feb. 6, 1993.

“Joe knows more” Geist,
Pictures Will Talk
, p. 171.

“Everyone,” recalled one woman Buckley,
The Hornes
, p. 184.

“We made each other laugh” Unless otherwise noted, all quotations of Mankiewicz, and all descriptions of his thoughts about Judy, come from discussions with GC.

“Oh, he’s so brilliant” Frank, Judy, p. 179.

Indeed, Freud himself Gay,
Freud
, p. 512.

“I was a nut” Geist,
Pictures Will Talk
, pp. 129–30.

“I wasn’t too bright” Judy Garland, “There’ll Always Be an Encore,”
McCall’s
, Jan. 1964.

Joe probably advanced According to his datebooks, Menninger did not visit California in 1943; this would indicate that he met Judy in 1942. For this information, I am grateful to Connie Menninger at the Menninger Clinic.

Although she was beginning Joe Mankiewicz to GC.

A onetime president For discussions of Simmel’s clinic, see Friedman,
Menninger
, pp. 63–64, and Gay,
Freud
, pp. 461–63.

Fleeing the Nazis Meryman,
Mank
, pp. 198-99.

At the outset Judy Garland, “There’ll Always Be an Encore,”
McCall’s
, Jan. 1964.

“I’ll live” Frank,
Judy
, p. 187.

“Mr. Mayer and I” Ibid., p. 186.

The inevitable showdown For Santa Fe schedules, as well as other railroad information, I am indebted to Kevin V. Bunker, collections assistant at the library of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

Mr. Mayer had heard Joe Mankiewicz to GC.

Besides seeing Simmel Mary Morris, “Judy Garland’s Life and [illegible],”
PM
, June 10, 1945.

When Judy was finally through Judy Garland, “There’ll Always Be an Encore,”
McCall’s
, Jan. 1964.

Encapsulating those requirements Roazen,
Freud and His Followers
, p. 171.

One should never expect Ibid.

The other was an elderly German Farber and Green,
Hollywood on the Couch
, p. 30.

“The Obermacher” The word
Obermacher
cannot be found in any German dictionary, but it is likely that Mankiewicz, who spoke German, meant something like “supervisor.”

“A big pack of lies” Ponedel’s unpublished autobiography, in author’s possession.

“Will you tell Judy” Frank,
Judy
, p. 185.

“I could never” Judy Garland, “There’ll Always Be an Encore,”
McCall’s
, Jan. 1964.

“Imagine whipping” Judy Garland, “I’m Judy Garland—and This Is My Story,”
New York Journal-American
, Feb. 25, 1964.

Why did she persist Finch,
Rainbow
, p. 121.

To have said Max de Schauensee, “Judy Garland Discloses Amazing Sense of Rhythm at Dell,”
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin
, July 2, 1943.

“Perhaps M-G-M”
The New York Times
, April 30, 1943.

The story line Joseph Laitin, “Meet Sally Benson of ‘Meet Me in St. Louis,’”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, June 3, 1960.

“I don’t think” Irving Brecher to GC.

“A flaming rocket” M-G-M’s description of Lucille Bremer is in “Meet Lucille Bremer,”
Lion’s Roar
, Feb. 1945.

He saw great things Minnelli,
I Remember It Well
, p. 130.

For once he took her side Ibid.

But Freed was not only Fordin,
The World of Entertainment!
, p. 31.

Mispronouncing words Irene Sharaff to GC.

“I have something” Black,
Child Star
, pp. 319–20.

“If you want to shave” Irving Brecher to GC.

“I felt a lot of the stuff” Kobal,
Gotta Sing Gotta Dance
, p. 201.

With Mayer’s approval Ibid.

So slowly Hay,
MGM
, p. 218.

Accepting the role All times are taken from the production notes in the Freed Collection.

The last week
Los Angeles Examiner
, Dec. 28, 1943.

“I’ve had a violent headache” Al Jennings to GC.

“Miss Judy Garland” Freed Collection.

“I always have to be” Minnelli,
I Remember It Well
, p. 139.

After one such delay Astor,
A Life on Film
, pp. 175–76.

“I just went out there” Judy Garland, “My Story,” magazine unknown, Jan. 1951.

Though he did not say so Minnelli,
I Remember It Well
, p. 132.

“You wished” Irene Sharaff to GC.

As the cameras Minnelli,
I Remember It Well
, p. 132–34.

Baffled and “scared” Judy Garland, “My Story,” magazine unknown, Jan. 1951.

Quiet and restrained Irving Brecher to GC for the account of Minnelli’s frustration. (Although Brecher and Fred Finklehoffe were both listed as scriptwriters, Finklehoffe left midway through shooting, and Brecher clearly deserves the greater credit.) Judy’s imitation
of Minnelli is recounted in Christopher Finch’s
Rainbow
, pp. 134–35.

She did not enjoy Evie Johnson to GC. Judy told Johnson of her feelings about Bremer.

To prepare Margaret O’Brien denied that her mother aroused tears by telling her that her dog was to be killed. Minnelli, however, said her mother told him that that was indeed her method and that one day, when Margaret was not responding as she usually did, she asked him to take on the unpleasant chore (Minnelli,
I Remember It Well
, p. 133). I have accepted Minnelli’s memory over that of O’Brien, who was only six at the time.

“It’s awful!” Al Jennings to GC.

Like her, she said Dorothy Raye to GC. Raye was a member of the cast of
Meet Me in St. Louis
.

“He’s real” Dorothy Walsh (Morrison) to GC.

“She was mad” Ralph Blane to GC.

To Drake’s embarrassment Buddy Pepper to GC. Drake ruefully confessed his failure to Pepper.

“There was never” Al Jennings to GC.

But on an illness-plagued set Ibid. All absences are documented in the production notes.

Late in the afternoon Al Jennings to GC.

“Judy, I’ve been watching” Frank,
Judy
, p. 199.

On the simplest level Edwin Schallert, “Old St. Louis Glows with Rare Charm,”
Los Angeles Times
, Jan. 1, 1945.

“Make a bee-line” Bosley Crowther, “The Screen,”
The New York Times
, Nov. 29, 1944.

“If a picture doesn’t haunt you” Joe Hyams, “How Minnelli Won His ‘Gigi’ Oscar,”
New York Herald Tribune
, May 4, 1959.

Audiences thought so I am not counting
Gone With the Wind
, which the studio distributed but did not make, as an M-G-M picture.

“Arthur,” Judy said
Movie Marketplace
, March/April 1992.

Judy was uncharacteristically silent Ralph Blane to GC. “Tootsie wootsie” is a phrase from
Meet Me in St. Louis
’s title song, “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis.”

As their relationship Al Jennings to GC.

So it continued Minnelli,
I Remember It Well
, p. 138.

Vincente’s father I am basing my account of Minnelli’s early life in part on information kindly provided me by Marilyn M. Cryder of the Delaware County (Ohio) Historical Society. I have also referred to Minnelli’s autobiography,
I Remember It Well
, and to Stephen Harvey’s biography,
Directed by Vincente Minnelli
. Where primary sources, such as an interview with Minnelli’s father, conflict with Minnelli’s autobiography, as is sometimes the case, I have accepted the primary sources.

In 1902 Jesse J. Currier, “A Delaware Saga Moves from Torchlit Tent Show to Broadway,”
Birth of American Holidays
(New Haven: Yale University Press, 1935).

“If there is anything” Ruth Arell, “From a Tent Show to the Show Place of the Nation,”
Plain Dealer
(Cleveland), Dec. 30, 1934.

“Here was a man” Minnelli,
I Remember It Well
, p. 50.

If Whistler violated The black room is described in “The Minnelli Motif,”
Lion’s Roar
, Nov. 1945.

“To tell the truth” Kathryn Grayson to GC.

“There was an absolute silence” Dorothy Raye to GC.

In New York James Loyd to GC. Loyd was a close friend of Gaba’s.

Though Gaba stayed Artie Shaw to GC. Shaw was the recipient of such confidences.

His colleagues at M-G-M Dorothy Tuttle Nitch to GC. She was a dancer in the Freed Unit.

“It’s not that at all!” Dorothy Walsh (Morrison) to GC.

Oh, see the little violins
Betsy Blair to GC.

If Vincente’s model Marie Torre, “Life Has Done Right by Kay Thompson,”
New York World-Telegram
, Oct. 28, 1948.

Thus it was Harry Niemeyer, “New Lease on Life for Kay Thompson,”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, Nov. 11, 1947. This article provides background on Thompson.

“I guess I’ve had” Joe Mankiewicz to GC.

“I don’t know” Fordin,
The World of Entertainment!
, p. 147.

As far as Judy was concerned Minnelli,
I Remember It Well
, p. 145.

Although
The Clock
“The New Pictures,”
Time
, May 14, 1995.

It did exactly Agee,
Agee on Film
, p. 165.

“Whenever you look” Minnelli,
I Remember It Well
, p. 150.

Returning to the set One of the extras told me this story, asking not to be identified.