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Review

This episode from her CBS - TV show, recorded December 6, 1963 captures the legendary entertainer and her kids, Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joe Luft, in a one-hour musical special taking place in the family living room. Something done in the early days of TV, this special was particularly intimate. Gay icon Judy Garland is mostly a spectator, encouraging the 17-year-old Liza and the younger kids, Lorna and the less-assured Joe (who sings one of the many non- seasonal selections, "Where Is Love," during which an anxious Garland can be glimpsed mouthing the words along with him). But she does sing two of her most memorable film songs -"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Over the Rainbow"- plus "Little Drops of Rain" and her voice can still move mountains. Even one of her flubs produces one of the best moments: she joins Mel Tormé at the piano for his "Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)," and when she botches the lyric, he gently nudges her. Also on hand are Liza's "beau," Tracy Everitt, a dancer on the series (I guess she went for gay men even as a teen), and clean-cut pop star Jack Jones, who sings his Grammy-winning hit "Lollipops and Roses" as well as a nice a cappella version of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" with Tormé.

 -- Scott Cranin