Fricke nicely balances his tribute to Garland, placing a positive spin on her at times self-destructive behavior yet still accurately portraying her frailties. Garland's daughter Lorna Luft establishes a loving tone with her touching introduction, proclaiming Garland a wonderful parent. Fricke (The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History
) chronologically covers the star's radio, film, TV and stage history (from the 1920s through the '60s) via superb, previously unpublished photographs, illuminating vignettes and blurbs from affectionate interviews. There she is at age two, sporting an adorable pixie haircut; another shot shows her performing in one of hundreds of vaudeville shows she appeared in through age 13. Fricke meticulously analyzes The Wizard of Oz
and the increasing pressure that resulted in Garland's drug addiction. Brief references to unhappy affairs with Joseph Mankiewicz, Tyrone Power and Artie Shaw are secondary to Fricke's thesis: that Garland was not about tragedy, but about talent and an ability to survive any obstacle. Glamorous b&w images of Garland belting out a tune from Meet Me in St. Louis
in 1944 give way to more garish shots of Garland at home with daughter Liza Minnelli in 1960. Fricke glosses over some harsher truths and only shows dark hints of Garland's instability, as in orchestrator Gordon Jenkins's statement, "Judy, like all great stars, is inclined towards moodiness." But he successfully shows readers why the star remains an immortal, cherished icon, and his comprehensive volume belongs on the shelf of everyone who loves Garland and the musical genre. (Oct. 13)
