JUDY GARLAND | I COULD GO ON SINGING (1963) Performing “It Never Was You”

Vintage original 9 x 7″ (23 x 18 cm.) borderless single weight glossy silver gelatin print still photo, USA. Judy Garland, Dirk Bogarde, Jack Klugman, Aline MacMahon, Gregory Phillips, dir: Ronald Neame; United Artists. A very fine glossy print, fine.

Judy Garland’s satisfying swan song film. Originally titled (and released in Europe) as The Lonely Stage, both titles were appropriate for Garland. Essentially a soap opera, nowadays it is seen as a glossy 1960s drama in the style of The V.I.P.s and similar ’60s films.

Even today, the acting by both Garland and Dirk Bogarde (and the supports) is considered superb and the musical interludes, spell binding. Most of Garland’s concert performance work in the film was shot at the actual London Palladium, the scene of several record-breaking concert engagements by Garland. A mock-up of the Palladium stage was erected at Shepperton Studios for some of her songs and this still is for one of those.

Here she performs, with just a pianist (David Lee), the beautiful Kurt Weill/Maxwell Anderson song “It Never Was You”. Garland is framed in light on the stage, an iconic image of the beloved lady. Bob Willoughby is credited with the still photography on this film. It is coded LS (1317)-3 on the front.