Best Dollar Ever Spent

At a great used bookstore near Waterford, I discovered THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAINBOW WITH JUDY GARLAND ON THE DAWN PATROL by Mel Tormé. Yes, I've gotten some flack for carrying around the GAYEST BOOK EVER (if the title weren't enough, check out the cover):
But it is turning out to be a fascinating read. Though I've enjoyed all the Judy things I've seen, I've never really been a fan of her, with any knowledge I have of her coming from my friend-since-childhood Marissa and a couple of Bio-musicals I came across during my days as a script reader for Barrington Stage. But this book appealed to me because it focused on Tormé's trials and tribulations working on THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW--think DIARY OF A MAD PLAYWRIGHT, but about Judy Garland instead of LEGENDS!. Thus far I'm only 50 pages in (they have just finished taping the first episode, episode two will be delayed a week, a few minor Garland outbursts), and Tormé proves to be a good writer and the book offers invaluable insight not only into Ms. Garland, but into the weird and wonderful world of the 1960s variety show, and Hollywood in general. Not being all that up-to-date on Garland-lore, I stand to be genuinely surprised as to what happens and the book progresses (though I realize it will be something devastating or tragic or whatnot). To keep some element of surprise, I am resisting the temptation to watch EVERY CLIP of the show I can find on YouTube, only allowing myself to seek out that which is explicitly mentioned in the book. I anticipate posting about more about Garland in the future. Here is Judy Garland singing "Old Man River" as part of a "trunk" segment at the end of the first episode.

A peerless song + a peerless singer =