I Could Go on Singing (1963)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Robert Dozier (story)
Mayo Simon (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 October 1963 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama | Musical

Tagline:

IT'S JUDY! Lighting up the lonely stage in the singing-acting role of her life!

Plot:

Jenny Bowman is a successful singer who, while on an engagement at the London Palladium, visits David Donne to see her son Matt again...

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Family Conflict | Autograph | Opening Night | Drag

Cast

Judy Garland	...	Jenny Bowman
Dirk Bogarde	...	David Donne
Jack Klugman	...	George
Aline MacMahon	...	Ida
Gregory Phillips	...	Matt
Russell Waters	...	Reynolds
Pauline Jameson	...	Miss Plimpton
Jeremy Burnham	...	Young Hospital Doctor
Eric Woodburn
Robert Rietty
Gerald Sim	...	Assistant Mgr. at the Palladium
David Lee	...	Pianist
Leon Cortez	...	The Busker
Al Paul
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Layton
Joey Luft	...	Extra on boat
Lorna Luft	...	Extra on boat

Also Known As:

The Lonely Stage (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England, UK

Company:

Barbican Films

Trivia:

Judy Garland's children, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft, were extras in this film.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Chop Suey (2001)

Soundtrack:

I COULD GO ON SINGING

Sing You Judy Believers ***1/2

Judy Garland turned in still another phenomenal performance in 1963's "I Could Go On Singing."

As a singer touring England, Garland lets out the secret that she is the mother of Dirk Bogarde's son. Bogarde had passed the boy off as his adopted son so as not to humiliate his wife. The problem is that the latter is now dead and Garland is ready to fulfill her motherly role. Or, is she?

Garland emits the same emotion that she did as Vickie Lester in 1954's "A Star is Born." While Bogarde is good as her former boy friend, could you imagine what James Mason could have done for this part? Imagine re-teaming Mason and Garland in a motion picture.

There is a surprising nice small supporting performance by Jack Klugman as Garland's manager. He warns her that she might have to go to court against Bogarde to prove that she is the mother of his child. What would that do to her career?

While all this is going on, Garland fabulously belts out "I'll Go My Way By Myself," as well as the title song.

It is amazing to me that in a very weak best actress category of 1963, that Garland was not nominated for best actress here.