Remembering Judy Garland on Her Birthday

The wonderful Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm 101 years ago today in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. From that humble beginning, she went on to an amazing career that few others have matched.

A friend once asked us, “Why is it that you’re so fond of Judy Garland, but you’re not so crazy about Barbra Streisand?” That was an easy one for us: With Ms. Streisand (with all due respect), it’s all about her pipes. With Ms. Garland, it’s all about her heart.

We’ll be featuring Garland’s music all today on Cladrite Radio. Why not tune in now?

Judy Garland quote

Happy Anniversary, Casablanca!

It’s a tough choice, but if asked to name our favorite motion picture of all time, we’d have to say it’s Casablanca, which premiered on November 26, 1942, in New York City. (You can still visit the theatre where it debuted, but you’ll have to watch the video to learn more about that.)

We rewatched the “La Marseillaise” scene recently, in which a passionate rendition of the French national anthem gives the patrons of Rick’s Cafe Americain a small but satisfying victory over Maj. Strasser and his Nazi henchmen, and though we’ve seen this wonderful movie easily a dozen times (probably closer to two dozen), that scene still gave us chills.

Here are 16 things you should know about Casablanca​, the official movie of Cladrite Radio…