ABOUT THE DISC & RECORDINGS:

This is the first "complete" soundtrack album for the film. The sound quality is decent, having probably been taped from a television showing of the film in the 1970's.

Judy's portion of the film was shot just after her work on Meet Me In St. Louis (1944), and she's at her "MGM Years" loveliest. "The Interview" (aka Madame Crematon or Madame Crematante) was originally written for Greer Garson as a send-up of her status as a lady of high drama biographies. After witnessing a run-through by vocal arrangers and writers Kay Thompson & Roger Edens, Garson declined. Their disappointment turned to joy when they hit on the idea of having Judy perform it. Judy's flair for satire saved the number, and it became one of the highlights of the film.

In production for several years, Follies went through numerous additions and deletions. Because the film is presented in a revue format, just as Ziegfeld himself would have done on the stage, ideas came and went. Judy was originally scheduled, or thought about, for many numbers, including:

"I Love You Better In Technicolor Than I Did In Black & White" - a duet reuniting her with Mickey Rooney in Technicolor for the first time. A copy of the script for this number was included in the 1995 special edition laser disc boxed set for the film. Mickey's drafting into the Army in 1944 prevented this number from being filmed.
"It's Getting Hot In Tahiti", a song by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane.
"I've Got Those Rooney, Skelton, Pidgeon Blues" - written by Judy, Lucille Ball, & Greer Garson in 1943 during a war bond tour, lamenting about being typecast as leading ladies for Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton, & Walter Pidgeon.
"Pass That Peace Pipe" - by Martin & Blane again. This song ended up in the 1947 MGM version of Good News, brilliantly performed by Joan McCracken.
Numbers with Nancy Walker and James Melton and even a gondola number featuring Judy and other MGM stars in a Venice type of setting!

All images on this page from the collection of Scott Brogan.