director susan lacey make this film for the public broadcasting corporation american master series . i saw it tonight at the jacob burn film center in the westchester ( n. y . ) county village of pleasantville . the director engage in a spirited conversation with the audience after this fine documentary be show . i have always be a fervent judy garland fan . she be one of the most talented actress and singer ever produce in this country . i have see all of her film and i own some on vhs or dvd and and i have a number of cd of her singing . her legendary carnegie hall concert be the highlight of my collection of this take no prisoner stage giant . judy garland by myself be aptly title . a a child she be more or less separate from any normal life by mogul louis b. mayer and make a contract slave to the studio system and in this case the property of mgm . i be not stretch the analogy to indenture servitude at all . a show here with still and film clip and spoken narration she be put into an inhuman pressure cooker where every last bit of pressure be exert and all possible profit be extract by a heartless machine . a a teenager score one success after another she be give pep pill to make her work harder and long follow by sleep pill so she could get some rest before the cycle repeat itself the next day . any studio try that with a kid today well have a legion of very good criminal defense lawyer . a show in this penetrating biography and judy garland be recognize for extraordinary ability almost from the get go with and of course and the wizard of oz propel her to world acclaim . in the process she slowly begin to lose her sense of self and succumb to studio entreaty ( and when that fail and threat do the job ) . she become involve in one doom relationship with a man after another disappointing one and a lifetime pattern . sickening and chilling be the account of how both mayer and judy mother virtually force her to abort her first pregnancy because it be the wrong time for her to have a child . there be many clip of her powerful acting and incredible singing in this almost two hour film . while sympathetic to her travail and ms. lacey deserve credit for show the price she pay and a price that end in her death at age 47 from the very drug she depend on for decade to get her through an up and down career . until the fatal end judy garland wasn not simply a survivor and she be a hugely talented and ambitious woman who and like water and carve out a new course when an early one be block . to her fan she seem irrepressible and the film make the point that the people who make up her audience be her principal motivator . she quote a say she know she always want to please audience and fan . it truly tragic that so many in show business who profit from her incomparable talent do not have the decency to want to please her . and and probably and save her life . a terrific addition to one of pb best series . positive .