Garland had been blamed for much of the inflated cost of A STAR IS BORN, and the film had not performed well at the box-office (as we know now, thanks to Warner's butchering of it), so film offers did not likely pour in for Garland - plus, hubby Sid Luft was guiding her career at this point and he was concentrating on making her a huge concert draw, which he did - she was also appearing on the new medium, Television, at this time. Luft likely wouldn't have thought this a suitable project for his wife, considering, as has been mentioned, the parallels to her own life.
According to Lillian Roth's 2nd book, BEYOND MY WORTH, Susan Hayward was actually her own personal choice for I'LL CRY TOMORROW, and M-G-M borrowed her from Fox. Another reason Hayward probably lost the Oscar for I'LL CRY TOMORROW is that, not being an M-G-M contract star, they probably didn't give her much Oscar backing.
"I AM big - it's the pictures that got small!"
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larkpraise
16 years ago
Garland certainly could have played "Lillian Roth" and been superb....if she had been offered the role and if she had been up to it (meaning physically and emotionally). I agree that she wouldn't have chewed the scenery the way Hayward did. Don't get me wrong, I love Hayward but her performance in "Tomorrow" was way over-the-top. She deserved the Oscar nomination but for some reason I have trouble watching "I'll Cry Tomorrow". I just don't feel empathy for "Lillian" the way I did for Susan's superb "Angela" in "Smash-Up". I've seen "I'll Cry TOmorrow" over and over and unfortunately, the great Susan Hayward doesn't tear my heart out as she usually does. Of all her Oscar nominated roles, this is my least favorite Hayward performance. I think Garland would have knocked the socks off "Lillian Roth".
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philippe-61
16 years ago
I totally disagree....Nobody could have been better than the great Hayward in "i'll cry tomorrow" ,surely not Garland ,who could have sung of course but was never the wonderful actress Hayward was.
By the way Hayward did a terrific singing in I'll cry tomorrow and won the golden palm for best acting of 1956 at the prestigious Cannes film festival.
"I'll cry tomorrow " belongs to the one and only Susan Hayward,period.
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tristanrobin
15 years ago
just for the record, Ms. Hayward didn't do her own singing. She is lip synching to Lillian Roth recordings.
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crispy_comments
14 years ago
Wow, I got some responses to my thread! (Sorry I haven't checked for awhile :P)
larkpraise - I agree with you that Susan Hayward did a better job in Smash-Up. I felt for her in that one too, whereas she's so over-the-top in I'll Cry Tomorrow that some scenes make me laugh. I can't help it. :)
I still think Judy *should* have been offered more dramatic roles after showing what she could do in A Star Is Born... even if the film was butchered by WB, even if she lost the Oscar... I don't understand why it didn't open some doors anyway.
Maybe she wouldn't have wanted to do a movie that hit too close to home with life parallels like I'll Cry... It just struck me as odd that she wasn't offered the part (despite being qualified) when so many other actresses were.
Anyway, sometimes it's fun to speculate about alternate cast choices. No offense to Susan Hayward fans...I like her, despite some scenery-chewing tendencies. ;)
But Judy Garland was the greatest, in my opinion (philippe-61 - I have to disagree with you that she wasn't as great as Hayward.) Judy may not have had enough opportunities to showcase her dramatic abilities, but she could do it all.
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MystMoonstruck
9 years ago
tristanrobin is wrong! Susan Hayward did her own singing! The recordings of Jane Froman were used in "With a Song in My Heart", likely because Froman still was a popular singer at the time. However, Susan Hayward did her own vocals in this film.
From IMDb:
Sing You Sinners
Music by W. Franke Harling (uncredited)
Lyrics by Sam Coslow (uncredited)
Sung and Danced by Susan Hayward (as Miss Hayward) and chorus
Arranged and conducted by Charles Henderson (uncredited)
Brief reprise in a medley montage by Susan Hayward (vocal) and Eddie Albert (piano)
When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along
Written by Harry M. Woods (uncredited)
Sung by Susan Hayward (as Miss Hayward)
Arranged and conducted by Charles Henderson (uncredited)
Brief reprise in a medley montage by and Eddie Albert (vocal and piano) and Susan Hayward (vocal)
Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe
Music by Harold Arlen (uncredited)
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg (uncredited)
Sung by Susan Hayward (as Miss Hayward)
Arranged and conducted by Charles Henderson (uncredited)
Brief reprise in a medley montage by Susan Hayward (vocal) and Eddie Albert (piano)
The Vagabond King Waltz
Music by Rudolf Friml (uncredited)
Lyrics by Brian Hooker (uncredited)
Performed briefly in a medley montage by Susan Hayward (vocal) and Eddie Albert (piano)
Just think: Rita Hayworth had fake red hair, could barely sing, and wasn't much of a dancer or actress. Susan Hayward was "the real thing"!
(W)hat are we without our dreams?
Making sure our fantasies
Do not overpower our realities. ~ RC
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