d ▁by ▁del us ions ▁of ▁art ▁and ▁vice - vers a ." ▁ ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁director ▁Vincent e ▁Minn elli ▁said ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁film ▁magazine ▁C ash ier ▁du ▁Cinema , ▁" I ▁was ▁very ▁pleased ▁with ▁the ▁way ▁the ▁film ▁turned ▁out . ▁ ▁Jud y ▁gave ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁best ▁performances ▁and ▁the ▁Cole ▁Por ter ▁songs ▁were ▁excellent . ▁ ▁Unfortunately , ▁the ▁mer ch and ising ▁on ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁bad , ▁and ▁it ▁failed ▁to ▁go ▁over ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁released ." ▁ ▁Star ▁Gene ▁Kelly ▁told ▁Tony ▁Thomas ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁" I ▁had ▁decided ▁on ▁this ▁Fair b anks - Bar ry more ▁approach ▁to ▁the ▁role ▁at ▁the ▁very ▁start ▁and ▁Minn elli ▁entirely ▁agreed ▁with ▁it . ▁ ▁It ▁didn ' t ▁occur ▁to ▁us ▁until ▁the ▁picture ▁hit ▁the ▁public ▁that ▁what ▁we ▁had ▁done ▁was ▁indul ge ▁in ▁a ▁huge ▁inside ▁jo ke . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁done ▁tongue - in - che ek ▁but ▁it ▁didn ' t ▁really ▁come ▁off , ▁and ▁that ' s ▁my ▁fault . ▁ ▁But ▁I ▁thought ▁Jud y ▁was ▁super b - ▁and ▁what ▁Minn elli ▁did ▁with ▁color ▁and ▁design ▁in ▁that ▁film ▁is ▁as ▁fine ▁as ▁anything ▁that ▁has ▁ever ▁been ▁done ." ▁ ▁Produ cer ▁Arthur ▁Fre ed ▁said ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁" When ▁we ▁did ▁The ▁Pir ate ▁Jud y ▁wasn ' t ▁feeling ▁well