Judy Garland
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Contents
Articles
Judy Garland
1
List of Judy Garland performances
14
Judy Garland discography
20
List of awards and honors received by Judy Garland
24
Pigskin Parade (film)
29
Broadway Melody of 1938
31
Thoroughbreds Don't Cry
35
Everybody Sing (film)
36
Love Finds Andy Hardy
39
Listen, Darling
41
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
43
Babes in Arms (film)
64
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
67
Strike Up the Band (film)
69
Little Nellie Kelly
76
Ziegfeld Girl (film)
79
Life Begins for Andy Hardy
82
Babes on Broadway
84
For Me and My Gal (film)
87
Thousands Cheer
91
Presenting Lily Mars
94
Girl Crazy (1943 film)
95
Meet Me in St. Louis
98
The Clock (film)
104
The Harvey Girls
107
Ziegfeld Follies (film)
112
Till the Clouds Roll By
115
Words and Music (1948 film)
119
The Pirate
121
Easter Parade (film)
124
In the Good Old Summertime
129
Summer Stock
132
A Star Is Born (1954 film)
135
Pepe (film)
143
Judgment at Nuremberg
146
Gay Purr-ee
150
A Child Is Waiting
153
I Could Go On Singing
156
References
Article Sources and Contributors
159
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors
162
Article Licenses
License
164
Judy Garland
1
Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Garland photographed in 1944
Born
Frances Ethel GummJune 10, 1922Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.
Died
June 22, 1969 (aged 47)Chelsea, London, England, UK
Occupation
Actress, singer
Years active 1924–1969 (singer)
1929–1967 (actress)
Spouse
David Rose (1941–1944)
Vincente Minnelli (1945–1951)
Sid Luft (1952–1965)
Mark Herron (1965–1967)
Mickey Deans (1969, her death)
Children
Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft,
Joey Luft
Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned
45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording
artist and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a juvenile Academy Award, won a Golden
Globe Award, as well as Grammy Awards and a Special Tony Award. She was nominated for the Academy Award
for Best Actress for her role in what many consider the pinnacle of her career, A Star is Born (1954 film). She was
nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1961 film, Judgement at Nuremberg.
At 39 years of age, she was the youngest recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the
motion picture industry.
After appearing in vaudeville with her sisters, Garland was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager. There she
made more than two dozen films, including nine with Mickey Rooney and the 1939 film with which she would be
most identified, The Wizard of Oz. After 15 years, Garland was released from the studio but gained renewed success
through record-breaking concert appearances, including a return to acting beginning with a critically acclaimed
performances.
Despite her professional triumphs, Garland battled personal problems throughout her life. Insecure about her
appearance, her feelings were compounded by film executives who told her she was unattractive and manipulated
her on-screen physical appearance. Garland was plagued by financial instability, often owing hundreds of thousands
of dollars in back taxes. She married five times, with her first four marriages ending in divorce. Garland died of an
accidental drug overdose at the age of 47, leaving children Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft.
In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Several of her recordings
have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1999, the American Film Institute placed her among the ten
Judy Garland
greatest female stars in the history of American cinema.
Life and career
Childhood and early life
Born Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Judy Garland was the youngest child of Francis Avent
"Frank" Gumm (March 20, 1886 – November 17, 1935) and Ethel Marion Milne (November 17, 1893 – January 5,
1953). Garland's parents were vaudevillians who settled in Grand Rapids to run a movie theatre that featured
vaudeville acts.
Garland's ancestry on both sides of her family can be traced back to the early colonial days of the United States. Her
father was descended from the Marable family of Virginia, and her mother from Patrick Fitzpatrick, who emigrated
to America in the 1770s from Smithtown, County Meath, Ireland.[1]
Named after both her parents and baptized at a local Episcopal church, "Baby" (as Frances was called by her parents
and sisters) shared her family's flair for song and dance. Baby Gumm's first appearance came at the age of
two-and-a-half when she joined her two older sisters, Mary Jane "Suzy/Suzanne" Gumm (1915–64) and Dorothy
Virginia "Jimmie" Gumm (1917–77), on the stage of her father's movie theater during a Christmas show and sang a
chorus of "Jingle Bells".[2] Accompanied by their mother on piano, The Gumm Sisters performed at their father's
theater for the next few years. Following rumors that Frank Gumm had made sexual advances toward male ushers at
his theater, the family relocated to Lancaster, California, in June 1926.[3] Frank purchased and operated another
theater in Lancaster, and Ethel, acting as their manager, began working to get her daughters into motion pictures.
The Gumm Sisters
In 1928, The Gumm Sisters enrolled in a dance school run by Ethel Meglin, proprietress of the Meglin Kiddies dance
troupe. The sisters appeared with the troupe at its annual Christmas show.[4] It was through the Meglin Kiddies that
Garland and her sisters made their film debut, in a 1929 short subject called The Big Revue. This was followed by
appearances in two Vitaphone shorts the following year, A Holiday in Storyland (featuring Garland's first on-screen
solo) and The Wedding of Jack and Jill. They next appeared together in Bubbles. The final on-screen appearance of
The Gumm Sisters came in 1935, in another short entitled La Fiesta de Santa Barbara.[5]
In 1934, the sisters, who by then had been touring the vaudeville circuit as "The Gumm Sisters" for many years,
performed in Chicago at the Oriental Theater with George Jessel. He encouraged the group to choose a more
appealing name after the name "Gumm" was met with laughter from the audience. "The Garland Sisters" was
chosen, and Frances changed her name to "Judy" soon after, inspired by a popular Hoagy Carmichael song.[6]
Several stories persist regarding the origin of the name "Garland". One is that it was originated by Jessel after Carole
Lombard's character Lily Garland in the film Twentieth Century which was then playing at the Oriental; another is
that the trio chose the surname after drama critic Robert Garland.[7] Garland's daughter Lorna Luft stated that her
mother selected the name when Jessel announced that the trio of singers "looked prettier than a garland of
flowers".[8] Another variation surfaced when Jessel was a guest on Garland's television show in 1963. He claimed
that he had sent actress Judith Anderson a telegram containing the word "garland," and it stuck in his mind.[9]
At any rate, by late 1934 the "Gumm Sisters" had changed their name to the "Garland Sisters."[10] The trio was
broken up in August 1935, however, when Suzanne Garland flew to Reno, Nevada, and married musician Lee Kahn,
a member of the Jimmy Davis orchestra playing at Cal-Neva Lodge, Lake Tahoe.[11]
2
Judy Garland
3
Signed at MGM
In 1935, Garland was signed to a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, supposedly without a screen test, though she
had made a test for the studio several months earlier. The studio did not know what to do with Garland, as at age 13
she was older than the traditional child star but too young for adult roles. Garland's physical appearance created a
dilemma for MGM. At only 4 feet 11.5 inches (151.1 cm), Garland's "cute" or "girl next door" looks did not
exemplify the more glamorous persona required of leading ladies of the time. She was self-conscious and anxious
about her appearance. "Judy went to school at Metro with Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Elizabeth Taylor, real
beauties," said Charles Walters, who directed Garland in a number of films. "Judy was the big money-maker at the
time, a big success, but she was the ugly duckling ... I think it had a very damaging effect on her emotionally for a
long time. I think it lasted forever, really."[12] Her insecurity was exacerbated by the attitude of studio chief Louis B.
Mayer, who referred to her as his "little hunchback".[13] During her early years at the studio, she was photographed
and dressed in plain garments or frilly juvenile gowns and costumes to match the "girl-next-door" image that was
created for her. She was made to wear removable caps on her teeth and rubberized disks to reshape her nose.[14] She
performed at various studio functions and was eventually cast opposite Deanna Durbin in the musical short Every
Sunday. The film contrasted Garland's contralto vocal range[15] and swing style with Durbin's operatic soprano and
served as an extended screen test for the pair, as studio executives were questioning the wisdom of having two girl
singers on the roster.[16] Mayer finally decided to keep both girls, but by that time Durbin's option had lapsed and she
was signed by Universal Studios.
On November 16, 1935, in the midst of preparing for a radio performance on the Shell Chateau Hour, Garland
learned that her father—who had been hospitalized with meningitis—had taken a turn for the worse. Frank Gumm
died the following morning, on November 17, leaving Garland devastated. Garland's song for the Shell Chateau
Hour was her first professional rendition of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", a song which would become a
standard in many of her concerts.[17]
Garland next came to the attention of studio executives by singing a
special arrangement of "You Made Me Love You" to Clark Gable at a
birthday party held by the studio for the actor; her rendition was so
well regarded that Garland performed the song in the all-star
extravaganza Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937), in which she sang the
song to a photograph of Gable.[18]
Garland with Mickey Rooney in Love Finds Andy
Hardy (1938)
MGM hit on a winning formula when it paired Garland with Mickey
Rooney in a string of "backyard musicals".[19] The duo first appeared
together in the 1937 B movie Thoroughbreds Don't Cry. They became
a sensation, and teamed up again in Love Finds Andy Hardy. Garland
would eventually star with Rooney in nine films.
To keep up with the frantic pace of making one film after another, Garland, Rooney, and other young performers
were constantly given amphetamines, as well as barbiturates to take before bed.[20] For Garland, this regular dose of
drugs led to addiction and a lifelong struggle, and contributed to her eventual demise. She later resented the hectic
schedule and felt that her youth had been stolen from her by MGM. Despite successful film and recording careers,
several awards, critical praise, and her ability to fill concert halls worldwide, Garland was plagued throughout her
life with self-doubt and required constant reassurance that she was talented and attractive.[21]
Judy Garland
4
The Wizard of Oz
In 1938, at the age of 16, Garland was cast in the lead role of Dorothy
Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939), a film based on the children's book
by L. Frank Baum. In this film, Garland sang the song for which she
would forever be identified, "Over the Rainbow". Although producers
Arthur Freed and Mervyn LeRoy had wanted Garland from the start,
studio chief Mayer tried first to borrow Shirley Temple from 20th
Century Fox. Temple's services were denied and Garland was cast.[22]
Garland was initially outfitted in a blonde wig for the part, but Freed
and LeRoy decided against it shortly into filming. Her breasts were
bound with tape and she was made to wear a special corset to flatten
out her curves and make her appear younger; her blue gingham dress
was also chosen for its blurring effect on her figure.[23]
Garland as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz
(1939)
Shooting commenced on October 13, 1938,[24] and was completed on
March 16, 1939,[25] with a final cost of more than $2 million.[26] From the conclusion of filming, MGM kept
Garland busy with promotional tours and the shooting of Babes in Arms. Garland and Mickey Rooney were sent on a
cross-country promotional tour, culminating in the August 17 New York City premiere at the Capitol Theater, which
included a five-show-a-day appearance schedule for the two stars.[27]
On November 17, 1939, Garland's mother, Ethel, married William P. Gillmore in Yuma, Arizona.[28] It was the
fourth anniversary of her first husband's death.
The Wizard of Oz was a tremendous critical success, though its high budget and promotions costs of an estimated $4
million coupled with the lower revenue generated by children's tickets, meant that the film did not make a profit until
it was re-released in the 1940s.[29] At the 1940 Academy Awards ceremony, Garland received an Academy Juvenile
Award for her performances in 1939, including The Wizard of Oz and Babes in Arms.[30] Following this recognition,
Garland became one of MGM's most bankable stars.
Stardom as an adult
In 1940, she starred in three films: Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, Strike Up the Band, and Little Nellie Kelly. In the
latter, Garland played her first adult role, a dual role of both mother and daughter. Little Nellie Kelly was purchased
from George M. Cohan as a vehicle for Garland to assess both her audience appeal and her physical appearance. The
role was a challenge for her, requiring the use of an accent, her first adult kiss, and the only death scene of her
career.[31] The success of these three films, and a further three films in 1941, secured her position at MGM as a
major property.
Garland performing "The Trolley Song" in Meet
Me in St. Louis (1944)
During this time Garland experienced her first serious adult romances.
The first was with the band leader Artie Shaw. Garland was deeply
devoted to Shaw and was devastated in early 1940 when Shaw eloped
with Lana Turner.[32] Garland began a relationship with musician
David Rose, and, on her 18th birthday, Rose gave her an engagement
ring. The studio intervened because Rose was still married at the time
to the actress and singer Martha Raye. The couple agreed to wait a year
to allow for Rose's divorce from Raye to become final, and were wed
on July 27, 1941.[33] She was noticeably thinner in her next film, For
Me and My Gal, alongside Gene Kelly in his first screen appearance.
Garland was top billed over the credits for the first time, and
effectively made the transition from teenage star to adult actress.
Judy Garland
5
At the age of 21, she was given the "glamour treatment" in Presenting Lily Mars, in which she was dressed in
"grown-up" gowns. Her lightened hair was also pulled up in a stylish fashion. However, no matter how glamorous or
beautiful she appeared on screen or in photographs, she was never confident in her appearance and never escaped the
"girl next door" image that had been created for her.[34] Adding to her insecurity was the dissolution of her marriage
to David Rose. Garland, who had aborted her pregnancy by Rose in 1942, agreed to a trial separation in January
1943, and they divorced in 1944.[35]
One of Garland's most successful films for MGM was Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), in which she introduced three
standards: "The Trolley Song", "The Boy Next Door", and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Vincente
Minnelli was assigned to direct this movie, and he requested that make-up artist Dorothy Ponedel be assigned to
Garland for the picture. Ponedel refined Garland's appearance in several ways, including extending and reshaping her
eyebrows, changing her hairline, modifying her lip line, and removing her nose discs. Garland appreciated the results
so much that Ponedel was written into her contract for all her remaining pictures at MGM. During the filming of
Meet Me in St. Louis, after some initial conflict between them, Garland and Minnelli entered a relationship together.
They were married June 15, 1945,[36] and on March 12, 1946, daughter Liza Minnelli was born.[37]
The Clock (1945) was her first straight dramatic film, opposite Robert Walker. Though the film was critically praised
and earned a profit, most movie fans expected her to sing. It would be many years before she acted again in a
non-singing dramatic role.
Garland's other famous films of the 1940s include The Harvey Girls (1946), in which she introduced the Academy
Award-winning song "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe", and The Pirate (1948).
Leaving MGM
During filming for The Pirate in April 1947, Garland suffered a
nervous breakdown and was placed in a private sanitarium.[38] She was
able to complete filming, but in July of that year she undertook her first
suicide attempt, making minor cuts to her wrist with a broken glass.[39]
During this period, Garland spent two weeks in treatment at the Austen
Riggs Center, a psychiatric hospital in Stockbridge, Mass.[40]
Following her work on The Pirate, Garland completed three more
films for MGM: Easter Parade (in which she danced with Fred
Astaire), In the Good Old Summertime, and her final film with MGM,
Summer Stock.
Garland performing "Get Happy" in Summer
Stock (1950)
Because of her mental condition, Garland was unable to complete a
series of films. During the filming of The Barkleys of Broadway, Garland was taking prescription sleeping
medication along with illicitly obtained pills containing morphine. These, in combination with migraine headaches,
led Garland to miss several shooting days in a row. After being advised by Garland's doctor that she would only be
able to work in four- to five-day increments with extended rest periods between, MGM executive Arthur Freed made
the decision to suspend Garland on July 18, 1948. She was replaced by Ginger Rogers.[41]
Garland was cast in the film adaptation of Annie Get Your Gun in the title role of Annie Oakley. She was nervous at
the prospect of taking on a role strongly identified with Ethel Merman, anxious about appearing in an unglamorous
part after breaking from juvenile parts for several years, and disturbed by her treatment at the hands of director
Busby Berkeley. She began arriving late to the set, and sometimes failed to appear. She was suspended from the
picture on May 10, 1949, and was replaced by Betty Hutton.[42]
Garland was next cast in the film Royal Wedding with Fred Astaire after June Allyson became pregnant in 1950. She
again failed to report to the set on multiple occasions, and the studio suspended her contract on June 17, 1950. She
was replaced by Jane Powell.[43] Reputable biographies following Garland's death stated that after this latest
Judy Garland
dismissal, she slightly grazed her neck with a broken water glass, requiring only a Band-Aid, but at the time, the
public was informed that a despondent Garland had slashed her throat.[44] "All I could see ahead was more
confusion," Garland later said of this suicide attempt. "I wanted to black out the future as well as the past. I wanted
to hurt myself and everyone who had hurt me."[45]
Renewed stardom on the stage
In 1951, Garland divorced Vincente Minnelli.[46] She engaged Sid Luft as her manager the same year.[47] Luft
arranged a four-month concert tour of the United Kingdom, where she played to sold-out audiences throughout
England, Scotland, and Ireland.[48] The tour included Garland's first appearances at the renowned London Palladium,
for a four-week stand in April.[49] Although some in the British press chided her before her opening for being "too
plump", she received rave reviews and the ovation was described by the Palladium manager as the loudest he had
ever heard.[50]
In October 1951, Garland opened in a vaudeville-style, two-a-day engagement at Broadway's newly refurbished
Palace Theatre. Her 19-week engagement exceeded all previous records for the theater, and was described as "one of
the greatest personal triumphs in show business history".[51] Garland was honored for her contribution to the revival
of vaudeville with a Special Tony Award.[52]
Garland and Luft were married on June 8, 1952, in Hollister, California,[53] and Garland gave birth to the couple's
first child, Lorna Luft, on November 21 that year.[54]
Garland's personal and professional achievements during this time were marred by the actions of her mother, Ethel.
In May 1952, at the height of Garland's comeback, Ethel was featured in a Los Angeles Mirror story in which she
revealed that while Garland was making a small fortune at the Palace, Ethel was working a desk job at Douglas
Aircraft Company for $61 a week.[55] Garland and Ethel had been estranged for years, with Garland characterizing
her mother as "no good for anything except to create chaos and fear" and accusing her of mismanaging and
misappropriating Garland's salary from the earliest days of her career.[56] Garland's sister Virginia denied this,
stating "Mama never took a dime from Judy."[57] On January 5, 1953, Ethel was found dead in the Douglas Aircraft
parking lot.[58]
A Star Is Born
In 1954, Garland filmed a musical remake of the 1937 film A Star is Born for Warner Bros. Luft and Garland,
through their production company Transcona Enterprises, produced the film while Warner Bros. supplied the funds,
production facilities, and crew.[59] Directed by George Cukor and co-starring James Mason, it was a large
undertaking to which Garland initially fully dedicated herself. As shooting progressed, however, she began making
the same pleas of illness which she had so often made during her final films at MGM. Production delays led to cost
overruns and angry confrontations with Warner Bros. head Jack Warner. Principal photography wrapped on March
17, 1954. At Luft's suggestion, the "Born in a Trunk" medley was filmed as a showcase for Garland and inserted
over director Cukor's objections, who feared the additional length would lead to cuts in other areas. The "Born in a
[60]
Trunk" sequence was completed on July 29.
6
Judy Garland
7
Upon its September 29 world premiere, the film was met with
tremendous critical and popular acclaim. Before release it was edited at
the instruction of Jack Warner; theater operators, concerned that they
were losing money because they were only able to run the film for
three or four shows per day instead of five or six, pressured the studio
to make additional reductions. About 30 minutes of footage was cut,
sparking outrage among critics and filmgoers. A Star is Born ended up
losing money, and the secure financial position Garland had expected
from the profits did not materialize.[61] Transcona made no more films
with Warner.[62]
Garland was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and,
in the run-up to the 27th Academy Awards, was generally expected to
be the winner. She could not attend the ceremony because she had just
Garland in A Star Is Born (1954)
given birth to her son, Joseph Luft, so a television crew was in
Garland's hospital room with cameras and wires to televise Garland's
anticipated acceptance speech. The Oscar was won, however, by Grace Kelly for The Country Girl (1954). The
camera crew was packing up before Kelly could even reach the stage. Garland even made jokes about the incident,
on her television series, saying "...and nobody said good-bye." Groucho Marx sent Garland a telegram after the
awards ceremony, declaring her loss "the biggest robbery since Brinks". To this day, it is still considered to be one of
[63]
Garland won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress
the biggest upsets in the history of the Academy Awards.
[64]
in a Musical for the role.
Garland's films after A Star Is Born included Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) (for which she was Oscar- and Golden
Globe-nominated for Best Supporting Actress), the animated feature Gay Purr-ee (1962), and A Child Is Waiting
(1963) with Burt Lancaster. Her final film, I Could Go On Singing (1963), co-starring Dirk Bogarde, mirrored her
own life with its story of a world famous singing star. Garland’s last screen performance of a song was the prophetic
I Could Go on Singing at the end of the film.
Television, concerts and Carnegie Hall
Beginning in 1955, Garland appeared in a number of television specials. The first, the 1955 debut episode of Ford
Star Jubilee, was the first full-scale color broadcast ever on CBS and was a ratings triumph, scoring a 34.8 Nielsen
rating. Garland signed a three-year, $300,000 contract with the network. Only one additional special, a live concert
edition of General Electric Theater, was broadcast in 1956 before the relationship between the Lufts and CBS broke
down in a dispute over the planned format of upcoming specials.[65] In 1956, Garland performed four weeks at the
New Frontier Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip for a salary of $55,000 per week, making her the highest-paid entertainer
[66]
Despite a brief bout of laryngitis, her performances there were so successful that her run
to work in Las Vegas.
was extended an extra week.[67] Later that year she returned to the Palace Theatre, site of her two-a-day triumph. She
opened in September, once again to rave reviews and popular acclaim.[68]
Judy Garland
In November 1959 Garland was hospitalized, diagnosed with acute
hepatitis.[69] Over the next few weeks several quarts of fluid were
drained from her body until, still weak, she was released from the
hospital in January 1960. She was told by doctors that she likely had
five years or less to live, and that even if she did survive she would be
a semi-invalid and would never sing again.[70] She initially felt "greatly
relieved" at the diagnosis. "The pressure was off me for the first time in
my life."[44] However, Garland successfully recovered over the next
several months and, in August of that year, returned to the stage of the
Palladium. She felt so warmly embraced by the British that she
announced her intention to move permanently to England.[71]
8
Garland before a concert, 1957
Her concert appearance at Carnegie Hall on April 23, 1961, was a
considerable highlight, called by many "the greatest night in show business history".[72] The two-record Judy at
Carnegie Hall was certified gold, charting for 95 weeks on Billboard, including 13 weeks at number one. The album
won four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal of the Year.[73] The album has
never been out of print.
In 1961, Garland and CBS settled their contract disputes with the help of her new agent, Freddie Fields, and
negotiated a new round of specials. The first, entitled The Judy Garland Show, aired in 1962 and featured guests
Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.[74] Following this success, CBS made a $24 million offer to Garland for a weekly
television series of her own, also to be called The Judy Garland Show, which was deemed at the time in the press to
be "the biggest talent deal in TV history". Although Garland had said as early as 1955 that she would never do a
weekly television series,[75] in the early 1960s she was in a financially precarious situation. Garland was several
hundred thousand dollars in debt to the Internal Revenue Service, having failed to pay taxes in 1951 and 1952, and
the financial failure of A Star is Born meant that she received nothing from that investment.[76] A successful run on
television was intended to secure Garland's financial future.
Following a third special, Judy Garland and Her Guests Phil Silvers and Robert Goulet, Garland's weekly series
debuted September 29, 1963.[77] The Judy Garland Show was critically praised,[78] [79] but for a variety of reasons
(including being placed in the time slot opposite Bonanza on NBC) the show lasted only one season and was
cancelled in 1964 after 26 episodes. Despite its short run, the series was nominated for four Emmy Awards.[80] The
demise of the series was personally and financially devastating for Garland, who never fully recovered from its
failure.
Judy Garland
9
Final years
With the demise of her television series, Garland returned to the stage.
Most notably, she performed at the London Palladium with her then
18-year-old daughter Liza Minnelli in November 1964. The concert,
which was also filmed for British television network ITV, was one of
Garland's final appearances at the venue. She made guest appearances
on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, The Hollywood Palace,
and The Merv Griffin Show, guest-hosting an episode of the last
one.[81]
Garland sued Sid Luft for divorce in 1963, claiming "cruelty" as the
grounds. She also asserted that Luft had repeatedly struck her while he
was drinking and that he had attempted to take their children from her
by force.[82] She had filed for divorce more than once previously,
including as early as 1956.[83]
A 1964 tour of Australia was largely disastrous. Garland's first concert
in Sydney, held in the Sydney Stadium because no concert hall could
Garland and Mickey Deans, at their wedding,
accommodate the crowds who wanted to see her, went well and
March 1969, three months before her death
received positive reviews. Her second performance, in Melbourne,
started an hour late. The crowd of 7,000, angered by her
tardiness—and believing Garland to be drunk—booed and heckled her, and she fled the stage after just 45
[84]
She later characterized the Melbourne crowd as "brutish".[56] A second concert in Sydney was
minutes.
uneventful but the Melbourne appearance garnered her significant bad press.[85] Some of that bad press was
deflected by the announcement of a near fatal episode of pleurisy, followed by Garland's fourth marriage to tour
promoter Mark Herron. They announced that their marriage had taken place aboard a freighter off the coast of Hong
Kong; however, Garland was not legally divorced from Luft at the time the ceremony was performed.[86] Her
divorce from Luft became final on May 19, 1965,[82] but Herron and Garland did not legally marry until November
14.[87]
In February 1967, Garland had been cast as Helen Lawson in Valley of the Dolls for 20th Century Fox. The character
of Neely O'Hara in the book by Jacqueline Susann was rumored to have been based on Garland.[88] The role of
O'Hara in the film was played by Patty Duke. During the filming, Garland missed rehearsals and was fired in April.
She was replaced by Susan Hayward.[89] Garland's prerecording of the song "I'll Plant My Own Tree" survived,
along with her wardrobe tests.
Returning to the stage, Garland made her last appearances at New York's Palace Theatre in July, a 16-show tour,
performing with her children Lorna and Joey Luft. Garland wore a sequined pantsuit on stage for this tour, which
[90]
was part of the original wardrobe for her character in Valley of the Dolls.
By early 1969, Garland's health had deteriorated. She performed in London at the Talk of the Town nightclub for a
five-week run[91] and made her last concert appearance in Copenhagen during March 1969.[92] She married her fifth
and final husband, Mickey Deans, at Chelsea Register Office, London, on March 15, 1969,[93] her divorce from
Herron having been finalized on February 11 of that year.[94]
Judy Garland
10
Death
On June 22, 1969, Garland was found dead by Deans in the bathroom of their rented Chelsea, London house. The
coroner, Gavin Thursdon, stated at the inquest that the cause of death was "an incautious self-overdosage" of
barbiturates; her blood contained the equivalent of ten 1.5-grain (97 mg) Seconal capsules.[95] Thursdon stressed that
the overdose had been unintentional and that there was no evidence to suggest she had committed suicide. Garland's
autopsy showed that there was no inflammation of her stomach lining and no drug residue in her stomach, which
indicated that the drug had been ingested over a long period of time, rather than in one dose. Her death certificate
stated that her death had been "accidental."[96] Even so, a British specialist who had attended Garland said she had
been living on borrowed time due to cirrhosis of the liver.[97] Garland had turned 47 just 12 days prior to her death.
Her Wizard of Oz co-star Ray Bolger commented at Garland's funeral, "She just plain wore out." An estimated
20,000 people lined up for hours at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel to view her body. James Mason gave a
eulogy at the funeral, which was an Episcopalian service led by the Rev. Peter A. Delaney of Marylebone Church,
London, who had officiated at Garland's marriage to Deans.[98] Garland was interred in a crypt in the community
mausoleum at Ferncliff Cemetery, in Hartsdale, New York.
Legacy
Judy Garland's legacy as a performer and a personality has endured
long after her death. The American Film Institute named Garland
eighth among the Greatest Female Stars of All Time.[99] She has been
the subject of over two dozen biographies since her death, including
the well-received Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir by her
daughter, Lorna Luft. Luft's memoir was later adapted into the multiple
award-winning television miniseries, Life with Judy Garland: Me and
My Shadows, which won Emmy Awards for two actresses portraying
Garland (Tammy Blanchard and Judy Davis).[100] English actress
Tracie Bennett portrayed Garland to critical acclaim[101] in a
dramatization of her eventual decline and months preceding her death
in a play titled End of the Rainbow at London's Trafalgar Studios. Both
the play and Bennett received Laurence Olivier Award
nominations.[102]
Star for recognition of film work at 1715 Vine
Street on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has
another for recording at 6764 Hollywood Blvd.
Garland was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award in 1997.[103] Several of her recordings have been
inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[104] These include "Over the Rainbow", which was ranked as the number
one movie song of all time in the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Songs" list. Four more Garland songs
are featured on the list: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (#76), "Get Happy" (#61), "The Trolley Song"
[105]
Garland has twice been honored on U.S. postage stamps, in 1989
(#26), and "The Man That Got Away" (#11).
[106]
(as Dorothy)
and again in 2006 (as Vicki Lester from A Star Is Born).[107]
Judy Garland
Gay icon
Garland always had a large base of fans in the gay community and has become a gay icon.[108] Reasons often given
for her standing, especially amongst gay men, are admiration of her ability as a performer, the way her personal
struggles mirrored those of gay men in America during the height of her fame and her value as a camp figure.[109]
When asked about how she felt about being a gay icon, she responded, "I couldn't care less. I sing to people."[110]
Some have also suggested a connection between the date of Garland's death and funeral on June 27, 1969 and the
Stonewall riots, the flashpoint of the modern Gay Liberation movement,[111] [112] which started in the early hours of
June 28.[111]
Notes
[1] McClure, Rhonda (2002-06-13). "Ancestry of Liza Minnelli" (http:/ / www. genealogy. com/ famousfolks/ liza-minnelli/ ). Genealogy.com. .
Retrieved 2007-12-22.
[2] Shipman p. 12
[3] Clarke, p. 23
[4] Clarke, pp. 29–30
[5] Finch pp. 43–47, 76
[6] Edwards p. 27
[7] "Judy: Beyond the Rainbow". Biography. 1999-01-01.
[8] Luft, p. 26
[9] "Episode 12". The Judy Garland Show. 1963-11-01. No. 12, season 1.
[10] "Program of Comedy Due --- Eddie Conrad Will Head Ebell Vaudeville." Los Angeles Times. Dec. 7, 1934. p. 15.
[11] "Nuptials Turn Trio to Duet --- Cupid Robs Radio Team --- Suzanne Garland Flies to Reno to Become Bride of Musician." Los Angeles
Times. Aug. 15, 1935. p. A 3.
[12] " Judy: Impressions of Garland (http:/ / imdb. com/ title/ tt0813809/ )". Omnibus. 1972.
[13] Wayne, p. 204
[14] Frank p. 73
[15] "Judy Garland at the Hippodrome" (http:/ / users. deltacomm. com/ rainbowz/ con070951. html). Judy Garland - The Live Performances!. .
Retrieved 2008-09-05.
[16] Clarke p. 73
[17] Clarke p. 58
[18] Edwards p. 47
[19] "dOc DVD Review: Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection (Babes in Arms/Strike Up the Band/Babes on Broadway/Girl Crazy)
(1939-1943)" (http:/ / www. digitallyobsessed. com/ displaylegacy. php?ID=9718). Digitallyobsessed.com. 2009-04-01. . Retrieved
2010-04-03.
[20] "Judy Garland: By Myself". American Masters. 2004-02-25.
[21] Clarke pp. 135–36
[22] Juneau p. 37
[23] Finch pp. 134–35
[24] Clarke p. 95
[25] Clarke p. 100
[26] Edwards p. 61
[27] Clarke pp. 102–103
[28] "Judy Garland's Mother Becomes Bride." Los Angeles Times. Nov. 18, 1939. p. 1.
[29] Clarke p. 104
[30] Clarke p. 105
[31] Juneau pp. 55–56
[32] Frank pp. 148–49
[33] Clarke p. 155
[34] Frank p 175
[35] Clarke p. 211
[36] Hopper, Hedda (September 1954). "No More Tears for Judy". Woman's Home Companion.
[37] Clarke p. 223
[38] Edwards p. 108
[39] Frank p. 231
11
Judy Garland
[40] "Judy Garland - Career Timeline | American Masters" (http:/ / www. pbs. org/ wnet/ americanmasters/ episodes/ judy-garland/
career-timeline/ 601/ ). PBS. 2004-07-07. . Retrieved 2010-04-03.
[41] Shipman p. 225
[42] Clarke p. 255
[43] Frank p. 271
[44] Alexander, Shana (1961-06-02). "Judy's New Rainbow". Life.
[45] Hyams, Joe (January 1957). "Crack-Up". Photoplay.
[46] "Judy Garland Files Suit for Divorce". U.P.. 1952-02-22.
[47] Juneau p. 108
[48] Frank p. 304
[49] MacPherson, Virginia (1951-04-10). "Judy Garland in Comeback with Palladium Contract". U.P..
[50] "British Give Judy Garland Big Ovation". Associated Press. 1951-04-10.
[51] Garver, Jack (1952-02-24). "Judy Garland Ends Triumphant Vaudeville Run". UPI.
[52] "Judy Garland" (http:/ / www. tonyawards. com/ p/ tonys_search). American Theatre Wing. . Retrieved 2007-12-24.
[53] Garver, Jack (1952-06-12). "Judy Garland Married With Simple Ceremony". U.P..
[54] Edwards p. 166
[55] Clarke p. 311
[56] Garland, Judy (August 1967). "The Plot Against Judy Garland". Ladies' Home Journal.
[57] Shearer, Lloyd (1964-10-04). "Judy Garland's Sister: The Happy One in the Family". Parade.
[58] Clarke p. 309
[59] Clarke p. 308
[60] Clarke p. 319
[61] Clarke p. 325
[62] Juneau p. 126
[63] Clarke p. 326
[64] "Judy Garland" (http:/ / www. goldenglobes. org/ browse/ member/ 29377). Hollywood Foreign Press Association. . Retrieved 2007-12-24.
[65] Sanders p. 24
[66] "Judy Garland - About Judy Garland | American Masters" (http:/ / www. pbs. org/ wnet/ americanmasters/ episodes/ judy-garland/
about-judy-garland/ 600/ ). PBS. 2004-07-07. . Retrieved 2010-04-03.
[67] Frank pp. 420–21
[68] "Judy Reigns in Palace as Queen of New York". UPI. 1952-10-31.
[69] "Judy Garland Said To Have Hepatitis". UPI. 1959-11-26.
[70] Clarke p. 347
[71] Clarke p. 349
[72] Cox, Gordon (2006-05-28). "Rufus Over The Rainbow". Variety.
[73] "Grammy Awards for Judy at Carnegie Hall" (http:/ / www. grammy. com/ GRAMMY_Awards/ Winners/ Results. aspx). The Recording
Academy. . Retrieved 2007-12-27.
[74] Sanders p. 29
[75] Parsons, Louella (1955-09-23). "TV Spectacular Gives New Rainbow to Judy". The Daily Review.
[76] Edwards p. 175
[77] Sanders p. 391
[78] Sanders pp. 108–109
[79] Lewis, Richard Warren (1963-12-07). "The TV Troubles of Judy Garland". The Saturday Evening Post.
[80] "Awards for The Judy Garland Show (1963)" (http:/ / www. emmys. tv/ awards/ awardsearch. php). Academy of Television Arts &
Sciences. . Retrieved 2007-12-14.
[81] DiOrio, p. 202
[82] "Judy Wins Divorce From Sid Luft". Wisconsin State Journal. 1965-05-20.
[83] Irwin, Elson (1968-11-17). "Judy Garland: Femme Fatale". Stars and Stripes.
[84] Edwards p. 213
[85] "Judy Garland Locks Self in Hotel Room". Stars and Stripes (UPI). 1964-05-24.
[86] Edwards p. 214
[87] Frank p. 556
[88] Seaman, pp. 292–93
[89] Seaman, p. 343
[90] Shipman p. 494
[91] Clarke p. 412
[92] DiOrio, p. 204
[93] Steiger, p. 88
[94] Edwards p. 275
12
Judy Garland
[95] Clarke p. 422
[96] "Judy Garland The Live Performances. The End of the Rainbow" (http:/ / users. deltacomm. com/ rainbowz/ eotr. html). . Retrieved
2008-02-01. citing United Press International article "Judy Took Too Many Pills", and containing a copy of Garland's death certificate.
[97] Times Wire Services, "Judy Garland Believed Killed by Overdose," St. Petersburg Times, June 24, 1969. (http:/ / news. google. com/
newspapers?id=ffsNAAAAIBAJ& sjid=0HsDAAAAIBAJ& dq=judy garland& pg=7052,2440607)
[98] "End of the Rainbow" (http:/ / www. time. com/ time/ magazine/ article/ 0,9171,840196-1,00. html). Time. 1969-07-04. . Retrieved
2007-12-18. van Gelder, Lawrence (June 28, 1969). "Judy Garland's Funeral Draws Her Colleagues" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ books/ 00/
04/ 09/ specials/ garland-funeral. html?_r=5). The New York Times: Books. The New York Times. . Retrieved 2010-08-12.
[99] "AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080611091114/ http:/ / www. afi. com/ tvevents/ 100years/ stars. aspx).
American Film Institute. 1999-06-16. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. afi. com/ tvevents/ 100years/ stars. aspx) on June 11, 2008. .
Retrieved 2008-06-12.
[100] Weinraub, Bernard (2001-11-05). "Subdued Patriotism Replaces Glitter as Television Finally Presents Its Emmys" (http:/ / www. nytimes.
com/ 2001/ 11/ 05/ us/ subdued-patriotism-replaces-glitter-as-television-finally-presents-its-emmys. html). The New York Times. . Retrieved
2009-08-07.
[101] Spencer, Charles (2010-11-23). "End of the Rainbow, Trafalgar Studios, review" (http:/ / www. telegraph. co. uk/ culture/ theatre/
theatre-reviews/ 8154022/ End-of-the-Rainbow-Trafalgar-Studios-review. html). London: The Telegraph. . Retrieved 2011-01-19.
[102] Brown, Mark (2011-02-07). "Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies receives seven Olivier award nods" (http:/ / www. guardian. co.
uk/ stage/ 2011/ feb/ 07/ love-never-dies-olivier-awards). London: The Guardian. . Retrieved 2011-02-11.
[103] "Lifetime Achievement Award" (http:/ / www. grammy. com/ Recording_Academy/ Awards/ Lifetime_Awards/ ). The Recording
Academy. . Retrieved 2007-12-25.
[104] "Grammy Hall of Fame Award" (http:/ / www. grammy. com/ Recording_Academy/ Awards/ Hall_Of_Fame/ ). The Recording Academy. .
Retrieved 2007-12-25.
[105] "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20071027165808/ http:/ / www. afi. com/ tvevents/ 100years/ songs. aspx).
American Film Institute. 2004-06-22. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. afi. com/ tvevents/ 100years/ songs. aspx) on October 27,
2007. . Retrieved 2007-12-25.
[106] Kronish, Syd (1990-04-08). "Hollywood Film Legends Preserved on Latest Issue". The Sunday Capital (Washington, D.C.).
[107] United States Postal Service (2005-11-30). "The 2006 Commemorative Stamp Program" (http:/ / www. usps. com/ communications/ news/
stamps/ 2005/ sr05_054. htm?from=bannercommunications& page=comstamps). Press release. . Retrieved 2007-12-25.
[108] Haggerty, George E. Gay Histories and Cultures. ISBN 0-8153-1880-4.
[109] Murray, Raymond (1996). Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video. TLA Video Management.
[110] "Judy Garland Biography" (http:/ / www. activemusician. com/ Judy-Garland-Biography--t8i1714). Activemusician.com. . Retrieved
2010-05-31.
[111] Bianco, p. 194
[112] Duberman, p. ix
References
• Bianco, David. Gay Essentials: Facts For Your Gay Brain. Alyson Publications. Los Angeles, 1999. ISBN
1-55583-508-2.
• Clarke, Gerald (2001). Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland. New York, Random House. ISBN 0-375-50378-1.
• DiOrio, Jr., Al. Little Girl Lost: The Life and Hard Times of Judy Garland. Manor Books. New York, 1973.
• Duberman, Martin (1993). Stonewall. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-525-93602-5.
• Edwards, Anne. Judy Garland. Simon & Schuster. New York, 1975. ISBN 0-671-80228-3 (paperback edition).
• Finch, Christopher. Rainbow: The Stormy Life of Judy Garland. Ballantine Books. 1975. ISBN 0-345-25173-3
(paperback edition).
• Frank, Gerold. Judy. Harper & Row. New York, 1975. ISBN 0-06-011337-5.
• Juneau, James. Judy Garland: A Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies. Pyramid Publications. 1974, New
York. ISBN 0-515-03482-7.
• Luft, Lorna. Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir. Simon & Schuster. New York, 1999. ISBN 0-283-06320-3.
• Sanders, Coyne Steven. Rainbow's End: The Judy Garland Show. Zebra Books. 1990 ISBN 0-8217-3708-2
(paperback edition).
• Seaman, Barbara. Lovely Me: The Life of Jacqueline Susann. Seven Stories Press. 1996, New York. ISBN
0-9658770-6-X (1996 edition).
• Shipman, David. Judy Garland: The Secret Life of an American Legend. Hyperion. New York, 1992. ISBN
0-7868-8026-0 (paperback edition).
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Judy Garland
• Steiger, Brad (1969). Judy Garland. New York, Ace Books.
• Wayne, Jane Ellen (2003). The Golden Girls of MGM. New York, Carroll & Graf Publishers. ISBN
0-7867-1303-8.
External links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Judy Garland (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000023/) at the Internet Movie Database
Judy Garland (http://www.allmovie.com/artist/25962) at Allmovie
Judy Garland (http://tcmdb.com/participant/participant.jsp?participantId=68689) at the TCM Movie Database
Judy Garland (http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=79610) at the Internet Broadway Database
Judy Garland (http://www.tv.com/person/86783/summary.html) at TV.com
Judy Garland (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=383) at Find a Grave
Judy Garland (http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/judy-garland/159192) at TV Guide
The Judy Room (http://www.thejudyroom.com) Celebrating the life and career of Judy Garland
The Judy Garland Birthplace and Museum in Grand Rapids, MN (http://judygarlandmuseum.com/)
The Judy Garland Club (http://www.judygarlandclub.info) official international fan club
Judy Garland: By Myself – [[American Masters (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/
garland_j.html)] special]
• Judy Garland (http://www.biography.com/deathiversary/judy-garland/judy-garland.jsp) at The Biography
Channel
List of Judy Garland performances
In a career that spanned more than forty years, Judy Garland
performed on stages, screen and television. Garland appeared in over
forty films. She was nominated for multiple Academy Awards and
Golden Globe Awards, winning a Academy Juvenile Award and one
Golden Globe. Her film career was interrupted in 1951 after she was
cast in a series of films she was unable to complete, but she returned to
the screen in 1954 in A Star is Born and continued to appear in films
until 1963.
Although Garland appeared in concert as early as 1943, it was only
when her film career stalled that she began regular concert
appearances, beginning with a critically acclaimed 1951 concert series
Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of
at the London Palladium. Garland set a record when she appeared for
Oz, the role with which she would most closely
19 weeks at the Palace Theatre in New York City, also in 1951, and
be identified.
her 1961 concert Judy at Carnegie Hall is often described as one of the
greatest nights in show business history. She continued to tour until just three months prior to her death in 1969.
Garland starred in a series of television specials beginning in 1955, when she appeared in the first episode of Ford
Star Jubilee. The success of these specials led CBS to offer Garland a regular series. The Judy Garland Show
premiered in 1963. Although the show was critically well-received, it suffered in the Nielsen ratings from being
scheduled across from Bonanza, which was then the most popular show on the air. The Judy Garland Show was
cancelled after one season, but Garland and the series were nominated for Emmy Awards.
14