Judy Garland
_Biography |
subject_name = Judy Garland|
image_name = Judy_Garland_1947_publ.jpg|
image_caption = Judy Garland,
MGM publicity still (1947)| date_of_birth =
June 10,
1922| place_of_birth =
Grand Rapids, Minnesota|
dead = dead|
date_of_death =
June 22,
1969| place_of_death =
Chelsea, London|}}
Judy Garland (
June 10,
1922 –
June 22,
1969), born
Frances Ethel Gumm, was an
American film
actress considered by many to be one of the greatest singing stars of
Hollywood's Golden Era of
musical film. Garland's singing voice had a natural
vibrato, which she was able to maintain at extremely low volume. The effects which she was able to project enabled her to convey a wide range of emotion when she interpreted a song.
Childhood and early life
Born in
Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Frances Ethel Gumm was the youngest child of former
vaudevillians Frank Gumm and Ethel Milne. Named for both her parents and baptized at the local
Episcopal church, "Baby" (as Frances was nicknamed) shared the family's flair for song and dance. "Baby" Gumm's first professional appearance came at the age of two-and-a-half, when she joined her two older sisters, Mary Jane ("Susie") and Dorothy Virginia ("Jimmie"), on stage for a chorus of
Jingle Bells in a Christmas show at her father's theater on December 26, 1924. In 1934, the sisters, who were touring the vaudeville circuit as "The Gumm Sisters", performed in
Chicago at the Oriental Theater with
George Jessel. He encouraged the group to choose a more appealing name after "Gumm" received small laughter from the audience. They settled on "The Garland Sisters", and young Frances soon afterward picked the name "Judy" after a popular song of the day by
Hoagy Carmichael. A rumor persists that Jessel came up with the last name Garland after
Carole Lombard's character Lily Garland in the film
Twentieth Century, which was playing at the Oriental; another rumor is that the sisters came up with the surname Garland after drama critic Robert Garland (reference:
Judy: Beyond the Rainbow, A&E/Biography television special), though
Lorna Luft stated in her book
Me and My Shadows that her mother chose the name when Jessel announced that the trio of singers "looked prettier than a Garland of flowers".
In 1935, at the age of 13, Garland was signed to a contract with
MGM, allegedly without a screen test (in fact, she actually had done a test for the studio several months earlier). Garland's first notice by studio executives came after singing an arrangement of "You Made Me Love You" to
Clark Gable at a birthday party held by the studio for the King of Hollywood. Her rendition proved so popular that MGM placed Garland and the song in their all-star extravaganza
Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937).
After a string of minor roles, at the age of 16 she landed the role of "Dorothy" in the MGM film
The Wizard of Oz (
1939), and has been associated ever since with the song "
Over the Rainbow." She received an honorary
Academy Award for her performance in the film. After
Oz, Garland became one of MGM's most bankable stars, proving particularly popular when teamed with her longtime friend
Mickey Rooney in a string of "let's put on a show!" musicals. The duo first appeared together in the 1937
b-movie Thoroughbreds Don't Cry. They became a sensation and they teamed up again in
Love Finds Andy Hardy, and then soon after in
Babes in Arms. Garland eventually would star with Rooney in nine films.
|
Judy Garland;
1938. Garland was becoming one of the most recognisable child stars at MGM by this time. |
To keep up with the frantic pace of making one movie after another, Garland, Rooney, and other young performers were constantly given
amphetamines, as well as
barbiturates, to take before bedtime (reference: "Judy Garland: By Myself" in the American Masters series on PBS). For Garland, this constant dose of drugs would lead to addiction and a lifelong struggle, as well as her eventual demise. In her later life, she would resent the hectic work and she felt that her youth was stolen from her by MGM. She was plagued with self-doubt throughout her life and needed constant reassurance that she was talented, despite her ability to fill concert halls worldwide with fans eager to hear her, high critical praise, and several awards.
Movie star
Her physical appearance was deemed unacceptable by MGM and she was often made to feel unattractive. She did not embody the classic beauty of other starlets and her looks caused her a great deal of anxiety. Therefore, Garland went through a transformation process throughtout her film career at MGM. During her early years at the studio, she was photographed and dressed in plain garments, often made to look like the girl next door. She was given the lead in
For Me and My Gal (1942), in which she was top billed over the credits for the first time. She made the direct transition from
the girl next door to an adult actress. By 1943, she was finally given the "glamour treatment" in
Presenting Lily Mars in which she was dressed in a glamourous gown and her hair was pulled-up in a stylish fashion. By 1944, Garland was given a new make-up artist who refined her look by extending and reshaping her eyebrows, tweezing her hairline and filling out her lips with rouge. Interestingly, MGM's attempts to "glamorize" Garland stopped in 1948 in which Garland's appearance again appeared toned down yet refined. Publicly, Garland stated that she was never quite happy with her appearance on screen except in
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and
The Clock (1945).
One of Garland's most successful films for MGM is the 1944 classic
Meet Me in St. Louis, in which she introduced three standards: "The Trolley Song", "The Boy Next Door", and "
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".
The Clock (1945) was her first straight dramatic film opposite Robert Walker. Though the film was critically praised and did earn a profit, most movie fans expected her to sing. Therefore, it would be many years before she acted again in a non-singing dramatic role. Nevertheless,
The Clock has become increasingly popular among Garland fans and is considered to be a true war/romance classic.
Garland's other famous films of the 1940s include
The Harvey Girls (1946) (in which she introduced "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"),
The Pirate, and
Easter Parade (both 1948).
In September 1945, Garland married MGM director
Vincente Minnelli and, in March 1946, Garland gave birth to a daughter,
Liza. Soon afterward, the hectic work schedule and the exhausting motion picture business began to take its toll on Garland as she returned to MGM, which led to several days' absence from the studio over the next four years as well as numerous incidents; in April 1947, during filming for
The Pirate, Garland suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be led away from the set
[ 1946-1950 Timelines, The Judy Room (Accessed June 30, 2006) ]. After this, Garland had a number of other breakdowns that would lead to her departure from MGM; it would also reveal the emotional turmoil that Garland suffered. Two months later, Garland made her first suicide attempt.
End of an era
Garland's relationship with MGM crumbled as the 1950s began. She was originally cast in
The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) with
Fred Astaire, after the success of
Easter Parade. Garland, after missing rehearsals, was suspended by MGM and replaced by
Ginger Rogers; she then managed to complete
In the Good Old Summertime (1949) with
Van Johnson (Garland's 2-year-old daughter
Liza Minnelli makes a cameo at the end of the picture).
Garland was signed to appear as
Annie Oakley in
Annie Get Your Gun (1950), but the film put much strain on her health. After completing two musical numbers, she was fired from the film and replaced by
Betty Hutton. (Footage from the two numbers still exists). Garland then completed
Summer Stock alongside
Gene Kelly, produced by
Joe Pasternak and his
secondary musical unit (which wasn't as high-powered as the
Arthur Freed Unit [
1]). Her performance of "
Get Happy" in
Summer Stock - dressed in the top half of a man's tuxedo, fedora, and black leotard - became another Garland milestone. (That iconic outfit was first intended to be used for a solo number called "Mr. Monotony" two years before in
Easter Parade. The number was cut from the film, but the footage still exists. The general public first saw it when it was included in
That's Entertainment! Part III.) When
June Allyson became pregnant during the filming of
Royal Wedding, Garland was her replacement, but was dropped from the film and immediately put on suspension after she canceled a rehearsal call [
2]. She was eventually replaced by
Jane Powell.
In June 1950, Garland cut her throat with a piece of glass. Although the cut was superficial, the newspapers glorified the story, and Garland was visited by many well-known celebrities who tried to bring up her spirits. Although many state that it was a suicide attempt, it was more likely a cry for help.
Garland returned to MGM in September 1950. Eleven days later, her MGM contract was terminated.
Renewed stardom on the stage and television
In 1951, Garland divorced
Vincente Minnelli and married
Sid Luft, her manager at the time. In 1952, a daughter,
Lorna Luft, was born. 1951 was a mile-stone year for Garland and established what was to become her performing style for the rest of her life. She turned to live concert appearances and took her new act to
Britain where she played to sold out audiences throughout
England,
Scotland, and
Ireland [
3]. This first European tour was an enormous success and she appeared at the famous
London Palladium for the first time. Shortly afterwards, Garland appeared at New York's
Palace Theatre, also for the first time, in 1951 for which she received a special
Tony Award. She also appeared on various
television specials during the early 50s.
In 1954, she made a notable cinema comeback for
Warner Bros. with
A Star is Born, and was nominated for
Best Actress. This film is considered by many critics to be her finest performance. Directed by
George Cukor and produced by her husband
Sid Luft (through Garland and Luft's Transcona Enterprises), it was a large undertaking in which Garland fully immersed herself. It was also a physically demanding role that had Garland on edge and, for the most part, constantly worried. Upon its release, the film was cut by almost 30 minutes amid fears it was too long. Garland was believed to be the most likely winner for Best Actress. She could not attend the ceremony because she had just given birth to her son Joey Luft; a television crew entered Garland's room with cameras and wires, in the hope that Garland would win the Best Actress award, to televise Garland's award speech. However, the Oscar went to
Grace Kelly for
The Country Girl (1954). Many fans hold that Garland was "robbed" of her Oscar, and should have won the award. However she did win the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical that year. Garland and Luft's original contract with Warner Bros. ensured a series of films to be made; however, due to the editing of the film, Garland and Luft made no more films for the studio.
Although she made no other films in the 1950s, Garland's films after
A Star is Born include
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) (for which she was nominated for
Best Actress in a Supporting Role), the animated feature,
Gay Purr-ee (1962),
A Child Is Waiting (1963), co-starring
Burt Lancaster, and her final film,
I Could Go On Singing (1963), which mirrored her own life in the story of a fading singing star.
In November 1959, Garland was diagnosed with acute
hepatitis and told that she "would never sing again" [
4]. However, Garland successfully recovered and returned to both films and television; her concert appearance at
Carnegie Hall on
April 23,
1961, was a considerable highlight, called by many the "greatest single night in show business." The 2-record live recording made of the concert was a best-seller (certified gold), charting for 73 weeks on
Billboard (13 weeks at number one), and won five
Grammy Awards including
Album of the Year and
Best Female Vocal of the Year. The album has never been out of print.
After hugely successful television specials and guest appearances in the early 1960s,
CBS made a $24 million offer to Garland for a weekly television series of her own,
The Judy Garland Show, which was deemed at the time in the press to be "the biggest talent deal in TV history." The television series was critically praised, but, for a variety of reasons, including the fact it was placed in the same time slot as
Bonanza, lasted only one season, and went off the air in 1964, after 26 episodes. Despite this, the show won four
Emmy nominations and included amazing performances by Garland as well as some of her best vocal work. The demise of the series was personally and financially devastating for Garland, and she never fully recovered from its failure.
Her final years
 |
Judy Garland;
circa 1965. By this point, Garland was looking aged beyond her years. |
With the demise of her television series, Garland returned to the stage and made various television appearances. Most notably, she performed at the
London Palladium with her then 17-year-old daughter
Liza Minnelli in November of 1964. The concert, which was also filmed for television, was one of Garland's final appearances at the venue. Garland, having divorced Sid Luft, continued to make concert appearances and also appeared on television specials. She made guest appearances on the
The Ed Sullivan Show,
The Tonight Show,
The Hollywood Palace,
The Merv Griffin Show (in which she guest-hosted an episode) and many others.
A 1964 tour of the Southern Hemisphere was largely disastrous. In her
Sydney and
Melbourne concerts she could no longer hide the effects of her alcohol and medication abuse; she often forgot her lines, and slurred those lines which she still remembered. The Melbourne performance finished after only twenty minutes. When asked what had been making her ill, she is said to have answered: "Australia." [
5]
In February 1967, Garland was signed to appear as "Helen Lawson" in
Valley of the Dolls for
20th Century Fox. The character of "Neely O'Hara" in the book by
Jacqueline Susann, and subsequent movie, was rumored to have been based on Garland, though the role in the film was played by
Patty Duke. During the filming, Garland missed rehearsals and was fired the next month. She was replaced by
Susan Hayward. She did record one song for the film, "I'll Plant My Own Tree," which has never been officially released, although it is available on several bootlegs. There is also surviving footage of her wardrobe tests.
Barbara Parkins, one of the film's stars, commented in the newly released DVD of
Valley of the Dolls that she believed Garland was frightened by the thought of actually being the aging star she was supposed to play, and that she "freaked" when she realized the similarities between the storyline and her own life.
Returning to the stage, Garland made her last appearances at New York's
Palace Theatre in July, a sixteen-show tour, performing with her children
Lorna and Joey Luft. Garland wore a sequined pants-suit onstage for this tour, which was part of the original wardrobe for her character in
Valley of the Dolls.
By early 1969, Garland's health had deteriorated rapidly. She performed in
London, at the
Talk of the Town nightclub for a five-week run, and made her last concert appearance in
Copenhagen during March 1969.
Untimely death
The shortcomings of Garland's childhood years became more apparent as she struggled to overcome various personal problems, including
weight gain and serious
drug addiction. She was found dead in her bathroom by her last husband,
Mickey Deans, on
June 22,
1969. The stated exact cause of death by coroner Gavin Thursdon was accidental
overdose of
barbiturates; pathologist Dr. R. Pocock found 4.9 mg of
Seconal [
6] in Garland's blood. Garland had turned 47 just over a week prior to her death. She was residing in a rented flat with her husband in the
Chelsea section of
London at the time of her death.
Upon Garland's death,
The Wizard of Oz co-star
Ray Bolger commented: "She just plain wore out."
Garland is
interred in
Ferncliff Cemetery, in
Hartsdale, New York.
Ancestry
Judy Garland's
family tree can be traced back to the early
colonization of the United States (on both her paternal and maternal family lines).
Her earliest paternal ancestor was George Marable (1631 - 1683), who traveled to
Virginia from Kent,
England, in (or before) 1652 and was one of the first colonists settling in what is now call
Jamestown, Virginia. The Marable families [
7] of the southern United States all derived from the aforementioned George Marable.
By the time of the Civil War, the Marable family of Jamestown, Virginia, had spread across the South. Marables are found in the rosters of units from at least nine of the Confederate States. In Virginia, Edward W. Marable of the Charles City Southern Guard served aboard the Confederate ship
Patrick Henry during the engagement of the
Merrimac with the Federal fleet at Hampton Roads. John H. Marable of the 13th Virginia Cavalry served as a courier for Gen. J. E. B. Stuart.
Marables have also been found in units from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, and among the dead at Gettysburg. The Marable family were wealthy southern aristocracy and as such were slave owners. Today the majority of those bearing the name Marable are descended from emancipated slaves not George Marable.
It is from Benjamin Marable (1710 - 1773), who traveled to Tennessee, that the Gumm family is descended. The
Gumm name can also be found in the registers of soldiers who fought for the
Confederacy throughout Rutherford County, Tennessee.
Garland's father was Francis Avent Gumm, the fourth of six children born in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee on March 20, 1886. He died on November 17, 1935, in
Los Angeles, California. His parents were William Tecumseh Gumm (1854 - 1906) and Elizabeth Clemmie Baugh (1857 - 1895). The Gumm family was a mixture of English, Irish, Scottish, French
Hugenot and German.
Frank Gumm married Ethel Marion
Milne[
8], who was born on November 17, 1893 in
Michigamme, Michigan. She died January 5, 1953 in Texas. Ethel was the eldest of eight children born to Eva
Fitzpatrick (born on January 4, 1865 in Messina, New York) and John Milne (born October 15, 1865 in Ontario
Canada). His parents were Charles
Milne (born in 1829 in
Arbroath Scotland) and Mary Kelso (born 1837 in
Kilmarnock Scotland).
Eva Fitzpatrick-Milne was the daughter of Hugh Fitzpatrick (1838 - 1908), whose family arrived in the United States from Smithtown,
County Meath,
Ireland in the 1770s and Mary-Elizabeth Harriot (born December 23, 1841 in
Dublin, Ireland). Mary, one of thousands of orphans as a result of the
Irish Famine, was raised in a
Dublin convent;
[Frank, Gerold, Judy, ISBN 0306808943 ] . In 1858, at the age of 17, she married Hugh Fitzpatrick an
Irish-American who was visiting Dublin and that same year the newlyweds sailed to
America . They had 10 children, Mary died on January 24, 1908, in Detroit, Michigan. Although Irish, the Fitzpatrick family fought on the side of the British during the
Revolutionary War and as a result, Peter Fitzpatrick (1752 - 1812) son of Patrick Fitzpatrick (1727) was sentenced to be hung as a spy, but this was not carried out and the family moved across the border into Canada;
[Piro, Rita, Judy Garland: The Golden Years, ISBN 0970626177 ] (reference:
The Golden Years by Rita Piro).
Eva Fitzpatrick-Milne lived with Judy until her death on 17th October 1949 at the age of 84. She is buried with Garland's father in
Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale CA. Garland's mother is also buried nearby in a separate grave.
A family link between Garland and the 18th United States President
Ulysses S Grant has often been incorrectly stated. Garland's great, great grandfather Hugh Fitzpatrick (1809 - 1878) was married twice; his second wife was Catherine Grant, a first cousin of Grant. However, Garland is descended from a son, also named Hugh (born 1838), from his first wife (Margaret Ross, 1807 - 1845), therefore there is no blood link.
When commenting on her ancestry, Garland described herself as Irish and Scottish.In her autobiography
Lorna Luft states that her family had an
"Irish charm" and that "often the family survived on charm alone".
[Luft, Lorna, Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir, 1998, Simon and Schuster, ISBN 0283063203 (1999, Pocket Books paperback edition, ISBN 0671019007) -->]Song of the Century
Garland's rendition of "
Over the Rainbow" was placed as number 1 in the
Songs of the Century project, by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). According to RIAA, the list was put together for young people to "help further appreciation for the music development process, including songwriting, musicianship, recording, performing, distributing and the development of distribution and cultural values."
The song was also chosen by the American Film Institute as the #1 movie song of all time, as part of their "100 Years...100 Songs" list. Four more Garland songs were also featured on the list: "
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" from
Meet Me In St. Louis (#76), "
Get Happy" from
Summer Stock (#61), "
The Trolley Song," also from
Meet Me In St. Louis (#26), and "
The Man That Got Away" from
A Star Is Born (#11).
Grammy Hall of Fame Awards
Several of Garland's many recordings have been inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame [
9]. Some of these include:
Dear Mr. Gable (You Made Me Love You) (single) - inducted 1998
Judy at Carnegie Hall (album) - inducted 1998
Meet Me In St. Louis - Soundtrack (album) - inducted 2005
Over the Rainbow (single) - inducted 1981
The Wizard of Oz - Musical and Dramatic Selections Recorded Directly from the Soundtrack of MGM's Technicolor Film (album) - inducted 2006
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Garland was awarded the
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously, in 1998.
Judy Garland Day
For 31 years, the state of
Minnesota has held an annual
Judy Garland Day on June 22, in memory of her legacy. The ongoing tribute festival is held at Garland's birthplace of
Grand Rapids. In the 2006 occasion, the festival was visited by her children Lorna and Joey Luft.
2006 US Postage Stamp Honor
|
The 2006 commemorative stamp honoring Garland. |
The
United States Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring Garland in the
Legends of Hollywood series
[ Press Release, The 2006 Commemorative Stamp Program, November 30, 2005, United States Postal Service]. The stamp depicts Garland from the "A Star is Born" era and was painted by illustrator, Tim O'Brien. The first day ceremony for this stamp was on
June 10, 2006, on what would have been Garland's 84th birthday, in New York City with nationwide availability on June 12. The ceremony at New York's
Carnegie Hall featured her daughter,
Lorna Luft,
Turner Classic Movies host
Robert Osborne,
Dick Cavett,
Michael Feinstein,
Rufus Wainwright,
Terrence McNally, and Garland's MGM colleagues
Jane Powell and
Margaret O'Brien. Garland's daughter
Liza Minnelli taped a special greeting exclusively for the ceremony.
1989 US Postage Stamp Honor
In 1989, the United States Postal Service issued a series of
Classic Films postage stamps, to honor the 50th anniversary of films made in the
United States in 1939 that were nominated for Academy Awards. These 25ยข stamps featured four films:
The Wizard of Oz,
Gone With the Wind,
Stagecoach, and
Beau Geste. The stamp featuring Garland as "Dorothy", with her dog Toto, is popular among collectors.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Judy Garland is one of the few stars to have been recognized on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame with two stars; one for her contributions to American motion pictures and one for her contributions as a recording artist.
The Judy Garland Rose
A new breed of roses was introduced in 1991, dedicated to Garland. The rose is still available (as of 2006).
Always highly charged and acutely sensitive, Garland frequently sought refuge in the form of
alcohol and prescription drugs. Historians generally agree that she was first introduced to the pills, or more specifically, to
amphetamines, at MGM during the filming of
The Wizard of Oz, where the substance was used to provide the extra energy needed to cope with the lengthy and exhausting movie-making process, as well as a way of helping curb the appetite of the teenager. These drugs eventually helped to destroy Garland; since she was twelve years old, Garland had relied on prescription pills to get her through the day, and these pills eventually killed her, accidentally or otherwise.
Constantly self-conscious of her image, Garland felt unattractive compared to other young stars, despite the fact that many people, both then and now, considered her to be one of the most beautiful actresses of all time. This self-loathing is demonstrated by Garland's admission that during the course of her entire career, encompassing many decades and hundreds of appearances, only on two films was she satisfied with her on-screen image:
Meet Me in St. Louis and
The Clock. Historians have identified these insecurities as being significant, in terms of perpetuating her life-long struggle with substance abuse.
Although her MGM-sponsored stimulant use did prove to be an exceptionally effective way to both reduce her weight and increase her energy, it created some problems of its own. In addition to carrying a large potential for addiction, the harsh amphetamine stimulation (if left untreated) can cause severe insomnia. Thus, it necessitates nightly use of high dosages
barbiturates - another highly addictive class of drugs - for sleep. While MGM undoubtedly "created" the problem, Garland perpetuated it; adopting her new drug habits and independently acquiring her own medications. As a result, her weight fluctuated noticeably during her tenure with MGM.
For intermittent periods during her life, Garland attempted detoxification at a private hospital or sanitarium, but these "clean" periods were short-lived. Her drug use progressively became all-consuming, right up through the moment of her passing, similar to that of
Elvis Presley or
Marilyn Monroe. Eventually, her tolerances grew so astronomically large, the effects of the drugs became paradoxical, eventually working in reverse; amphetamines, which at one point worked so well as a diet aid, began to increase her appetite, or barbiturates, which, not so long ago, did such a spectacular job of rendering her completely unconscious, began to actually increase her wakefulness, and so on.
Garland was a
gay icon;
[Haggerty, George E., Gay Histories and Cultures, 2000, Garland, ISBN 0815318804] she always had a large base of fans in the
gay community. During a press conference in the 1960s, a reporter asked Garland if she was aware of her loyal gay following. "I couldn't care less," she said. "I sing to people."
[Braun, Eric, Frightening the Horses: Gay Icons of the Cinema, 2002, Reynolds & Hearn, ISBN 1903111102]On the evening of her funeral, gay men fought back against police during a routine raid at the
Stonewall Inn, a
gay bar in
Greenwich Village, which set off the
gay liberation movement. Since then,
Gay Pride events during the month of June have commemorated the
Stonewall riots.
[ History of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, National Women's History Project, (accessed June 13th 2006)] Although Garland's death is often noted as a cause of one of the key events of the modern
gay rights movement, it is more likely a coincidence (see also
Friends of Dorothy). Nevertheless, Garland's death, funeral and its links (coincidental or not) to Stonewall have become a part of
LGBT history and lore.
[Bianco, David, Stonewall Riots, 1995-2006, PlanetOut]Garland's legacy is alive in her two performing daughters and in her two grandchildren:
Lorna Luft's son Jesse, born in
1984 and daughter Vanessa, born in
1990.
In the decades following her death, Garland's fame and star power has persisted; resulting in
biopics such as
Rainbow (
1978) and
Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (
2001) (based on her daughter Lorna's memoirs). Garland was portrayed in the former by
Andrea McArdle and in the latter by both
Tammy Blanchard and
Judy Davis (who both won
Emmys for their roles).
It was during the late
1990's that
Annette Bening was trying to get a film made about Garland's later years titled "Rainbow's End [
10]." However, due to the production of
Me and My Shadows, Bening's project never came to fruition.
In
1999, the
American Film Institute honored her in their broadcast of
American Film Institute's 50 Greatest Screen Legends in which they ranked her #8 of all time greatest actresses.
In
2003 she was portrayed by
Isabel Keating in the
Tony winning
Broadway production of
The Boy From Oz starring
Hugh Jackman as
Peter Allen and
Stephanie J. Block as
Liza Minnelli.
In
2005 singer-actress
Linda Eder recorded an album as a tribute to Garland, entitled
By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland. The same year, singer
Caroline O'Connor portrayed Garland in the critically acclaimed Australian play
End of The Rainbow. The play charted the final months of Judy's life and featured some of her most memorable songs. The following year, actress
Adrienne Barbeau brought the play to a successful
Off-Broadway run, this time under the title
The Property Known As Garland. Judy is the subject of O'Connor's fourth studio album,
A Tribute to Garland and she is to reprise the role at the
2006 Edinburgh Festival.
Later that year, 24-year old anonymous writer-performer
Billyboy launched his wildly creative and equally controversial podcast tribute to Judy Garland. Entitled
The Entertainment Beat with Frances Gumm [
11], the show has become an underground sensation, prompting articles for
The Advocate and various online publications, and interviews with GLBT podcasters and radio stations around the world.
In
2006 Rufus Wainwright also paid tribute to Garland by recreating her
1961 Carnegie Hall concert. There was mixed results from both critics and Garland fans.
Sarah Jessica Parker,
John Waters, and
Lorna Luft were among those in attendance.
Artists to list Garland as a major influence in their career include
Barbra Streisand,
Aretha Franklin,
Bette Midler,
Linda Eder,
Mireille Mathieu,
Maura O'Connell and
Christina Aguilera.
Andrew Lloyd Weber based the "Final Broadcast" reprise of "
Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from
Evita on an unsuccessful Garland performance at
London's
Talk of the Town nightclub in 1969.[
12].
Collectibles / Image
Judy Garland's image has remained popular over the years and has been marketed widely and featured on various collectibles including dolls, limited edition plates, porcelain figurines, toys, clothes, handbags, jewellery, Christmas ornaments, stamps, greeting cards, books, advertisements and art.
The first Judy Garland dolls were introduced in
1939 by
Ideal Toy Company , it featured Garland as Dorothy [
13] , and the second doll was Judy Garland Teenager [
14] issued in 1940. These dolls were promoted by Garland and rivalled
Shirley Temple dolls in popularity. From that time Garland has been a popular image for major doll manufactures including
Madame Alexander, Effanbee [
15],
Mattel [
16] ,
Franklin Mint [
17] , World Doll [
18] , Mary Kay Dolls and Peggy Nesbitt Dolls. These dolls are popular among collectors and the early Ideal dolls can fetch a high price when coming on the market. The materials used for production range from composition (a mixture of sawdust and glue) and human hair wigs (the Ideal dolls), to vinyl and fine porcelain on the modern dolls.
In 1999
Clinique used Garland's voice singing her famous "Get Happy" to launch the new designer perfume named 'Happy'.
In May 2000, a pair of
Ruby Slippers worn by Garland in
The Wizard of Oz achieved $666,000 when auctioned by
Christies [
19]
On New Year's 2004
M&M candies released an advertisement featuring Garland in the final scenes from
Oz interacting with the M&Ms. [
20].
In 2005 the blue and white gingham dress worn by Garland in
The Wizard of Oz sold at auction for $252,000 [
21]
Songs Written About Judy Garland
1976 - "Quiet Please There's a Lady on Stage" by
Peter Allen1984 - "Judy Do" by
Thompson Twins1987 - "Saint Judy" by
Marc Almond1986 - "Heart on Demand" by
John Gorka1992 - "Lament for Judy Garland" by
Mickey MacConnell2005 - "The Rainbow's End" by
Linda EderShe is mentioned in the song:"
A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel" by
U2Of Garland's five marriages, the first four ended in
divorce. Her children are
Liza Minnelli (now a legendary singer and actress in her own right),
Lorna Luft (also an acclaimed singer), and Joey Luft (a scenic photographer, born
March 29,
1955 in
Los Angeles, California).
#
David Rose (1910-1990); married 1941-1945#
Vincente Minnelli (1903-1986); married 1945-1952; one daughter,
Liza Minnelli#
Sidney Luft (1915-2005); married 1952-1965; one daughter,
Lorna Luft, and one son,
Joey Luft#
Mark Herron (1928-1996); married 1965-1967#
Mickey Deans (1934-2003); married March 1969-June 1969
July 1, 1943 - Gives first solo concert at the Robin Hood Dell in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Andre Kostelanetz conducts the orchestra.
April 9, 1951 - Judy opens her new show at the
London Palladium. The show is performed twice nightly with Wednesday & Saturday matinees.
July 1, 1951 - Performs in Ireland at the
Theatre Royal, Dublin for 14 sold-out performances where her show was performed for 50,000 people which was unprecedented for the time. Upon arrival in Dublin she was met by huge crowds which she sang to from her dressing room window;
[Frank, Gerold, Judy, ISBN 0306808943 ] .
October 16, 1951 - The legendary
Palace Theater opening - the show will run for 19 weeks and breaks all box office records. She returns from 11/16/51 - 2/24/52.
May 11, 1959 - Opened at the
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Centre in New York for a 7 night run [
22].
April 23, 1961 - the legendary concert at
Carnegie Hall.
November 9, 1964 -
London Palladium with daughter
Liza Minnelli for a one-off event for
ITV. The concert was recorded and released as a 2 record album by
Capitol Records July 31, 1967 - Return to the
Palace Theatre for a 4 week sold out run
March 25, 1969 - final concert at The Falkoner Centre in
Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Big Revue (1929) (short subject)
A Holiday in Storyland (1930) (short subject)
Bubbles (1930) (short subject)
The Wedding of Jack and Jill (1930) (short subject)
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara (1935) (short subject)
Every Sunday (1936) (short subject)
Pigskin Parade (1936)
Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937)
Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (1937)
MGM Christmas Trailer (1937) (short subject)
Everybody Sing (1938)
Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
Hollywood Goes to Town (1938) (short subject)
Listen, Darling (1938)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Babes in Arms (1939)
If I Forget You (1940) (short subject)
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940)
Strike Up the Band (1940)
Little Nellie Kelly (1940)
Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941)
Babes on Broadway (1941)
We Must Have Music (1942) (short subject)
For Me and My Gal (1942)
Strictly G.I. (1943) (short subject)
Presenting Lily Mars (1943)
Thousands Cheer (1943)
Girl Crazy (1943)
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
The Clock (1945)
The Harvey Girls (1946)
Ziegfeld Follies (1946)
Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)
The Pirate (1947)
Easter Parade (1948)
Words and Music (1948)
In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
Summer Stock (1950)
A Star is Born (1954)
Pepe (1960) (Cameo) (voice only)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Gay Purr-ee (1962) (voice)
A Child Is Waiting (1963)
I Could Go On Singing (1963)
Unfinished Films
Throughout the latter part of her career, Garland's increasing addiction to prescription drugs led to her being fired from several films:
The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)
Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
Royal Wedding (1951)
Valley Of The Dolls (1967)
Garland was also considered to play a part in other films including:
The Razor's Edge (1946)
Romance on the High Seas (1948)
Show Boat (1951)
Carousel (1956)
The Helen Morgan Story (1957)
The Three Faces of Eve (1957)
South Pacific (1958)
Gypsy (1962)
Irma la Douce (1963)
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964)
Harlow (1965)
The Graduate (1967)
Although she had recorded scores of singles of her hit songs for
Decca Records since the mid-1930's, Garland began recording albums for
Capitol Records in the 1950's. Her first album reached number 3 on the Billboard 200 and was very successful.
Judy at Carnegie Hall charted for 73 weeks on the Billboard chart (including 13 weeks at number one), was certified gold, and took home five Grammy Awards (including Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal Performance). Many regard Garland's Capitol recordings as her best vocal work. Capitol Records has recently re-released many of the albums on CD and they have proven to be a popular item for many a Garland fan.
*1955
Miss Show Business*1956
Judy*1957
Alone*1958
Judy In Love*1959
Garland at the Grove*1959
The Letter*1960
Judy: That's Entertainment!*1961
Judy at Carnegie Hall*1962
The Garland Touch*1963
I Could Go On Singing (Soundtrack)
*1964
Judy and Liza 'Live' at the London Palladium*1964
Judy Garland Sings Maggie May (EP)
*1965
MGM Records: Judy Garland*1967
At Home at the Palace (ABC-Paramount Records)
Original Songs Introduced
*1936 "
Opera Vs. Jazz",
Every Sunday
*1939 "Over the Rainbow", The Wizard of Oz
*1939 "Good Morning", Babes in Arms
*1940 "Our Love Affair", Strike Up the Band
*1940 "It's A Great Day for the Irish", Little Nellie Kelly
*1941 "How About You", Babes on Broadway
*1944 "The Trolley Song", Meet Me in St. Louis
*1944 "The Boy Next Door", Meet Me in St. Louis
*1944 "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", Meet Me in St Louis
*1946 "On The Atchinson, Topeka and the Santa Fe", The Harvey Girls
*1948 "Be a Clown", The Pirate
*1948 "Mack the Black", The Pirate
*1954 "The Man That Got Away", A Star is Born
*1960 "The Far Away Part of Town, "Pepe" (it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and was written by Andre Previn and Dory Langdon).
*1963 "I Could Go On Singing", I Could Go On Singing''
Compilations
*1986
America's Treasure*1987
The Best of Judy Garland*1989
Alone*1990
The Best of the Decca Years Volume 1 - Hits!*1991
The Great MGM Stars: Judy Garland*1992
The Last Years 1965 - 1969 It's All for You*1993
The Ladies of the 20th Century:Judy Garland*1994
Legends: Judy Garland*1995
The Man That Got Away*1996
You Made Me Love You*1997
The Best of Judy Garland*1998
Judy Garland A Musical Anthology*1999
The One and Only Judy Garland*2000
Judy Garland: Lux Radio Theatre*2001
Judy at Carnegie Hall (40th Aniversery Edition)
*2001
Life with Judy Garland:Me & My Shadows Original Soundtrack Recording*2003
Gay Purr-ee Original Motion Picture Soundtrack*2004
EMI Comedy: Judy Garland*2005
Judy Garland and Friends Duets*2005
That Old Feeling: Classic Ballads From The Judy Garland Show*2006
Great Day! Rare Recordings From The Judy Garland Show*2006
The Essential Judy Garland*
Judy, Gerold Frank, Harper & Row, 1975
*
Judy: Portrait of an American Legend, Thomas J. Watson and Bill Chapman, McGraw-Hill Book Comapny, 1986
*
Judy, With Love, Lorna Smith, Robert Hale and Co., 1975
*
Judy Garland: A Portrait in Art & Anecdote, John Fricke, Bullfinch, 2003
*
Judy Garland: World's Greatest Entertainer, John Fricke, Henry Holt & Co., 1992
*
Little Girl Lost: The Life and Hard Times of Judy Garland, Al DiOrio, Jr., Arlington House, 1973
*
Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir, Lorna Luft, Simon and Schuster, 1988
*
Rainbow: The Stormy Life of Judy Garland, Christopher Finch, Ballantine, 1976
*
Rainbow's End: The Judy Garland Show, Coyne Steven Sanders, William Morrow & Co., 1990
*
Young Judy, David Dahl and Barry Kehoe, Mason/Charter, 1975
*
Judy Garland, The Golden Years, Rito Piro, Great Feats Press, 2001
*
Some Are Born Great ,
Adela Rogers St. Johns 1974 New York, Doubleday & Company, Inc.,
(includes chapter on Garland)*
Get Happy (2003) By Gerald Clarke
* Judy: The Complete Films and Career of Judy Garland, Joe Morella and Edward Epstein, Citadel Press, 1969
* The Judy Garland Collector's Guide: An Unauthorized Reference and Price Guide, Edward R. Pardella, Schiffer Publishing, 1999
* The Judy Garland Souvenir Songbook, Howard Harnne, Chappel & Co./Hal Leonard Publishing, 1975
* The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History, John Fricke, Jay Scarfone and William Stillman, Warner Books, 1989* Judy Garland Is The Best Website
* Classic Movies (1939 - 1969): Judy Garland
* The Judy Garland Page
* The Judy Garland Birthplace and Museum in Grand Rapids, MN
* The Judy Garland Database
* Judy Garland at Classic Actresses
*The Judy Garland Club: established 1963; official international Club supported by Judy during her lifetime
*Judy Garland: The Little Girl with the Big Voice
*Internet Accuracy Project - Judy Garland
*Irish America Magazine article on Garland
* Judy Garland - The Live Performances
* Ask Yahoo!: Why is Judy Garland such a popular gay icon?
* Judy Garland's Burial Site
* Judy Garland performance review from 1958
* Judy Garland Museum
* Judy Garland Rose
