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Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10,
1922 – June 22, 1969) 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. The American Film
Institute named Garland among the Greatest Female Stars of All Time, ranking at
No. 8.
****
Birth name Frances Ethel Gumm
Born June 10, 1922
Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Died June 22, 1969
Chelsea, London
****
Biography
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 ("Suzy") 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 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, supposedly 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.
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 created a dilemma for MGM,
and she felt unattractive. At barely 5 feet tall, Garland’s girl next door or
'cute' looks did not exemplify the sexy or glamorous looks required for leading
ladies of the time and her appearance caused her anxiety. As she aged, Garland
went through a transformation process throughout her film career. 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 and also to disguise her budding figure. In 1940, she starred in
3 films, Andy Hardy Meets a Debutante, Strike Up the Band and at the age of 18
was given her first adult role in the film Little Nellie Kelly playing a dual
role of mother and daughter. The project 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 the young actress requiring the use of
an accent, her first adult kiss and her first and subsequently only death scene.
The success of these 3 films and a further 3 films in 1941 secured her position
at MGM as a major property. In 1942 and noticeably thinner, she was given the
lead in For Me and My Gal also starring Gene Kelly in his first screen
appearnace. She was top billed over the credits for the first time. She made the
direct transition from teenage star to an adult actress. By 1943 at the age of
21, she was finally given the "glamour treatment" in Presenting Lily Mars, in
which she was dressed in "grown-up" gowns and her lightened hair was pulled-up
in a stylish fashion. Years later when reflecting on her mother's film image,
Liza Minnelli, stated that in her opinion; her mother looked the most beautiful
in this film. 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. By 1944,
Garland was given a new make-up artist specifically requested by Vincente
Minnelli. Dorothy (Dottie) Ponedel refined Judy's appearance in several ways,
included extending and reshaping her eyebrows, tweezing her hairline, modifying
her lipline and getting rid of the unnecessary nose discs. Judy appreciated the
results so much that 'Dottie' was written into her contract for all her
remaining pictures at MGM. Interestingly, MGM's attempts to "glamorize" Garland
stopped in 1948 at which time her appearance was natural 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). The Clock was the
first and only film where Judy never sang a note.
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; she starred
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" which was the Academy Award winning song for that year,), 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.[1] 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.
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 [1]. 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.
In the run-up to the 1955 Academy Awards, 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 (Groucho Marx
sent her a famous telegram after the awards, stating that it was "the biggest
robbery since Brinks"). 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), co-starring Dirk
Bogarde, which mirrored her own life in the story of a world famous singing
star.
In November 1959, Garland was diagnosed with acute
hepatitis and told that she "would never sing again" [2]. 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."
Her television series was critically praised, but, for a variety of reasons --
including the fact it was placed in the same time slot opposite Bonanza on NBC
-- the show 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
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 (of which she guest-hosted an
episode) and many others.
A 1964 tour of Australia and New Zealand was
largely disastrous. Although the reviews for the Sydney concert were positive
[3], she could no longer hide the effects of alcohol and medication abuse. She
forgot the lyrics to songs, and slurred those lines which she remembered, it was
obvious she was ill or under the influence. The Melbourne performance ended
after only twenty minutes and created significant bad press for Garland [4].
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.
Death
The shortcomings of Garland's childhood years
became more apparent as she struggled to overcome various personal problems,
including weight gain, weight loss, 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 [5] 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.
At Garland's funeral, The Wizard of Oz co-star Ray
Bolger commented: "She just plain wore out." [6] Garland is interred in
Ferncliff Cemetery, in Hartsdale, New York [7].
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 Jamestown, Virginia.
The Marable families [8] 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 [9], 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;[2] . 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;[3] (reference:
The Golden Years by Rita Piro).
Eva Fitzpatrick-Milne lived with Judy until her
death on 17 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".[4]
Honors
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 [10]. 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 in 1998.
Judy Garland Day
For 31 years, her home state of Minnesota has held
a yearlyJudy Garland Festival around June 22, in memory of her legacy. The
ongoing tribute festival is held at Garland's birthplace of Grand Rapids. At the
2006 occasion, Minnesota proclaimed June 22, as a temporary Minnesota "Judy
Garland Day" recognizing and honoring Judy Garland for her dedication and
exemplary achievements and to salute her as an outstanding citizen and patron of
the Arts. In June of 2006, the festival was visited by her children Lorna and
Joey Luft and a decision to change the Festival dates to a permanent Garland
Festival date change: Fri.-Sun. nearest Judy's birthday. 2007 dates are
June 8, 9 & 10" for more information—
http://judygarlandmuseum.com/
2006 US Postage Stamp Honor
The United States Postal Service issued a
commemorative postage stamp honoring Garland in the Legends of Hollywood
series.[5] 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
25˘ 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).
Addiction
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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. [6] 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. It was her addiction to these pills that
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[citation needed]
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[citation needed], 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.[citation needed]
Legacy
in gay rights
During her life Garland was considered a gay
icon;[7]. She always attracted a large base of fans in the gay community. During
a press conference in San Francisco 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."[8]
On the evening of her funeral (June 27, 1969), 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.[9]
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 [10] and her status as a Gay Icon is retained in the
company of current celebrities such as: Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Cher, Shirley
Bassey, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler and her eldest daughter Liza Minnelli.
Continuing Legacy
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 [11] (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 reported during the late 1990's that Annette
Bening was trying to get a film made about Garland's later years titled
"Rainbow's End [12]." However, due to the production of Me and My Shadows,
Bening's project never came to fruition.
The film Little Voice (1998) starring Jane
Horrocks, Ewan McGregor and Michael Caine featured Horrocks imitating Garland as
an integral part of the plot.
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 Australian Broadway production of The Boy From Oz starring Hugh
Jackman as Peter Allen and Stephanie J. Block as Liza Minnelli.
In 2004, Garland was the subject of a two-hour
documentary, "Judy Garland: By Myself", aired as part of the PBS American
Masters series. The episode includes rare concert footage (taken from various
audience home movie cameras), family home movies, performances from The Judy
Garland Show, and audio recollections from friends including Mickey Rooney, Ann
Miller and June Allyson (all taken from previous documentaries).
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 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 a podcast tribute to Garland, entitled The
Entertainment Beat with Frances Gumm [13].
In 2006 Rufus Wainwright also paid tribute to
Garland by recreating her 1961 Carnegie Hall concert. There were mixed reactions
from both critics and Garland fans. Sarah Jessica Parker, John Waters, and Lorna
Luft were among those in attendance.
Andrew Lloyd Webber 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.[14].
September 2006 Garland was named 2nd Greatest
Starlet in a Yahoo movie poll in between Kiera Knightly, in 1st place and
Scarlett Johannson in 3rd place [15]
Female singers to list Garland as a major influence
in their career include Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Shirley
Bassey, Linda Eder, Mireille Mathieu, Cyndi Lauper, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie
Merchant, Tori Amos, Melissa Manchester, Jane Horrocks, Maura O'Connell and
Christina Aguilera. Male singers to name Garland as an inspiration include Tony
Bennett, Rufus Wainwright, and Michael Jackson.
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 [16] , and the second
doll was Judy Garland Teenager [17] 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 [18], Mattel [19] , Franklin Mint [20] , World Doll [21] , 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.
During the 1940s Garland's image was used to
endorse Max Factor beauty products [22].
in 1968 she was featured by Blackglama furs in the
"What Becomes a Legend Most?" advertising campaign and this image became the
basis for artist Andy Warhol's portrait [23].
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 [24]
On New Year's 2004 M&M candies released an
advertisement featuring Garland in the final scenes from Oz interacting with the
M&Ms. [25].
In 2005 the blue and white gingham dress worn by
Garland in The Wizard of Oz sold at auction for $252,000 [26]
Image
in Art
Garland has been the subject of numerous artists
such as: Andy Warhol, Sueo Serisawa[11] and Norman Rockwell who painted a
portrait of Judy Garland as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" shortly after her
death in 1969. This portrait is now in the collection of the Motion Picture &
Television Country House and Hospital (It was reproduced once in the Des Moines
Sunday Register on March l5th, l970). Other noted artists to paint Garland
include: Brooklyn born artist Roberto Gari whose portrait of her hung in the
lobby of New York's Palace Theatre for many years after her death as a tribute
to Garland but is now part of the Museum of the City of New York's collection
[27]. American caricaturist, Al Hirschfeld produced several black & white
caricature images of Garland most notably featuring her image from her signature
"Get Happy" number [28] and also from Meet Me in St. Louis. In September 2006
British graffiti artist Banksy featured an image of Garland in his exhibition
entitled Barely Legal in Los Angeles [29].
Photography
Judy Garland was photographed by the top
photographers of the time including: Richard Avedon, Francesco Scavullo, Terry
O'Neill, George Hurrell [30], Bob Willoughby (who was responsible for her second
Life magazine cover in 1954)[31], Milton H. Greene [32], Douglas Kirkland and
Anthony Armstrong Jones among others.
Songs Written About Judy Garland
1969 - "Judy" by Mickey Rooney
1976 - "Quiet Please There's a Lady on Stage" by
Peter Allen
1984 - "Judy Do" by Thompson Twins
1987 - "Saint Judy" by Marc Almond
1986 - "Heart on Demand" by John Gorka
1992 - "Lament for Judy Garland" by Mickey
MacConnell
2005 - "The Rainbow's End" by Linda Eder
2005 - "Judy Garland" by Pete Chambers
She is mentioned in the songs:
"A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel" by U2
"Asphalt Beach" by Briskeby
"Happy Phantom" by Tori Amos
"Dorothy's Last Fling" by Chainsaw Kittens
Her voice was sampled in the Scissor Sisters song
"The Other Side" [33]
Marriages
Of 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) born March 1946, 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
Filmography
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)
Legendary Concerts
Date Location Important Notes
July 1, 1943 Philadelphia Gives first solo concert
at the Robin Hood Dell. Andre Kostelanetz conducts the orchestra.
April 9, 1951 London Judy opens her new show at the
London Palladium. The show is performed twice nightly with Wednesday & Saturday
matinees.
July 1, 1951 Dublin 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;[12]
.
October 16, 1951 New York City 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 New York City Opened at the
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Centre in New York for a 7 night run [34].
October 28, 1960 Paris Concert at the famed Olympia
the venue is identified with the career of Edith Piaf
October 1960 Amsterdam The concert was broadcast
live on European radio and is considered to be on a par with Carnegie Hall the
follwing year.
April 23, 1961 New York City The legendary concert
at Carnegie Hall.
September, 16 1961 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl 1
night only pouring rain 20,000 people [35]
June, 1964 Sydney/Melbourne Perhaps Garland's most
unsuccessful tour, and caused much controversy. Her tour in Melbourne only
lasted 21 minuets.
November 9, 1964 London 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 New York City Return to the Palace
Theatre for a 4 week sold out run
August 31, 1967 Boston Largest audience; over
100,000 people attended her free outdoor concert on the Boston Common.
March 25, 1969 Copenhagen Final concert at The
Falkoner Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Albums
Although she had recorded scores of singles of her
hit songs for Decca Records since the mid-1930s, Garland began recording albums
for Capitol Records in the 1950s. 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)
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 Atchison, 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
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
1994 The Complete Decca Masters
1995 Great Ladies of Song: Spotlight on Judy
Garland
1996 You Made Me Love You
1996 Collectors Gems from the MGM Films
1997 Judy Duets (re-released in 2005)
1998 Judy: A Musical Anthology
1998 Judy Garland in Hollywood - Her Greatest Movie
Hits
1999 The One and Only Judy Garland
1999 20th Century Masters - The Millennium
Collection: The Best of Judy Garland
2001 Over the Rainbow: The Very Best of Judy
Garland
2004 EMI Comedy: Judy Garland
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
Stage
While Garland never appeared on stage as part of
any professional theater production, she was considered for the following works:
As Fanny Brice in Funny Girl - turned down
As Mame Dennis in Mame - passed over due to work
unreliability
Myths
Being a natural raconteur, Garland supplied some of
her own embellished stories, which have passed on into mythic status, most of
them circulating around her experiences filming The Wizard of Oz.
Some notable anecdotes that Garland embellished
which have found their way into mythic status include:[citation needed]
The Garland told tale of her three costars in The
Wizard of Oz crowding her out as they danced down the yellow brick road[citation
needed].
References
-
^ 1946-1950 Timelines, The Judy
Room (Accessed June 30, 2006)
-
^ Frank, Gerold, Judy, ISBN
0-306-80894-3
-
^ Piro, Rita, Judy Garland: The
Golden Years, ISBN 0-9706261-7-7
-
^ Luft, Lorna, Me and My Shadows:
A Family Memoir, 1998, Simon and Schuster, ISBN 0-283-06320-3 (1999, Pocket
Books paperback edition, ISBN 0-671-01900-7) -->
-
^ Press Release, The 2006
Commemorative Stamp Program, November 30, 2005, United States Postal Service
-
^ Wiki Article on Amphetamines,
{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphetamines#Physical_effects}
-
^ Haggerty, George E., Gay
Histories and Cultures, 2000, Garland, ISBN 0-8153-1880-4
-
^ Braun, Eric, Frightening the
Horses: Gay Icons of the Cinema, 2002, Reynolds & Hearn, ISBN 1-903111-10-2
-
^ History of Gay and Lesbian
Pride Month, National Women's History Project, (accessed June 13 2006)
-
^ Bianco, David, Stonewall Riots,
1995-2006, PlanetOut
-
^ Piro, Rita, Judy Garland: The
Golden Years, ISBN 0-9706261-7-7
-
^ Frank, Gerold, Judy, ISBN
0-306-80894-3
Biographies
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 Garland, The Secret Life of a Legend , David
Shipman, Little Brown and Company, 1993
Further reading
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related
to:
Judy GarlandJudy: 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 and the Cold War, James Simmons,
Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1976 ISBN 0-85640-106-4, Book of poetry; includes two
poems about Judy: "In Memoriam: Judy Garland" and "Judy Garland and the Cold
War".
The Encyclopedia of the Irish in America, Michael
Glazier, University of Notre Dame Press , 1999, ISBN 0-268-02755-2 contains
information on Garland's family.
Still Irish: a Century of Irish in film, Kevin
Rockett and Eugene Finn, Dublin Red Mountain Press, 1995 ISBN 1-900361-00-0.
contains analysis of Garland's impact and persona as well as many photographs
during her Hollywood career.
Women of Our Time: An Album of Twentieth-Century
Photographs, Frederick Voss (Editor), National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian
Institution) ISBN 1-85894-169-5.
****
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