Judy Garland

Who Was Judy Garland?

Judy Garland, an iconic actress and singer, signed a contract with MGM at the young age of 13. She achieved one of her most significant on-screen successes in 1939 with The Wizard of Oz. However, in 1950, MGM terminated her contract, marking a turning point in her career. Throughout the 1960s, Garland focused more on her singing career than on acting. Tragically, she passed away in 1969 due to an accidental overdose.

Early Life

Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Garland was renowned for her extraordinary talent and tumultuous life. As the daughter of vaudeville performers, she began her stage career in childhood. At just two and a half years old, she made her public debut singing “Jingle Bells,” earning the nickname “Baby Gumm.” Soon after, she began performing with her two older sisters as the Gumm Sisters.

In 1926, the Gumm family relocated to California, where Garland and her sisters honed their skills in acting and dance, performing numerous gigs managed by their mother, Ethel. The Gumm Sisters also appeared in a series of short films in the late 1920s.

The transformation from the Gumm Sisters to the Garland Sisters occurred at the 1934 World’s Fair in Chicago. While traveling with their mother, they performed alongside comedian George Jessel, who suggested the name change. Judy Gumm adopted a more mature stage persona, shedding her childhood nickname.

In 1935, Garland signed a movie contract with MGM, becoming a solo act. That November, she made her radio debut with “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart.” Shortly after, she faced a devastating personal loss with the passing of her father, Frank, from spinal meningitis.

Breakout Role

Despite her personal struggles, Garland persevered in her pursuit of film stardom. Her first significant feature film role came in Pigskin Parade (1936), where she portrayed the quintessential girl-next-door. She subsequently co-starred in Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938) alongside her friend Mickey Rooney, and the duo became a popular pairing, appearing in several more films together.

Garland’s success came with significant pressures. The studio closely monitored her appearance and weight, subjecting her to amphetamines to enhance her energy and manage her weight. This reliance on medication, compounded by the use of other substances to aid sleep, led to long-lasting struggles with addiction.

Garland’s career reached new heights with her performance in The Wizard of Oz (1939), which highlighted her singing prowess and acting talent. She received a special Academy Award for her portrayal of Dorothy, the young girl from Kansas who travels to Oz. Following this success, Garland starred in several musicals, including Strike Up the Band (1940), Babes on Broadway (1942) with Rooney, and For Me and My Gal (1943) with Gene Kelly.

Spouses and Children

Garland’s first marriage at age 19 was to bandleader David Rose, but it was brief. While filming Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), she met director Vincent Minnelli, whom she married after finalizing her divorce from Rose in 1945. The couple welcomed a daughter, Liza, in 1946. Unfortunately, Garland’s second marriage was short-lived as well, ending by 1949 and officially dissolving in 1952.

During this tumultuous period, Garland experienced emotional distress, likely exacerbated by years of relentless work and medication dependence. This led to a reputation for unreliability and instability. In 1950, MGM severed ties with her due to her ongoing emotional and physical challenges, resulting in a steep decline in her career.

Singing and Acting

In 1951, Judy Garland embarked on a remarkable journey to rebuild her career with the assistance of producer Sid Luft. She headlined her own show on Broadway at the Palace Theater, captivating large audiences and enjoying a successful run of over 20 weeks. This revue not only highlighted her powerful and expressive voice but also showcased her dedication as a performer, effectively countering earlier negative narratives about her. Garland’s exceptional work earned her a special Tony Award in 1952, recognizing both her contributions to the production and her significant impact on vaudeville.

Garland married Luft in 1952, although reports indicate that their relationship was tumultuous. The couple welcomed two children: daughter Lorna in 1952 and son Joey in 1955. Despite their personal challenges, Luft played a pivotal role in revitalizing Garland’s career, notably producing one of her most acclaimed films. In A Star Is Born (1954), Garland starred opposite James Mason, delivering a remarkable performance as a woman who achieves stardom at the expense of love. Her rendition of “The Man That Got Away” is widely regarded as one of her finest film performances, earning her an Academy Award nomination.

Throughout the 1960s, Garland shifted her focus more toward singing than acting, yet she still received another Academy Award nomination for her role as a woman persecuted by the Nazis in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). That same year, she achieved notable success in the music industry, winning Grammy Awards for Best Solo Vocal Performance and Album of the Year for Judy at Carnegie Hall. Despite her accomplishments, these were her only Grammy wins.

Garland also ventured into television, starring in The Judy Garland Show from 1963 to 1964. The program underwent several changes during its brief run, but its most memorable moments featured Garland’s vocal talents. Her daughters, Lorna and Liza, made guest appearances on the show, alongside her former co-star Mickey Rooney. The acclaimed jazz and pop vocalist Mel Tormé served as the program’s musical advisor. Garland’s performance on the show earned her an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program in 1964.

Final Years and Death

Despite the conclusion of her television series, Garland remained a sought-after entertainer, performing internationally. However, her personal life continued to be tumultuous. Following numerous separations, she divorced Luft in 1965 after a contentious custody battle. She soon remarried actor Mark Herron, but this union lasted only a few months before it also ended in divorce in 1967. That year marked her critically acclaimed return to Broadway in At Home at the Palace.

In 1968, Garland traveled to London, where she faced significant personal and financial difficulties. During her performances at the Talk of the Town nightclub, her struggles became evident, as she appeared to be in poor health on stage.

In March 1969, Garland married former bandleader and club manager Mickey Deans. Tragically, just a few months later, on June 22, 1969, she passed away in London, reportedly due to an accidental overdose.

Legacy

The legacy of Judy Garland endures through her daughters, both of whom are accomplished singers with varying degrees of success. Lorna Garland authored a memoir, Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir, in 1998, which served as the inspiration for the 2001 television miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows. The performances by Tammy Blanchard and Judy Davis, portraying younger and older versions of Judy respectively, earned both actresses Emmy Awards for their compelling depictions.

Despite her untimely passing, Garland continues to attract a devoted following. Numerous fan sites and published biographies delve into her extraordinary talent, professional triumphs and setbacks, and her numerous personal struggles. To celebrate her legacy, the Judy Garland Museum, located in her birthplace, hosts an annual festival. In September 2019, the biopic Judy, starring Renée Zellweger, offered a poignant exploration of Garland’s final years and her concerts in London.