JUDY GARLAND, BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW
August 2nd 2008 22:54
Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale
In 1935 Judy’s father died just as Judy’s career was taking off. She came to the attention of the studio bosses when at age 13 Judy sang “You made me love you” to Clark Gable at his birthday celebration and she was teamed with Mickey Rooney for a string of movies that would continue for years. Judy and Mickey starred in nine movies together in the smash Andy Hardy series as well as a few B-grade flicks.
At this time so early in life Judy Garland was fed amphetamines to pick her up and help her sleep, her schedule was so hectic, and this began her downfall at only 15, Judy Garland was a drug addict and suffered depression.
In 1940, Judy made three films: Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, Strike up the Band, and Little Nellie Kelly, where she played her first adult role. And Judy had some other adult issues at this time when she became romantically involved with band leader Artie Shaw who suddenly ran off and eloped with Lana Turner but Judy soon started another relationship with musician David Rose who also happened to be married. As soon as his divorce was final the 19 year old married him in July 1941.
Back at work Judy made for Me and My Gal, with Gene Kelly in his first screen appearance. In 1942, Garland was pregnant to her husband but had an abortion which led to their divorce in 1944. Judy was still only 22 years old and went on to make one of her biggest and most successful movie, Meet me in St Louis and she also met her second husband Vincente Minnelli who directed the picture.
They married in June 1945 and on March 12, 1946, daughter Liza Minnelli was born.
Judy made around eight more films at MGM and then left after suffering a nervous breakdown and was put into a sanatorium after trying to commit suicide by slitting her wrists. In 1951 she divorced Minnelli, rumours to this day say she caught him in bed with another man and she acquired a new manager, Sid Luft. Luft booked Judy on her first tour of the UK, Scotland and Ireland including the London Palladium, where she received great reviews and the ovation was the loudest ever heard. In October 1951, Judy opened on Broadway and exceeded all box office predictions, it is said to have been "one of the greatest personal triumphs in show business history."
In June 1952 Judy married Sid Luft and had daughter Lorna five months later.
In 1954 Judy made A Star is Born with James Mason and was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, but was unable to attend as she had given birth to son Joseph. The award went to Grace Kelly, but Judy did win The Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical.
In 1963 Judy made her last picture and then went onto television and some more live stage performance, all with rave reviews. In 1959 she was hospitalized with hepatitis for two months, coming close to death and doctors saying she would not live longer than five years. The doctors were wrong and Judy went to Carnegie Hall and back to television with a hugely popular act. The people loved her, her fame was bigger than ever.
In 1963 Garland divorced Luft claiming mental cruelty and abuse and in 1964 Garland toured Australia, the crowds so big the concert hall could not accommodate them and in Melbourne Judy was late onstage because she was drunk and the crowd was not happy. In November 1965 Judy married tour promoter Mark Herron and was cast in the movie Valley of the Dolls but was fired for missing rehearsals. She returned to London to live and perform and on June 22 1969, Judy was found dead, some say sitting on the toilet.
She died of a massive drug overdose mostly seconal pills (barbiturates) also the drug of choice for Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley both of whom died from these drugs.
The autopsy indicated that the drugs had been taken over a long period of time and was listed as accidental but to this day may have been suicide. Her Wizard of Oz costar Ray Bolger said, "She just plain wore out." At least 20,000 people lined up for hours at the view her body.
What can I really say about Judy Garland that hasn’t already been said? She was gifted as a performer and a human being; she brought great amounts of joy to millions and still does today, 30 years after her death. Somewhere over the Rainbow rings in our ears and her journey as Dorothy and as Judy resonates with us all. She was an ordinary person with extraordinary abilities and although we adore her as an entertainer somehow I think she would have faired better as an everyday woman, wife and mother, singing “Have yourself a Merry little Christmas” as a lullaby to her babies, rather than to the world. Her mother pushed her into stardom but I think given the choice Judy would have been safer as a member of the PTA and to have spent time raising a family. Regardless we will always have the joy, and the magic that Judy Garland wrapped us up in and for that we can be truly thankful.
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