Judy Garland

Judy Garland
from the trailer for A Star Is Born
Birth name:	Frances Ethel Gumm
Date of birth:	June 10, 1922
Birth location:	Grand Rapids, Minnesota, USA
Date of death:	June 22 1969 (aged 47)
Death location:	Chelsea, London, England
Notable role(s):	Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz Esther Smith in Meet Me in St. Louis Vicki Lester in A Star Is Born Irene Hoffman Wallner in Judgment at Nuremberg
Academy Awards:	Academy Juvenile Award 1940 Outstanding Performance in 1939
Spouse:	David Rose (1941-1945) Vincente Minnelli (1945-1952) Sidney Luft (1952-1965) Mark Herron (1965-1967) Mickey Deans (1969)

Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an Oscar-nominated American film actress and singer, best known for her role as Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz. Garland's singing voice had a natural vibrato, which she was able to maintain at an 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.

Biography

Childhood and early life

Garland's parents, Frank Gumm and Ethel Marion Milne met when Gumm became an 'illustrator' at the Parlor Theater in Superior, Wisconsin in 1913; leading the audience in sing-a-longs between films while Milne accompanied him at the piano. The two wed in January 1914 and went on to settle in Grand Rapids, Minnesota where Gumm took over the New Grand, a movie house, while Ethel played piano. They welcomed daughter Mary Jane, or Susie as she would come to be called, on September 24, 1915 and then Dorothy Virginia, or Jimmie, July 4, 1917.

When Ethel discovered she was pregnant in late 1921 she attempted to induce a miscarriage numerous times by throwing herself down flights of stairs. When her attempts failed she sent her husband to family friend, Dr. Marc Rabwin, to arrange an illegal abortion. Rabwin, who believed Ethel's desire to not have another child stemmed from rumors of Gumm's homosexuality, convinced the couple that they would never regret having another child. So, Frank and Ethel awaited the birth of their third child who they hoped would be a boy, Frank Jr.. But, on June 10, 1922, their third daughter arrived. Named for both her parents and baptized at the local Episcopal church, "Baby" (as Frances was affectionately called) shared the family's flair for song and dance.

"Baby" Gumm made her debut at two-and-a-half, joining her sisters in a Christmas performance at the New Grand on December 26, 1924. Singing "Jingle Bells" as her mother played piano in the pit, "Baby" Gumm became so enthralled at the audiences applause she repeated the song five times with the crowd encouraging her, before her father finally carried her off the stage.

"Baby" and her sisters continued to make occasional appearances at the New Grand before a family vacation to California in June 1926 resulted in a permanent move that October. While Ethel referenced the temperate climate as the reason for the move rumors reference that the real cause may have been Gumm's homosexual indiscretions. However, according to the work of a detective hired by the Children's Museum in Grand Rapids (formerly the Judy Garland Museum) found no evidence for such claims.

After the move the family was unable to find a home or theater in Los Angeles, their city of choice, and instead moved eighty miles north, to California and purchased the Valley Theatre. But despite the undesirable location the Gumm Sisters still found work, with Ethel driving them to the city for stage and radio work as well as additional training. Their increasing workload, the deteriorating relationship between Ethel and Gumm, and the introduction of 'talkies' (meaning Ethel was no longer needed to accompany films of the piano at the theater) led to Ethel and the three girls taking a house in Los Angeles in 1933.

In 1934, the sisters, accompanied by Ethel, began a tour of the Northwest. It was during an unexpected performance at Chicago's Oriental Theatre (the sisters were hired to replace a trio that had been fired) that the family adopted their new name. Actor George Jessel, who was headlining at the theater that week, noticed that the audience laughed when 'The Gumm Sisters' were introduced. Jessel suggested the name Garland, from the name of New York World-Telegram drama critic Robert Garland. The following summer "Baby" would go on to choose the name "Judy," after the popular Hoagy Carmichael song, in an attempt on the part of the thirteen-year-old to shake her nickname. Other rumors regarding the origin of the name include the story developed by MGM's publicity department in which Jessel discovered "Baby" crying under the marquee of the Oriental which advertised "The Glumm Sisters" and decided she was "as pretty as a garland of roses." Yet another rumor was created by Jessel himself who claimed that after sending a garland of flowers to Judith Anderson on the opening of a new play he combined the actresses first name with the garland.

In June 1935 the sisters were discovered by Al Rosen at Lake Tahoe's Cal-Neva Lodge. Rosen immediately began working on behalf of Judy attempting to find a studio who would be willing to sign her. However, most of the major studios believed that there were no parts for Judy because of her age. MGM, however, had already shown interest in Judy several months before when writer/producer/director Joseph Mankiewicz had brought her to the studio's attention and filmed a test. While nothing came from the initial test Rosen was able to arrange an interview for Garland in September 1935. After auditioning for Jack Robbins and Ida Koverman the two called Louis B. Mayer himself to come and hear Garland. While his reaction was dispassionate he immediately ordered that contracts be drawn up for Judy to be signed as an actress.

MGM

1935 - 1939

Two months after signing her contract with MGM Garland's father suffered a sudden case of spinal meningitis. He was hospitalized November 16th, when Judy was scheduled to make an appearance on the "Shell Chateau" radio program. Judy was instructed to make her performance of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart!" especially emotional since Gumm would be listening. However, Gumm passed the following afternoon. Adding to the emotional blow, it was also Ethel's birthday and Gumm had planned a surprise birthday party for his wife. So, that evening, friends from as far away as Grand Rapids arrived at the family's home.

Though devastated, Judy threw herself into her work, continuing her studio training and making radio appearances. However, MGM did not give her any substantial film work, announcing several projects but never completing them. Her first film was Pigskin Parade for which MGM loaned her to 20th Century Fox. She then made an appearance in Broadway Melody of 1937.

It was not until February 1937 that Garland earned her first big break. Clark Gable had been experiencing a difficult part of his life, being falsely accused of fathering an illegitimate child and then suffering a case of influenza before finally returning to the set of his film February 1, his birthday. The studio planned a surprise party to distract Gable and chose Garland as the entertainment. She had been rehearsing a piece with composer Roger Edens entitled "Dear Mr. Bernie" for a radio performance with orchestra leader Ben Bernie for February 2. When Edens learned of the Garland's scheduled appearance at Gable's party he quickly changed the song to "Dear Mr. Gable" and decided that Garland would also perform the song during her radio appearance. The number was a rousing success and sealed Garland's place with the studio.

with Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms (1939)

After a string of minor roles, she landed the leading role of "Dorothy" in the MGM film The Wizard of Oz (1939). Although the original choice for the role there was momentary consideration of both Shirley Temple and Deaana Durbin because of their box office reliability. However, neither had the vocal strength for the role and they were both under contract at other studios. And so filming began on May 9, 1938 with Garland in the leading role. The film would not only prove her greatest movie success, but also provide Garland with her anthem, "Over the Rainbow." It also earned Garland an honorary [[Academy Awards|Academy Award].

After Oz, Garland became one of MGM's most bankable stars, proving particularly popular when teamed with fellow juvenile star Mickey Rooney in a string of backstage 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 film after another, Garland, Rooney, and other young performers were constantly given amphetamines, as well as barbiturates, to take before bedtime. In addition to the energy boost the amphetamines provided for working they also served as an appetite suppressant. This was especially helpful to Garland, whom the studio heads often referred to as "the fat one." For Garland, this constant dose of drugs would lead to a lifelong struggle with addiction. Although many would go on to blame Garland's addiction problems on the studio as soon as they realized the effects of the pills they attempted to keep the medication from Garland. However, Garland proved masterful at hiding the medication in her clothing and dressing room.

as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939)

1940 - 1950

In 1940, Garland starred in three films; Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, Strike up the Band and Little Nellie Kelly, Little Nellie Kelly featured Garland in her first adult role, casting her as both daughter and mother. 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 three films–and a further three films in 1941– secured her position at MGM as a major property. It was also in 1941 that Garland created her first scandal by eloping with musician David Rose in Las Vegas during the filming of Babes of Broadway, a sequel to Babes in Arms. Most believed that Garland's marriage to Rose was an attempt to escape the control of her mother. However, Rose, ten years Garland's senior, failed to provide the support Garland had hoped. When she became pregnant both the studio and Ethel wanted her to terminate the pregnancy so she could continue working. When Garland turned to Rose to protect both her and her child he failed to do so, telling her to have an abortion.

In 1942, noticeably thinner, Garland was given the lead role in For Me and My Gal alongside Gene Kelly in his first screen appearance. She was top billed over the credits for the first time and effectively 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 Ponedel refined Judy's appearance in several ways, including 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 Ponedel 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).

performing "The Trolley Song" in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

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.

File:Judy Garland in Summer Stock trailer 2.jpg

performing "Get Happy" in Summer Stock (1950)

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).

During filming for The Pirate, in April 1947, Garland suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be led away from the set. 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.

Following her work on The Pirate, Garland would complete three more films with MGM; Easter Parade, In the Good Old Summertime, and her final film, Summer Stock. Garland was cast in the movie adaptation of Annie Get Your Gun in the title role of Annie Oakley but after various issues Garland was fired from the production and shortly thereafter removed from MGM Studios.

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 milestone 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. 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. For this, she received a special Tony Award. She also appeared on various television specials during the early 1950s.

A Star Is Born

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 27th 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 Joseph 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. was for three pictures; however, Jack Warner was upset with cost and schedule overruns on A Star is Born, and Garland and Luft made no more films for the studio.

Carnegie Hall & television series

in I Could Go On Singing (1963)

Although she made no other films in the 1950s, Garland's films after A Star Is Born included: 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". 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 night in show business history." 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 many notable performances by Garland. 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 18-year-old daughter Liza Minnelli in November of 1964. The concert, which was also filmed for British station ITV, 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 was largely disastrous. Although the reviews for the Sydney concert were positive, she could no longer hide the effects of alcohol and medication abuse. She forgot the lyrics to songs, slurred some lines which she remembered, and it was obvious she was ill or under the influence of medication. The Melbourne performance ended after only twenty minutes and created significant bad press for Garland.

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 2006 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.^{[citation needed]}

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 London home, 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; her blood contained the equivalent of 10 1.5-grain Seconal capsules. Garland had turned 47 just over a week prior to her death. She was residing in a rented house with her husband in the Chelsea area 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." Garland is interred in Ferncliff Cemetery, in Hartsdale, New York.

Marriages

Of Garland's five marriages, the first four ended in divorce. Her children are Liza Minnelli (singer and actress) born March 1946, Lorna Luft (also an acclaimed singer), born November 21, 1952, and Joey Luft (a scenic photographer), born March 29, 1955 in Los Angeles, California.

1. David Rose; married 1941-1945
2. Vincente Minnelli; married 1945-1952; one daughter, Liza Minnelli
3. Sidney Luft; married 1952-1965; one daughter, Lorna Luft, and one son, Joey Luft
4. Mark Herron; married 1965-1967
5. Mickey Deans; married March 1969-June 1969

Ancestry

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, circa 1652 and was one of the first colonists settling in what is now Jamestown, Virginia. The Marable families of the southern United States all derived from the aforementioned George Marable.

The Marable family were wealthy southern aristocracy and as such were slave owners. By the time of the Civil War, the Marable family of Jamestown, Virginia, had spread across the South. Marables are named in the rosters of units from at least nine of the Confederate States including units from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, and were among the dead at Gettysburg. In Virginia, Edward W. Marable of the Charles City Southern Guard served aboard the Confederate ship Patrick Henry during the engagement of the Merrimack (C.S.S. Virginia) 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.

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 Huguenot and German.

Frank Gumm married Ethel Marian Milne, who was born on November 17 1893 in Michigamme, Michigan. She died January 5 1953 in Los Angeles, California. 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) (reference: The Golden Years by Rita Piro).

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. In 1858, at the age of 17, she married Hugh Fitzpatrick (an Irish-American) who was visiting Dublin. That same year, the newlyweds sailed to America. They had ten children. Mary died on January 24 1908 in Detroit, Michigan. 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 hanged as a spy, but this was not carried out and the family moved across the border into Canada; (reference: The Golden Years by Rita Piro).

Eva Fitzpatrick-Milne lived with Judy Garland until her death on October 17 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 (reference: The Golden Years by Rita Piro).

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 and referred to herself during a 1963 press conference as "just an Irish biddy". In her autobiography Lorna Luft states that her family had an "Irish charm" and that "often the family survived on charm alone".

See also

• List of Judy Garland performances
• Judy Garland Honors

External links

• Judy Garland at the Internet Movie Database
• Judy Garland at the TCM Movie Database
• Judy Garland at the Internet Broadway Database
• Judy Garland Page On The Oldies Music Guide
• Judy Garland On The Oldies Radio Station
• Judy Garland at HighBeam
• The Judy Garland Database
• The Judy Room
• The Judy Garland Online Discography
• The Judy Garland Birthplace and Museum in Grand Rapids, MN
• The Judy Garland Club: established 1963; official international Club supported by Judy during her lifetime
• Judy Garland - The Live Performances
• Judy Garland: By Myself - American Masters special
• Judy Garland at TV.com

Awards
Preceded by: Deanna Durbin, Mickey Rooney	Academy Juvenile Award 1939	Succeeded by: Margaret O'Brien
Preceded by: Ruth Green	Special Tony Award 1952	Succeeded by: Beatrice Lillie, Danny Kaye
Preceded by: Ethel Merman for Call Me Madam	Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy 1954 for A Star Is Born	Succeeded by: Jean Simmons for Guys and Dolls
Preceded by: Fred Astaire	Cecil B. DeMille Award 1962	Succeeded by: Bob Hope
Preceded by: Bob Newhart for The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart	Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1962 for Judy at Carnegie Hall	Succeeded by: Vaughn Meader for The First Family
Preceded by: Ella Fitzgerald for Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife	Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Female 1962 for Judy at Carnegie Hall	Succeeded by: Ella Fitzgerald for Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson
Preceded by: Dave Brubeck, Marvin Gaye, Georg Solti, Stevie Wonder	Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 1997	Succeeded by: Bo Diddley, The Mills Brothers, Roy Orbison, Paul Robeson

Great American Songbook 

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