Judy Garland 100th Birthday Blowout!

Today would have been the 100th birthday of singer/actress Judy Garland. It is hard to fathom that she only lived to see 47, due to the incredible volume of memorable work that she left behind. Most will remember Judy for her portrayal of Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939). The first photo in this post is a painting I did of Judy, where I attempted to capture the youthful zest and hope that were her hallmark. The rest of this post will serve as a chronological tribute of photos from my collection that document her career.



These three shots show M.G.M.’s original vision of Dorothy; unable to secure the more bankable Shirley Temple, the powers-that-be attempted to transform Judy into what she would later refer to as “a male version of Mary Pickford.”



Before the initial director (Richard Thorpe) was fired, quite a bit of footage was shot with Judy in her blonde wig.



George Cukor stepped in temporarily before Victor Fleming was hired. He had the artifice removed from Judy’s makeup and allowed the real girl to shine through.



This was the brilliance of casting Judy; in a land of fantasy, her emotionally charged performance grounded the film and made you believe that this young girl wanted to get home more than anything else in the world. Ruby slippers be damned!



One of the best quartets in film history:



When M.G.M. finally acquired Shirley Temple into their stable of stars, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland were on hand to welcome her. For the publicity cameras at least!



Judy’s next big break after a string of films with Mickey was “Meet Me In St. Louis” (1944). Once again, she carries a film that would have been extremely forgettable starring anyone else.



One of my very favorite Garland numbers is “Alabam” from “Easter Parade” (1948). You barely notice Fred Astaire dancing with her; instead, your eyes are on Garland the entire time.



While not her most memorable film, Judy gives a charming performance in “In the Good Old Summertime” (1949). Her musical number “I Don’t Care” is worth the price of admission all by itself.



Working at breakneck speed to meet the demand of more Garland pictures, it’s not surprising that eventually her body would fight back. Lack of sleep, strenuous dieting, and the abuse of medication to keep her peppy for the cameras all contributed to her breakdown. M.G.M. didn’t want to give their biggest star a much deserved vacation; instead, they shoved her into “Annie Get Your Gun” and chose her mortal enemy (Busy Berkeley) to direct it. The look on her face in this wardrobe test says it all. Judy ended up getting fired from the film and replaced by Betty Hutton.



While “Summer Stock” (1950) was not the prestige film that “Annie Get Your Gun” was, Garland managed to transcend the predictable story and turn this musical into a memorable swan song for her M.G.M. years. “Friendly Star” is probably one of the most beautiful Garland songs on film. Judy didn’t just sing…she lived those songs and made you feel every emotional nuance that the notes and lyrics conveyed.



Judy bounced back in 1954 with “A Star is Born.” These next six shots show Judy in some of the scenes that were deleted after the premiere in an attempt to get more audiences able to see it per day. 



Much of the footage has been recovered and reinstated; but regardless of which version you watch, Garland is in full control of her powers throughout the film.



In the four years since she left M.G.M., the voice took on a new maturity. What she lost in restraint (taught to her by mentor Roger Edens) she replaced with raw emotion. 



Speaking of Roger Edens, here’s a shot of him with Judy out on the town:



Back to “Star”:





The musical number shown below (“When My Sugar Walks Down the Street”) was deleted before the premiere, and rightly so. Cute by itself, it only lengthened an already bloated production number, “Born in a Trunk.”



The financial loss of “Star” didn’t keep Garland down. She bounced back on the concert circuit, most notably with her triumph at Carnegie Hall. “The Judy Garland Show” is an excellent record of Judy and what she gave to audiences whenever she performed “live.” This Judy is not my favorite; the mannerisms and tics that were most likely a result of her pill abuse are a bit disturbing. The voice was also beginning to sound ravaged from the cigarettes, medication, and lack of rest. Regardless, Judy was still able to work magic with what she had; even at her worst, Garland sang circles around the rest.



A shot taken of Judy by an adoring fan, circa 1965:



The final photo shows her singing her signature song, “Over the Rainbow.”



This musical sequence is arguably the most memorable piece of film in the history of motion pictures. Through her performance, Garland communicated to the audience in only a few minutes a longing that resonates with all of us. Happy 100th, Judy!!

See more Judy Garland photos at my main website.