Monday, June 10, 2024

Monday at the Museum, Part 1



For all the times I’ve driven by it, I can’t believe it took me this long to finally go inside the Hollywood Heritage Museum, located across from the Hollywood Bowl on Highland Avenue. Housed inside the oldest movie studio in Hollywood (1912), the museum’s collection is jaw-dropping. Since today is the anniversary of Judy Garland’s birth in 1922, part one of this post is squeaking by just in time! From the collection of Woolsey Ackerman comes this blouse worn in Garland’s 1944 classic, “Meet Me In St. Louis”:



When Judy’s character, Esther Smith, mistakenly beats up the boy next door (Tom Drake), she is wearing this blouse.





These shoes were worn by Garland in the same movie, primarily in the “Skip to my Lou” and “Under the Bamboo Tree” musical numbers.



The shoes can be seen in this still from the movie with Joan Carroll, Lucille Bremer, Garland, Henry H. Daniels Jr., and Margaret O’Brien:



It would seem that the jeweled bow was lost at some point over the years:



This blouse (part of the museum’s permanent collection) was worn in 1938’s “Everybody Sing” starring Judy:





Here’s the number that Garland performs while wearing the same schoolgirl outfit. It is one of my favorite early Garland MGM songs, “Swing Mr. Mendelssohn.”



Also from the Ackerman collection is this original Judy Garland “Wizard of Oz” Dorothy doll by the Ideal Toy Company:



Need more Oz? How about this extremely rare 1939 Scarecrow doll:



Later this week I’ll share more gems from my trip to this incredible Museum. See more Hollywood Heritage Museum photos at my main website.

3 comments:

Fifthrider said...

Great comparison shot there. Happy birthday Judy! Likewise, I've heard of the place but never had the opportunity to visit. Thanks for sharing.

Martin Turnbull said...

Wait. What? You've *never* been inside?! It certainly was time you did. Darrel Rooney (who supplied the Jean Harlow ephemera told me this exhibits was collected from the temporary loans from about 20 different collectors. The Hollywood Barn's is called "Out with the Stars" and looks at Hollywood's nightlife, including the Hollywood Canteen.

Daveland said...

Bryan - You need to go! Add it to your bucket list

Martin - They are in the process of setting up the "Out with the Stars" exhibit now, which doesn't open to the public until 6/29.