Judy Garland

"Hollywood is a strange place if you're in trouble. Everyone thinks it's contagious." ~ Judy

Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She was the youngest of three daughters. Judy was a gifted singer and by the age of three she was performing with her sisters in vaudeville. She was offered a contract with MGM in 1935. Judy appeared in several hit films with Mickey Rooney including Babes On Broadway and Girl Crazy. As a teenager she struggled with her weight and began taking amphetamines. In 1939 Judy played Dorothy in the classic film The Wizard Of Oz. It became the most successful movie of her career and she would forever be associated with the movie's theme song "Over The Rainbow". In 1940 she received a special juvenile Academy Award. She married David Rose, a composer, in 1941. Judy became pregnant but her mother forced her to have abortion because she believed a baby would hurt her career. Her success continued with starring roles in Meet Me In St. Louis, The Harvey Girls, and Easter Parade. She divorced David and married director Vincente Minnelli in 1945. Their daughter, Liza, was born the following year. While working on the 1947 musical The Pirate Judy suffered a nervous breakdown.

Her marriage to Vincente ended in 1951 after she caught him in bed with another man. By this time Judy's drug use was out of control and she was fired from MGM. Depressed over her failed marriage and career she attempted suicide by slitting her throat. She married producer Sid Luft in 1952 and had two more children. Judy starred in the musical remake of A Star Is Born in 1955 and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. In 1962 she received another Oscar nomination for her role in Judgment In Nuremberg. Judy spent much of the 1960s performing live concerts. She also starred on television in The Judy Garland Show. After divorcing Sid she married actor Mark Herron. Their marriage ended when Judy discovered he was gay. In the spring of 1969 she married her fifth husband, Mickey Deans. Judy died on June 22, 1969 from an accidental overdose of barbiturates. She was just forty-seven years old. Judy is buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. Her daughter, Liza Minnelli, followed in her footsteps and became a very successful performer.