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Judy Garland (June 10, 1922June 22, 1969), born Frances Ethel Gumm, was an American film actress considered by many to be one of the greatest singing stars of Hollywood's Golden Era of musical film. Garland's singing voice had a natural vibrato, which she was able to maintain at 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

Born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Frances Ethel Gumm was the youngest child of former vaudevillians Frank Gumm and Ethel Milne. Named for both her parents and baptized at the local Episcopal church, "Baby" (as Frances was nicknamed) shared the family's flair for song and dance. "Baby" Gumm's first professional appearance came at the age of two-and-a-half, when she joined her two older sisters, Mary Jane ("Susie") and Dorothy Virginia ("Jimmie"), on stage for a chorus of Jingle Bells in a Christmas show at her father's theater on December 26, 1924. In 1934, the sisters, who were touring the vaudeville circuit as "The Gumm Sisters", performed in Chicago at the Oriental Theater with George Jessel. He encouraged the group to choose a more appealing name after "Gumm" received small laughter from the audience. They settled on "The Garland Sisters", and young Frances soon afterward picked the name "Judy" after a popular song of the day by Hoagy Carmichael. A rumor persists that Jessel came up with the last name Garland after Carole Lombard's character Lily Garland in the film Twentieth Century, which was playing at the Oriental; another rumor is that the sisters came up with the surname Garland after drama critic Robert Garland (reference: Judy: Beyond the Rainbow, A&E/Biography television special), though Lorna Luft stated in her book Me and My Shadows that her mother chose the name when Jessel announced that the trio of singers "looked prettier than a Garland of flowers". In 1935, at the age of 13, Garland was signed to a contract with MGM, allegedly without a screen test (in fact, she actually had done a test for the studio several months earlier). Garland's first notice by studio executives came after singing an arrangement of "You Made Me Love You" to Clark Gable at a birthday party held by the studio for the King of Hollywood. Her rendition proved so popular that MGM placed Garland and the song in their all-star extravaganza Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937).

After a string of minor roles, at the age of 16 she landed the role of "Dorothy" in the MGM film The Wizard of Oz (1939), and has been associated ever since with the song "Over the Rainbow." She received an honorary Academy Award for her performance in the film. After Oz, Garland became one of MGM's most bankable stars, proving particularly popular when teamed with her longtime friend Mickey Rooney in a string of "let's put on a show!" 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.

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RT @doggyma: Always be a 1st-rate version of yourself, instead of 2nd-rate version of somebody else. ~Judy Garland #quote
eugen12 (Eugen Schoen) Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:42:06 -0000
RT @doggyma: Always be a 1st-rate version of yourself, instead of 2nd-rate version of somebody else. ~Judy Garland #quote
Always be a 1st-rate version of yourself, instead of 2nd-rate version of somebody else. ~Judy Garland #quote
doggyma (Susan King) Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:38:47 -0000
Always be a 1st-rate version of yourself, instead of 2nd-rate version of somebody else. ~Judy Garland #quote
They just made the greatest joke about Judy Garland on KLOS. It I nvolded taking too many pills and bowel movements.
plasmamonkey (Adam Gross) Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:26:40 -0000
They just made the greatest joke about Judy Garland on KLOS. It I nvolded taking too many pills and bowel movements.
New Year's Eve songs and videos by George Harrison, Death Cab, ABBA, Otis Redding, Sugababes, Judy Garland, more: http://bit.ly/5Gzilm
ChrisWillman (Chris Willman) Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:25:06 -0000
New Year's Eve songs and videos by George Harrison, Death Cab, ABBA, Otis Redding, Sugababes, Judy Garland, more: http://bit.ly/5Gzilm
In 2010, I plan to move to "the sunny side of the street!" http://tinyurl.com/yd7cqhu (Judy Garland) http://tinyurl.com/ycqh2c4 (Ted Lewis)
hwy61 (Karen Hurd) Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:23:10 -0000
In 2010, I plan to move to "the sunny side of the street!" http://tinyurl.com/yd7cqhu (Judy Garland) http://tinyurl.com/ycqh2c4 (Ted Lewis)
"Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else." - Judy Garland
funkyfreshmedia (Ramy Mansour) Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:05:17 -0000
"Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else." - Judy Garland

 
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All Music Guide: Judy Garland - Includes biography, discography, and reviews.

IMDb: Judy Garland - Filmography, biography, photo gallery, articles, awards, TV schedule, and titles for sale.
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Judy Garland 1922-1969 : Destroyed by Drugs at Rainbow's End - Article about her struggle with drugs. Published by Citizens Commission on Human Rights.

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Judy In London - Includes information, photographs, and links about her time in London.

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Meta Description: [ Collections of memorabilia (rare, unreleased videos, magazines, posters) of Judy Garland ]

Meredy's Judy Garland Trivia Mania - Twenty five questions with answers, and photos.
Meta Description: [ 25 tough trivia questions about classic singer and actress Judy Garland. Free Judy Garland wallpaper available for download. ]

Reel Classics : Judy Garland - Includes a biography, filmography, awards, images, gallery, and downloads.

The Judy Garland Page - Includes photos, sounds, fan club information, and links.
Meta Description: [ The Judy Garland page has move to thejudygarlandpage.com ]

The Judy Garland Photographic Tribute - Includes pictures, sounds, video files, and links.

The Judy Room - Includes timelines, unique fan collections, postcards, and a photo gallery.
Meta Description: [ Detailed information about the life and career of Judy Garland , including MP3 sound files, Newsletter, fan collections, Meet Me In St. Louis section, Photo Galleries, Free eCards, product information. ]

The Young Judy Garland Site - Focuses on her early career with biography, and photos.
Meta Description: [ A summary of Judy Garland's life. ]

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