Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 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-movieThoroughbreds 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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Judy Garland Museum - Official site of the birthplace museum with news, events, scholarships, shop, and mission statement. Information, facts, and photos about the actress.
Judy In London - Includes information, photographs, and links about her time in London.
Lost Performances of Judy Garland - Listing of rare performances and memorabilia for trade by video collector R.Rees.
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. ]
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 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. ]
Triviatribute.com : Judy Garland - Includes profile, pictures, sounds, and links.
Meta Description: [ Judy Garland pictures, sound clips, links, trivia and merchandise. Part of the TV and Movie Trivia Tribute. ]
Yheti's Judy Garland Shrine - Dedication site includes biography, image galleries, discography, poetry, quotes, and filmography.
Meta Description: [ A site dedicated to Judy Garland, with over 300 images in the gallery, reviews of all her movies and much more! ]
The end of that sparkling musical....meet me in st louis judy garland