Judy Garland Trivia

Trivia

  • Sister of Mary Jane Gumm and Virginia Gumm.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Mother of Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • 6/12/64: She married Mark Herron, although her divorce from Sidney Luft was not settled. They were married in Mandarin by a Buddhist monk, and the validity of this marriage is not clear.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • 961: Her record "Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall" garnered five Grammy Awards and remained at the top of Billboard`s charts for two months.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • There is surviving footage of Garland performing the lead role of Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun (1950) before she was replaced by Betty Hutton, and this has been included in many documentaries. Undoubtedly, the best is That`s Entertainment! III (1994), which for the first time assembled raw unedited footage for two musical numbers and presented them as they would have looked had the film been completed with Garland. Also surviving today are Garland`s prerecordings of all songs for the production.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Originally screen-tested and signed to play the main supporting role of Helen Lawson, in Valley of the Dolls (1967). The studio even provided her with a pool table in her dressing room at her request. Eventually she backed out of the film and was ultimately replaced by Susan Hayward. She kept her costume when she walked off the film, and proceeded to wear the sequined pantsuit while performing in concerts around the world. The character of Neely O`Hara in the film was partially based on her own history (with pills, alcohol, and failed marriages). Sadly, it was Garland`s real-life pill addiction that contributed to her leaving this film.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • 6/27/69: Her funeral was held in Manhattan at the Frank E. Campbell funeral home at Madison Ave. and 81st St., and 22,000 people filed past her open coffin over a 24-hour period. Ex-husband Vincente Minnelli did not attend. James Mason delivered the eulogy. Her body had been stored in a temporary crypt for over one year. The reason for this is that no one had come forward to pay the expense of moving her to a permanent resting spot at Ferncliff Cemetery in Ardsley, NY. Liza Minnelli had the impression that Judy`s last husband, Mickey Deans, had made the necessary arrangements but Deans claimed to have no money. Liza then took on the task of raising the funds to have her properly buried. Death was caused by an "incautious self-overdosage of Seconal" which had raised the barbiturate level in her body beyond its tolerance.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Judy heard the same phrase in two movies: For Me and My Gal (1942) and Easter Parade (1948). In both, her love interest (played by Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, respectively) says this: "Why didn`t you tell me I was in love with you?"
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Her portrayal of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939) was the inspiration for the character of Mary Ann on "Gilligan`s Island" (1964). (From Kansas, ponytails, lived on a farm with an aunt and uncle...).
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • 1997: Posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • 1998: Garland`s album, "Judy at Carnegie Hall" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • September 2002: A Los Angeles federal judge barred Sidney Luft from selling the replacement Juvenile Oscar she received for The Wizard of Oz (1939). Luft was also ordered to pay nearly $60,000 to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to end their second lawsuit against him for repeatedly trying to sell the statuette.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Her soulful and iconic performance of "Over The Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz (1939) claimed the #1 spot on June 22, 2004 in The American Film Institute`s list of "The 100 Years of The Greatest Songs". The AFI board said "Over The Rainbow" have captured the nation`s heart, echoed beyond the walls of a movie theater, and ultimately stand in our collective memory of the film itself. It has resonated across the century, enriching America`s film heritage and captivating artists and audiences today.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • She discouraged her children from entering show business, pointing out her financial and health problems resulting from the nature of the entertainment business. Nevertheless, two of her children, Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft both became entertainers. Her son Joe lives in relative anonymity as a freelance photographer.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • She experienced financial difficulties in the 1960s due to her overspending, periods of unemployment, owing of back taxes and embezzlement of funds by her business manager. The IRS garnished most of her concert revenues in the late 1960s. Her financial difficulties combined with her erratic behavior due to her drug dependencies helped break up her marriages and estrange her children from her a year before her death.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Was a member of The International Order of Job`s Daughters.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • She was voted the 23rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Groucho Marx called her not winning an Oscar for A Star Is Born (1954), "the biggest robbery since Brink`s." Hedda Hopper later reported that her loss to Grace Kelly for The Country Girl (1954) was the result of the closest Oscar vote up till that time that didn`t end in a tie, with just six votes separating the two. In any event, it was a heartbreak from which she never really recovered and which has remained a matter of some controversy ever since.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Has a special variety of rose named after her. The petals are yellow (Garland adored yellow roses) and the tips are bright red. It took devoted fans almost nine years after her death to find a rose company in Britain interested in naming a rose officially for her, and the Judy Garland rose didn`t appear in the US until 1991. Several JG rose bushes are planted outside of her burial crypt, and at the Judy Garland museum in Grand Rapids.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • 1952: Received a Special Tony Award "for an important contribution to the revival of vaudeville through her recent stint at the Palace Theatre.".
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • She was voted the 22nd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Was named #8 Actress on The AFI 50 Greatest Screen Legends
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • 3/23/90: Pictured on one of four 25˘ USA commemorative postage stamps honoring classic films released in 1939. The stamp shows Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939), along with Toto (portrayed by Terry). The other films honored were Beau Geste (1939), Stagecoach (1939), and Gone with the Wind (1939).
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Is portrayed by Judy Davis and Tammy Blanchard in Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001) (TV), by Elizabeth Karsell in James Dean (2001) (TV) and by Andrea McArdle in Rainbow (1978) (TV).
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • The song "Quiet Please, There`s A Lady On Stage" from the stage musical "The Boy From Oz" was written by Peter Allen (Liza Minnelli`s former husband) as a tribute to her.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Was pregnant with her first child Liza Minnelli while filming her minor role in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946). In order to hide her pregnant stomach she was hidden behind stacks of dishes while singing "Look For The Silver Lining". She had also recorded a song "Do You Love Me", which was cut before release. Her scenes were directed by her then husband Vincente Minnelli.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • After serving as the music director on her short-lived CBS series, Mel Tormé wrote a vicious tell-all book about his talented but challenging former boss. So frustrated from the experience, his words in "The Other Side of The Rainbow: With Judy Garland on the Dawn Patrol" portrayed Garland as hopelessly drug-addicted, unprofessional and a horror to work with.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • 2006: Her performance as Vicki Lester in A Star Is Born (1954) is ranked #72 on Premiere Magazine`s 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Her performance as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939) is ranked #17 on Premiere Magazine`s 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • During her first marriage to David Rose, Judy was forced to undergo an abortion at the insistence of MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer who feared that pregnancy would hurt her good-girl image. The event left her traumatized for the rest of her life.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • 6/10/06: Pictured on a 39˘ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • The godparents of her daughter Liza Minnelli were Ira Gershwin and Kay Thompson
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Grandmother of Vanessa and Jesse Richards, children of singer Lorna Luft.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Godfather of her daughter Lorna Luft was Frank Sinatra
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Father was movie theater owner Francis `Frank` Gumm (born 20 March, 1886 - died 17 November, 1935). Mother was Ethel Milne (born 17 November, 1893 - died 05 January, 1953).
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and later lived up in Lancaster, California. John Wayne, then attending college at USC, was a neighbor of Judy`s.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Gave birth to all three of her children via Caesarean section. She also suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of her two daughters Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • The famous theme song David Raksin wrote for the film Laura (1944) was originally entitled "Judy" in honor of her.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Had intense fears of flying, horses, and guns.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Was considered for the role of Careen O`Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), but the role was eventually given to Ann Rutherford, so Judy immediately began working on The Wizard of Oz (1939), a film which was considered for as early as 1937.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • As a teenager on the MGM lots, she was good friends with Lana Turner and Ann Rutherford.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Johnnie Ray was best man at her wedding to fifth husband Mickey Deans.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Did not attend the 1955 Academy Awards, where she was nominated as Best Actress for her portrayal of Vicki Lester in A Star Is Born (1954), because she was in hospital after giving birth to her third child and only son Joey Luft.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • She only performed "Over The Rainbow" twice during her many television appearances, which spanned 14 years. She performed it on her first TV Special, "Ford Star Jubilee" (1955) episode, "The Judy Garland Special" in 1955, and sang it to her children on The Christmas Edition of her weekly "The Judy Garland Show" (1963).
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Betty Asher, who worked on the MGM lots, served as her maid of honor during her wedding to Vincente Minnelli in 1945.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Offered the lead role in The Three Faces of Eve (1957), but turned down the role because the storyline bore too many resemblances to her own personal life. The role was then given to Joanne Woodward who went on to win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Was Matron of Honor at the wedding of actor Don DeFore and Marion Holmes DeFore on February 14, 1942.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • In a performance of "Come Rain Or Come Shine" on her 1963-64 variety show on CBS TV, though forgetting some of the words and seemingly "out of sync" with the orchestra she still managed to give a quite powerful and memorable performance.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Performed two songs in films that won the Academy Award for Best Original Song: "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz (1939) and "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" from The Harvey Girls (1946). Performed four more songs that were nominated: "Our Love Affair" from Strike Up the Band (1940), "How About You?" from Babes on Broadway (1941), "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and "The Man That Got Away" from A Star Is Born (1954). Performed others that became standards, including "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • She performed with her sisters at the 1933-34 World`s Fair in Chicago on the infamous midway (where Sally Rand was the main attraction), more specifically in the Old Mexico Club, where they sold out every night. During their third week at the club, it unexpectedly closed due to an expired liquor license. Judy served as the grand marshal in a parade for "Children`s Day" in early 1934. It was during their last day in Chicago that Frances Gumm changed her name to Judy Garland during a performance at the Oriental Theater.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Judy headlined CBS TV`s first special, "Ford Star Jubilee" (1955). She performed many of her standards including "Get Happy", Carolina in the Morning" and "The Trolley Song". Judy and guest David Wayne as tramps performed "A Couple of Swells" from "Easter Parade", Wayne doing Fred Astaire`s part. After that number, Judy still in tramp make-up closed the show with "Over The Rainbow".
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Mentioned in the song "Happy Phantom" by Tori Amos.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Initially refused to appear in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) as she had recently begun to portray characters her own age, such as in Presenting Lily Mars (1943), and was tired of playing virginal teenage characters. She later relented after much persuasion and not only did she meet her future husband Vincente Minnelli on set but her performance in the film was also one of her most famous during her MGM years.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • The first film she made after marrying Vincente Minnelli was The Harvey Girls (1946).
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Became good friends with Doris Day on the Warner Bros. lots when she was filming A Star Is Born (1954) at the same time that Day was filming Young at Heart (1954).
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Did not get on with Lucille Bremer, who played her sister in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). She thought that Bremer couldn`t act and repeatedly tried to have her fired from the film, but to no avail.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Was replaced by Ginger Rogers in the film The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) after being suspended from MGM for her tardiness.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • Replaced June Allyson in the film Royal Wedding (1951) after she became pregnant, but her failure to report to the set led to her being replaced by Jane Powell.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • A close friend was Katharine Hepburn, with whom she would regularly stay during her most serious bouts of depression in order to recover.
    Posted by Chief Editor MandyLovesVi
  • The only witnesses present at her Las Vegas wedding to David Rose in 1941 were her mother and stepfather.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Was Matron of Honor at the wedding of actor Don DeFore and Marian Holmes DeFore on February 14, 1942.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Was given the lead role of Eve in The Three Faces of Eve (1957), but turned down the role because the storyline bore too many resemblances to her own personal life. The role was then given to Joanne Woodward who went on to win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Was close friends with Lauren Bacall, who had once been her neighbor during the 1950s. Had Judy won the 1955 Best Actress Oscar for A Star Is Born (1954), Lauren would have accepted the Oscar statuette on her behalf.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Had intense fears of both flying and guns.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and later lived up in Lancaster, California.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Had weight problems most of her life. Sometimes she would be 80 pounds and then could gain 30 pounds in a a matter of days, only to lose it all again. Drastic weight fluctuations often affected continuity in her films and can be seen in Words and Music (1948) and Summer Stock (1950).
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • When she married Vincente Minnelli, Louis B. Mayer gave her away.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • She was three-quarters Scottish and one-quarter Irish in ancestry.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Her daughter Liza Minnelli was once married to Jack Haley Jr., the son of her The Wizard of Oz (1939) co-star Jack Haley, who played the Tin Man.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Always had crooked front teeth, for which an MGM dentist fitted her with removable caps to wear in her films, including The Wizard of Oz (1939).
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Favorite actor was Robert Donat (best known for his portrayal of the title character in the film Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)).
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • First cousin three times removed of US President Ulysses S. Grant.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • According to singer Mel Tormé, she had a powerful gift of retention. She could view a piece of music once and have the entire thing memorized.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Liza Minnelli originally wanted Mickey Rooney to deliver Garland`s eulogy, but she was afraid that he wouldn`t be able to get through it. So James Mason did it instead.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Liza Minnelli said that Judy planned on calling her autobiography "Ho-Hum".
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Interred at Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York, USA.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • Mother of Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft. Sister of Mary Jane Gumm and Virginia Gumm.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
  • She was considered an icon in the gay community in the 1950s and 1960s. Her death and the loss of that emotional icon in 1969 has been thought to be a contributing factor to the feeling of the passing of an era that helped spark the Stonewall Riots that began the militant gay rights movement.
    (imdb.com)
    Posted by Chief Editor CindyCelebs
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