Judy Garland Stamp Part II Of II

In conclusion to the post on Friday.

In 1935, Garland was signed to MGM Studios. Even though she proved to be a real money maker for the studio, she was considered to be the “ugly duckling” next to other actresses that she was working along side with (Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, and Elizabeth Taylor). Her girl next door look was something that she was always unhappy about. She wanted to be as glamorous as the other actresses. Studio Chief Louis Mayer referred to her as his “little hunchback”. Studio executives even went so far as to make her wear a rubberized disk to reshape her nose and portable caps on her teeth.

In 1939 Garland landed the roll that she is best known for, Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. She will forever be remembered for signing “Over the Rainbow” with such precision and grace. Despite critical acclaim, the film did not make money until it was released to the public a second time.

Garland faced many struggles with financial instability and addictions throughout her adulthood. Studio executives often gave her and other stars both amphetamines and barbiturates to take before bed because they believed that they would perform better the next day. Sadly, she died of an accidental drug overdose on June 22, 1969 at the age of 47. Garland was married five times and had three children.