Posted by “As a child I lived in a lot of houses, but what I wanted most was a home” – Judy Garland, 1958
May 9, 1930: Judy’s second film appearance, as one of the “Gumm Sisters” in 1929’s short A Holiday in Storyland, was shown at their father’s movie theater in Lancaster, California (where the family currently lived). Naturally, the trio also performed on stage in support of the film. This is the first known showing of a Judy Garland film at her father’s theater, which had recently been equipped to handle the then-new technology of sound films. These clippings are from the “Tehachapi News” out of nearby Tehachapi, CA, which regularly featured news from surrounding towns, including Lancaster. Proud father Frank most likely wrote the copy.
The film does not survive, but the audio does:
“Where The Butterflies Kiss The Buttercups Goodbye”
“Blue Butterfly”
(Judy Garland’s very first film solo)
Photo: Is that Judy Garland’s first leading man? “Baby Gumm” on the Warner Bros./First National Studios backlot, circa 1929, with John Perri.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on the “Gumm/Garland Sisters” Shorts.
May 9, 1939: This photo of Judy with Mickey Rooney was taken at MGM. The two were in production on their first co-starring musical, Babes in Arms. The production notes state that the production had the day off due to Judy rehearsing for the NBC Radio show “The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope,” which she appeared on later that evening. This photo was most likely taken during that rehearsal.
Hope’s regulars Skinnay Ennis and His Orchestra, Six Hits and a Miss, Patsy Kelly, and Jerry Colonna were in the show that night. No other information about this show exists, and no recording is known to have been made and survived.
May 9, 1942: For Me And My Gal filming continued with the scene on the “Interior Newark Dressing Room” set in which Gene Kelly’s character, Harry Palmer, receives his draft notice. Time called: 10 a.m.; dismissed: 5:50 p.m.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on For Me And My Gal here.
May 9, 1945: The Harvey Girls continued filming on MGM’s Backlot #3, on the “Billy the Kid Street,” which was dressed up as the fictional town of “Sandrock.” This was a night shoot, and Judy was scheduled to be on the set at 8 p.m. She arrived at 8:45 p.m. and was dismissed at 11:30 p.m. The scenes shot were most likely those of Judy and the rest of the cast arriving back in town from the ultimately deleted “March of the Doagies” reprise.
For more about Judy’s time on MGM’s famous backlots, check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland on the MGM Backlot” pages here.
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Pages on The Harvey Girls here.
May 9, 1953: Judy and her husband, Sid Luft, attended the annual Spring Festival at The Greenbrier Resort in Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. Sid played in the pro-am golf tournament.
This snapshot was taken of Judy on this day, with Robert R. Young (Chairman of the C&O Railway that owned The Greenbrier at the time) and Charles Cushing. According to the Greenbrier History Group, they are posing at the first hole of the Old White Course, with the clubhouse behind them.
According to a column written by Baroness Stackleberg, the couple also attended the anniversary ball that night. Other notables included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Bob Hope, and more.
May 9, 1955: A high-pressure life. This article focused on the suicides and attempted suicides of Hollywood stars and the “fixers” who are usually able to keep the events out of the headlines. Twelve years later, Judy and Susan Hayward would again share the entertainment headlines when Hayward replaced Judy as “Helen Lawson” in Valley of the Dolls.
High Pressured Life Takes Heavy Suicide Toll
Susan Hayward’s Attempt Recalls other Tragedies
By HAROLD HEFFERNAN
HOLLYWOOD – Behind movie headlines:
Susan Hayward’s try at suicide, emblazoned in headlines throughout the world, again posted the question:
How many other important screen personalities, wearied and worried by personal or career problems, have made similar attempts?
Closely guarded medical and hospital records hold the secret, but Hollywood insiders – mainly those serving in publicity departments of major studios – know that a complete listing of actors who in the past have tried to die and failed would shock their adoring fans to the core.
Under any such fragile circumstances as those surrounding Susan Hayward’s early-morning rendezvous with sleeping pills, the studio to which the star is under contract is among the very first to be notified.
This sets off an immediate chain reaction destined to cover up the deed or make as light of it as humanly possible.
Every top studio in the business has among its sharp publicity workers one man known among them as “the fixer.” In most instance, he is an ex-policeman or a former police reporter. In any event, he is thoroughly familiar with crime of every type and how news of it is disseminated.
If it’s 3:30 in the morning, as was the time of Miss Hayward’s attempted departure, he is notified in a matter of minutes after the police have taken over.
Somebody in the department usually knows that “Joe” over at Colossal or “Gus” on the Spectacular Lot is vitally interested in what’s going on. Whoever it may be, the fellow is phoned.
Distraught Stars Protected By the Studio’s Mr. ‘Fixer’
The studio “fixer,” possibly fast asleep at the time, then gets on the job. His aim, first of all, is to barricade the door of the afflicted glamorite, cut off the phone service and take up a stand himself as the head information dispenser.
High-pressure life in the movie world has taken its heavy suicide toll during the years, dating far back to when beautiful Olive Thomas, silent-day star, swallowed poison after a quarrel with husband, Jack Pickford.
Lupe Velez’ love for a bit player resulted in a similar act. Most sensational in more recent film history was the suicide of Carol Landis, a tragedy that brought English Actor Rex Harrison into the limelight.
Judy Garland slashed her wrists in a death try five years ago after career and love involvements and was saved only by the quick action of a servant.
But the really big story of Hollywood unhappiness and frustration in the face of high salaries, fan worship and mink-lined swimming pools is the one that may never be told.
Among many others, it would detail the death attempts of a top singing actor, of the one-time bobby-soxer idol, of the 20-year veteran leading man and of the fatal hushed-up suicide of the star whose wife ran off with a big producer.
All of them were saved from ignominy by the unsung hero of the movie lots – the fixer.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
May 9, 1958: Judy “pooh-poohs” analysis of her childhood. Walter Winchell’s column presented Judy’s response to the analyses of her childhood:
Judy Garland has made a contribution to the field of self-analysis, noting: “People who have written about me have tried to analyze my childhood, to explain in the most involved psychological jargon the things that have made me the way I am. But actually I don’t think anyone has ever done an accurate portrait of me. The point that they all seem to miss is that I was pretty much an average adolescent girl. But it took me six years to convince people that I wasn’t permanently 12 years old, a little girl in pigtails.”
Miss Garland later added a significant, contradictory confession: “As a child I lived in a lot of houses, but what I wanted most was a home.” The star now finds the warmth and security of a home in the admiration and applause of audiences.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
May 9, 1959: Ad for Judy’s upcoming concert at Chicago’s Opera House. Note how the previous act was Mantovani and His Orchestra. Judy and Mantovani were reunited, sort of, on the 1983 LP “Merry Christmas,” which featured performances from “The Christmas Episode” of “The Judy Garland Show” on one side, and Mantovani on the other.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
May 9, 1961: Coming soon to Detroit’s Masonic Auditorium on Friday, May 12.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
May 9, 1962: These photos were taken of Judy while she was recording the songs for I Could Go On Singing. Judy recorded the score during the week of May 7th at Abbey Road Studios in London, England. Filming began in London on May 14th.
Judy’s kids (Liza, Lorna, and Joe) can be seen sitting and watching with a large group of family and friends on hand to witness the session. Also seen are Judy’s co-star in the film, Dirk Bogarde, and the film’s musical supervisor, Saul Chaplin.
Photos provided by Kim Lundgreen. Thanks, Kim!
Check out The Judy Room’s Filmography Page on I Could Go On Singing here.
May 9, 1963: Judy attended Danny Kaye’s performance at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York, along with CBS affiliates and the president of the network, James Aubrey. After the show, Aubrey, his daughter, Judy, and about seven other people went to an empty Italian bar where Judy proceeded to treat them to a private concert, which included “Over The Rainbow” sung directly to Aubrey’s daughter.
Photo: Judy and Kaye during a photoshoot for the cover of the 1963 edition of “Show Magazine.”
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
May 9, 1967: Here’s another article about Judy’s short time working on the film Valley of the Dolls.
May 9, 1970: Here are a couple of items regarding the album “Judy. London. 1969.”
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
May 9, 1972: Another installment from the pseudo-biography of Judy by Judy’s last husband, Mickey Deans.
Check out The Judy Room’s “Judy Garland – The Concert Years” here.
