The 100th Birthday of Judy Garland

Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm 100 years ago today, on June 10 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Her parentswere vaudevillians who settled down to run a movie and vaudeville theatre. The family moved to Lancaster, California where young Frances Ethel Gumm and her sisters began their career in entertainment as the Gumm Sisters. The Gumm Sisters proved relatively successful. They toured the vaudeville circuit and appeared in short films. The Gumm Sisters would eventually become the Garland Sisters, with Frances Ethel Gumm taking the first name "Judy." It was in 1935, after Suzanne Garland (born Mary Jane Gumm) got married, that the Garland Sisters broke up as an act. It was that same year that Judy Garland would be signed to MGM. Four years later she was catapulted to superstardom in The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Judy Garland remains one of the most famous stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, as well as one of the most beloved. In their list of the Greatest Female Stars of All-Time, the American Film Institute ranked eighth, and one has to suspect many would have ranked her much higher. Indeed, she has been called "the World's Greatest Entertainer." Many of her movies, including The Wizard of Oz (1939), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and A Star is Born (1954), are counted among the greatest movies of all time. Many of the songs she originated in movies, including "Over the Rainbow," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "The Man That Got Away," have become standards. One hundred years after her birth, Judy Garland is still a superstar.

While Judy Garland made many films in her career, it seems likely that much of her continued fame is due to one film: The Wizard of Oz. Contrary to popular belief, The Wizard of Oz did do well at the box office (it was the fifth highest grossing film of 1939), it was simply a case that its production costs and other costs were so high that it did not make a profit. It certainly did well in its re-releases. More than its several re-releases to theatres, it was perhaps its annual airings on television that contributed most to Judy Garland's fame. It first aired on television on Ford Star Jubilee in 1956. Starting in 1959, The Wizard Oz would air annually on network television until 1996. Since then it still airs regularly on Turner Classic Movies, TNT, and TBS, and is available on streaming as well.

It is largely because of its annual airings on broadcast network television that many estimate The Wizard of Oz is the most viewed film in history. Indeed, it seems likely that because of the annual airings of The Wizard of Oz, not only is it the first classic film many younger Baby Boomers and the entirety of Generation X and the Millennials ever saw, making Judy Garland the first classic movie star to whom they were exposed. Of course, The Wizard of Oz was not the only Judy Garland movie that would air regularly on television. Meet Me in St. Louis would air on many stations on a regular basis, particularly at Christmas time. Easter Parade would be an annual Easter event for many local stations. It seems likely that a good swathe of Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials were all exposed to Judy Garland well before they turned 18.

Of course, even with annual airings of The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland would not have remained popular had it not been for her enormous talent. As an actress she was capable of displaying a wide range of emotions, not simply in her words but also in her expressions and body language. She was ideally suited to comedy and musicals, but she was capable of playing drama as well. Judy Garland was as good in Judgement at Nuremberg as she was Meet Me in St. Louis. Judy Garland was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress for A Star is Born (an Oscar many believe she should have won) and Best Supporting Actress for Judgement at Nuremberg. Judy Garland was also a fairly good dancer, displaying her talent in many musicals. As great an actress as Judy Garland was, it can be argued that she was an even better singer. Miss Garland was blessed with a powerful contralto over which she had perfect control. What is more, while singing Judy Garland could imbue her voice with a multitude of emotions. It is little wonder that "Over the Rainbow" would be counted by the American Film Institute as the greatest movie song of all time.

When discussing Judy Garland's popularity, her status as a gay icon really cannot be ignored. It seems likely she was already a gay icon before she died. More one than writer at the time noted a disproportionate number of her fans present at her 1967 engagement at the Palace Theatre in New York City were gay. As a heterosexual cisgendered male, I am not sure I can entirely explain how or why Judy Garland became a gay icon, but I think part of the reason may also be why she remains popular with audiences in general. Both in her films and in life Judy Garland was something of an outsider. In The Wizard of Oz, she played Dorothy Gale, a young woman who longs for life beyond the confines of her aunt and uncle's Kansas farm. She played a small town girl aspiring to dreams on Broadway in Presenting Lily Mars (1943). In The Harvey Girls (1946) it is Judy Garland's character Susan who leads the fight against Judge Sam Purvis's (Preston Foster)campaign to drive the Harvey Girls away to keep the town's saloon thriving. In real life Judy Garland was a bit of an outsider as well. While there is no doubt that Judy Garland is and was a star, she never fit neatly into the categories into which the studios liked to place actresses. Although she was very attractive, Judy Garland was never counted as a great beauty and she was never counted as a glamour girl. Although she was a great actress, she was never counted among such enormous talents as Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn. In many ways Judy Garland stood apart from the Hollywood mainstream. Anyone who does not feel as if they fit into mainstream society, whether because of sexual orientation or some other reason, will probably feel some affection for Judy Garland for that reason.

Of course, Judy Garland would have an enormous impact on many. For me, The Wizard of Oz was the first classic film I can remember watching and as a result Judy Garland was the first classic movie star of whom I was aware. Judy Garland and The Wizard of Oz could then be counted as the start of my journey as a classic movie buff. By the time I was an adult I had already seen many of her movies, including Meet Me in St, Louis and A Star is Born. Judy Garland would have an even bigger impact on my dear friend Vanessa Marquez. It was after she saw The Wizard of Oz for the first time when she was three or four that she decided she wanted to be an actress when she grew up. The list of other celebrities inspired by Miss Garland is not a short one: Bete Midler, Freddie Mercury, Donna Summer, Janelle Monae, and many others. Judy Garland has had a lasting impact on pop culture and there can be no doubt she will continue to do so for the next 100 years.