Garland, Judy (1922-1969)
At the end of the twentieth century, 30 years after her tragically premature death, Judy Garland is still a legend to legions of fans theworld over, who recognize in her one of the twentieth century's all-time great American talents. As Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1938), she symbolized the innocence and hope that would both desert her in her own life, which came to represent an unhappy paradigm of the fate that befell so many child stars who were victims of the old Hollywood studio system. As an MGM "triple threat" from 1938 to 1950, she acted, danced, and sang her way through more than two dozen feature films, many of which are now considered classics of the Hollywood musical genre. She possessed a powerful and expressive voice, unique in tone, and full of pain and vulnerability—she once said, "I have a voice that hurts people when they think they want to be hurt." She recorded nearly 100 singles and more than two dozen albums with that voice. Diminutive, but vibrating with nervous energy and charisma, she became a gay icon among show business devotees, much as Maria Callas did among opera buffs. Her life was turbulent and terrible, her legacy a joyous inspiration.
This page contains 201 words.
Garland, Judy (1922-1969) article
Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 2,383 words
(approx. 8 pages at 300 words per page).
Order our Judy Garland Article
