Garland is still considered a superstar for performances in some of the best loved musicals of all time. But not only that she was an amazing dramatic actress and was not used to her full potential by the studios.
Wildly mistreated and abused, she has become a Hollywood cautionary tale. However despite all the drama surrounding her, the legacy she has left us is nothing short of remarkable. Here is the list of my favourite of her performances and films.
Running Time: 1 Hour 35 mins
Genre: Musical/Romance
Director: Norman Taurog/Busby Berkeley
Stars: Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, June Allyson
The fourth and last in a series of backyard musicals directed by Busby Berkeley and starring opposite Mickey Rooney (her greatest on-screen partner). Girl Crazy tells of a young man Danny (Rooney) rich on life and girls who is sent to a remote boys school in the west by his despairing father. Being the only girl Danny is immediately drawn to Ginger (Judy) but she is tough and has no time for this city boy.
With great songs and set pieces this is an adorable movie.
Running Time: 1 Hour 45 mins
Genre: Musical/War
Director: Busby Berkeley
Stars: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, George Murphy
Remembered largely for being Gene Kelly's first film he credited Judy with teaching him how to behave on camera. Gene and Judy are Harry Palmer and Jo Hayden two vaudeville actors who end up partnering and eventually falling in love. But they are interrupted by the War, Harry injures himself in a cowardly attempt to get out of being drafted, which works. But in the process he loses Jo, he goes out of his way to get to the front the only way he now can, by entertaining the troops. Great music and a sweet ending, nice and simple plot, priceless.
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Running Time: 1 Hour 40 mins
Genre: Musical/Comedy
Director: Robert Z. Leonard
Stars: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z. Sakall
The second of three takes on the script (the first The Shop Around the Corner (1940) with James Stewart, last You've Got Mail (1998) with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan). It is the story of 2 shop employees who cannot stand each other. Both are having romances by mail not realising that they are writing and in love with each other. This is a charming and hilarious take on the simple romance.
Running Time: 1 Hour 40 mins
Genre: Musical/Fantasy
Director: Victor Fleming/George Cukor
Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger
The most watched film of all time for many years, it remains a classic musical for all generations. It is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and is more popular now than the year it was released.
A young girl Dorothy Gale is transported in her house by a twister from her farm in Kansas to the magical land of Oz over the rainbow.
She meets many new friends and unsavoury characters in her attempt to make it home. Fantastic cinematography, classic songs and a great moral message.
Running Time: 1 Hour 45 mins
Genre: Musical/Romance
Director: Charles Walters
Stars: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Phil Silvers
The last film Judy made for MGM before she was fired that same year. Summer Stock tells of a young farm owner Jane Falbury who feels obligated to run her families farm and marry her neighbour. Until her life is turned upside down by the arrival of her sister Abigail and her boyfriend Joe (Kelly) and a full stock company intent on putting on a show in her barn. At first she resists but eventually she comes to enjoy this exciting lifestyle and understands Joe rather better than her sister does. A lovely old Hollywood musical.
Running Time: 1 Hour 50 mins
Genre: Musical/Family
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Stars: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor
A christmas classic, future husband Vincente Minnelli shot Garland at her most beautiful angles. She is Esther the third of 5 children in the Smith family. The film takes the audience back to 1903 and the build up to the world fair in St. Louis and the romantic tribulations of the two eldest smith girls. With great songs (including Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas - now an annual classic) and a brilliantly simple but moving story about family this is a must see, especially during the holidays.
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 mins
Genre: Drama/Romance/War
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Stars: Judy Garland, Robert Walker, James Gleason
The first dramatic role she ever took, this sees Judy's Alice Mayberry meet a young soldier Joe Allen on a 2 day leave in New York. Knowing nobody she agrees to show him the sights. They find it increasingly difficult to say goodbye and find more and more things to do together. Over the space of his leave they fall in love and decide to get married before he returns to camp. They rush against time to accomplish it. A wonderfully shot film (Vincente Minnelli was brought in at Judy's insistence) and a story which must be true to the life of many young lovers during the hard years of war.
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03 - Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)
Running Time: 3 Hours
Genre: Drama/War
Director: Stanley Kramer
Stars: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Judy Garl
Only a small part in an all star cast about the trials of the German judges after the end of the war. Garland plays a German woman who in her younger life was persecuted for having a relationship with a Jewish man which was categorically forbidden. She is called to the stand as a witness against the injustice. This is one of the most harrowing and outstanding performances I have witnessed. Judy was Oscar nominated for the film, (she should have won). At 3 hours it is a long film and Judy is barely in it, but it is worth seeing for her unbelievably moving part.
Running Time: 1 Hour 45 mins
Genre: Musical/Romance
Director: Charles Walters
Stars: Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, Ann Miller
Meant for Gene Kelly until he broke his ankle, this brought Astaire out of retirement. They made a great team in this story of a song and dance man Don Hewes whose partner leaves him to go solo. He finds a new woman Hannah Brown (Judy) who he decides to mold into his old partner to prove he doesn't need her and can use anybody. He soon realises that Hannah has talents of her own and begins to utilise them. They also fall in love during the long hours rehearing and performing. Excellent songs from the great Irving Berlin and great chemistry between 2 masters of their trade.
01 - A Star is Born (1954)
Running Time: 1 Hour 50 mins
Genre: Musical/Drama
Director: George Cukor
Stars: Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson
By far the greatest performance of her career she was robbed of the Best Actress Oscar (by Grace Kelly) for her role as Esther Blodgett the bar singer who is noticed by the famous actor Norman Maine. They fall in love and marry but as her star rises and she becomes the beloved Vicki Lester, his begins to fall due to his addiction to alcohol and their relationship suffers.
A moving masterpiece until it was butchered in editing by Warner Brothers this should have been Garland's big comeback to pictures. Never-the-less she is outstanding musically and dramatically, in this tale ironically close to her own life.
So that is my list, all amazing performances, perhaps surprising to some, I feel her best performances were those that required her not to sing but to dramatically act, and she was absolutely capable of that. In a career that started as a small child all the way up to her tragically premature death (she was only 47) she was always outstanding. Standing at only 4 foot 11" she had a voice that could bounce off a 3 story ceiling, and those eyes could express so much without a single word uttered. If I could introduce even one person to this unbelievable actress and her body of work I consider my time well spent.
Hope you watch the films and enjoyed the list. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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