Born Frances Gumm,
Judy Garland is known as one of the mainstays of the golden era of MGM musicals. She came by her talent naturally as the daughter of theatrical parents. Her early performing was in a singing trio with her two older sisters, Virginia and Suzanne. When her sisters quit show business when Judy was only twelve, she went to MGM looking for work. She was often paired with
Mickey Rooney, some of those parings in the Andy Hardy series of films. She had fun times on the lot with other actors in her age group, including Mickey,
Freddie Bartholomew,
Tom Drake,
Jackie Cooper and
Deanna Durbin, with who she was matched in a singing duet in an early short film. Her big break came when she was cast in the lead of
The Wizard of Oz (1939), in which she immortalized the song, "Over the Rainbow". This break led to starring in other A-list movies with A-list co-stars in the 1940's. Although most were musicals, there were also some straight dramatic roles. After a brief hiatus from movie-making in the early 1950's, she returned to the screen in one of her greatest triumphs,
A Star Is Born (1954). Through these performances, she will always be known as the all-American girl and America's singing sweetheart.
—Huggo