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Biography
She immediately attracted attention in such films as Pigskin Parade
(1936), Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), and Broadway Melody of 1938,
The (1938), but she didn't truly become a star until she was cast
in Wizard of Oz, The (1939). Her performance as Dorothy won her a
special Juvenile Oscar, and it was this role, of course, that gave
her her most famous song, "Over the Rainbow." She then appeared in
a long string of classic MGM musicals, including Meet Me in St.
Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948), and several with her friend,
Mickey Rooney. Unfortunately, it was the same studio that made her
a star that unwittingly made her a drug addict, giving her sleeping
pills and barbituates to keep her energy level high and her weight
level down. She soon couldn't live without these "wonder drugs."
She also couldn't seem to live without a man, as she went through
several affairs, often with older men, and by 1950 had been married
twice, to bandleader David Rose and director Vincente Minnelli. She
had a daughter, Liza Minnelli, with Vincente. All during this time,
her drug intake had increased dramatically, and this led to
increasingly erratic behavior and failure to show up on time at the
studio. MGM eventually couldn't take it any more, and her contract
terminated in 1950. She divorced Minnelli the following year and
married producer Sidney Luft. Luft, the father of her daughter
Lorna Luft and son Joseph Luft, took it upon himself to orchestrate
her comeback, with a series of very successful concert tours. He
also produced the film A Star is Born (1954), in which many feel
she gave her greatest performance. By now she was concentrating on
her career as a singer, which was winning her many more legions of
fans. She continued touring throughout the 50's and 60's, appearing
in three more films and starting her own television variety show in
1963, which had to be canceled after one season because the
competition, "Bonanza, " was too strong. She divorced Luft and
married actor Mark Herron; she divorced him when she found out he
was gay, and married disco manager Mickey Deans. Throughout this
time, however, she still continued her dependency on prescription
drugs, and finally the inevitable happened: on the night of June
22, 1969, she overdosed on barbiturates and died. Thousands mourned
the world over. It was a sad way to end, but she has left a great
legacy: her many films and recordings, as well as her children.
Liza and Lorna are now singers as well, carrying on the family
tradition.
Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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Judy Garland
