Editing Judy Garland (section)

==Career==
===1928–1935: The Gumm/Garland Sisters===
In 1928, [[the Gumm Sisters]] enrolled in a dance school run by Ethel Meglin, proprietor of the [[Meglin Kiddies]] dance troupe. They appeared with the troupe at its annual Christmas show.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|pp=29–30}} Through the Meglin Kiddies, they made their film debut in a short subject called ''[[The Big Revue (film)|The Big Revue]]'' (1929), where they performed a song-and-dance number called "That's the Good Old Sunny South". This was followed by appearances in two [[Vitaphone]] shorts the following year: ''A Holiday in Storyland'' (featuring Garland's first on-screen solo) and ''The Wedding of Jack and Jill''. They next appeared together in ''[[Bubbles (film)|Bubbles]]'' (1930). Their final on-screen appearance was in an MGM [[Technicolor]] short entitled ''[[La Fiesta de Santa Barbara]]'' (1935).{{sfn|Finch|1975|pp=43–47, 76}}

The trio had toured the vaudeville circuit as "The Gumm Sisters" for many years by the time they performed in Chicago at the [[Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre|Oriental Theater]] with [[George Jessel (actor)|George Jessel]] in 1934. He encouraged the group to choose a more appealing name after "Gumm" was met with laughter from the audience. According to theater legend, their act was once erroneously billed at a Chicago theater as "The Glum Sisters".<ref name="nytobit">{{cite news |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/00/04/09/specials/garland-obit.html |title=Judy Garland, 47, Found Dead |date=June 23, 1969 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=April 3, 2018 |quote=critics noted that her voice had lost some of its quality. At the same time they noted that her personality retained its full impact.}}</ref>[[File:The Gumm Sisters.jpg|thumb|The Gumm Sisters, also known as the Garland Sisters, c. 1935: Top row: Mary Jane and Dorothy Virginia Gumm; bottom: Frances Ethel (Judy Garland) Gumm]]

Several stories persist regarding the origin of their use of the name Garland. One is that it was originated by Jessel after [[Carole Lombard]]'s character Lily Garland in the film ''[[Twentieth Century (film)|Twentieth Century]]'' (1934), which was then playing at the [[Nederlander Theatre (Chicago)|Oriental]] in Chicago; another is that the girls chose the surname after drama critic Robert Garland.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Judy: Beyond the Rainbow|series=Biography|series-link=Biography (TV series)|air-date=January 1, 1999}}</ref> Garland's daughter [[Lorna Luft]] stated that her mother selected the name when Jessel announced that the trio "looked prettier than a garland of flowers".{{sfn|Luft|1999|p=26}} A TV special was filmed in Hollywood at the [[Pantages Theatre (Hollywood)|Pantages Theatre]] premiere of ''[[A Star Is Born (1954 film)|A Star Is Born]]'' on September 29, 1954, in which Jessel stated:

{{Blockquote|I think that I ought to tell the folks that it was I who named Judy Garland, "Judy Garland." Not that it would have made any difference{{spnd}}you couldn't have hid[den] that great talent if you'd called her "Tel Aviv Windsor Shell", you know, but her name when I first met her was Frances Gumm and it wasn't the kind of a name that so sensitive a great actress like that should have;&nbsp;... and so we called her Judy Garland and I think she's a combination of [[Helen Hayes]] and [[Al Jolson]] and maybe [[Jenny Lind]] and [[Sarah Bernhardt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Born-Disc-Special-DVD/dp/B00006L9X5|title=Pantages Premiere TV Special on disc 2 of A Star is Born DVD|author=Jessel, George|date=April 17, 2019 |publisher=Warner Home Video}}</ref>}}

A later explanation surfaced when Jessel was a guest on [[The Judy Garland Show|Garland's television show]] in 1963. He said that he had sent actress [[Judith Anderson]] a telegram containing the word "garland" and it stuck in his mind.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Episode 12|series=The Judy Garland Show|air-date=November 1, 1963|season=1|number=12}}</ref> However, Garland asked Jessel just moments later if this story was true and he blithely replied "No".{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

By late 1934, the Gumm Sisters had changed their name to the Garland Sisters.<ref>"Program of Comedy Due – Eddie Conrad Will Head Ebell Vaudeville". ''Los Angeles Times''. December 7, 1934. p. 15.</ref> Frances changed her name to "Judy" soon after, inspired by a popular [[Hoagy Carmichael]] song.{{sfn|Edwards|1975|p=27}} The group broke up by August 1935, when Mary Jane "Suzanne" Garland flew to [[Reno, Nevada]] and married musician Lee Kahn, a member of the Jimmy Davis orchestra playing at [[Cal Neva Lodge & Casino|Cal-Neva Lodge]], Lake Tahoe.<ref>"Nuptials Turn Trio to Duet – Cupid Robs Radio Team – Suzanne Garland Flies to Reno to Become Bride of Musician". ''Los Angeles Times''. August 15, 1935. p. A3.</ref>

===1935–1938: Early years at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer===
[[File:August-8-1935-at-superior-court-contract-approval-Al-Rosen-as-rep.webp|thumb|Garland in 1935]]
In September 1935, [[Louis B. Mayer]] asked songwriter [[Burton Lane]] to go to the [[Orpheum Theatre (Los Angeles)|Orpheum Theater]] in downtown Los Angeles to watch the Garland Sisters' vaudeville act and to report to him. A few days later, Garland and her father were brought for an impromptu audition at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in [[Culver City, California|Culver City]]. Garland performed "[[Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart]]" and "Eli, Eli", a [[Yiddish]] song written in 1896 and regularly performed in vaudeville.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Neibaur |first1=James L. |title=The Films of Judy Garland |date=2022 |publisher=McFarland|page=4}}</ref> The studio immediately signed Garland to a contract with MGM, presumably without a [[screen test]], though she had made a test for the studio several months earlier. The studio did not know what to do with her; aged thirteen, she was older than the traditional child star, but too young for adult roles.<ref>{{cite book |title=Get happy: the life of Judy Garland |last1=Clarke |first1=Gerald |publisher=Dell |isbn=978-0-307-55633-2 |chapter=Chapter 5: The Men of Her Dreams |date=November 11, 2009 }}</ref>
[[File:Portrait photo of Garland circa 1936.png|thumb|Garland in a publicity photo for ''[[Pigskin Parade]]'' (1936)|235x235px]]
Her physical appearance was a dilemma for MGM. She was only {{convert|4|ft|11+1/2|in|cm|sigfig=3|abbr=on}} and her "cute" or "[[girl-next-door]]" looks did not exemplify the glamorous persona then required of leading female performers. She was self-conscious and anxious about her appearance. Garland went to school at Metro with [[Ava Gardner]], [[Lana Turner]], [[Elizabeth Taylor]], "real beauties", said [[Charles Walters]], who directed her in a number of films. "Judy was the big money-maker at the time, a big success, but she was the [[The Ugly Duckling|ugly duckling]]&nbsp;... I think it had a very damaging effect on her emotionally for a long time. I think it lasted forever, really."<ref>{{cite episode |title=Judy: Impressions of Garland |url=http://imdb.com/title/tt0813809 |series=Omnibus |air-date=1972}}</ref> Her insecurity was exacerbated by the attitude of studio chief Mayer, who referred to her as his "little hunchback".{{sfn|Wayne|2003|p=204}}

During her early years at the studio, she was photographed and dressed in plain garments or frilly juvenile gowns and costumes to match the "girl-next-door" image created for her. They had her wear removable [[Crown (dentistry)|caps]] on her teeth and rubberized discs to reshape her nose.{{sfn|Frank|1975|p=73}}

On November 16, 1935, 13-year-old Garland was in the midst of preparing for a radio performance on the ''[[Shell Chateau]]x Hour'' when she learned that her father had been hospitalized with [[meningitis]] and his medical condition had taken a turn for the worse. He died the following morning at age 49, leaving her devastated.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Her song for the ''Shell Chateau Hour'' was her first professional rendition of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", a song that became a standard in many of her concerts.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=58}} Garland performed at various studio functions and was eventually cast opposite [[Deanna Durbin]] in the musical short ''[[Every Sunday]]'' (1936). The film contrasted her vocal range and swing style with Durbin's operatic soprano and served as an extended screen test for them, as studio executives were questioning the wisdom of having two girl singers on the roster.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=73}}[[File:Garland in Thoroughbreds Don't Cry trailer.png|thumb|Garland in the ''[[Thoroughbreds Don't Cry]]'' ''trailer'' (1937)|265x265px]]Garland's first feature-length film was a loan-out to Fox titled ''Pigskin Parade'', a football-themed musical comedy, where she was billed tenth after [[Stuart Erwin]], [[Jack Haley]], [[Patsy Kelly]], [[Betty Grable]] and others. Garland sang three solos, including "The Texas Tornado" and "The Balboa".{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}[[File:Rooney-Garland-ebay-1938.jpg|thumb|Garland and [[Mickey Rooney]] in a publicity photo for ''[[Love Finds Andy Hardy]]'' (1938)]]Garland came to the attention of studio executives when she sang a special arrangement of "[[You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)]]" to [[Clark Gable]] at a birthday party that the studio arranged for the actor. Her rendition was so well regarded that she performed the song in the all-star extravaganza ''[[Broadway Melody of 1938]]'' (1937), when she sang to a photograph of him.{{sfn|Edwards|1975|p=47}}

MGM hit a winning formula when it paired Garland with [[Mickey Rooney]] in a string of what were known as "backyard musicals".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?ID=9718 |title=dOc DVD Review: Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection (Babes in Arms/Strike Up the Band/Babes on Broadway/Girl Crazy) (1939–1943) |publisher=Digitallyobsessed.com |date=April 1, 2009 |access-date=April 3, 2010 |archive-date=September 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910001136/http://digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?ID=9718 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The duo first appeared together as supporting characters in the [[B movie]] ''[[Thoroughbreds Don't Cry]]'' (1937). Garland was then cast in the fourth of the Hardy Family movies, ''[[Love Finds Andy Hardy]]'' (1938), as a literal girl-next-door to Rooney's character Andy Hardy, although Hardy's love interest was played by [[Lana Turner]]. They teamed as lead characters for the first time in ''[[Babes in Arms (film)|Babes in Arms]]'' (1939), ultimately appearing in five additional films, including Hardy films ''[[Andy Hardy Meets Debutante]]'' (1940) and ''[[Life Begins for Andy Hardy]]'' (1941).{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Garland stated that she, Rooney and other young performers were constantly prescribed [[amphetamine]]s to stay awake and keep up with the frantic pace of making one film after another.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bertram|first=Colin|title=Judy Garland Was Put on a Strict Diet and Encouraged to Take "Pep Pills" While Filming 'The Wizard of Oz'|url=https://www.biography.com/news/judy-garland-pills-diet-wizard-of-oz|access-date=November 27, 2021|website=Biography|date=December 10, 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref> They were also given [[barbiturate]]s to take before going to bed so they could sleep.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Judy Garland: By Myself |series=[[American Masters]] |air-date=February 25, 2004}}</ref> This regular use of drugs, she said, led to addiction and a life-long struggle. She later resented the hectic schedule and believed MGM stole her youth. Rooney, however, denied their studio was responsible for her addiction: "Judy Garland was never given any drugs by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Mr. Mayer didn't sanction anything for Judy. No one on that lot was responsible for Judy Garland's death. Unfortunately, Judy chose that path."<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Lion in Winter |series=MGM: When the Lion Roars |credits=Stewart, Patrick (host)}}</ref>

Garland's weight was within a healthy range, but the studio demanded she constantly diet. They even went so far as to serve her only a bowl of chicken soup and black coffee when she ordered a regular meal.<ref name="Petersen">{{cite book |last=Petersen |first=Anne H. |author-link1=Anne Helen Petersen |title=Scandals of Classic Hollywood |date=2014 |publisher=Plume (Penguin) |isbn=978-0142180679 |location=New York City |pages=157–78 [164, 166–69] |chapter=10. Judy Garland: Ugly Duckling}}</ref> She was plagued with self-doubt throughout her life; despite successful film and recording careers, awards, critical praise and her ability to fill concert halls worldwide, she required constant reassurance that she was talented and attractive.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|pp=135–36}}

===1938–1939: ''The Wizard of Oz''===
[[File:The Wizard of Oz Judy Garland 1939.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|Garland in a publicity photo for ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]'' (1939)]]
In 1938, when Garland was sixteen, she was cast as Dorothy Gale in ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]'' (1939), a film based on [[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|the 1900 children's book]] by [[L. Frank Baum]]. In the film, she sang the song with which she would be constantly identified afterward, "[[Over the Rainbow]]". Although producers [[Arthur Freed]] and [[Mervyn LeRoy]] had wanted to cast her in the role from the beginning, studio chief Mayer first tried to borrow [[Shirley Temple]] from [[20th Century Fox]], but they declined. [[Deanna Durbin]] was then asked but was unavailable; this resulted in Garland being cast.{{sfn|Juneau|1974|p=37}}

Garland was initially outfitted in a blonde wig for the part, but Freed and LeRoy decided against it shortly into filming. Her blue [[gingham]] dress was chosen for its blurring effect on her figure, which made her look younger.{{sfn|Finch|1975|pp=134–35}} Shooting commenced on October 13, 1938,{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=95}} and it was completed on March 16, 1939,{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=100}} with a final cost of more than $2 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|2|1938}} million in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}).{{sfn|Edwards|1975|p=61}} With the conclusion of filming, MGM kept Garland busy with promotional tours and the shooting of ''[[Babes in Arms (film)|Babes in Arms]]'' (also 1939), directed by [[Busby Berkeley]]. She and Rooney were sent on a cross-country promotional tour, culminating in the August 17 New York City premiere at the [[Capitol Theatre (New York City)|Capitol Theater]], which included a five-show-a-day appearance schedule for the two stars.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|pp=102–03}}

Garland was reportedly put on a diet consisting of cigarettes, chicken soup, and coffee during filming in a further attempt to minimize her curves.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11059785/How-Judy-Garland-was-forced-to-starve-herself-for-the-screen.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11059785/How-Judy-Garland-was-forced-to-starve-herself-for-the-screen.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=How Judy Garland was forced to starve herself for the screen |website=The Telegraph|date=August 29, 2014 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> This may be erroneous, as historians Jay Scarfone and William Stillman clarify that at the time Garland was an anti-smoker and was allowed solid food.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Scarfone |first1=Jay |last2=Stillman |first2=William |title=The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece |date=October 1, 2018 |publisher=Lyons Press |isbn=9781493036295}}</ref> However, her diet was accompanied by swimming and hiking outings, plus games of tennis and badminton with her stunt double Bobbie Koshay.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

''The Wizard of Oz'' was a tremendous critical success, though its high budget and estimated promotion costs of $4 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|4|1939}} million in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}), coupled with the lower revenue that was generated by discounted children's tickets, meant that the film did not return a profit until it was re-released in the 1940s and on subsequent occasions.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=104}} At the [[12th Academy Awards|1939 Academy Awards]] ceremony, Garland received her only [[Academy Award]], an [[Academy Juvenile Award]] for her performances in 1939, including ''The Wizard of Oz'' and ''Babes in Arms''. She was the fourth person to receive the award as well as only one of twelve in history to ever be presented with one.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=105}} After the film, Garland was one of the most bankable actresses in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/motionpictureher141unse/page/14/mode/2up?view=theater|title=Motion Picture Herald|date=November 1940|publisher=Quigley Publishing Co.}}</ref>

===1940–1946: Adult stardom===
[[File:Nellie Kelly.png|thumb|Garland as Nellie Kelly in ''[[Little Nellie Kelly]]'' (1940), which was her first adult role|259x259px]]
Garland starred in three films which were released in 1940: ''[[Andy Hardy Meets Debutante]]'', ''[[Strike Up the Band (film)|Strike Up the Band]]'' and ''[[Little Nellie Kelly]]''. In the last, she played her first adult role, a dual role of both mother and daughter. ''Little Nellie Kelly'' was purchased from [[George M. Cohan]] as a vehicle for her to display both her audience appeal and her physical appearance. The role was a challenge for her, requiring the use of an accent, her first adult kiss and the only death scene of her career.{{sfn|Juneau|1974|pp=55–56}} Her co-star [[George Murphy]] regarded the kiss as embarrassing. He said it felt like "a hillbilly with a child bride".<ref name= Petersen />

During that time, Garland was still in her teens when she experienced her first serious adult romance with bandleader [[Artie Shaw]]. She was deeply devoted to him and was devastated in early 1940 when he eloped with [[Lana Turner]].{{sfn|Frank|1975|pp=148–49}} In the early 1940s, Garland began a relationship with musician [[David Rose (songwriter)|David Rose]], 12 years her senior.<ref name="Nicolaou-2019">{{Cite web |last=Nicolaou |first=Elena |date=September 26, 2019 |title=Inside Judy Garland's Five Marriages |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/09/8473185/judy-garland-husbands-married-divorce#slide-1 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |website=Refinery29 |language=en}}</ref> On her 18th birthday, he proposed to her. MGM disapproved of the relationship because, at the time, he was married to actress and singer [[Martha Raye]]. They agreed to wait a year to allow for his divorce to become final. During that time, Garland had a brief affair with songwriter [[Johnny Mercer]]. After her breakup with Mercer, Garland and Rose were wed on July 27, 1941, when Garland was only 19 years old.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=155}} The media called the relationship "a true rarity".<ref name="Petersen" /> Together, they moved into a house in [[Bel Air, Los Angeles]], where Rose had room to build miniature trains in the backyard. Though life together was initially enjoyable, MGM still disapproved of the relationship and allegedly tried to separate them.<ref name="Nicolaou-2019" /> They, along with Garland's mother, feared the relationship would ruin Garland's image.<ref name="Mosness-2024">{{Cite web |last=Mosness |first=Carissa |date=October 19, 2024 |title=A Look at Judy Garland's 5 Marriages—From Romance to Heartbreak |url=https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/celebrities/judy-garlands-marriages-a-timeline-of-her-5-husbands#:~:text=David%20Rose%20(1941%20to%201944)&text=Rose%20himself%20was%20also%20quite,just%20three%20years%20of%20marriage. |access-date=November 11, 2024 |website=[[Woman's World]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1941, while she was pregnant with Rose's child, Garland had an abortion at the insistence of her mother, Rose, and the studio executives, who disapproved of the pregnancy. According to ''[[Woman's World]]'', Rose was even hostile toward Garland.<ref name="Mosness-2024" /> The couple agreed to undergo a [[trial separation]] in January 1943 and they divorced in 1944.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=211}}
[[File:Judy Garland and Gene Kelly.png|left|thumb|251x251px|Garland and Gene Kelly in a publicity photo for ''[[For Me and My Gal (film)|For Me and My Gal]]'' (1942)]]
In her next film, ''[[For Me and My Gal (film)|For Me and My Gal]]'' (1942), Garland performed with [[Gene Kelly]] in his first screen appearance. She was given the "glamor treatment" in ''[[Presenting Lily Mars]]'' (1943), in which she was dressed in "grown-up" gowns. Her lightened hair was also pulled up in a stylish fashion. However, no matter how glamorous or beautiful she appeared on screen or in photographs, she was never confident about her appearance and never escaped the "girl-next-door" image that the studio had created for her.{{sfn|Frank|1975|p=175}} She had a second abortion in 1943 when she became pregnant during an affair with actor [[Tyrone Power]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=July 15, 2016 |title=Classic Hollywood's Secret: Studio executives Wanted Their Stars to Have Abortions |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/07/classic-hollywood-abortion |access-date=May 27, 2019 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en}}</ref>[[File:Judy Garland in Meet Me in St Louis trailer 2.jpg|thumb|Garland singing "The Trolley Song" in the ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]'' ''trailer'' (1944)|245x245px]]

One of Garland's most successful films for MGM was ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]'' (1944), in which she introduced three standards: "[[The Trolley Song]]", "[[The Boy Next Door (song)|The Boy Next Door]]" and "[[Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas]]". This was one of the first films in her career that gave her the opportunity to be the attractive leading lady. [[Vincente Minnelli]] was assigned to direct and he requested that make-up artist Dorothy Ponedel be assigned to Garland. Ponedel refined her appearance in several ways which included extending and reshaping her eyebrows, changing her hairline, modifying her lip line and removing her nose discs and dental caps. She appreciated the results so much that Ponedel was written into her contract for all her remaining pictures at MGM.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 1, 2000 |title=Till MGM Do Us Part |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2000/04/judy-garland-excerpt-200004 |access-date=May 10, 2022 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}</ref>

Around the same time, Garland had a brief affair with actor and film director [[Orson Welles]], who was then married to actress [[Rita Hayworth]]. Garland and Welles ended the affair in early 1945 but remained on good terms afterwards.<ref>{{cite book |last=Leaming |first=Barbara |url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0879101997 |title=Orson Welles: A Biography |publisher=Limelight |year=2004 |pages=305 |orig-year=1985}}</ref>
[[File:Judy Garland The Harvey Girls MGM Publicity still.jpeg|left|thumb|251x251px|Garland in 1945]]

During the filming of ''Meet Me in St. Louis'', Garland and Minnelli had some initial conflicts, but they entered into a relationship and they got married on June 15, 1945.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hopper|first=Hedda|author-link=Hedda Hopper|title=No More Tears for Judy|work=[[Woman's Home Companion]] |date=September 1954}}</ref> On March 12, 1946, daughter [[Liza Minnelli|Liza]] was born.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=223}}

''[[The Clock (1945 film)|The Clock]]'' (1945) was Garland's first straight dramatic film; [[Robert Walker (actor, born 1918)|Robert Walker]] was cast in the main male role. Though the film was critically praised and earned a profit, most movie fans expected her to sing. She did not act again in a non-singing dramatic role for many years. Garland's other films of the 1940s include ''[[The Harvey Girls]]'' (1946), in which she introduced the Academy Award-winning song "[[On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe]]", and ''[[Till the Clouds Roll By]]'' (1946).<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/25018|access-date=November 27, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

===1947–1950: Last MGM motion pictures===
[[File:Trailer screenshot of Garland in The Pirate.png|thumb|261x261px|Garland in ''[[The Pirate (1948 film)|The Pirate]] trailer'' (1948){{Efn|This particular scene was filmed in 1947.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Pirate – The Judy Room |url=https://www.thejudyroom.com/filmography/the-pirate/ |access-date=December 19, 2024 |website=www.thejudyroom.com}}</ref>|name=}}]]
During the filming of ''[[The Pirate (1948 film)|The Pirate]]'', Garland suffered a [[Mental breakdown|nervous breakdown]] and she was placed in a private [[sanatorium]].{{sfn|Edwards|1975|p=108}} She was able to complete filming, but in July 1947 she made her first suicide attempt, making minor cuts to her wrist with a broken glass.{{sfn|Frank|1975|p=231}} During this period, she spent two weeks in treatment at the [[Austen Riggs Center]], a psychiatric hospital in [[Stockbridge, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/judy-garland/career-timeline/601/ |title=Judy Garland – Career Timeline &#124; American Masters |publisher=PBS |date=July 7, 2004 |access-date=April 3, 2010}}</ref> ''The Pirate'' was released in May 1948 and it was the first film which did not make a profit since Garland had starred in ''The Wizard of Oz''. The main reasons for its failure were not only its cost but also included the increasing expense of the shooting delays while Garland was ill, as well as the general public's unwillingness to accept her in a sophisticated film. Following her work on ''The Pirate'', she co-starred for the first and only time with [[Fred Astaire]] (who replaced Gene Kelly after Kelly had broken his ankle) in ''[[Easter Parade (film)|Easter Parade]]'' (1948), which was Hollywood's highest-grossing musical.<ref>{{cite news |title=When Hollywood's elite became obsessed with Freudian shrinks |url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/luxury/article/when-hollywoods-elite-became-obsessed-with-freudianshrinks-75khdc6ks |access-date=November 19, 2023 |work=[[The Times]]}}</ref>
[[File:Easter Parade.jpg|left|thumb|251x251px|Garland in ''[[Easter Parade (film)|Easter Parade]]'']]
Thrilled by the huge box-office receipts of ''Easter Parade'', MGM immediately teamed Garland and Astaire in ''[[The Barkleys of Broadway]]''. During the initial filming, Garland was taking [[Medical prescription|prescription]] barbiturate sleeping pills along with illicitly obtained pills containing [[morphine]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Clarke|first=Andrew|date=June 14, 2019|title=50 years on: Judy Garland self-destructive genius or the girl never allowed to grow up?|url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/things-to-do/the-tortured-genius-that-was-judy-garland-1407438|access-date=November 27, 2021|website=Eastern Daily Press|language=en-UK|archive-date=November 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127103650/https://www.edp24.co.uk/things-to-do/the-tortured-genius-that-was-judy-garland-1407438|url-status=dead}}</ref> Around this time, she also developed a serious problem with alcohol. These, in combination with [[migraine]] headaches, led her to miss several shooting days in a row. After being advised by her doctor that she would only be able to work in four- to five-day increments with extended rest periods between, MGM executive [[Arthur Freed]] made the decision to suspend her on July 18, 1948. She was replaced in the film by [[Ginger Rogers]].{{sfn|Shipman|1992|p=225}}[[File:Judy Garland as Veronica Fisher.png|thumb|Garland in ''[[In the Good Old Summertime]] trailer'' (1949)|258x258px]]When her suspension was over, she was summoned back to work and she ultimately performed two songs as a guest in the [[Rodgers and Hart]] biopic ''[[Words and Music (1948 film)|Words and Music]]'' (1948), which was her last appearance with Mickey Rooney. Despite the all-star cast, ''Words and Music'' barely broke even at the box office. Having regained her strength, as well as some needed weight during her suspension, Garland felt much better and in the fall of 1948, she returned to MGM to replace a pregnant [[June Allyson]] for the musical film ''[[In the Good Old Summertime]]'' (1949) co-starring [[Van Johnson]]. Although she was sometimes late arriving at the studio during the making of this picture, she managed to complete it five days ahead of schedule. Her daughter Liza made her film debut at the age of two and a half at the end of the film. ''In the Good Old Summertime'' was enormously successful at the box office.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Clarke|first1=Gerald|title=Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland|url=https://archive.org/details/gethappylifeofju00clar|url-access=registration|date=2000|publisher=Random House|page=[https://archive.org/details/gethappylifeofju00clar/page/240 240]|isbn=9780375503788}}</ref>
Garland was then cast in the film adaptation of ''[[Annie Get Your Gun (film)|Annie Get Your Gun]]'' in the title role of [[Annie Oakley]]. She was nervous at the prospect of taking on a role strongly identified with [[Ethel Merman]], anxious about appearing in an unglamorous part after breaking from juvenile parts for several years and disturbed by her treatment at the hands of director [[Busby Berkeley]]. Berkeley was severe with Garland's lack of effort, attitude and enthusiasm. She complained to Mayer, trying to have Berkeley fired from the feature. She began arriving late to the set and sometimes failed to appear. At this time, she was also undergoing [[electroconvulsive therapy]] for depression.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Judy Garland's Legacy
| date=March 29, 1999
| publisher=[[CBS]]
| url =http://www.cbsnews.com/news/judy-garlands-legacy/
| access-date=July 5, 2015}}
</ref><ref>{{cite news
| title = Judy Garland among long list of creative figures given ECT
| newspaper = [[The Scotsman]]
| url = http://www.scotsman.com/news/health/judy-garland-among-long-list-of-creative-figures-given-ect-1-2183163
| access-date = July 5, 2015
| archive-date = September 24, 2015
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924135957/http://www.scotsman.com/news/health/judy-garland-among-long-list-of-creative-figures-given-ect-1-2183163
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Fricke|first1=John|title=Judy: A Legendary Film Career|date=2011|publisher=Running Press|page=286}}</ref> She was fired from the picture on May 10, 1949, and was replaced by [[Betty Hutton]], who stepped in to perform all the musical routines as staged by Robert Alton.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=255}}
Garland underwent an extensive hospital stay at [[Brigham and Women's Hospital|Peter Bent Brigham Hospital]] in [[Boston]], Massachusetts, in which she was weaned off her medication and after a while, was able to eat and sleep normally.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}[[File:Garland on set.webp|left|thumb|280x280px|Garland on the set of [[Summer Stock]] (1950)]]Garland returned to Los Angeles heavier and in the fall of 1949, she was cast opposite Gene Kelly in ''[[Summer Stock]]'' (1950). The film took six months to complete. To lose weight, Garland went back on the pills and the familiar pattern resurfaced. She began showing up late or not at all. When principal photography on ''Summer Stock'' was completed in the spring of 1950, it was decided that Garland needed an additional musical number. She agreed to do it provided the song was "[[Get Happy (song)|Get Happy]]". In addition, she insisted that director [[Charles Walters]] choreograph and stage the number. By that time, Garland had lost 15&nbsp;pounds and looked more slender. "Get Happy" was the last segment of ''Summer Stock'' to be filmed. It was her final picture for MGM. When it was released in the fall of 1950, ''Summer Stock'' drew big crowds and racked up very respectable box-office receipts, but because of the costly shooting delays caused by Garland, the film posted a loss of $80,000 to the studio.<ref>{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}.</ref>

Garland was cast in the film ''[[Royal Wedding]]'' with Fred Astaire after June Allyson became pregnant in 1950. She failed to report to the set on multiple occasions and the studio suspended her contract on June 17, 1950. She was replaced by [[Jane Powell]].{{sfn|Frank|1975|p=271}} Reputable biographies following her death stated that after this latest dismissal, she slightly grazed her neck with a broken glass, requiring only a [[Band-Aid]], but at the time, the public was informed that a despondent Garland had slashed her throat.<ref name=Shana>{{cite news|last=Alexander|first=Shana|title=Judy's New Rainbow|magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]]|date=June 2, 1961}}</ref> "All I could see ahead was more confusion", Garland later said of this suicide attempt. "I wanted to black out the future as well as the past. I wanted to hurt myself and everyone who had hurt me."<ref>{{cite news|last=Hyams|first=Joe|author-link=Joe Hyams|title=Crack-Up
|work=[[Photoplay]]|date=January 1957}}</ref> In September 1950, after 15 years with the studio, Garland and MGM parted company.<ref>{{cite news|title=Judy Garland, M.G.M. Studio Call It Quits|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3121185/judy_garland_mgm_studio_call_it/|access-date=August 30, 2015|work=[[The San Bernardino Sun]]|publisher=The Sun Company of San Bernardino California|volume=57|issue=26|date=September 30, 1950|location=[[San Bernardino, California]]|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref>{{sfn|Frank|1975|pp=284–285}}[[File:Judy Garland 1950 publicity photo.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Publicity photo of Garland in 1950]]

=== 1950–1952: Radio appearances and stage comeback ===
Garland was a frequent guest on ''[[Kraft Music Hall]]'', hosted by her friend [[Bing Crosby]]. Following Garland's second suicide attempt, Crosby, knowing that she was depressed and running out of money, invited her on his radio show – the first of the new season – on October 11, 1950.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}} {{Blockquote|text= She was standing in the wings of it trembling with fear. She was almost hysterical. She said, "I cannot go out there because they're all gonna be looking to see if there are scars and it's gonna be terrible." Bing said "What's going on?" and I told him what happened and he walked out on stage and he said: "We got a friend here, she's had a little trouble recently. You probably heard about it – everything is fine now, she needs our love. She needs our support. She's here – let's give it to her, OK? Here's Judy." And she came out and that place went crazy. And she just blossomed.|sign=[[Hal Kanter]], Writer for Bing}}Garland made eight appearances during the 1950–51 season of ''[[The Bing Crosby – Chesterfield Show]]'', which immediately reinvigorated her career. Soon after, she toured for four months to sell-out crowds in Europe.<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Bing Crosby Rediscovered |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/bing-crosby/full-film-bing-crosby-rediscovered/3605/ |series=American Masters |network=PBS |date=December 26, 2014 |season=28 |time=30:00 minutes in |language=en |access-date=August 23, 2015}}</ref> In 1951, Garland began a four-month concert tour of Britain and Ireland, where she played to sold-out audiences throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland.{{sfn|Frank|1975|p=304}} The successful concert tour was the first of her many comebacks, with performances centered on songs by Al Jolson and the revival of vaudevillian "tradition". Garland performed complete shows as tributes to Jolson in her concerts at the London Palladium in April and at New York's Palace Theater later that year.<ref name="Radano">{{cite book |title=Music and the Racial Imagination |date=2000 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=9780226702001 |editor-last=Radano |editor-first=Ronald |location=Chicago, Illinois |page=135}}</ref>[[File:Judygarland astarisborn warnerbros publicitystill 19542.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Garland in a publicity still (1954)]]Garland said after the Palladium show: "I suddenly knew that this was the beginning of a new life ... Hollywood thought I was through; then came the wonderful opportunity to appear at the London Palladium, where I can truthfully say Judy Garland was reborn."<ref name="Radano" /> Her appearances at the Palladium lasted for four weeks, where she received rave reviews and an ovation described by the Palladium manager as the loudest he had ever heard.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 10, 1951 |title=British Give Judy Garland Big Ovation |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=MacPherson |first=Virginia |date=April 10, 1951 |title=Judy Garland in Comeback with Palladium Contract |publisher=UPI}}</ref>

Garland's engagement at the Palace Theatre in Manhattan in October 1951 exceeded all previous records for the theater and for Garland and was called "one of the greatest personal triumphs in show business history".<ref>{{cite news |last=Garver |first=Jack |date=February 24, 1952 |title=Judy Garland Ends Triumphant Vaudeville Run |agency=[[United Press International]]}}</ref> Garland was honored with a Special Tony Award for her contribution to the revival of vaudeville.<ref>{{cite web |title=Judy Garland |url=http://www.tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160831204617/http://www.tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search |archive-date=August 31, 2016 |access-date=December 24, 2007 |publisher=American Theatre Wing}}</ref>

Garland divorced Minnelli that same year.{{sfn|Juneau|1974|p=108}} On June 8, 1952, she married Sidney Luft, her tour manager and producer, in Hollister, California.<ref>{{cite news |last=Garver |first=Jack |date=June 12, 1952 |title=Judy Garland Married With Simple Ceremony |agency=[[United Press International]]}}</ref> On November 21, 1952, Garland gave birth to daughter Lorna Luft, who became an actress and singer. On March 29, 1955, she gave birth to her son Joey Luft.{{sfn|Edwards|1975|p=166}}

=== 1954–1963: Hollywood return, concerts, and television ===

==== 1954–1963: Hollywood comeback ====
[[File:Garland Star Born recrop.jpg|thumb|upright|Garland in ''[[A Star Is Born (1954 film)|A Star Is Born]]'' (1954)]]
Garland appeared with [[James Mason]] in the [[Warner Bros.]] film ''[[A Star Is Born (1954 film)|A Star Is Born]]'' (1954), the first remake of [[A Star Is Born (1937 film)|the 1937 film]]. She and Sidney Luft, her then-husband, produced the film through their [[production company]], Transcona Enterprises, while Warner Bros. supplied finances, production facilities and crew.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=308}} Directed by [[George Cukor]], it was a large undertaking to which she initially fully dedicated herself.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brief Descriptions and Expanded Essays of National Film Registry Titles {{!}} National Film Preservation Board {{!}} Programs at the Library of Congress |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/descriptions-and-essays/ |website=Library of Congress, Washington, DC |access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref>

As shooting progressed, however, she began making the same pleas of illness that she had so often made during her final films at MGM. Production delays led to cost overruns and angry confrontations with Warner Bros. head [[Jack L. Warner]]. Principal photography wrapped on March 17, 1954. At Luft's suggestion, the "Born in a Trunk" medley was filmed as a showcase for her and inserted over director Cukor's objections, who feared the additional length would lead to cuts in other areas. It was completed on July 29.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=319}}

Upon its world premiere on September 29, 1954, the film was met with critical and popular acclaim. Before its release, it was edited at the instruction of Jack Warner; theater operators, concerned that they were losing money because they were only able to run the film for three or four shows per day instead of five or six, pressured the studio to make additional reductions. After its first-run engagements, about 30 minutes of footage were cut, sparking outrage among critics and filmgoers. Although it was still popular, drawing huge crowds and grossing over $6 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|6|1954|r=1}} million in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}) in its first release, ''A Star is Born'' did not make back its cost and ended up losing money. As a result, the secure financial position Garland had expected from the profits did not materialize.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=325}} Transcona made no more films with Warner.{{sfn|Juneau|1974|p=126}}
[[File:Judy Garland filming A Star Is Born.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Garland filming a scene as a restaurant [[carhop]] for ''A Star Is Born'' (1954)]]
Garland was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and, in the run-up to the [[27th Academy Awards]], was generally expected to win for ''A Star Is Born''. She could not attend the ceremony because she had just given birth, so a television crew was in her hospital room with cameras and wires to broadcast her anticipated acceptance speech. The Oscar was won, however, by [[Grace Kelly]] for ''[[The Country Girl (1954 film)|The Country Girl]]'' (1954). The camera crew packed up before Kelly could even reach the stage. [[Groucho Marx]] sent Garland a telegram after the awards ceremony, declaring her loss "the biggest robbery since [[Great Brink's Robbery|Brinks]]".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/|access-date=November 27, 2021|website=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' labeled her performance as "just about the greatest one-woman show in modern movie history".{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=326}} Garland won the [[Golden Globe Award]] for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actress in a Musical]] for the role.<ref>{{cite web|title=Judy Garland|publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]]|url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/member/29377|access-date=December 24, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080111182936/http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/member/29377|archive-date=January 11, 2008}}</ref>

Garland's films after ''A Star Is Born'' included ''[[Judgment at Nuremberg]]'' (1961) (for which she was Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated for Best Supporting Actress),<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 5, 2013 |title=Gay Purr-ee (1962) |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17933/Judgment-at-Nuremberg/ |website=[[Turner Classic Movies|TCM]]}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> the animated feature ''[[Gay Purr-ee]]'' (1962) and ''[[A Child Is Waiting]]'' (1963) with [[Burt Lancaster]]. Her final film was ''[[I Could Go On Singing]]'' (1963) with [[Dirk Bogarde]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Garland|first1=Judy|title=I Could Go on Singing|date=October 11, 1963|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057168/|work=IMDb|last2=Bogarde|last3=Klugman|last4=MacMahon|first2=Dirk|first3=Jack|first4=Aline|access-date=January 31, 2017}}</ref>

==== 1955–1961: Television, concerts and Carnegie Hall ====
[[File:Judy Garland at Greek Theater.jpg|thumb|left|Garland in her dressing room at the [[Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)|Greek Theatre]] (1957)]]

Garland appeared in a number of television specials beginning in 1955. The first was the 1955 debut episode of ''[[Ford Star Jubilee]]''; this was the first full-scale color broadcast ever on [[CBS]] and was a ratings triumph, scoring a 34.8 [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]]. She signed a three-year, {{US$|300000}} ({{Inflation|US-GDP|300000|1955|r=-4|fmt=eq}}) contract with the network. Only one additional special was broadcast in 1956, a live concert-edition of ''[[General Electric Theater]]'', before the relationship between the Lufts and CBS broke down in a dispute over the planned format of upcoming specials.{{sfn|Sanders|1990|p=24}}

In 1956, Garland performed for four weeks at the [[New Frontier Hotel and Casino|New Frontier Hotel]] on the [[Las Vegas Strip]] for a salary of {{US$|55000}} ({{Inflation|US-GDP|55000|1956|r=-4|fmt=eq}}) per week, making her the highest-paid entertainer to work in Las Vegas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/judy-garland/about-judy-garland/600/ |title=Judy Garland – About Judy Garland &#124; American Masters |publisher=PBS |date=July 7, 2004 |access-date=April 3, 2010}}</ref> Despite a brief bout of [[laryngitis]], when [[Jerry Lewis]] filled in for her for one performance while she watched from a wheelchair, her performances there were so successful that her run was extended an extra week.{{sfn|Frank|1975|pp=420–21}} Later that year, she returned to the Palace Theatre, site of her two-a-day triumph. She opened in September, once again to rave reviews and popular acclaim.<ref>{{cite news
| title =Judy Reigns in Palace as Queen of New York
| publisher=[[United Press International|UPI]]
| date =October 31, 1952
}}</ref>

In November 1959, Garland was hospitalized after she was diagnosed with acute [[hepatitis]].<ref>{{cite news
| title =Judy Garland Said To Have Hepatitis
| publisher=[[United Press International|UPI]]
| date =November 26, 1959
}}</ref> Over the next few weeks, several quarts of fluid were drained from her body until she was released from the hospital in January 1960, still in a weak condition. She was told by doctors that she probably had five years or less to live and that, even if she did survive, she would be a semi-invalid and would never sing again.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=347}} She initially felt "greatly relieved" at the diagnosis. "The pressure was off me for the first time in my life."<ref name = Shana /> However, she recovered over the next several months and in August of that year, returned to the stage of the Palladium. She felt so warmly embraced by the British that she announced her intention to move permanently to England.{{sfn|Clarke|2001|p=349}}

At the beginning of 1960, Garland signed a contract with [[Random House]] to write her autobiography. The book was to be called ''The Judy Garland Story'' and to be a collaboration with [[Fred F. Finklehoffe]]. Garland was paid an advance of {{US$|35000}} ({{Inflation|US-GDP|35000|1960|r=-4|fmt=eq}}) and she and Finklehoffe recorded conversations about her life to be used in producing a manuscript. Garland worked on her autobiography on and off throughout the 1960s, but never completed it. Portions of her unfinished autobiography were included in the 2014 biography, ''Judy Garland on Judy Garland: Interviews and Encounters'' by Randy L. Schmidt.<ref name="Schechter-2018">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/judygarlanddayby00sche|title=Judy Garland : the day-by-day chronicle of a legend|first=Scott|last=Schechter|date=September 21, 2018|publisher=New York : Cooper Square Press; [Lanham, MD] : Distributed by National Book Network|isbn=9780815412052|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tdrvjgEACAAJ | title=Judy Garland on Judy Garland: Interviews and Encounters| isbn=978-1613735466| last1=Schmidt| first1=Randy L| year= 2016| publisher=Chicago Review Press, Incorporated|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Her concert appearance at [[Carnegie Hall]] on April 23, 1961, was a considerable highlight, called by many "the greatest night in show business history".<ref>{{cite news
| last =Cox
| first =Gordon
| title =Rufus Over The Rainbow
| work=Variety
| date =May 28, 2006
| url=https://variety.com/2006/legit/news/rufus-over-the-rainbow-1200335455/ |access-date=January 23, 2014}}</ref> The two-record album ''[[Judy at Carnegie Hall]]'' was certified [[Music recording sales certification|gold]], charting for 95 weeks on ''Billboard'', including 13 weeks at number one. It won four [[Grammy Award]]s, including [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]], [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance|Best Female Vocal of the Year]], [[Grammy Award for Best Recording Package|Best Album Cover]], and [[Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical|Best Engineering Contribution]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=4th Annual GRAMMY Awards {{!}} GRAMMY.com |url=https://grammy.com/awards/4th-annual-grammy-awards |access-date=June 22, 2024 |website=grammy.com}}</ref>

===1961–1964: ''The Judy Garland Show''===
[[File:Dean Martin, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra in 1962.jpg|thumb|left|[[Dean Martin]], Garland and [[Frank Sinatra]] on the 1962 television special ''The Judy Garland Show'']]
In 1961, Garland and CBS settled their contract disputes with the help of her new agent, [[Freddie Fields]], and negotiated a new round of specials. The first, titled ''The Judy Garland Show'', aired on February 25, 1962,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://letterboxd.com/film/judy-frank-dean-once-in-a-lifetime/|title=Judy, Frank & Dean – Once in a Lifetime (1962)|website=Letterboxd.com}}</ref> and featured guests [[Frank Sinatra]] and [[Dean Martin]].{{sfn|Sanders|1990|p=29}} Following this success, CBS made a $24 million offer (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|24|1962|r=1}} million in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}) to her for a weekly television series of her own, also to be called ''[[The Judy Garland Show]]'', which was deemed at the time in the press to be "the biggest talent deal in TV history". Although she had said as early as 1955 that she would never do a weekly television series,<ref>{{cite news|last=Parsons|first=Louella|author-link=Louella Parsons|title=TV Spectacular Gives New Rainbow to Judy|work=[[The Daily Review]]|date =September 23, 1955}}</ref> in the early 1960s, she was in a financially precarious situation. She was several hundred thousand dollars in debt to the [[Internal Revenue Service]], having failed to pay taxes in 1951 and 1952 and the failure of ''A Star is Born'' meant that she received nothing from that investment.{{sfn|Edwards|1975|p=175}}

Following a third special, ''Judy Garland and Her Guests [[Phil Silvers]] and [[Robert Goulet]]'', Garland's weekly series debuted September 29, 1963.{{sfn|Sanders|1990|p=391}} ''The Judy Garland Show'' was critically praised,{{sfn|Sanders|1990|pp=108–09}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=Richard Warren|title=The TV Troubles of Judy Garland|work=[[The Saturday Evening Post]]|date=December 7, 1963}}</ref> but for a variety of reasons (including being placed in the time slot opposite ''[[Bonanza]]'' on [[NBC]]), the show lasted only one season and was canceled in 1964 after 26 episodes. Despite its short run, the series was nominated for four [[Emmy Award]]s, including Best Variety Series.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Judy Garland Show|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/judy-garland-show|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114115820/http://www.emmys.com/shows/judy-garland-show|archive-date=January 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

During this time, Garland had a six-month affair with actor [[Glenn Ford]]. Garland's biographer [[Gerald Clarke (author)|Gerald Clarke]], Ford's son [[Peter Ford (actor)|Peter]], singer [[Mel Tormé]], and her husband Sid Luft wrote about the affair in their respective biographies. The relationship began in 1963 while Garland was doing her television show. Ford would attend tapings of the show sitting in the front row while Garland sang. Ford is credited with giving Garland one of the more stable relationships of her later life. The affair was ended by Ford (a notorious womanizer, according to his son Peter) when he realized Garland wanted to marry him.<ref>{{cite book|first=Peter|last=Ford|author-link=Peter Ford (actor)|title=Glenn Ford: A Life (Wisconsin Film Studies)|publisher=[[University of Wisconsin Press]]|location=Madison, Wisconsin|date=2011|pages=209, 210, 211|isbn=978-0-29928-154-0}}</ref>[[File:Backstage with Judy Garland and her kids.png|thumb|243x243px|Garland backstage with her three children]]