Editing Judy Garland (section)

===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>