Judy Garland struggled with insecurities in classic musical: book
David Fantle and Tom Johnson have written a new book about the late ‘Wizard of Oz’ star's 1950 film titled ‘Cmon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock.’
Judy Garland’s star was burning out when she filmed 1950’s "Summer Stock."
The "Wizard of Oz" actress, who was an alcoholic and drug addict before turning 30, was fired from her previous film, "Annie Get Your Gun," and hospitalized for 11 weeks. Despite being hailed as one of MGM’s greatest assets and a familiar name at the box office, she was granted an early release from her contract.
David Fantle and Tom Johnson have written a new book, "C’mon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock." It focuses on Judy Garland's final film with MGM. (University Press of Mississippi)
The musical was her final film for MGM. It’s now being explored in a new book written by David Fantle and Tom Johnson, "C’mon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock." It explores how Garland completed the movie as she struggled behind the scenes and what went on when cameras stopped rolling.
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Gene Kelly and Judy Garland starred in the 1950 musical "Summer Stock." (John Springer Collection/Corbis via Getty Images)
"We have talked to and interviewed enough people to know that it was a troubled production," Fantle told Fox News Digital. "And it was also significant in that it was Judy Garland’s final film with … the only studio she knew for 15 years. … And this was the end of the proverbial road for Judy. And I think we wanted to clear up a lot of misperceptions about the film, particularly as it pertained to Judy."
Judy Garland made her mark with numerous films like "The Wizard of Oz." (FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images))
"The common lore is that … many of the [film’s] delays were solely at Judy’s feet," Fantle shared. "Now, I think in the book, we do a good job of chronicling … what she caused. And she was part of the problem, but by no means she was the entire problem. And I think we need to be empathetic and understand that."
Judy Garland was married to director Vincente Minnelli from 1945 to 1951. (Getty Images)
At the time of filming, Garland’s marriage to her second husband, director Vincente Minnelli, was falling apart. The pair called it quits in 1951. She was also mother to toddler Liza Minnelli as she struggled with a crippling addiction. According to multiple reports, Garland used barbiturates and amphetamines before she slipped into her ruby slippers to stay "camera-thin" and energetic for strenuous days of filming.
Liza Minnelli (left) and her mother Judy Garland having a break on the set of "Summer Stock." (RDB/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
"She had a growing dependency on prescription medications," Fantle said. "So, she was going through a lot of personal emotional upheaval at that time. … She was signed at MGM at age 13 in 1935. I think that while some child stars can go to adulthood and make that transition, many can’t. Judy was successful, but she certainly had to struggle with her personal demons."
Some of MGM's leading ladies included, from left, Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner. (Getty Images)
Johnson told Fox News Digital Garland faced mounting pressure to look like her more glamorous contemporaries like Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner. Garland’s third husband, Sid Luft, later revealed that Garland’s drug habit may have been an effort to numb her insecurities around her weight. He claimed that while filming "Summer Stock," she would stop eating altogether.
Judy Garland as a child star. (Getty Images)
"Something that [director] Charles Walters told us years and years ago, back in the ‘80s. We were asking that exact question, ‘Why was Judy bedeviled by all these insecurities?’" Fantle explained. "And he said, ‘You have to look no further than Marilyn Monroe.’ He said that Judy would’ve given everything, given every bit of her talent to be [Marilyn]. He said she wanted to be just like Marilyn. She wanted to be gorgeous like Marilyn. And she never considered herself pretty.
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Author Tom Johnson said Judy Garland would have given anything to be seen as beautiful as Marilyn Monroe, pictured here. (Frank Povolny/Twentieth Century Fox/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
"She was 4-11, and she just wanted to be gorgeous," Johnson added. "She would’ve sacrificed all of her talent for that in the same way that Marilyn would’ve sacrificed her beauty to be taken seriously as an actress. … She would have given anything to be like Lana Turner, who didn’t have as much talent as Judy. … But she had this bad self-image about how she looked. She just wanted to be beautiful and sought after in that way. And I think she always felt that all through her career, all through her life. … That was a huge demon that she never was able to put to rest."
Judy Garland (center) previously starred in "Ziegfeld Girl" opposite Hedy Lamarr (left) and Lana Turner (right). (Getty Images)
Before Monroe’s fame grew as a sex symbol in the '50s, Garland found herself at Hollywood’s "Dream Factory" with towering, glamorous screen sirens. In the 1941 film "Ziegfeld Girl," Garland appeared alongside Hedy Lamarr, hailed as "the most beautiful woman in the world."
Meanwhile, studio head Louis B. Mayer nicknamed Garland "my little hunchback."
Garland battled insecurities over her appearance for the rest of her life, Johnson pointed out. And a grueling schedule contributed to her reliance on drugs.
Judy Garland doing a radio show with Bob Hope. (NBCU Photo Bank)
"She wasn’t just at MGM making movies," said Fantle. "She was doing dozens of recordings. She was doing live stage performances all over the country. … She was doing radio broadcasts. … And I just think, emotionally, all of these things continued to mount on her and rest on her shoulders."
Producer Joe Pasternak was determined to support his leading lady.
Film producer Joe Pasternak made sure Judy Garland (left) had the right support around her. (LMPC via Getty Images)
"His films always had happy endings," Fantle explained. "We found out through research and conversations that he lost his father, his sister … and about 40 relatives in the Holocaust. Most of them perished in Auschwitz. He was fighting his own inner demons from that point on for the rest of his life.
"And yet, he was always known for these happy-ending musicals. … He was wearing a mask to escape from the personal tragedies that he endured. He was trying to create the happy endings in film that he never had in life."
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Film producer Joe Pasternak with Grace Kelly, circa 1956. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
"[Pasternak] purposely surrounded [Garland] with people that she loved and trusted," Fantle continued. "For Judy, trust was everything. … And Gene Kelly, his first film was with Judy. … He owed everything to Judy, he said. And he would do anything to help her, including staying in that film for a year if it took that long. … [The cast] formed this giant security blanket around Judy to help her get over the finish line."
"Summer Stock" was plagued with problems, but Judy Garland was not solely to blame. (Getty Images)
Fantle stressed that Garland’s woes were just one of several reasons why "Summer Stock" was plagued with problems. He noted that the musical had "a six-month production window," which was significantly longer than most during that time. After shooting scenes, it was discovered there weren’t enough songs to complete the film. With the principal lyricist gone, other composers were brought in. After the new songs were composed, they then needed to be orchestrated and recorded. New solos also had to be filmed.
Still, Garland "got the brunt of the blame" from the press.
"A Star is Born" was Judy Garland's Hollywood comeback. It led to an Oscar nomination. Grace Kelly ended up winning. (Getty Images)
Following "Summer Stock," Garland returned to the stage. And her 1954 musical "A Star is Born" was recognized as her comeback, leading to an Oscar nomination. Despite being favored to win, it was Hitchcock blonde Grace Kelly who won the best actress award for "The Country Girl."
Judy Garland from her MGM years. (Getty Images)
Garland found love again with Luft, whom she married in 1952. They welcomed two children, a daughter named Lorna Luft and a son named Joey Luft. But the couple divorced in 1965. A year later, she was completely broke after new managers embezzled large sums from her, People magazine reported. She married twice more between 1965 and 1969.
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Garland died from an accidental overdose in 1969. She was 47.
Judy Garland singing "Get Happy" in "Summer Stock," directed by Charles Walter. (Getty Images)
Today, Fantle and Johnson hope their book will introduce readers to a Garland musical that they believe is grossly underrated.
"Judy was a trooper," said Johnson. "She had … addiction problems, had insecurities, had a workload that would kill anybody today … and yet she did it. … She faced it — all those demons and all those insecurities and all those deficits.
"You don’t see any of those demons. That’s what, to me, is just amazing about her performance in the film. … That’s a true professional right there."
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