Silver Screen Magic with Judy Garland

Actress Judy Garland became one of the most recognized and acclaimed figures in 20th-century entertainment. This versatile actress could sing and dance and has one of the most celebrated voices in Hollywood history. You could say her career began skipping down the yellow brick road.

Director Busby Berkeley directed the 1939 coming-of-age American film version of the Broadway musical “Babes in Arms." The film starred Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and featured Charles Winninger, Guy Kibbee, June Preisser, and others. This was the second film starring both Rooney and Garland.

The storyline revolves around a group of youngsters that try to put on a show to prove their vaudevillian parents wrong and make it to Broadway.

Director Charles Walters directed the 1948 MGM American Technicolor romantic musical film “Easter Parade." The film starred Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, and Ann Miller.

The storyline revolves around Don Hewes (Fred Astaire), who sets out to turn young singer and dancer Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) into a stage star after being abandoned by his former dancing partner Nadine Hale (Ann Miller).

Director George Sidney directed the MGM 1946 American Technicolor musical film “The Harvey Girls." The film was based on the 1942 novel of the same name by Samuel Hopkins Adams, about Fred Harvey’s Harvey House waitresses. The film starred Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Ray Bolger, and Angela Lansbury. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, “On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe."

The storyline follows Susan Bradley (Judy Garland), a young woman arriving in a small New Mexican town after responding to an ad for a mail-order bride. When she discovers that her husband is a good-for-nothing cowhand, she takes a singing job at the local Harvey House restaurant, working alongside the other girls to earn the town's respect.

Director Robert Z. Leonard directed the 1949 MGM American technicolor musical romantic comedy film “In the Good Old Summertime." The film starred Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S.Z. Sakall, Spring Byington, Clinton Sundberg, and Buster Keaton. It was adapted from the 1940 film “The Shop Around the Corner." The plot was also revived in the 1998 film “You’ve Got Mail” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. At the very end of this film, Garland’s little daughter, Liza Minelli, makes her debut.

The storyline is set in turn-of-the-century Chicago; the story revolves around Andrew Delby Larkin (Van Johnson) and Veronica Fisher (Judy Garland) , co-workers in a music shop who initially dislike each other but unknowingly engage in a romantic correspondence through letters.

Director George B. Seitz directed the 1938 MGM American romantic comedy “Love Finds Andy Hardy." The film starred Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden, and Lana Turner. The film is based on stories from Vivien R. Bretherton and the characters created by Aurania Rouverol.

The storyline revolves around teenager Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney), who becomes entangled with three different girls at once.

Director Vincente Minnelli directed the MGM 1944 American Technicolor music film “Meet Me in St. Louis." The film starred Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Tom Drake, June Lockhart, and others. This was Garland’s first “grown-up" role. Minelli met the actress on the set and later married her.

The storyline revolves around the lives of the Smith family in St. Louis leading up to the opening of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in the spring of 1904.

Director George Cukor directed the 1954 American musical drama film “A Star is Born." The film starred Judy Garland and James Mason.

The storyline revolves around the romance between waning actor Norman Maine (James Mason) and a promising but inexperienced singer, Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland). As her career rises, his slowly fades, leading to a tragic finale.

Director Charles Walters directed the 1950 MGM American Technicolor musical film “Summer Stock." (pictured above) The film starred Judy Garland and Gene Kelly and featured Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and others. This was the last film Garland made for MGM and her last pairing with Kelly.

The storyline revolves around Jane Falbury (Judy Garland), owner of a family farm in Connecticut, who is told by her only two farmhands that they are leaving because she has not paid them in a long time. The farm is in financial straits, so she decides to acquire a tractor to help with the labor, since the farmhands are gone. She goes to her fiancé, Orville Wingait (Eddie Bracken), who runs a local store, about buying a tractor on credit. Orville's father, Jasper, agrees to loan Jane the tractor on the condition she agrees to marry Orville.

Golden Hollywood classic director Victor Fleming directed the MGM 1939 American musical fantasy film “The Wizard of Oz." The film was based on the 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum. The film starred Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton. Garland was 16 years old when she went down the yellow brick road.

The storyline revolves around Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), a young girl from Kansas who is taken to the magical land of Oz via a tornado. Dorothy follows the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, hoping to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.