Judy Garland

Biography

Judy Garland was an American actress and singer whose career spanned four decades. Born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, she began performing at age two with her sisters as the Gumm Sisters. After signing with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1935, she moved from supporting roles to leading parts. Her Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939) brought international fame, followed by MGM musicals Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948), and Summer Stock (1950). She earned Academy Award nominations for A Star Is Born (1954) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). As a recording artist she made eleven studio albums between 1939 and 1962; Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961) made her the first woman to win the Grammy for Album of the Year. Her honors included a Special Tony Award, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, and an Academy Juvenile Award. Garland died in 1969.

47years old at death

Born June 10, 1922Grand Rapids
Died June 22, 1969Chelsea
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
Frances Ethel Gumm (birth name)Also credited as Frances Gumm

Movie Career

Films: 30
Career span: 87 years1938 to 2025

Genres

Comedy47%, 14 films
Romance43%, 13 films
Music37%, 11 films
Musical27%, 8 films
Drama23%, 7 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

A first
Garland's live album Judy at Carnegie Hall came out in 1961. With it, she became the first woman to take the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
A role that slipped away
Garland lost the role on May 10, 1949, when the studio let her go. Betty Hutton came in and took over all the musical numbers that Robert Alton had staged.
A role that slipped away
MGM executive Arthur Freed decided to suspend Garland on July 18, 1948, and Ginger Rogers took her place in the film.
First role
Billed tenth, Garland made her feature-length debut in the Fox loan-out Pigskin Parade, a football-themed musical comedy. She sang three solos in the film, among them "The Texas Tornado" and "The Balboa".
About the name
Garland's stage name came from George Jessel, who renamed the Gumm Sisters after "Gumm" drew laughter from a Chicago audience.
A first
Garland was the fourth recipient of the Academy Juvenile Award and one of only 12 actors ever given one, winning it for her 1939 performances including The Wizard of Oz and Babes in Arms.

Judy Garland movies on Netflix

It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley2025IMDb rating 7.6as Himself
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story2025IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
Lynch/Oz2022IMDb rating 6.9as Himself
Sid & Judy2019IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
That's Entertainment, Part II1976IMDb rating 7.3
A Child Is Waiting1963IMDb rating 7.2as Jean Hansen
Gay Purr-ee1962IMDb rating 6.7as Mewsette (voice)
Judgment at Nuremberg1961IMDb rating 8.3as Irene Hoffman
Pepe1960IMDb rating 5.5as Vocalist on Radio (voice)
A Star Is Born1954IMDb rating 7.5as Vicki Lester
Summer Stock1950IMDb rating 7.1as Jane Falbury
In the Good Old Summertime1949IMDb rating 7.1as Veronica Fisher
Easter Parade1948IMDb rating 7.3as Hannah Brown
The Pirate1948IMDb rating 6.8as Manuela Alva
Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4as Judy Garland
The Harvey Girls1946IMDb rating 7.0as Susan Bradley
Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4as Marilyn Miller
The Clock1945IMDb rating 7.3as Alice Maybery
Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4as The Star ('A Great Lady Has An Interview')
Meet Me in St. Louis1944IMDb rating 7.5as Esther Smith
Girl Crazy1943IMDb rating 6.8as Ginger Gray
Thousands Cheer1943IMDb rating 6.2as Judy Garland
For Me and My Gal1942IMDb rating 7.0as Jo Hayden
Babes on Broadway1941IMDb rating 6.6as Penny Morris
Ziegfeld Girl1941IMDb rating 6.7as Susan Gallagher
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante1940IMDb rating 6.6as Betsy Booth
Strike Up the Band1940IMDb rating 6.8as Mary Holden
Babes in Arms1939IMDb rating 6.3as Patsy Barton
The Wizard of Oz1939IMDb rating 8.1as Dorothy
Love Finds Andy Hardy1938IMDb rating 6.7as Betsy

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Wizard of Oz1939 Adventure, Family, Fantasyas Dorothy
IMDb rating 8.1473K votes
A Star Is Born1954 Drama, Music, Romanceas Vicki Lester
IMDb rating 7.521K votes
Meet Me in St. Louis1944as Esther Smith
IMDb rating 7.531K votes
Judgment at Nuremberg1961as Irene Hoffman
IMDb rating 8.399K votes
Easter Parade1948as Hannah Brown
IMDb rating 7.312K votes
The Pirate1948as Manuela Alva
IMDb rating 6.86.1K votes
The Harvey Girls1946as Susan Bradley
IMDb rating 7.05.5K votes
Summer Stock1950as Jane Falbury
IMDb rating 7.15.3K votes

Most often with

Vincente Minnelli directed four of these films, Busby Berkeley four and George Sidney four. Mickey Rooney appears in ten of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Mickey Rooney

Gene Kelly

Fred Astaire

Cyd Charisse

Kathryn Grayson

Lena Horne

Vincente MinnelliDirector, 4 films

Busby BerkeleyDirector, 4 films

George SidneyDirector, 4 films

Films together

Mickey Rooney10 films together, 1938 to 2019
Mickey Rooney's page
- Sid & Judy2019IMDb rating 7.4Garland as HimselfRooney as Himself
- That's Entertainment, Part II1976IMDb rating 7.3
- Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4Garland as Judy GarlandRooney as Lorenz Hart
- Girl Crazy1943IMDb rating 6.8Garland as Ginger GrayRooney as Danny Churchill, Jr.
- Thousands Cheer1943IMDb rating 6.2Garland as Judy GarlandRooney as Mickey Rooney
- Babes on Broadway1941IMDb rating 6.6Garland as Penny MorrisRooney as Tommy Williams
- Andy Hardy Meets Debutante1940IMDb rating 6.6Garland as Betsy BoothRooney as Andy Hardy
- Strike Up the Band1940IMDb rating 6.8Garland as Mary HoldenRooney as Jimmy Connors
- Babes in Arms1939IMDb rating 6.3Garland as Patsy BartonRooney as Mickey Moran
- Love Finds Andy Hardy1938IMDb rating 6.7Garland as BetsyRooney as Andy Hardy
Gene Kelly8 films together, 1942 to 2019
Gene Kelly's page
- Sid & Judy2019IMDb rating 7.4Garland as HimselfKelly as Himself
- That's Entertainment, Part II1976IMDb rating 7.3Kelly as Self - Host
- Summer Stock1950IMDb rating 7.1Garland as Jane FalburyKelly as Joe D. Ross
- The Pirate1948IMDb rating 6.8Garland as Manuela AlvaKelly as Serafin
- Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4Garland as Judy GarlandKelly as Gene Kelly
- Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4Garland as The Star ('A Great Lady Has An Interview')Kelly as Gentleman ('The Babbit and the Bromide')
- Thousands Cheer1943IMDb rating 6.2Garland as Judy GarlandKelly as Eddie Marsh
- For Me and My Gal1942IMDb rating 7.0Garland as Jo HaydenKelly as Harry Palmer
Fred Astaire4 films together, 1945 to 2019
Fred Astaire's page
- Sid & Judy2019IMDb rating 7.4Garland as HimselfAstaire as Himself
- That's Entertainment, Part II1976IMDb rating 7.3Astaire as Self - Host
- Easter Parade1948IMDb rating 7.3Garland as Hannah BrownAstaire as Don Hewes
- Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4Garland as The Star ('A Great Lady Has An Interview')Astaire as Fred Astaire ('Here's to the Ladies') / Raffles ('This Heart of Mine') / Tai Long ('Limehouse Blues') / Gentleman ('The Babbit and the Bromide')
Cyd Charisse4 films together, 1945 to 1948
Cyd Charisse's page
- Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4Garland as Judy GarlandCharisse as Margo Grant
- The Harvey Girls1946IMDb rating 7.0Garland as Susan BradleyCharisse as Deborah Andrews
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Garland as Marilyn MillerCharisse as Dance Specialty
- Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4Garland as The Star ('A Great Lady Has An Interview')Charisse as Ballerina (segment "Beauty")
Kathryn Grayson4 films together, 1943 to 1976
Kathryn Grayson's page
- That's Entertainment, Part II1976IMDb rating 7.3
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Garland as Marilyn MillerGrayson as Magnolia Hawks / Kathryn Grayson
- Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4Garland as The Star ('A Great Lady Has An Interview')Grayson as Kathryn Grayson ('Beauty')
- Thousands Cheer1943IMDb rating 6.2Garland as Judy GarlandGrayson as Kathryn Jones
Lena Horne4 films together, 1945 to 2019
Lena Horne's page
- Sid & Judy2019IMDb rating 7.4Garland as HimselfHorne as Himself
- Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4Garland as Judy GarlandHorne as Lena Horne
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Garland as Marilyn MillerHorne as Julie LaVerne / Lena Horne
- Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4Garland as The Star ('A Great Lady Has An Interview')Horne as Lena Horne ('Love')
Vincente MinnelliDirector, 4 films, 1944 to 1948
All films by Vincente Minnelli
- The Pirate1948IMDb rating 6.8Garland as Manuela Alva
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Garland as Marilyn Miller
- The Clock1945IMDb rating 7.3Garland as Alice Maybery
- Meet Me in St. Louis1944IMDb rating 7.5Garland as Esther Smith
Busby BerkeleyDirector, 4 films, 1939 to 1942
All films by Busby Berkeley
- For Me and My Gal1942IMDb rating 7.0Garland as Jo Hayden
- Babes on Broadway1941IMDb rating 6.6Garland as Penny Morris
- Strike Up the Band1940IMDb rating 6.8Garland as Mary Holden
- Babes in Arms1939IMDb rating 6.3Garland as Patsy Barton
George SidneyDirector, 4 films, 1943 to 1960
All films by George Sidney
- Pepe1960IMDb rating 5.5Garland as Vocalist on Radiovoice
- The Harvey Girls1946IMDb rating 7.0Garland as Susan Bradley
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Garland as Marilyn Miller
- Thousands Cheer1943IMDb rating 6.2Garland as Judy Garland

Box office

What Judy Garland's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$97.7 million

14 of the 30 films have a worldwide figure.

14Worldwide figure
3US gross only
1Never in cinemas
12Figure not found

Top grosser

The Wizard of Oz1939Dorothy$33.8 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 87% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
The Wizard of Oz1939as Dorothy
$34M34.6% of the total
2
A Star Is Born1954as Vicki Lester
$12M12.3% of the total
3
Judgment at Nuremberg1961as Irene Hoffman
$10M10.2% of the total
4
Meet Me in St. Louis1944as Esther Smith
$7.6M7.7% of the total
5
Till the Clouds Roll By1946as Marilyn Miller
$6.7M6.9% of the total
6
Ziegfeld Follies1945as The Star ('A Great Lady Has An Interview')
$5.3M5.5% of the total
7
That's Entertainment, Part II1976
$5.0M5.1% of the total
8
For Me and My Gal1942as Jo Hayden
$4.4M4.5% of the total

Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940), $2.6 million

Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), $2.2 million

It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley (2025), $1.7 million

$12.9 millionfrom the other 6 films with a worldwide figure, 13% of the total

Awards

Fourteen awards and honors from 1952 to 2009, thirteen of them major.

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Judy Garland's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Academy Awards
	Honorary Award		Honorary
Golden Globes
1961	Cecil B. DeMille Award		Won
1954	Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy	A Star Is Born	Won
	Awards		Won
Tony Awards
	Tony Awards		Won
Grammy Awards
2009	Grammy Hall of Fame (posthumous)		Won
2004	Grammy Hall of Fame (posthumous)		Won
1997	Grammy Hall of Fame (posthumous)	Judy at Carnegie Hall	Won
1997	Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (posthumous)		Won
1980	Grammy Hall of Fame (posthumous)		Won
1961	Album of the Year	Judy at Carnegie Hall	Won
1961	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	Judy at Carnegie Hall	Won
	Grammy Awards		Won
Other honors
1952	Special Tony Award		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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