58. Gay Icons: Our Friend, Dorothy

Snarky Opener (0:00)

Someone has got to tell me where this rainbow is because the only one I've been over has only caused me gay trauma.

Episode Introduction (0:26)

Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay. I'm Rob Loveless, and today I'm a non-jaded gay because I am in Philadelphia.

I am recording to you from a new city. Recently moved after been trying to get out here for years, just the stars finally aligned. It worked out.

I'm recording in a new closet, so hopefully, the sound sounds okay here. So literally, new city, new job, new apartment, but same jaded gay.

A Jaded Gay Merchandise (0:52) 

And I'm also non-jaded because I have a few exciting butt plugs for you today up top.

Just wanna let you know that if you follow me on Instagram, you've probably already seen this, but we have merchandise now. Like it's legit.

We've got t-shirts, tank tops, hats, tote bags, shorts, we've got it all. So, I'll include the link to that in the episode show notes, so you definitely check it out. We got everything from the cover art to the logo.

I've got some shirts saying jaded gay and non-jaded gay. You could choose yours accordingly. We've got LGBTQutie. There's just a ton of stuff there. Really proud of it, really excited to be sharing it.

If you follow me on Instagram for the Snarky Sunday this week, you probably saw that I'm wearing the t-shirt right now. Love it.

Fits like a glove, but just make sure you allow about two weeks shipping time to get it. It does take a little while, I will admit, but worth the wait. So go check it out.

Also, another exciting update, I have redone the Patreon tiers, so the tiers are still $1 for a Jaded Gay, $3 for a Non-Jaded Gay, and $5 for the LGBTQutie tier.

But at the $1 tier, so now, if you become a Patreon member at any level, you get access to the episodes a day early, ad-free. Boom. You gotta love it. All that for $1. Well worth it.

$3 for the Non-Jaded Gay tier, you get all that, plus you get a Non-Jaded Gay t-shirt. Free of charge. I'll send it right to you. You'll love it. Great. Sign up now I can hear you subscribing.

$5 tier, you get the episodes a day early, ad-free. You get an LGBTQutie t-shirt and a personalized shout-out on an episode from yours truly. So please consider signing up for it. You're gonna love it.

All good stuff. Really appreciate the support. Also up front, please help support by leaving a five-star rating and review. Just really helps with the algorithm so that more people can discover the podcast.

So, take a minute to do that right now. I hear you doing it. That's great, awesome. Thank you.

And that's pretty much everything for me. Lots of big updates there. So exciting stuff coming your way.

Judy Garland (2:31) 

Anyway, for today's episode. You know, we've been talking about some heavier topics, so I thought it was time to do a pop culture episode, just to make it a little fun.

And this one is strategically planned as Pride Month is almost upon us, and you'll learn next month about the tie between this episode and the Stonewall Riots.

So, without further ado, it's time for another installment of gay icons. And today we are going to be talking about Judy Garland, who has been dubbed as the World's Greatest Entertainer.

And I'm sure most of you know her as Miss Dorothy Gale from Kansas, hence where the name friend of Dorothy came from as a reference to gay men.

And while The Wizard of Oz is such a colorful, beautiful movie, Judy Garland actually had a really tough life, which we'll get into.

But first, you know the drill. Let's pull our tarot card.

Tarot (3:16) 

So, today's card is a Major Arcana card. It is The Hermit in reverse. So, this is number nine in the Major Arcana.

As you remember, Major Arcana is tied to big shifts in our lives, not just the little day-to-day stuff. This is really representative of something big going on.

And in numerology, number nine is representative of coming to the end of a cycle. So, we're almost to completion of whatever cycle we're in. And it also can signify solitude.

And in astrology, this card is tied to Virgo, which is analytical, hard-working, and patient energy, if you think about that. And The Hermit's a really interesting card because it can go one of two ways.

Typically, when you draw this card upright, it's really kind of a reassuring card that you know you're enjoying your own solitude and you're feeling peaceful within with just yourself.

But when you draw it in reverse, it's actually symbolizing more of a sense of loneliness. And it can really be interpreted in two ways.

So, either this could be signifying that we're not taking enough time for personal reflection, or we're taking too much time.

So, either we're not really dedicating the time we need to, you know, focusing on meditating, being mindful, and all that.

Or on the flip side, we're being too much in our heads about things and just driving ourselves insane trying to deal with it all.

And depending on which side of the coin we fall on, this could either be tied to a fear of being alone or being afraid of looking within and seeing what's inside ourselves.

So really, kind of sit with this, assess at where you're at, and figure out what you need. Do you need to reach out for support from your loved ones and rely on people?

Or do you need to spend some more time for yourself and really kind of do the work that might be uncomfortable but necessary to do to really become more mindful and at peace with our inner selves?

So just something to chew on as we go into the episode. And all that said, let's get into it.

Judy Garland’s Early Life & Career Beginnings (4:44)

So, Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was the youngest sibling and had two older sisters.

And her parents were vaudevillians and had settled in Grand Rapids to run a movie theater that featured vaudevillian acts.

And vaudeville is a light, often comical theatrical piece that was popular in the United States in the early 20th century, and it frequently combined pantomime, dialogue, dancing, and song along with performing animals and burlesque comedy.

And Judy's first appearance came at the ripe old age of two, when she joined her elder sisters Mary Jane Gumm and Dorothy Virginia Gumm on the stage of her father's movie theater during a Christmas show and sang a chorus of Jingle Bells.

And her proximity to the gay community was early on. In June 1926 when she was four years old, her family relocated to California because her father was believed to be a closeted gay or bisexual, and there were rumors that he had been making sexual advances toward young men.

So, he moved the family away before these rumored activities came to light. And there, in Lancaster, California, her father bought and operated a theater, while her mother began managing the daughters and tried to get them into motion pictures.

So, in 1928 their mother, Ethel Meglin, formed Meglin Kiddies, which was an American troupe of acting, music, and dance performers consisting of children up to the age of 16.

Judy, still Frances at the time, and her sisters formed a trio called The Gumm Sisters and enrolled in Meglin Kiddies.

They appeared with the troupe in its annual Christmas show, and later made their film debut in The Big Review, where they performed a song and dance number called That's the Good Old Sunny South.

Following this, they appeared in two additional shorts. The first was A Holiday in Storyland, and Judy had her first on-screen solo in this. And the second was The Wedding of Jack and Jill.

Now, leading up to this, The Gumm Sisters had toured the vaudeville circuit for years.

And in 1934 they performed in Chicago with George Jessel, and on stage, he encouraged the sisters to take on a more appealing name, which the audience laughed at.

In fact, according to theater legend, the trio was erroneously referred to as The Glum sisters at a Chicago theater. Now, there are a few theories as to how the sisters chose Garland as their stage name.

One is that it originated by Jessel after Carole Lombard's character Lily Garland in the film 20th Century. It's also speculated that the sisters chose a surname after drama critic Robert Garland.

However, in later years, Judy's daughter Lorna Luft stated that her mother selected the name when Jessel announced that the trio looked prettier than a garland of flowers.

Regardless, by late 1934, the sisters had changed their name to The Garland Sisters, and the singer soon changed her name from Frances to Judy, supposedly inspired by a popular Hoagy Carmichael song.

And then in 1935 they had their final appearance as a trio in an MGM Technicolor short entitled La Fiesta de Santa Barbara. So, in September 1935, things started picking up for Judy.

Louis B. Mayer of MGM, which stands for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, asked songwriter Burton Lane to go to the Orpheum Theater in downtown LA to watch the Garland Sisters' vaudeville act and to report back to him.

A few days later, Judy and her father were brought in for an impromptu audition at MGM Studios. Judy performed Zing Went the Strings of My Heart and Eli, Eli.

And at the age of 13, was immediately signed to the studio, presumably without a screen test.

Judy Garland’s Physical Appearance Scrutinized (8:00)

But MGM wasn't sure what to do with her because, at 13, she was older than the traditional child star, but too young for adult roles.

And specifically, MGM considered her physical appearance to be a dilemma. Now, before we get into this, remember she was 13 at the time and getting this kind of feedback.

So, Judy was just shy of five feet and her cute girl-next-door looks did not exemplify the most glamorous persona which was required at the time of leading ladies.

She was self-conscious and anxious about her looks, which was only exacerbated by the fact that she went to school at MGM with Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, and Elizabeth Taylor, who were considered quote-unquote real beauties compared to her.

And apparently, Mayer even referred to her as his little hunchback. Again, 13 years old. Think of the emotional effect that has on someone.

So, during her early years with MGM, they also dressed her in plain garments or frilly juvenile gowns to help create her cute girl next door appearance.

They also had her wear removable caps on her teeth and rubberized discs to reshape her nose.

And I'm going to jump ahead for a minute to read this excerpt about her makeup and rubberized discs:

“Eventually, on the set of Meet Me in St. Louis when she was 21 years old, Garland met Dorothy "Dottie" Ponedel, a makeup artist who worked at MGM. After reviewing the additions to her look, Garland was surprised when Ponedel said that the caps and discs that Garland had been using were not needed, as she was "a pretty girl". Ponedel became Garland's makeup artist. The work that Ponedel did on Garland for Meet Me in St. Louis made Garland so happy that Ponedel became Garland's advisor every time she worked on a film for MGM.”

And going off of that in later interviews, Judy stated that in those early years, she and other young performers were constantly prescribed amphetamines to stay awake and keep up with the frantic pace of making one film after another, and then they were given barbiturates to help them sleep at night.

So, these kids were being put on a regular drug cycle of uppers and downers, and it's no wonder so many young stars from those days ended up developing addictions later in life, which we will get into.

Her weight was also considered healthy, but the studio constantly wanted her to diet, and supposedly they went so far to only serve her a bowl of soup and lettuce when she ordered a regular meal.

And just another reminder, she was only 13 years old when this happened.

And unsurprisingly, she was plagued with self-doubt throughout her life and required constant reassurance that she was attractive and talented. She even claimed that MGM stole her youth.

But hey, let's set the behind-the-scenes aside and relive the glitz and glam of old Hollywood. Shall we?

Judy Garland’s Early Career with MGM (10:25)

Anyway, around 1936, Judy's first feature-length film was on 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.

She later 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.

Starting in 1937, MGM hit on a winning formula when it paired Judy and fellow child actor Mickey Rooney in a string of what were known as backyard musicals, which included Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry (1937), which sounds problematic, Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), Babes in Arms (1939), Andy Hard Meets Debutante (1940), and Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941).

The Wizard of Oz (11:13)

But her real breakthrough came through when, in 1938 at the age of 16, she was cast as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz, which was based off the book of the same name in 1900.

And while she's iconic in that role, believe it or not, she wasn't the first choice. Mayer first wanted to borrow Shirley Temple from 20th Century Fox, but they declined.

He then asked Deanna Durbin, but she was unavailable, which resulted in Judy being cast in the role. And regardless of what you know about Judy Garland, I'm pretty sure everyone has seen The Wizard of Oz.

You know the music and the iconic looks. But originally, Judy was outfitted with a blonde wig for the part, but luckily, the producer scrapped that shortly into filming.

They also dressed her in the blue gingham dress for its blurring effect on her figure to make her look younger.

Now this is interesting. Obviously, the movie was a huge success, critically, commercially, and for Judy's career. However, it had a high budget of $2 million which is equivalent to around $31 million today.

Additionally, its promotional costs were around $4 million, which is equivalent to about $62 million today.

And keep in mind, this was geared towards a younger audience, and children's tickets were discounted. So, with all that in mind, the film did not return a profit until it was re-released in the 1940s.

But again, while this movie wasn't a commercial success at the time, it was an overall success.

And in 1939 Judy Garland received her only Academy Award, the Juvenile Award, for her performances in 1939 including The Wizard of Oz and Babe in Arms.

She was the fourth person to receive the award, as well as only one of 12 in history to ever be presented with one. And after The Wizard of Oz, she was one of the most bankable actresses in the United States.

Now, before we continue on in her career, let's dissect The Wizard of Oz. As many of you know, it's largely considered to be a gay movie. So much so that the term friend of Dorothy is derived from it.

But why? Well, overarchingly, the plot is about Dorothy, who doesn't feel understood in Kansas and escapes to a colorful land of fantasy in Oz, with welcoming gender-bending characters.

There's also a certain level of camp throughout the film, meaning behavior, performances, and styles are exaggerated and amusing, which sometimes mimic stereotypical portrayals of gay men.

Which brings us to our next point. On her journey, she immediately accepts those who are different from her, including the Cowardly Lion, who exhibits stereotypically effeminate mannerisms.

She also befriends the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, and the group of outcasts work together, similar to how queer people find their chosen families and support one another.

Also, there is maybe an innuendo included in the film.

When Dorothy asks Scarecrow which way to go on the yellow brick road, he says, "Of course, some people go both ways," which could be a reference to bisexuality.

There's also an absence of a heteronormative male-female romance, and Dorothy and her friends quote-unquote do not need to change themselves to become who they want to be.

And of course, let's not forget about its signature song Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which supposedly contributed to the evolution of the rainbow flag as a gay icon.

And as I mentioned, this led to the euphemism friend of Dorothy, which became a code phrase gay men used to identify each other. Now the specific origins of that term are unknown.

Some people believe it comes from the novel, The Road to Oz, which is a sequel to The Wizard of Oz.

And in it, Dorothy and her traveling companions meet Polychrome, a cloud fairy, who exclaims, "You have some queer friends, Dorothy."

And Dorothy responds by saying, "The queerness doesn't matter, so long as they're friends."

But people more so credit the euphemism to Judy's portrayal of Dorothy in the film, since she is a gay icon.

Judy Garland’s First Adult Romances (14:40)

Anyway, moving on into her adult career. In 1940 she starred in three films: Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, Strike Up the Band, and Little Nellie Kelly.

And the latter is considered her first adult role, where she played a dual role of both mother and daughter.

Also, the film was meant to be a vehicle for her to display both her audience appeal and her physical appearance.

Now keep in mind, she was only about 18 at this time, and the role was a challenge for her because it required her to use an accent, she had her first adult kiss, and the movie contained the only death scene of her career.

And regarding the kiss, her co-star George Murphy stated that it was embarrassing and felt like a quote-unquote hillbilly with a child bride.

Also, around this time is when she experienced her first adult romances. For starters, she had a serious relationship with band leader Artie Shaw, who ended up eloping with Lana Turner.

Then she began seeing David Rose, not from Schitt's Creek, and on her 18th birthday, he gave her an engagement ring.

But MGM intervened because, at the time, he was still married to actress and singer Martha Raye. So, they agreed to wait a year to allow for his divorce to be finalized during that time.

However, Judy had a brief affair with songwriter Johnny Mercer, but after her breakup with Mercer, she and Rose were finally wed on July 27, 1941.

Now, she did become pregnant with Rose's child during this time, but her mother and MGM pressured her into an abortion since the pregnancy wasn't quote-unquote approved.

She and Rose agreed to a trial separation in January 1943 and divorced in 1944. She also became pregnant with Tyrone Power's child in 1943 and had a second abortion.

During this time, she also appeared in the films For Me and My Gal and Presenting Lilly Mars.

And in these films, she was dressed in more adult gowns, and her lightened hair was pulled up in a more stylish fashion.

But despite this glitz and glam, she was never confident in her appearance and never escaped the quote-unquote girl-next-door image that MGM had created for her.

Now, moving on to 1944 Judy appeared in the film Meet Me in St Louis, which is deemed to be one of the greatest movies of all time. I don't care what you say, Sara Sabatino, it is.

And it's actually where the song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is from.

So, this movie was one of the first in her career that gave her the opportunity to be the quote-unquote attractive leading lady, instead of just the girl next door.

Vincent Minelli was assigned to direct, and he requested that makeup artist Dorothy Ponedel be assigned to Judy.

Like we discussed earlier on, Ponedel refined her appearance in several ways, including extending and reshaping her eyebrows, changing her hairline, modifying her lip line, and removing her nose discs and dental caps.

And like we also said, Judy appreciated the results so much that Ponedel was written into her contract for all her remaining pictures at MGM.

Now during the filming, there was initially some friction between Judy and Vincent, but they began dating and later married on June 15, 1945.

And on March 12, 1946, she gave birth to their daughter, Liza Minnelli, who is also a gay icon. I'm sure you've heard of her. And keeping it gay, Vincent Minnelli was rumored to be bisexual.

Judy Garland’s Personal Struggles (17:34)

Fast forward to April 1948 during filming for The Pirate, Judy suffered a nervous breakdown and was placed in a private sanatorium.

She was able to complete filming, but in July, she made her first suicide attempt, making minor cuts to her wrist with a broken glass.

And she ended up spending two weeks in a treatment at the Austen Riggs Center, a psychiatric hospital in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Also in 1948, Judy starred in Easter Parade with Fred Astaire, which was a huge success. And because of this success, MGM teamed Judy and Fred in the Barclays of Broadway.

However, filming for this was rocky. Judy began taking prescription barbiturate sleeping pills, along with illicitly obtained pills containing morphine. She also developed a serious problem with alcohol.

And because of all this, she missed several shooting days in a row.

And 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 decided to suspend her and ultimately, she was replaced by Ginger Rogers.

Once her suspension was lifted, she went back to work, and in 1949 she was cast as the title role of Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun.

During this time, she was undergoing electroconvulsive therapy for depression, and she began arriving late to set and sometimes failed to appear at all, which led to her being fired and replaced by Betty Hutton.

She underwent an extensive hospital stay at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, in which she was weaned off her medication, and after a while, she was able to eat and sleep normally.

In the fall of 1949, she was cast opposite of Gene Kelly in the film Summer Stock, and she had appeared noticeably heavier. So, to lose the weight, Judy went back on the pills and ended up losing 15 pounds.

And this was her final film with MGM because, following this, she was cast in Royal Wedding, but failed to report to the set.

On June 17, 1950, the studio suspended her contract. And allegedly MGM's dismissal led to a second suicide attempt.

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.

She later spoke about this in Photoplay Magazine and was quoted as saying:

“All I could see ahead was more confusion. I wanted to black out the future as well as the past. I wanted to hurt myself and everyone who had hurt me."

And in September 1950, after 15 years with the studio, Garland and MGM parted company. And keep in mind, she was just 28 years old at this time and experiencing this personal and professional turmoil.

And there was also speculation that she was broke and out of money during this time.

Aware of her situation, Bing Crosby invited Judy onto his radio show, The Bing Crosby Chesterfield Show, on October 11, 1950.

And here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:

“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.”

Judy Garland’s Career Comebacks (20:42)

So, Judy went on to make eight appearances on the show that season, which was credited to helping reinvigorate her career.

She then went on a four-month concert tour of Britain and Ireland, which was considered to be the first of her many comebacks, and her performance was seen as a revival of vaudevillian tradition.

She received rave reviews and ovations in London, and her performance at the Palace Theater in Manhattan on October 11, 1951, exceeded all previous records for the theater.

And as a result of this, she was honored with a special Tony Award for her contribution to the revival of vaudeville.

That same year, in 1951, she and Vincent Minelli divorced, and on June 8, 1952, she married Sidney Luft, who was her tour manager and producer.

And in November that year, she gave birth to a daughter, Lorna Luft, who you might recognize as an actress and singer herself. The couple also gave birth to their son, Joey Luft, in 1955.

But turning our attention to Judy's Hollywood comeback. In 1954, she starred in A Star is Born the first remake of the 1937 film.

And fun fact, the Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper remake is the fourth version of A Star is Born.

Anyway, Judy and her husband produced the film through their production company, Transcona Enterprises, while Warner Bros supplied finances, production, facilities, and crew.

However, as shooting progressed, Judy 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. Still, the film was completed on March 17, 1954, and premiered worldwide on September 29, 1954.

And it was met with critical and popular acclaim, and it gave us the gay anthem, The Man That Got Away. Surprisingly, though, it was not a commercial success, and here's why:

“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 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. Transcona made no more films with Warner.”

Still, while it wasn't a financial success, Judy was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and was generally expected to win.

However, she couldn't attend the ceremony because she had recently given birth to her son, so a television crew was in her hospital room with cameras and wires to broadcast her anticipated acceptance speech.

In the end, though, Grace Kelly ended up winning for her performance in The Country Girl, and the camera crew was packing up before Kelly could even reach the stage.

Despite this loss, which many consider to be a robbery, Judy did win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

So, moving on to 1955, she appeared in a number of TV specials, and in 1956 she performed for four weeks at the New Frontier Hotel on the Las Vegas strip for a salary of $55,000 per week, making her the highest-paid entertainer to work in Las Vegas.

During that, she did go through a bout of laryngitis, so for one performance, Jerry Lewis filled in for her, and she watched from a wheelchair.

However, her performances were so successful that her run was extended an extra week and later that year, she returned once again to rave reviews and acclaim.

Also in 1955, she released her first solo album, Miss Show Business. Now she hadn't featured on four albums prior, which were soundtracks from films she had been in.

But this was the first that was just her. And she did have a few other albums released in later years. There was Judy in 1956, Alone in 1957, Judy in Love in 1958, and The Letter in 1959.

So now jumping ahead to November 1959, Judy was hospitalized after being diagnosed with acute hepatitis, and she wasn't released from the hospital until January 1960.

Her doctors told her that, at 37 years old, she probably only had five years left to live, and that even if she did survive, she would never sing again.

And initially, Judy was relieved by the diagnosis, because for the first time in her life, the pressure was taken off.

However, in August of that same year, she returned to perform at The Palladium and was warmly embraced. And she also released the album That's Entertainment in 1960.

Judy At Carnegie Hall (24:55)

But fast forward to April 23, 1961, Judy had a concert appearance at Carnegie Hall and this performance is considered to be a huge career highlight for her.

So much so that many had gone on to call this performance the greatest night in show business history. And the show was actually recorded and released as a two-record album on July 10, 1961.

It was a commercial success, certified gold, and charted for 95 weeks on Billboard, including four weeks at number one.

And it went on to win four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal of the Year.

And personally, this performance was my first real exposure to Judy Garland.

I mean, obviously, I'd seen The Wizard of Oz growing up, and I knew of her, but I'd never seen any other movies of hers or known her music other than Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

So, a few years back, I actually bought the CD version of this. And I mean, the vocals are phenomenal.

But it's also really interesting knowing her personal life because she does talk to the audience at times with some self-deprecating moments.

And while she's laughing off some paparazzi moments and stuff, it's sad to hear what she experienced, especially in the scope of what we've talked about so far.

Anyway, in 1963 CBS made a $24 million offer, which is equivalent to about $167 million today, for Judy to have her own talk show titled The Judy Garland Show. And this ran through 1964.

Also in the 1960s, I don't have a specific date, but a reporter commented on her having a gay following and asked how she felt about having gay fans.

And she responded by saying:

"I couldn't care less. I sing to people!"

Judy Garland’s Career Decline (26:25)

Now in 1963 things started getting rocky.

Not sure of the order of all these things, but Judy and her husband, Sydney Luft, separated, and she had a six-month affair with actor Glenn Ford.

She also accused Sidney of physically abusing her while he was drinking and trying to take their children by force, and she sued for divorce on grounds of mental cruelty.

Also, toward the end of 1964, she held three performances in Australia, and the final one in Melbourne went badly.

The show started an hour late, and the crowd was angered by her tardiness and believed that she was drunk.

They ended up booing and heckling her, and she fled the stage after just 45 minutes, and this resulted in negative press coverage.

Additionally, her tour promoter at that time, Mark Herron, announced that he and Judy had married aboard a freighter off the coast of Hong Kong.

However, her divorce from Sidney Luft was still not finalized, so she was still married at the time. So once a divorce from Luft was finalized on May 19, 1965, Judy and Mark then married on November 14, 1965.

However, they separated five months later, and during their divorce, Judy claimed that Mark had beaten her. But Mark claimed he quote unquote only hit her in self-defense.

Now, Sidney Luft had managed Judy's career throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, so when she left Sydney, she signed with new agents.

However, Judy left these agents in the fall of 1966 because they had mismanaged her money and embezzled much of her earnings, which resulted in her owing around $500,000 in total, in personal debts and in debts to the IRS.

And the IRS placed tax liens on her home in LA, her contract with Capital Records, and any other business dealings in which she could derive an income.

So, because of all these financial hardships, she had to sell her home for far below its value.

She was also cast in Valley of the Dolls in 1967 where she was reportedly treated poorly by director Mark Robson before she was eventually dismissed from the film.

And then in July 1967, she had a 27-show stand at New York's Palace Theater.

On the closing night at The Palace, federal tax agents seized the majority of her earnings from these shows, and by early 1969 her health was deteriorating.

That year, she performed in London at the Talk of the Town for a five-week run. Her divorce from Mark Herron was finalized on February 15, and on March 15, she married Mickey Deans, who was a nightclub manager.

And if you're counting, that's husband number five. Also, that same month, she made her last concert appearance in Copenhagen.

Judy Garland’s Death & Legacy (28:44)

And on June 22, 1969, at the age of 47, Judy was found dead in the bathroom of her rented house in Cadogan Lane, Belgravia, London, and her death was ruled as an accidental barbiturate overdose.

Now the autopsy showed no inflammation of her stomach lining and no drug residue in her stomach, which indicated that the drug had been ingested over a long period of time, rather than a single dose.

There was also some speculation that she had been living on borrowed time owing to cirrhosis, although a second autopsy conducted later reported no evidence of alcoholism or cirrhosis.

Others believe she suffered from bulimia that could have contributed to her death.

Regardless her Wizard of Oz, co-star Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow, said at her funeral:

"She just plain wore out."

And I'm going to read an excerpt from Wikipedia:

“Upon Garland's death, despite having earned millions during her career, her estate came to US$40,000 (equivalent to $230,000 in 2021). Years of mismanagement of her financial affairs by her representatives and staff along with her generosity toward her family and various causes resulted in her poor financial situation at the end of her life. In her last will, signed and sealed in early 1961, Garland made many generous bequests that could not be fulfilled because her estate had been in debt for many years.

Her daughter, Liza Minnelli, worked to pay off her mother's debts with the help of family friend Frank Sinatra. In 1978, a selection of Garland's personal items was auctioned off by her ex-husband Sidney Luft with the support of their daughter Lorna Luft, and their son Joey. Almost 500 items, ranging from copper cookware to musical arrangements, were offered for sale. The auction raised US$250,000 (equivalent to $830,000 in 2021) for her heirs.”

So, as you can see, despite her talent, Judy Garland had a tough life. And as a result, she's been referred to as a tragic figure, both while she was alive and after her death.

And some even credit her for being a gay icon because of her personal struggles and the tragedies she faced since her hardships, especially in the relationship department, seemed to mirror what gay men were going through.

In 1969, an article in Esquire magazine even said that:

“Homosexuals tend to identify with suffering. They are a persecuted group and they understand suffering. And so does Garland.”

But despite this, Judy's daughter, Lorna, stated that her mother hated being referred to as a tragic figure. Here's a quote:

"We all have tragedies in our lives, but that does not make us tragic. She was funny and she was warm and she was wonderfully gifted. She had great highs and great moments in her career. She also had great moments in her personal life. Yes, we lost her at 47 years old. That was tragic. But she was not a tragic figure."

And at the time of her death, Judy Garland had appeared in more than 35 films, and her reputation lives on today.

The American Film Institute named her the eighth among the greatest female stars of Golden Age Hollywood cinema.

She was also posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 and several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, was ranked as the number one movie song of all time in the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Songs list.

And she's been the subject of over 30 biographies, including the 2019 movie, Judy, in which Renee Zellweger betrayed her.

And I actually watched that movie not too long ago in preparation for this episode. I had seen the movie back when it first came out. Loved it. I still love the movie. Thought it was really good.

But I will say, after these, you know, past few years of listening to Judy Garland talk and, you know, sing, and all that, I realized that Renee Zellweger, you know, she definitely looks like Judy Garland in moments, but she didn't really sound like her when she talked and singing.

I mean, you know what Judy Garland's voice sounds like, so anybody else trying to mimic that is just not going to come across the same.

But the story itself was great, but it is very heartbreaking because it focuses on Judy's last appearances in London for that five-week period, and also flashes back in time to her childhood when she's preparing for the role of Dorothy Gale.

And you can see the abuse she's subjected to by Mayer from MGM. So definitely recommend checking out if you haven't yet.

Episode Closing (32:38)

But I really do want to close out this episode with the piece that Lorna Luft stated that she's more than just this tragic figure that the media wants to make her out to be.

Yes, there were definitely tragic moments in her life, but I think you could see more so that despite the lows she hit, she had numerous comebacks and new career highlights overcoming each hardship.

And I think that's something that's really inspiring for us as well.

You know, no matter what we're experiencing in life, after the hardship, comes new opportunity, and it really gives us the opportunity to create something new, move on to something new, and achieve something even greater than what we might have imagined in life.

And tying it back to the tarot, The Hermit in reverse, you know, really, let's reflect on this.

Let's take some time. If we're not giving ourselves enough time to look inward, to figure out how we can overcome the hardships, then that's something we need to address.

We need to not be afraid to look within, even though it might be uncomfortable, to figure out what we need, where we're at, how we can improve, and move on.

And on the flip side, if we're giving ourselves too much time, maybe it's time that we pick up the phone to call somebody and really learn to lean on our support systems and our chosen family like Dorothy and her crew did in The Wizard of Oz.

Connect with A Jaded Gay (33:35)

So, thank you all for listening. I hope you enjoyed this. As always, please remember to rate, review, and subscribe.

You can follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok, SoundCloud, and YouTube @ajadedgaypod. You can follow me, Rob Loveless, on Instagram at @rob_loveless.

Also, don't forget, we have merchandise, so check that out. The links to that are in the show notes.

And also, don't forget, consider subscribing to the show's Patreon for as little as $1 a month. That is also @ajadedgaypod.

And remember, every day is all we have, so you got to make your own happiness.

Mmm-bye.

Outtake (34:30)

You know, lately, I've been extremely pessimistic, and then here I am trying to create an empowerment podcast.

Pay no attention to the jaded gay behind the microphone.