Born Frances Ethel Gumm, Judy craved the approval of father figures, was easily bruised by criticism, sometimes affected a nonchalance but really cared very deeply about other people and wanted to be included in group activities. Her Saturn in Libra helps to explain her outstanding musical talent, and her will to succeed in motion pictures may be inferred from her mid-heaven in Pisces conjunct Uranus. She was even shorter than Mickey Rooney (under five feet) and a bit chubby.
The death of Judy's father at age 13 stunned the young actress, who eventually broke off relations with her mother. The amphetamines helped in the short run, and they were better than any diet. She had five husbands, none totally satisfactory. Johnny Mercer had an enormous crush on her. He wrote the words of "That Old Black Magic" with her in mind.
An old astrological adage has it that the
stars favor the stars. From the moment the young Garland sang to Clark
Gable's photograph ("You Made Me Love You"), her rise to the
heights of Hollywood glory was in the cards (Queen of hearts high) as
was, alas, the inevitability of internal conflicts and demons postponed
but not resolved by the habitual use of narcotics. As a teen she danced
with Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr and sang "Over the Rainbow"
(music Harold Arlen, lyrics Yip Harburg), which was named the greatest song of the twentieth century in a survey
conducted by the National Endowment for
the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America in 2001. She did great things with Al Jolson numbers such as "Swanee" and "After You've Gone" and had a particular affinity with the music of Harold Arlen. At Carnegie Hall in 1961,
with Harold Arlen in the audience, she sang "Get Happy,"
"Stormy Weather," "The Man That Got Away," and "Come Rain or Come Shine."
In Chinese astrology, Judy Garland was born in the year of the dog. Her element is water. This is consistent with her destiny. Her relation to Minnesota mirrors that of Dorothy to Kansas except that there was no home to go back to. The three farm hands in the dream were almost recognized when she awoke in Hollywood. The scarecrow pointed two ways, but no one prepared the young girl for the possiblity that she might be considered a has-been at age 25. She was supposed to play Annie in the movie version of "Annie Get Yiour Gun" and we have the footage of her singing "Doin' a What Comes Naturally." It would have been great. Betty Hutton got the part.
Judy collaborated with Mickey Rooney in a lot of movies and their rendition of "How About You?" is a classic. They reprised their partnership for several Rodgers and Hart songs in the docu-pic "Words and Music." Judy sang and danced with Gene Kelly and with Fred Astaire ("Easter Parade"), and the saints of St. Louis marched in and sang "The Trolley Song" in unison on June 22, 1969, the day of her death. Gay men loved her. They weren't the only ones. Five Grammy awards! She was dead at 46.
Other folks of note born on this day include Saul Bellow, Hattie McDaniel, Gina Gershon, Frederick Loewe (who composed the music for "My fair Lady"), and Prince Philip of England.
If Judy and Frank Sinatra had been lovers, they would have scored very high in passion, high in intimacy, average in synergy, and below average in commitment.
-- DL
