Judy Garland, the beloved Hollywood musical star best known for her dramatic and moving singing voice, has been on the minds of many lately. One reason is that it was fifty years ago that Garland passed away at the age of forty-seven from an overdose after losing her battle against the many prescription drugs she had become addicted to since being given them as a young girl by her movie studio to keep her weight down and maintain energy throughout the long shooting days. And her tragic death has indirectly been attributed to sparking the New York Stonewall riots which would begin the modern gay liberation movement.
There is also a new biopic, "Judy" which covers the final year of Garland's life. Broke, unemployed and unstable, she was forced to leave her young children behind with her ex-husband in Los Angeles so she could accept a job performing in a London nightclub. The long-suffering yet still gifted entertainer is brought to life with an impressively mesmerizing (and award-worthy) performance by Renée Zellweger who perfectly captures Garland's sharp wit, gentle spirit, deep-set anxieties and self-destructive behavior.
Vulture has put the focus back on Garland's talent and career with a look back on fifteen of her most captivating screen appearances. While the list is certainly heavy with the musicals that greatly contributed to her legendary fame, there are also a few dramatic roles that Garland was equally adept such as her performance in "The Clock" (1945) which was her first non-musical part and her brief yet riveting work in "Judgment at Nuremberg" from 1961.
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The Fifteen Best Screen Performances by Judy Garland
