Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
Judy Garland was the teenager who played Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz, an MGM musical film released by MGM in 1939. Her performance as the Kansas girl named Dorothy earned her a special youth Oscar and gave her a theme song for him. rest. of his life: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.
The song was initially removed after MGM executives thought the film was too long, but common sense prevailed and it was restored to the film and survived to become one of the most recognizable songs of the century.
Many people often refer to Judy Garland as Dorothy, she was the character that put her on the Hollywood map and followed her throughout her life and career. Shirley Temple, then the most popular child star, was originally set to play Dorothy on loan, but her home studio (20th Century Fox) refused to hand her over to MGM for the film.
The Wizard of Oz producer Mervyn LeRoy thought Shirley Temple’s voice wasn’t up to the standard for the role anyway, so the role of Dorothy was given to Judy Garland, who had the talent. for singing, natural acting ability, star quality and charisma. She toured with her two older sisters known as “The Gumm Sisters” on the vaudeville circuit with moderate success, then appeared in seven films before landing the starring role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
His salary for The Wizard of Oz was $ 500 per week. Although $ 500 was a lot of money in those days, she was still the lowest paid lead actor in the movie, except for Toto, the dog who was paid $ 125 per week.
Toto was actually a dog whose real name was Terry. Judy Garland was so attached to the little cairn terrier and wanted to keep her after the movie, but Terry is an animal actor highly valued by his owner and they didn’t want to let her go.
The blue gingham apron and ruby shoes she wore in The Wizard of Oz are considered one of the most iconic costumes in Hollywood history. Even to this day, when people see this costume, “Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz” comes to mind.
Judy Garland’s performance as Dorothy proved to be the highlight of her career, and she will always be remembered as one of the most astonishingly beautiful and talented stars Hollywood has ever graced.