Introduction
If you’re an old movie buff, you’re going to be very familiar with Judy Garland, who was particularly famous for her role in The Wizard of Oz, where she played Dorothy Gale. This beautiful and international celebrity continues to attract attention today, many years after her death, but do you know much about what she looked like?
Judy Garland was only around 4 foot 11 inches (1.5 meters). That’s pretty short, even when you account for the fact that women were probably shorter in her day. Her petite stature wasn’t exceptional, but it was somewhat notable at the time. Unfortunately, she was an individual who suffered a lot at the hands of Hollywood.
She’s got a sad, sorrowful story, despite being the face that so many people fell in love with during her famous songs of Over The Rainbow – so let’s learn a little more about who she was and how she lived.
How Tall Was Judy Garland?
Judy Garland was around 4 foot 11 inches, which was below the average height for her time, although not excessively so. She certainly was fairly short, and has been described by some people as “a slip” of a thing. Her diminutive size may have helped her to get roles, but it may also have resulted in severe body image issues.
Sadly, Judy Garland was viewed as “homely” and often faced criticism from the film world for her looks – despite the fact that she would generally be considered extremely attractive by today’s standards. She had some serious issues with regard to her appearance, and the early stardom that she enjoyed probably did very little to help.
In the early 1900s, the average US woman was probably around 5 feet 3 inches (1.6 meters), meaning that Judy Garland was around 4 inches shorter – almost half a foot. Although many women would have been below the average, this does mean that she was noticeably small.
Despite the criticism of her looks, Judy Garland is considered a film icon and would be beautiful by today’s standards. Unfortunately, for her time, she was seen as homely and relatively unattractive, and it was her voice and charisma, rather than her looks, that were valued by the people around her.
How Old Was Judy Garland?
Judy Garland died when she was only 47 years old, after a very tough life, and an adulthood peppered with drug abuse and alcohol. Her unhappy death was the result of an accidental overdose in 1969. There was no sign that it was a deliberate overdose, but others have suggested that an eating disorder and general exhaustion may have been factors in her death.
Despite her fame, Judy Garland struggled a lot, both personally and financially. She started performing as a child, and her first performances were done when she was very young, only around the age of two. She was often on stage with her older siblings initially, and received her first review in Variety when she was just ten years old.
She was signed to MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) in her teenage years, and appeared in numerous films for them, often alongside Gene Kelly and Mickey Rooney. She remained with the studio for 15 years, and was then released due to family issues.
Her most famous role is probably as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, which came out in 1939. She is also well-known for A Star Is Born (1954) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the former, and Best Supporting Actress for the latter, although she didn’t win either award. In 1963, she started The Judy Garland Show, which ran until 1964.
How Much Did Judy Garland Weigh?
Estimates vary to an extent, but it’s thought that the actress generally only weighed around 100 lb (45 kg) throughout most of her life, although some sources estimate it as being around 108 lb (49 kg) at times.
It is said that her diet was strictly controlled, and she was not allowed to choose what she ate or when she ate. Because her looks were not considered good, the influential people in her life probably held her to very rigid standards, and it’s thought that both coffee and cigarettes were recommended to help her curb her appetite.
She was also on diet pills, which kept her awake at night and led to a need for sleeping pills. Coupled with an enormously strenuous lifestyle, this probably meant she was seriously unhealthy at times, and many people today have called out the studio she worked for and the people who surrounded her for abuse.
How Is Judy Garland Remembered?
Judy Garland is known to have struggled with alcoholism and drug addictions throughout her life. She was found dead in her rented home, and the cause of death was said to be an overdose of barbiturates, ingested over a long period rather than in a single night.
Although her death was an accident, she had previous records of suicide attempts, and was obviously extremely unhappy for large portions of her life. Many people who should have protected and nurtured her failed to do so, and although she had some friends, she was probably still very lonely.
In spite of a tragic career, Judy Garland is very fondly remembered by the world. Her singing voice was exceptional, and she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as one on the Hollywood Boulevard.
She received multiple posthumous awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. She has also got multiple records in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Conclusion
Judy Garland is known for her diminutive height and low weight, which may have been partly due to the strenuous life she lived and the strictness of her diet, controlled by the people around her. She was, however, an incredible singer who has stood out through the ages, and is still remembered as one of the best, most iconic people in Hollywood.
