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In the song, "The Boy Next Door" from "Meet Me In St. Louis" the street addresses Judy sings are "5135 Kensington Avenue and he lives at 5133". The latter address in real life was actually 5137 Kensington. The song writers changed the numbers so they would rhyme. Submitted by Michelle |
After Judy's death twenty-one thousand people viewed her body at Campbell's Funeral home in New York City. Submitted by Mark A. Babino |
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Both Fred Astaire and David O. Selznick died on the same date Judy died, June 22. Astaire died in 1987 and Selznick in 1965 Submitted by Mindy Gale |
Judy's family, mother, father and child, are the only in history each to have won Oscars! Judy won for The Wizard of Oz, Vincente Minnelli won as Best Director for Gigi and Liza won as Best Actress for "Cabaret." Submitted by Derek L. |
The dog who played Toto was a female named Terry. When the costumers began looking for wardrobe pieces, they found the coat Professor Marvel wore in a thrift store in LA. On the inside of the coat was sewn the name L.Frank Baum, the author of the Oz books. It had indeed been owned by Baum. Submitted by AJH |
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Fred Astaire and Judy were scheduled to be in a second film together following the success of "Easter Parade", entitled "The Barkleys of Broadway", but Judy was too ill to continue production on it and Ginger Rogers was enlisted. Submitted by Missy Yearian |
In the last two years of her life, Judy completed 120 concerts. Her 1967 tour consisted of 79 shows. From June until December, she didn't miss a single engagement. Judy's largest concert audience was 108,000 people, at the Boston Common in 1967. Submitted by Eric Hemphil |
From 1939-1950, Judy's movies made $100,000,000.00 at the box office. Judy was NOT fired from MGM. She left by mutual consent. Judy often claimed that her favorite song was "Through the Years." Submitted by Eric Hemphil
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Judy's co-star, Jack Haley's son, Jack Haley Jr., once married Judy's daughter, Liza. Submitted by Allison |
Ethel Gumm subtracted three years from her age after Suzy and Jimmy were born and didn't tell anyone until the day she died. Submitted by Byrd |
Once, when resting in a hospital for exhaustion, Judy endeavoured to befriend a girl who had been so badly treated by her parents she hadn't spoken for months. Just as Judy was about to leave the hospital, she hugged the girl and then the girl screemed at Judy to stop and began talking non-stop out of love for Judy. Submitted by Beruna
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At the beginning of production on The Wizard of Oz, before any changes had been made to set and costumes, the soon to be famous Yellow Brick Road turned up GREEN on film! Submitted by Sarah Leopp |
The substance used as snowflakes in the Poppy Field scene of The Wizard of Oz were actually poisonous if inhaled! So everyone was told, "Not to breath too deeply."
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While filming the Academy Awards scene in A Star is Born, where James Mason slaps Judy across the face, James accidently hit Judy for real. The next day she came to the studio with a black and blue face. |
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Liza was not Judy's first child, she was pregnant by first husband (David Rose) when she was 19 years old, but had a miscarriage. (Note: Many believe Judy had an abortion, but there is no evidence to support this) Submitted by Anonymous |
In one of the poppy field scenes, when Dorothy, the Lion, Tin Man and Scarcrow are standing up covered with snow. Watch carefully as the next take shows that suddenly the snow has vanished from their bodies! Submitted by Sarah Leopp |
As many people know, the Horse of a Different Color was painted with Jello Crystals. They might also know that scenes had to be shot quickly because the horse licked off the color. Look closely and you can see the horse try to lick off the color! Submitted by Anonymous |
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In the Wizard of Oz, right before the window hits Dorothy, she yelps, then screams on cue when the window hits her. Submitted by Anonymous |
In "The Wizard of Oz" it is not Judy who opens the door to Munchkinland. It is her double Bobbie Koshay. After Bobbie opens the door she steps out of the scene Judy steps in and into Technicolor. This was done so they could make a switch of dress colors from black and white to technicolor. Submitted by Jessica |
Judy asked that the words to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", the song she made popular in Meet Me in St. Louis, be changed before the scene was shot. It began like this: "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, It may be your last, From now on, we'll all be living in the past. Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Pop that shampaigne cork, Next year we will all be living in New York." Judy insisted that if she sang it this way to Margaret O'Brien (who played the part of Tootie), people would think she was horrible. Submitted by Anonymous |
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The suit worn in Summer Stock (the top half of a tuxedo) She had actually worn before in a number cut from Easter Parade called "Mister Monotony" Submitted by Lea |
In 1956, Judy told me backstage at the Palace, that her favorite picture of herself (at that time) was the color still of the alternate "Man That Got Away. Submitted by Kevin Smith |
In The Clock, when Robert Walker and Judy get into the milk wagon for the first time, the song on the radio is Our Love Affair. Submitted by Courtney Woolard |
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In the scene in The Wizard of OZ, where Dorothy meets the tin-man, she has an apple in her hand. She drops the apple to the ground, but watch closely because in the next shot, it is back in her hand again! Submitted by Rachel Armstrong |
Judy was born at 5:30 am on June 10,1922, in the Itasca County Hospital in Grand Rapids Minnesota. She was 19 inches long and weighed 8lbs, 6oz. Her hair was red and her eyes were blue. Submitted by Lily Campbell |
The famous photo of Judy crying (taken by Douglas Kirkland) is actually one of Judy's favorites. She loved that she had the ability to cry on cue. Submitted by Christine Hughes |
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Judy was a member of the infamous "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Other famous members of the Rat Pack include Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Sammy Davis Jr. Submitted by Melissa Soumis |
On the set of "The Wizard of Oz" Judy gave the Munchkins a 25-pound box of candy and autographed pictures of herself to them as Christmas gifts. Submitted by Sean Orloskly |
Judy's father died on her mother's birthday. Submitted by Anonymous |
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Judy loved chili, wore Ma Griffe perfume and was left-handed. Submitted by Sarah McLott |
The Cowardly Lion's costume from the Wizard of Oz was made of real lion hide. Submitted by Anonymous |
The ruby slippers Judy wore in the Wizard of Oz only cost $12.50 to make. Submitted by Anonymous |
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The basket Judy carried as Dorothy was used later by Margaret O'Brien in the film "Little Women." |
Judy was paid more to do her last number in "Words & Music" then she was paid for all of The Wizard Of Oz! Submitted by Heather Leaf |
In A Star Is Born, Judy wore fake eyebrows. Unfortunately because of the many times that the shape of her eyebrows was changed they simply wouldn't grow and the make-up artists put tiny toupee's on her! |
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Before a Concert, Judy would shake the curtains, yelling at the top of her lungs a couple of times and then walk gracefully out onto the stage. Submitted by Tiffany W. |
In the film, Easter Parade, a dress is being hung up in Judy's dressing room which is the costume she wore during the number "Ballin' the Jack" in "For Me and My Gal." Submitted by Tina |
Around the time of Judy's death, 13 tornados touched down in Kansas. Submitted by Kaitlin Shaw |
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In the movie "The Wizard of Oz," the editing people made a major oversight. In the scene where Dorothy meets the scarecrow and he dances and sings Judy's hair length and style actually changes. In one scene her hair is in the shoulder curled pigtails, but in the next scene her hair is suddenly uncurled and below her shoulders by a few inches! Submitted by Jessica Jenkins |
In the Wizard of Oz, Judy was actually wearing a brown and yellow dress for the scenes which were shot in black & white. If you look closely at her while she's opening the door to Oz, you'll notice that, for a split second, her dress is brown and yellow. |
Once while Judy was singing at her father's theater, her father was fixing a microphone and it accidently hit her in the head! She kept on singing; acting like nothing happened. Submitted by Princess Eva |
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Frank Gumm was originally engaged to a girl named Kathryn McGraw, but she broke the engagement because she was tired of waiting. |
During a Performance at the Hollywood Bowl, a moth flew into Judy's mouth. Like the great trouper that she was, she trapped it between her gum and cheek and finished the song! Submitted by Glen Lambert |
In 1938, while filming Love Finds Andy Hardy, Judy was in a very serious car accident. Her injuries totaled, three broken ribs, a punctured lung and a sprained back. Obviously, she was almost unable to finish the picture. |
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In one of the original scripts for Meet Me In St. Louis, Esther was involved in a blackmailing scheme. |
During the run of Judy's television show, the dinner hour at the White House was changed so that President Kennedy could watch it. |
In the closing scene of The Clock, Robert Walker descends a staircase that doesn't exist! He walked down them using the old Vaudeville trick of lowering his head. |
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Some footage of the "The Wizard of Oz" Kansas tornado was later used in the movie Cabin In the Sky |
The tramp costume that Judy wore for the Couple of Swells number was actually part of an old Wallace Beery costume. |
Once Judy unintentionally upstaged the Beatles during a benefit. Even though she wasn't scheduled to sing. |
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During the Wizard of Oz, Toto was accidently stepped on! The poor little guy was out the picture for two weeks. |
During her first public performance of Over the Rainbow, Judy actually flubbed the lines. |
Judy's older sister was actually named Dorothy. Her full name was Dorothy Virginia Gumm. |
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While filming the Academy Awards scene in A Star is Born, where James Mason slaps Judy across the face, James accidently hit Judy for real. The next day she came to the studio with a black and blue face. |
Whenever Judy did a concert, she would always raise her hand to see if she had vocal control. If it was shaking she knew she had no control. This later became her trademark. |
Judy inherited a trait to lose her balance from her mother. Because of this, she was often cruelly mistaken for being drunk or drugged. |
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Did you know that Judy's first performance was really at the Itasca Dry Goods store's annual show. Not at her father's theater! |
During the filming of The Wizard of Oz, Judy caught a cold and was unable to work for 5 days which cost the studio $150,000.00! |
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Have you got a great fact about Judy that you feel should be on this page? Just fill out this form! I'll add your fact and give you credit. |
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Created and Designed by Rebekah Hurth - August 9, 1997 |
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Last Major Update January 13, 1999 - Check FrancesGumm.com For Most Recent Updates |
