Why Judy Garland’s Blackface Photo Resurfaced Decades Later

A picture of Judy Garland in blackface has reemerged on social networking sites, with admirers rushing to support the deceased young celebrity.

In the comedy musical, Bellaire Judy Garland joins a music show as a singer to escape her dysfunctional family. In the still image from the 1938 movie “Sing Everybody,” Garland portrays a teenage character with dreadlocks and large white lips, while her skin appears darker due to blackface.

The young Judy Garland wears blackface in the musical comedy “Everybody Sing” (1938). In the movie, the actor and singer played a teen that joins a music group to escape her dysfunctional family. Bettmann

Following the post made by X user @browardbully on August 16, numerous individuals discovered its existence for the very first time, despite the fact that the movie was released 85 years ago. @Browardbully stated: “two films. One year apart. Same lady. Special mention to Gen Z for enlightening me about this.”, Accompanying the picture with a scene of Garland in the musical film The Wizard of Oz from the subsequent year.

Fans of the defense actor quickly jumped to the attention of Garland’s infamous abuse, which occurred in the studio of executives and in the hands of her parents. The actor’s actions did not result in blackface, but they did cause an online uproar and the post received over 36 million views.

“She was a young individual compelled to perform this,” shared X user Queen Minaj. “It wasn’t 2023.”

Alex Silva wrote, “Did she think she had any say, either as a woman in the 1930s or as a minor, to reject the role imposed on her by her parents and the oppressive management?”

“Stepping into her shoes may evoke a sense of empathy,” remarked KJ-isms.

According to Hozonkai, “We should cancel an individual who carried out such actions as an adult and is presently alive, not a previous child actress who passed away 54 years ago.”

“Please take the time to comprehend not just what Hollywood was like, but particularly what Judy experienced,” Yuh added.

Contracted with the studio, Garland acted in her most famous film, The Wizard of Oz (1939), and was recruited by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1935. She rapidly became a musical phenomenon, initially showcasing her talents on stage at the age of 2, and was given birth to as Frances Ethel Gumm in 1922.

Garland’s tragic early life is extensively documented. At the age of 4, her parents relocated from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, to Lancaster, California, with her mother, who was a vaudeville actress, determined to transform her three daughters into celebrities.

Her diet was closely monitored at all times, and when it was time to sleep, Garland was given sleeping pills. Additionally, starting from the age of 10 and ever since she joined MGM, she was provided with amphetamines in the morning.

To guarantee that she maintained a slender figure, it is said that Garland survived on a regimen of black coffee, chicken broth, and as many as 80 cigarettes per day while shooting the Wizard of Oz. Struggling with a pill addiction by the age of 15, Garland endured an exhausting routine during her seven-year tenure with the studio, which consisted of three hours of schooling, followed by singing rehearsals and a full day of filming.

Judy Garland holds a basket in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939). Although it was her most-famous movie, there have been multiple claims that the teen was abused while filming the musical. Silver Screen Collection/MoviePix

The star said that Sidney Luft, the head of the studio, and producer Louis B. Mayer harassed her while she was being bothered by the actors playing the munchkins in The Wizard of Oz. According to Gerald Clarke, the author of Judy Garland’s biography, The Life of Judy Garland: Get Happy, she was allegedly subjected to sexual harassment during her challenging schedule.

She was just 47. In 1969, she passed away from a barbiturate overdose, after battling financial troubles and addiction. Garland’s career as an adult was filled with several ups and downs, alongside the roaring heights of tumult.