On June 10, we celebrate the 100th birthday of Frances Ethel Gumm, famous singer and dancer with the vaudeville sister-act, The Gumm Sisters. Chicago has a special place in The Gumm Sisters history. According to The New York Times, the sisters were booked at The Oriental Theater and were accidentally billed as The Glum Sisters. After this embarrassing mishap the sisters changed their names, and Frances became Judy Garland.
Judy starred in a couple dozen classic films, released a bevy of beloved albums and was a beloved personality who held great meaning for people in life and in death. She was a tremendous performer and a major 20th century pop culture icon. Celebrate her by picking up a book, a record or a movie today.
Get Happy is an incredibly well-researched biography that some consider to be the definitive word on her work and life.
The Wizard of Oz needs no introduction. It's one of the most well-known classics in American cinema. But if you've never seen it, use this opportunity to correct that now.
Judy at Carnegie Hall is a perfect live record and serves as a window into Garland's personality and a monument to her endless charm. When the record was released Judy became the first woman to earn the Grammy for Album of the Year.
A personal favorite of mine, Easter Parade is a pure expression of the movie musical directed by the genre's greatest auteur Charles Walters.
While I'd like to end this list with another personal favorite, like Summer Stock, you can't deny the importance of Meet Me in St. Louis with it's spectacular Trolley Song and perennial classic Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
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