Looking back, of course you realize that wasn’t a regular childhood. “So, by default, when I was growing up, nearly everybody I met was in the industry. “Nearly everybody my parents knew were in showbusiness,” she explains matter-of-factly. To her it isn’t the majestic wonderland where hopefuls seek fame and fortune. Louis), Minnelli never knew anything other than showbusiness. Born in 1946 to Garland and director Vincente Minnelli (the couple met on the set of Meet Me In St. “I just hope they don’t do the obvious.” Like only focusing on her mother’s hardships.ĭealing with fame and the pitfalls that come with it is something Minnelli has learned to take in her stride. “Renée is a wonderful actress, and I’m sure she will do a great job,” continues Minnelli. The already critically acclaimed drama is set 30 years after the release of The Wizard of Oz, showing Garland in London to perform sold-out concerts. “Until I see it, I want to reserve my judgement,” says Minnelli when asked about the new film. The Wizard of Oz musical runs this month at King Abdul Aziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, while a new biopic, Judy, which stars Renée Zellweger as Garland, lands in cinemas in the UAE later this year.
Today, the performer wishes people would focus on her mother’s formidable career. Half of the time we were hanging from the ceiling, but it was a way of life for us.” For Garland, it triggered a life-long addiction, which eventually led to her death in 1969 at the age of 47.
“Then they’d take us to the studio hospital and knock us out with sleeping pills… Then after four hours they’d wake us up and give us the pep pills again so we could work 72 hours in a row. “They’d give me and Mickey Rooney pills to keep us on our feet long after we were exhausted,” Garland once told biographer Paul Donnelly. MGM doctors prescribed her pills to control her weight and energy levels – a common practice within the industry at the time. This was exacerbated when the studio began controlling her diet, serving her a bowl of soup with lettuce when she ordered a regular meal. Unsurprisingly, Garland became insecure about her physical appearance and her inability to shake off her girl- next-door image. Judy was the big money-maker at the time, a big success, but she was the ugly duckling.” MGM studio chief Louis B Mayer referred to her as his “little hunchback.” Director Charles Walters sniped, “They are real beauties.
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Standing at only 1.51m, she literally fell short of her counterpart movie sirens, including Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, and Elizabeth Taylor. While Garland won the hearts of viewers, she struggled to charm industry kingpins. “Times have changed dramatically especially in terms of equal pay – there is no comparison.” “It was a very different era,” says Minnelli, defending the behavior of the studio bosses and her mother’s experience. Both actors were told, in no uncertain terms, to return to set immediately after each incident. The Tin Man was hospitalized after a makeup disaster and the Wicked Witch Of The West was accidentally set on fire. Garland was the second lowest- paid actor – only the dog Toto was paid less – and the cast were not pampered like the stars of today. The fantasy blockbuster, which turns 80 this year, remains one of the most beloved movies in cinematic history, but the reality behind its technicolor extravagance was not as bright and dazzling as it seemed. While the twee character propelled her to stardom, it also signaled the beginning of her tumultuous affair with showbusiness. At 16, she became America’s sweetheart in her role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. If people choose to believe that or not, it’s up to them, but I know I was happy.” Minnelli may be a Hollywood force in her own right, but she has always endured being “the daughter of Judy Garland.” Her mother was a childhood star. “There were highs and lows for sure, but I can say I was very happy. “One of the biggest misconceptions about my mama is that she didn’t provide me with a happy childhood,” says Liza Minnelli one sunny afternoon from New York. Liza Minnelli with her mother, Judy Garland.
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