Judy Garland was an American singer and actress whose career spanned throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood, making her one of the most recognizable names in cinematic history. Garland’s career began in childhood, per Biography, when she performed alongside her sisters in the vaudeville group The Gumm Sisters. In her teenage years, Garland was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she would appear in more than two dozen films alongside Gene Kelly and Mickey Rooney. Garland’s award-winning career came to an abrupt end when she died of an accidental barbiturate overdose in 1969.
Since the release of Garland’s biopic Judy, starring Renée Zellweger, many of her personal struggles have been revealed. While many have argued that the way Garland was treated by MGM is part of what led to her premature death, and that her personal battles sometimes overshadowed her achievements, there is no denying that her career was full of magnificent films in which she showcased all her abilities as an entertainer, earning her a number of awards and long-lasting adoration. These are the best Judy Garland movies, ranked.
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8 Girl Crazy
MGM
Girl Crazy was the last film in which Garland starred and sang alongside long-time co-star and friend Mickey Rooney. Rooney stars as rich-boy Danny, who is sent to an all-boys school so that his focus can remain on his studies and not on girls. Of course, Danny manages to find and befriend the Dean’s granddaughter Ginger, the only girl around for miles, played by Garland. After spending some time at the school, Danny begins to enjoy himself, but is upset to find that the school may close due to low enrollment. Danny makes a plan to put on a show to help raise funds to keep the school open with the help of his friends and Ginger.
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7 The Harvey Girls
The Harvey Girls revolves around Susan (Garland) who is planning to be a mail-order bride. On her way out west, she encounters a group of women who plan to open a Harvey House restaurant. When Susan’s marriage plans fall-through, she decides to join the Harvey Girls in opening their restaurant. A rivalry grows between Susan and saloon girl Em over the affections of saloon owner Ned. This Western musical is bound to bring a smile to your face between the award-winning music and seeing Garland reunited with former co-star Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.
6 Easter Parade
Starring alongside Fred Astaire, Garland shines in one of her brightest films, Easter Parade. Don’s dance partner Nadine leaves their act behind to pursue a career of her own, but he is determined to prove that he can make anyone a star. When Don meets Hannah Brown, their relationship begins somewhat rocky as he attempts to make her into another Nadine, but eventually smooths out as the pair discovers their chemistry, leading Don to realize that he is in love with Hannah. Easter Parade was one of the top-ten-grossing films at the time of its release, with a number of iconic songs as well as the number “A Couple of Swells.”
5 I Could Go On Singing
United Artists
As Garland’s last film appearance, she gives her all in I Could Go On Singing. Garland plays the role of concert singer Jenny Bowman whose affair with Dr. David Donne resulted in an illegitimate child named Matthew. While it was agreed that David would raise Matthew, telling him he was adopted, this plan is soon thrown to the wind when Jenny enters their lives wanting a relationship with Matthew. While the film was not a box-office success, like many of Garland’s previous films, she received a great deal of critical praise for her performance as it showcased how wonderful she could be on stage when she truly committed to her performance.
4 Judgement at Nuremberg
One of Garland’s later films of her career was Judgement at Nuremberg. The movie tells the story of a retired judge who travels to Germany to oversee the trial of Nazi judges for war crimes. Despite the fact that Garland is on-screen for less than 20 minutes, she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance of a German woman who was jailed for having a relationship with a Jewish man who was executed. Garland’s character takes the stand in the hopes of gaining justice for her friend.
3 Meet Me in St.Louis
Meet Me in St. Louis is a musical masterpiece, following the Smith family who is looking forward to the 1904 World’s Fair until Mr. Smith reveals that he has taken a job in New York, and they will have to leave before the Fair. The film follows the family in the months leading up to their move to New York. Garland plays the role of young Esther, who is in love with her neighbor who takes no notice of her. This film spawned some of Garland’s most famous songs like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and the Oscar-nominated “Trolley Song.” This film saw both critical and commercial success, earning a total of four Academy Award nominations, all while Garland began her romantic relationship with director Vincente Minnelli, whom she eventually married.
2 A Star is Born
Warner Bros.
In a film that has been remade a total of four times, Garland’s version of A Star is Born is arguably the best. A Star is Born tells the story of a romance between aspiring singer Esther Blodgett (Garland) and career-declining idol Norman Maine, played by James Mason. Norman helps Esther with her own singing career while his begins to reach its end, leading his alcoholism to take a toll on not only his career but his relationship with Esther. Esther’s love for Norman knows no bounds as she is willing to give up her career to take care of him. A Star is Born was a critical and commercial success, earning six Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress for Garland.
1 The Wizard of Oz
Garland’s best and most iconic role is the young teenager Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. This whimsical film came at the best time imaginable, when everyone wanted to escape their everyday lives into a fantasy — and that’s exactly what happened to Dorothy. After running away from home, a tornado kicks up while Dorothy is still in her house, and when she lands again, she finds herself in a strange colorful land that she does not recognize. In order to return home to Kansas, Dorothy must travel to Emerald City to speak to the Wizard. On her journey, she makes some wonderful friends and fights off foes to get back home.
