Judy Garland

The mid '30s also saw the introduction of Judy Garland, one the finest singer and actress ever to perform in musicals. Premiering at age 13 in the MGM short Every Sunday (1935), she went on to perform in musicals for the studio, including Broadway Melody Of 1938 (1937) and Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (1937), the first of her nine performances with Mickey Rooney. By the end of the decade, she became a star playing Dorothy Gale, the girl from Kansas to the magical land of, The Wizard Of Oz (1939). A Musical fantasy film directed by Victor Fleming. It was based on the 1900 children's novel of the same name by L. Frank Baum, who died twenty years before The Wizard of OZ was filmed. Cast: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Frank Morgan, with Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charles Grapewin, Clara Blandick and the Munchkins. Best known for its use of special effects, use of Technicolor and unusual characters, The Wizard of Oz has become, over the years, one of the best known of all films.