Within the realm of Oscar races, there are few campaign strategies more annoying than the "honor the movie, honor the man" variety. It's reserved for biopics, putting forward the idea that to shower a certain production in gold laurels is a way to retroactively reward a dead celebrity. This same logic was somewhat utilized to catapult Renée Zellweger towards her second Oscar win. Let's make one thing clear, Renée's win for Judy is a prize for her bold performance but in no way does this victory actually honor the Oscarless Judy Garland. You don't get to pretend you gave Judy an award Academy -- you lost that chance long ago!
Still, we appreciate that Renée mentioned Garland in her speech and that her movie might inspire people to watch more of the late star's great roles. After all, there's no better way to honor her memory than to explore her wonderful filmography...
If you do you'll marvel at her craft and range in both musicals and straight dramas, weepy romances, and riotous comedies. Spanning from her teen star years in the 1930s to the naked despair of her last screen appearances in the 1960s, the star had one hell of a fascinating career. With that in mind, here we present a list of recommendations for anyone interested in honoring Judy in the aftermath of this year's Oscars…
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
After years playing second fiddle to Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland finally had a chance to showcase all her talents with The Wizard of Oz. The production was troubled and the way the studio treated her left scars that would last a lifetime, but none of that mars the perfection of the final product. As Dorothy, Judy is wonderful, modulating shades of childish innocence with emotional intensity, humanizing a preposterous story and selling the hell out of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".
GIRL CRAZY (1943)
Like in most of her collaborations with Mickey Rooney, Judy is always overshadowed by her leading man in Girl Crazy. However, that doesn't mean she doesn't get a chance to shine in this erratic musical delight whose last few minutes are an extravaganza of the highest caliber. She oozes charisma and peppy energy, charming the audience with ease.
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)
No director knew how to shot Judy as well as Vincente Minnelli, who would become the starlet's husband. Meet Me in St. Louis is their masterpiece, pulsating with warm nostalgia and shining in glorious Technicolor. In it, Judy delivers two of her best songs ever, electrifying the screen with "The Trolley Song" and proceeding to break all of our hearts with her rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".
THE CLOCK (1945)
This Minnelli helmed melodrama marks Judy Garland's first movie appearance where she didn't sing a single number. That said, the emotional candor with which she usually colors her musical interludes is still present in a story of a whirlwind romance. She and Robert Walker have great chemistry, partly because they're so bizarrely bombastic approach to two roles that could easily have been underplayed.
THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946)
We all know Judy can charm us to submission and reduce anyone to tears, but she was also a master of comedy, especially physical comedy. The Harvey Girls lets her show these particular talents like when her pious character enters the town's saloon guns ablaze with madness in her eye.
EASTER PARADE (1948)
Her only movie with Fred Astaire is a confection of musical wonder, full of hilarity and killer dance scenes. While our beloved Judy might play the ugly duckling to Ann Miller's tapdancing swan, her talent shines through and transcends even the most abysmal costume choices.
SUMMER STOCK (1950)
Speaking of horrible costumes, Judy spends the majority of this musical in the most unflattering dungarees the mind can conceive. Whatever her appearance or the real-life drama happening behind the scenes, she's luminous here. Judy and Gene Kelly are a great duo and her big number, the iconic "Get Happy", is a miracle of musical cinema.
A STAR IS BORN (1954)
In the second iteration of Hollywood's favorite story about itself, Judy gives us one of the best screen performances in cinema history. She deconstructs the mechanisms of stardom and movie acting while delineating a tragedy of doomed romance. There's a raw quality to it, an edge of desperation corroding her smiles and a hint of resilient pride balancing the melodramatic highs of this old tale.
JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961)
In 1954, Judy Garland lost the Best Actress Oscar to Grace Kelly in The Country Girl. She received only one other nomination, for Best Supporting Actress of 1961 thanks to her work in Judgment at Nuremberg. For that reason, this is an essential Garland film even though she's barely in it.
I COULD GO ON SINGING (1963)
Life imitates art imitating life in I Could Go On Singing, a tragic drama about an American star drinking away herself while performing a series of concerts in the London stage. Judy's work is a storm, bringing down the house with brittle abrasiveness and a voice that, while powerful, shows the signs of a strained existence.
What are your favorite Judy Garland flicks? Lots more on Judy Garland here