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Judy Garland’s children are keeping her legacy alive ahead of what would have been the late star’s 100th birthday.
Liza MinnelliandLorna Luftsaid that their mother was anything but “tragic” as they reminisced about theWizard of Ozstar last week during a jointappearanceonEntertainment Tonight, more than 50 years after Garland’s death in 1969.
“That’s the thing that bugs me the most,” Minnelli, 75, said. “They would say tragic Judy Garland and I’d say, ‘Oh shut up.’ It was her humor and her kindness. … With her family, she was hilarious.”
Luft, 69, shared a similar sentiment. “I’ve always said this … we’ve all had tragedies in life, but we’re not tragic. Andshe had tragedies, but she was not tragic, and she didn’t pass it on to us,” she said.
“Our mom had such an extraordinary sense of humor, and that was her survival guide. That is what I can tell you has been my lifeline is to find the funny — just find the funny,” Luft added. “And we do, we just find the funny because I think that is the way that we were raised and brought up and we watched a woman who found the funny.”
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Garland also shared son Joey Luft, 66, with her late ex-husband Sidney Luft.
Born June 10, 1922, Garland performed as a child with her older sisters in their vaudeville group The Gumm Sisters, before Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed her as a teenager. She rose to fame for her beloved performance as Dorothy Gale in 1939’sThe Wizard of Oz, earning herself a Juvenile Award atthe Oscars, before going on to star in such classics asMeet Me in St. Louis(1944),Ziegfeld Follies(1945) andA Star Is Born(1954).
Garland continued performing into her later years, during which she faced financial ruin, in addition to her drug and alcohol addiction. She was found dead from an accidental drug overdose in her rented London home on June 22, 1969.
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source: people.com
