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Judy Garland: The Secret Life of an American Legend
A provocative look at the private life of the legendary performer reveals intimate details about Garland's bisexuality, her drug and alcohol addiction, and her many abortions.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
540 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 13, 2017
Judy Garland won’t stay dead. She's like the lead in a Dracula picture.
Over the decades, scores of Hollywood biographers have kept her alive, emphatically describing Garland as “the greatest singer in the movies.” But when David Shipman began researching Judy Garland: The Secret Life of an American Legend the people he interviewed often wondered “which Judy Garland” he was writing about. Given the abundant and contradictory accounts of her life, it’s a fair enough question – Shipman’s bibliography alone references no fewer than 55 previous volumes. And there have been dozens of others. (She was apparently more significant than, say, Gandhi.) What secrets could Garland’s life possibly still harbor?
If her tangled legend seems to go on (and on) after her death, it also apparently began before her birth. Her father started performing in public as a youngster, and her mother sang sheet music in a five-and-dime, playing piano for the silent films at night while dreaming of stardom. Papa was queer, the first of many gay men to figure prominently in Garland’s life (a circle that would include Vincent Minnelli, George Cukor, Christopher Isherwood and Noel Coward), and Shipman conjectures that Garland's determined stage mother took her three singing daughters and headed for California when rumors about her husband and a local boy forced her to leave town.
(Conjecture is the key word here.)
Whatever the motivation, the timing proved perfect. In an effort to exploit Depression-era America’s craze for adorable moppets, MGM had begun signing up juvenile performers by the busload. The little girl with the big voice won champions wherever she sang, but Louis B. Mayer demanded that girls be sweet little princesses. Garland’s very intensity irritated him, and he consistently referred to her as “the fat one” or “that hunchback,” frequently in her presence. Charming man. Still, her vivacious style of putting over a song soon made millions for the studio. “The Byzantine maneuvering and dictatorial mentality that pervaded MGM extended as far as possible into the private affairs of their stars,” says Shipman. Mayer insisted that the now teenage Garland continue to dress like a child, and he actually employed spies to prevent her sneaking meals. When the studio doctor prescribed amphetamines to further control her appetite, she began to suffer terrifying bouts of depression. Diet pills also kept her awake at night, making her appear drawn and pale on camera, so MGM’s physicians provided Seconal to help her sleep. What would become a lifelong dependency on drugs had been mandated by the studio before Garland quite turned sixteen.
Sad stuff. Though she still projected an image of “girl next door” wholesomeness onscreen, Garland’s young adult existence grew increasingly frenetic and muddled. She forgot lines, had hysterics over imagined slights, disappeared on drunken binges. Her desperate greed for attention and reassurance attained levels that would not again be seen in Hollywood until the heyday of Marilyn Monroe. It culminated (with Annie Get Your Gun) in the pathetic spectacle of Garland attempting to sing and dance while unable to stand unassisted.
As recounted by Shipman, Garland’s personal travails reveal a numbing sameness. Trying to reinvigorate these familiar stories, the author frequently alludes to “her affairs with both men and women.” Yet he offers no evidence to support the premise that Garland had lesbian affairs, not even any solid gossip, and the uncharacteristic reticence seems all the more jarring in contrast to the blow-by-blow descriptions of her heterosexual liaisons. (Oh dear. Could the author be conjecturing again?) Not that this sort of thing matters really, especially compared to a far more glaring omission. Providing few insights, Judy Garland, The Secret Life of an American Legend fails to convey any real sense of what made Garland remarkable: the glorious natural instrument of her voice barely enters the narrative. Detached from her talent, the tale of Garland's life deteriorates into a litany of self-indulgence and self-destruction, tedious and squalid.
Over the decades, scores of Hollywood biographers have kept her alive, emphatically describing Garland as “the greatest singer in the movies.” But when David Shipman began researching Judy Garland: The Secret Life of an American Legend the people he interviewed often wondered “which Judy Garland” he was writing about. Given the abundant and contradictory accounts of her life, it’s a fair enough question – Shipman’s bibliography alone references no fewer than 55 previous volumes. And there have been dozens of others. (She was apparently more significant than, say, Gandhi.) What secrets could Garland’s life possibly still harbor?
If her tangled legend seems to go on (and on) after her death, it also apparently began before her birth. Her father started performing in public as a youngster, and her mother sang sheet music in a five-and-dime, playing piano for the silent films at night while dreaming of stardom. Papa was queer, the first of many gay men to figure prominently in Garland’s life (a circle that would include Vincent Minnelli, George Cukor, Christopher Isherwood and Noel Coward), and Shipman conjectures that Garland's determined stage mother took her three singing daughters and headed for California when rumors about her husband and a local boy forced her to leave town.
(Conjecture is the key word here.)
Whatever the motivation, the timing proved perfect. In an effort to exploit Depression-era America’s craze for adorable moppets, MGM had begun signing up juvenile performers by the busload. The little girl with the big voice won champions wherever she sang, but Louis B. Mayer demanded that girls be sweet little princesses. Garland’s very intensity irritated him, and he consistently referred to her as “the fat one” or “that hunchback,” frequently in her presence. Charming man. Still, her vivacious style of putting over a song soon made millions for the studio. “The Byzantine maneuvering and dictatorial mentality that pervaded MGM extended as far as possible into the private affairs of their stars,” says Shipman. Mayer insisted that the now teenage Garland continue to dress like a child, and he actually employed spies to prevent her sneaking meals. When the studio doctor prescribed amphetamines to further control her appetite, she began to suffer terrifying bouts of depression. Diet pills also kept her awake at night, making her appear drawn and pale on camera, so MGM’s physicians provided Seconal to help her sleep. What would become a lifelong dependency on drugs had been mandated by the studio before Garland quite turned sixteen.
Sad stuff. Though she still projected an image of “girl next door” wholesomeness onscreen, Garland’s young adult existence grew increasingly frenetic and muddled. She forgot lines, had hysterics over imagined slights, disappeared on drunken binges. Her desperate greed for attention and reassurance attained levels that would not again be seen in Hollywood until the heyday of Marilyn Monroe. It culminated (with Annie Get Your Gun) in the pathetic spectacle of Garland attempting to sing and dance while unable to stand unassisted.
As recounted by Shipman, Garland’s personal travails reveal a numbing sameness. Trying to reinvigorate these familiar stories, the author frequently alludes to “her affairs with both men and women.” Yet he offers no evidence to support the premise that Garland had lesbian affairs, not even any solid gossip, and the uncharacteristic reticence seems all the more jarring in contrast to the blow-by-blow descriptions of her heterosexual liaisons. (Oh dear. Could the author be conjecturing again?) Not that this sort of thing matters really, especially compared to a far more glaring omission. Providing few insights, Judy Garland, The Secret Life of an American Legend fails to convey any real sense of what made Garland remarkable: the glorious natural instrument of her voice barely enters the narrative. Detached from her talent, the tale of Garland's life deteriorates into a litany of self-indulgence and self-destruction, tedious and squalid.
March 6, 2020
'Judy Garland' is a detailed and interesting biography of the great entertainer's life. It is also a fascinating history of MGM Studios and the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals.
Shipman has done his research, and while a sympathetic biographer who clearly appreciates his subject's immense talent, he doesn't shy away from identifying her faults, addictions, and drug and alcohol induced rampant irresponsibility.
The author covers virtually every movie, performance, and record Judy ever made. Of course, it's very sad to see her health and talent deteriorate due to the pressures of stardom, the studio system, and drug and alcohol addiction. Judy left behind an incredible legacy of movies, records, and unbelievable live performances, but one can only imagine how much more she could have done under better circumstances.
As the book progresses, it becomes a bit too much a recounting of every movie, record, and performance in her career, and this is monotonous. But the biggest drawback is the extensive amount of typos in this edition--there are dozens and dozens, more than in any book I've ever read. I don't know what happened during the editing process or if there even was one. Hopefully these errors were corrected in later editions.
Overall, I loved the book though, and couldn't put it down. And I'm now listening to Judy's albums and trying to track down her movies. There's never been anyone like her!
Shipman has done his research, and while a sympathetic biographer who clearly appreciates his subject's immense talent, he doesn't shy away from identifying her faults, addictions, and drug and alcohol induced rampant irresponsibility.
The author covers virtually every movie, performance, and record Judy ever made. Of course, it's very sad to see her health and talent deteriorate due to the pressures of stardom, the studio system, and drug and alcohol addiction. Judy left behind an incredible legacy of movies, records, and unbelievable live performances, but one can only imagine how much more she could have done under better circumstances.
As the book progresses, it becomes a bit too much a recounting of every movie, record, and performance in her career, and this is monotonous. But the biggest drawback is the extensive amount of typos in this edition--there are dozens and dozens, more than in any book I've ever read. I don't know what happened during the editing process or if there even was one. Hopefully these errors were corrected in later editions.
Overall, I loved the book though, and couldn't put it down. And I'm now listening to Judy's albums and trying to track down her movies. There's never been anyone like her!
July 26, 2013
This is the very best of the Judy biog tomes. Staggering amount of detail. I feel like I KNOW poor Judy now. And I mostly like her. Had to put this down for a wee hiatus after A Star is Born, however. I know that it's all downhill from there. I think I need a palate cleanser before I take the final plunge.
August 14, 2017
gave 5 stars for the amount of info provided by the author.the book is the definitive book i have read on judy garland.
July 10, 2025
What a sad life of a legend. A great biography.
April 6, 2019
Comprehensive and sympathetic.Probably the last word about such a great star but unbearably sad.Is she still remembered today?At least we have the evidence of her movies,records and TV shows.This book tells the whole story of her rise and fall and tries to explain her increasingly erratic behaviour - a constant need for love and acclaim,a driven personality,the early resort to drugs,her insecurity,her selfishness,her removal from ordinary life by fame,her perfectionism.Such a sad story.
August 2, 2019
Shipman has produced a robustly researched piece of traditional biography. There is copious detail surrounding Garland’s chaotic financial affairs, her contractual disputes and her itinerary of engagements. The forensic detail of Shipman’s calculation of the number of production days lost due to Garland’s maladies is fastidiously backed up by a series of MGM memos.
And that’s the principal frustration with this earnest biography. At no point does Shipman depart from his slavish devotion to chronology. Garland’s talent is never in dispute, but the abiding impression of this book is that she was a contradictory character in every aspect of her personal and professional life. Shipman doesn’t refocus the narrative at any point to even attempt to account for this, although he is wise to advise readers to be sceptical of the opprobrium the subject came to heap upon the heads of Mayer, Ethel and Garland’s first three husbands.
The subject remains frustratingly enigmatic through all the sound and fury of her 47 years - and 500 pages - and this biography is ultimately too mechanical to get close to a personality as big as Garland’s. In the end it never succeeds in becoming more than the sum of its commendably detailed parts.
And that’s the principal frustration with this earnest biography. At no point does Shipman depart from his slavish devotion to chronology. Garland’s talent is never in dispute, but the abiding impression of this book is that she was a contradictory character in every aspect of her personal and professional life. Shipman doesn’t refocus the narrative at any point to even attempt to account for this, although he is wise to advise readers to be sceptical of the opprobrium the subject came to heap upon the heads of Mayer, Ethel and Garland’s first three husbands.
The subject remains frustratingly enigmatic through all the sound and fury of her 47 years - and 500 pages - and this biography is ultimately too mechanical to get close to a personality as big as Garland’s. In the end it never succeeds in becoming more than the sum of its commendably detailed parts.
July 20, 2020
A long slog of a book. Too many song titles, too many useless details. A sad tale of drug addictions and self destruction.. and the end is just skipped right over. Combine that with a lot of the authors opinions, especially in the earlier parts of the book made for a somewhat disappointing book. I do feel I understand Judy’s decline a bit more, that it wasn’t just the studio pushing her towards drugs. Yes they may have instigated the initial usage but Garland had a wealth of opportunities to clean up and leave them behind. Nor was she as devoted as a mother as we were led to believe..
October 27, 2022
This book was a real struggle to read. At 580 pages it was a doorstopper, and it went into far too much detail - how much money each picture Garland made was lost or gained, how far into debt she got, how awful her life was - and the toxic culture at MGM which made her a drug addict was appalling. I persisted because I was interested in the story of Judy Garland, but I probably should have just read Wikipedia! The book was also badly edited, and had some basic mistakes, like her age when she died. The author said she was 46 but she was 47.
February 17, 2019
Just another trashy "biography" into what some people believe to be the life of Judy Garland. No insight here, just someone who thinks Judy was a bisexual alcholic with a drug problem. Still no hard evidence for that alcohol problem or any bisexuality. This was one of those books that Judy's loved ones protested against upon it's release.
February 18, 2021
3 of 5 stars. This almost was a 4 star but I feel like her movies and her husband's were talked about more instead of her. I would have liked more of a back story as to why her mother and Judy didn't get along and more. Over all it was informative and a good read I just felt like a lot was missing.
September 14, 2022
Well done and tragic, as expected. I thought it interesting and refreshing that the author didn't spend an inordinate amount of time on the Wizard Of Oz part of her life as there was so much more to it.
March 30, 2009
The late David Shipman in the 1980s authored one of the most remarkable cinema survey books in existence, the massive "The Story of Cinema," which is kind of second-to-none of its type, though really there is no other book quite like it, a fulsome narrative of film titles punctuated by spicy personal opinion, a blend of history and personal criticism all in one.
And, like any queen, Brit or otherwise, he had an abiding adoration for Judy Garland, worming his way into the graces of the famous to know all he could about her, going to many of her shows, including the famous London Palladium performance of 1960. And he's written what some consider to be as close to definitive a biography of her that exists among the very many out there. I just started it, and it bulges with all the for-the-record family background stuff that you would expect from someone trying to "get it right for once." Shipman has an especial interest and fascination in the alleged homosexuality of Judy's father, Frank, and how that informed her own choices of relationships thereafter. So right now the family has moved to Hollywood from the Midwest and little Frances Gumm (Judy) has already become a seasoned performer on the stage, beginning at the age of 2.
I've been itching to get at this book for months and I couldn't stand it anymore, despite the fact that I'm already juggling more than two dozen books in various stages of being read or tossed aside indefinitely.
I need to follow some yellow brick road, I guess. Continuing...
And, like any queen, Brit or otherwise, he had an abiding adoration for Judy Garland, worming his way into the graces of the famous to know all he could about her, going to many of her shows, including the famous London Palladium performance of 1960. And he's written what some consider to be as close to definitive a biography of her that exists among the very many out there. I just started it, and it bulges with all the for-the-record family background stuff that you would expect from someone trying to "get it right for once." Shipman has an especial interest and fascination in the alleged homosexuality of Judy's father, Frank, and how that informed her own choices of relationships thereafter. So right now the family has moved to Hollywood from the Midwest and little Frances Gumm (Judy) has already become a seasoned performer on the stage, beginning at the age of 2.
I've been itching to get at this book for months and I couldn't stand it anymore, despite the fact that I'm already juggling more than two dozen books in various stages of being read or tossed aside indefinitely.
I need to follow some yellow brick road, I guess. Continuing...
April 27, 2008
Please see my detailed review at Amazon.com
Grace's "Judy Garland" Review
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I did learn a thing or two here, but I have to check those things against other sources since this book was so poorly written and edited that I can't trust anything I found in it. Shipman can't even be accurate in giving Garland's age at the time of her death. How easy would that have been to determine? Junior league research mistake, and easily fixed if the writer had taken five minutes to attend to it.
Please click that the review was helpful to you at Amazon so that my rating continues to climb! Thanks!
I did learn a thing or two here, but I have to check those things against other sources since this book was so poorly written and edited that I can't trust anything I found in it. Shipman can't even be accurate in giving Garland's age at the time of her death. How easy would that have been to determine? Junior league research mistake, and easily fixed if the writer had taken five minutes to attend to it.
October 16, 2008
One of my favorite books, and one of the better written Judy Garland biographies. Though there have been many, and a few a bit better. But this I absolutely loved.
Judy Garland was one of the - if not THE BEST - entertainers that ever lived. The story of her life is a tragic one, but one that shows that fame isn't everything. Sometimes it can even eat your soul. Judy learned that the hard way.
Judy Garland was one of the - if not THE BEST - entertainers that ever lived. The story of her life is a tragic one, but one that shows that fame isn't everything. Sometimes it can even eat your soul. Judy learned that the hard way.
June 16, 2007
oh no...not RIGOR MORTIS!
poor little Judy G.
poor little Judy G.
September 6, 2008
Again, biographies yay! I love to read about "old" Hollywood in it's heyday. This is a sad story though, what a mess poor Judy was.
November 1, 2008
A harrowing but excellent read.
February 22, 2011
I enjoyed this book. Imagine my surprise when the author named some folks that I knew!
October 23, 2011
Fascinating account from Judy's life from very credible sources of people who were close to her. She was a very complex woman.
October 23, 2012
this book was so boring. it was over 500 pages and that would have been a "sentence" to have been required to finish it. i made myself read to page 150.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews