The Judy Room
Judy Garland
Timelines


1944After Judy's phenomenal success in The Wizard Of Oz and Babes In Arms, MGM knew they had a new musical star on their hands. And no mere child star. MGM soon realized that Judy was not only the best singer in the business, but she could also act, dance, and effectively handle comedy. There was nothing that Judy couldn't do.During this time, Judy makes the difficult transition from "child singing sensation" to MGM's reigning musical leading lady. This period of Judy's career was probably her busiest at MGM - the studio put her in film after film - on top of her obligation to Decca Records to record (she became one of their most popular singers), and her many appearances on radio shows. After Pearl Harbor was bombed and the U.S. entered into World War II, Judy was one of the first stars to begin performing for the troops.

There were also the many undocumented hours spentin rehearsals, both learning songs, dances and film scripts,as well as studio publicity photo sessions and personal appearances (usually dictated by the studio) at film premieres and parties. As you will see in this timeline, her schedule was such that it's a wonder how she did it.!

For more information about Judy's recordings, check out The Judy Garland Online Discography.

Follow this link to listen to, and download, Judy Garland radio performances.


spacer

DATE

EVENT

1/1/40
Records "If I Forget You" (& also films) for short Will Rogers Memorial Fund
2/1/40
Begins filming Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (Date Approx)
2/13/40
Performs "All The Things You Are" on Bob Hope radio program
2/29/40
Receives special Oscar for The Wizard Of Oz
3/14/40
Records "I'm Nobody's Baby" for film Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
3/14/40
Records "Buds Won't Bud" (deleted) for film Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
4/1/40
Completes Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (Date Approx)
4/1/40
Begins filming Strike Up The Band (Date Approx)
4/10/40
Records "Buds Won't Bud" for Decca Records
4/10/40
Records "I'm Nobody's Baby" for Decca Records
4/10/40
Records "(Can This Be) The End Of The Rainbow" for Decca Records
4/10/40
Records "Wearing Of The Green" for Decca Records
4/12/40
Records "Our Love Affair" for film Strike Up The Band
4/12/40
Records "Nobody" for film Strike Up The Band
4/15/40
Records "Friendship" for Decca Records
4/23/40
Records "Nell Of New Rochelle" sequence for film Strike Up The Band
5/10/40
Records "All I Do Is Dream Of You" for film Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
5/10/40
Records "Alone" for film Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
6/8/40
Records "Drummer Boy" for film Strike Up The Band
6/10/40
18th Birthday
6/26/40
Judy graduates from Hollywood High School
6/27/40
Records "Do The La Conga" for film Strike Up The Band
7/5/40
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante released
7/10/40
Records "Finale" sequence for film Strike Up The Band
7/29/40
Begins filming Little Nellie Kelly - During production, Judy's contract is renegotiated for $2,000 per week
8/1/40
Completes Strike Up The Band (Date Approx)
8/9/40
Records "It's A Great Day For The Irish" for film Little Nellie Kelly
9/1/40
MGM tears up old contract and makes new one: $2,000 per week with options for 7 years up to $3,000 per week
9/10/40
Records "Danny Boy" for film Little Nellie Kelly
9/10/40
Records "A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" for film Little Nellie Kelly
9/10/40
Records "Singin' In The Rain" for film Little Nelly Kelly
9/19/40
Filming completed on Little Nellie Kelly
9/24/40
Appears on "Cavalcade of Music" Radio Show
9/24/40
Performs "Over The Rainbow" at the Golden Gate Exposition
9/30/40
Strike Up The Band premieres in New York
10/1/40
Enters Cedars of Lebanon Hospital for a tonsillectomy. The studio is nervous, but everything goes fine
10/28/40
Appears on "The Lux Radio Theater" Radio Show with Mickey Rooney
11/1/40
Appears on "Leo Is On The Air" Radio Show to promote Little Nellie Kelly
11/22/40
Little Nellie Kelly premieres
11/13/40
Records "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" for film Ziegfeld Girl
12/18/40
Records "Our Love Affair" for Decca Records
12/18/40
Records "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" for Decca Records
12/18/40
Records "It's A Great Day For The Irish" for Decca Records
12/18/40
Records "A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" for Decca Records
12/22/40
Records "We Must Have Music" for film Ziegfeld Girl
12/22/40
Records "Special Material/I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (Deleted Finale) for film Ziegfeld Girl
1/14/41
Records "Minnie From Trinidad" for film Ziegfeld Girl
1/26/41
Performs "Love's Sweet Song" (which she wrote) on CBS's "Silver Theater" radio show
2/22/41
Performs "America (My Country 'Tis Of Thee)" at the Academy Awards
2/25/41
Performs "Over The Rainbow" & "It's A Great Day For The Irish" at personal appearance at the Greek Resistance Benefit
3/1/41
Completes Ziegfeld Girl (Date Approx)
4/1/41
Begins filming Life Begins For Andy Hardy (Date Approx)
4/25/41
Ziegfeld Girl released
4/27/41
Appears on "Young America Wants to Help" Radio Show
5/19/41
Records "America" (Deleted) for film Life Begins For Andy Hardy
6/4/41
Records "Easy To Love" (Deleted) for film Life Begins For Andy Hardy
6/4/41
Records "Abide With Me" (Deleted) for film Life Begins For Andy Hardy
6/4/41
Records "The Rosary" (Deleted) for film Life Begins For Andy Hardy
6/10/41
19th Birthday
6/30/41
Completes Life Begins For Andy Hardy (Date Approx)
7/2/41
Appears on "The Treasury Hour" Radio Show
7/14/41
Begins filming Babes On Broadway
7/18/41
Records "How About You?" for film Babes On Broadway
7/20/41
Records "The Birthday Of A King" for Decca Records
7/20/41
Records "The Star Of The East" for Decca Records
7/27/41
Appears on "Leo In On The Air" Radio Show to promote Life Begins For Andy Hardy
7/28/41
Marries David Rose
7/29/41
Judy absent on Babes On Broadway set so the crew is laid off for the day
8/1/41
Life Begins For Andy Hardy opens (Date Approx)
8/11/41
Records "Bombshell From Brazil" for film Babes On Broadway
8/29/41
Records "Hoe Down" for film Babes On Broadway
9/10/41
Records "Chin Up! Cherrio! Carry On!" for film Babes On Broadway
9/23/41
Records "Minstrel Show Sequence (Including 'FDR Jones')" for film Babes On Broadway
9/24/41
Records "Babes On Broadway" for film Babes On Broadway
9/24/41
Records "Ghost Theatre Sequence" for film Babes On Broadway
10/24/41
Records "How About You?" for Decca Records
10/24/41
Records "FDR Jones" for Decca Records
10/24/41
Records "Blues In The Night" for Decca Records
11/7/41
Completes filming of Babes On Broadway
11/9/41
Appears on "The Gulf Screen Guild Theatre" Radio Show to promote Babes On Broadway
11/9/41
Performs "God's Country" & "I Cried For You" on the "Lux Radio Theatre"
11/17/41
Appears on "Lux Radio Theater" with Mickey Rooney to introduce "How About You?," also performs "The Peanut Vendor."
12/7/41
Appears on "The Chase And Sandborn Hour" Radio Show
12/28/41
Judy is made Honorary Corporal by the soldiers at Fort Ord, CA
1/1/42
Performs "Over The Rainbow" in Command Performance film (Date Approx)
1/2/42
Babes On Broadway premieres
1/20/42
Appears on "Roy Shields Sustaining Program" Radio Show
2/1/42
Begins filming For Me And My Gal lasts for 8 weeks (Date Approx)
3/21/42
Records "Ballin' The Jack" for film For Me And My Gal
3/24/42
Records "After You've Gone" for film For Me And My Gal
3/27/42
Records "Till We Meet Again" for film For Me And My Gal
3/27/42
Records "How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm" for film For Me And My Gal
3/27/42
Records "For Me And My Gal" - Outtake Finale for film For Me And My Gal
3/27/42
Records "Where Do We Go From Here Boys?" for film For Me And My Gal
3/30/42
Records "For Me And My Gal" for film For Me And My Gal
3/30/42
Records "Jimmy K. Metcalfe & Co." Medley for film For Me And My Gal
4/1/42
Films "After You've Gone" for film For Me And My Gal (Date Approx)
4/3/42
Records "Poor You" for Decca Records
4/3/42
Records "The Last Call For Love" for Decca Records
4/3/42
Records "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" for Decca Records
4/3/42
Records "Poor Little Rich Girl" for Decca Records
5/11/42
Records "Waitin' For The Robert E. Lee" for film Babes On Broadway
5/26/42
Records "When You Wore A Tulip" & "Don't Bite The Hand That's Feeding You" for film For Me And My Gal
5/26/42
Records "YMCA Montage" for film For Me And My Gal
5/27/42
Records "Three Cheers For The Yanks" for film For Me And My Gal
6/10/42
20th Birthday
6/21/42
Appears on "The Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy" Radio Show
6/25/42
Records "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again/For Me And My Gal" (New Finale) for film For Me And My Gal
6/25/42
Records "Smiles" for film For Me And My Gal
7/26/42
Records "For Me And My Gal" for Decca Records
7/26/42
Records "When You Wore A Tulip" for Decca Records
7/26/42
Records "I Never Knew" for Decca Records
7/26/42
Records "That Old Black Magic" for Decca Records
7/28/42
Records "Every Little Movement Has A Meaning Of Its Own" for film Presenting Lily Mars
7/28/42
Records "Tom, The Piper's Son" for film Presenting Lily Mars
7/29/42
Filming completed on For Me And My Gal
9/1/42
Begins filming Presenting Lily Mars (Date Approx)
9/18/42
Records "Caro Mona (When I Look At You)" both ballad and comedy versions for film Presenting Lily Mars
10/12/42
Appears on "The Lux Radio Theatre" Radio Show
10/15/42
"Your Hollywood Radio Reporter" presents the audio promo for For Me And My Gal
10/16/42
Records "Paging Mr. Greenback" (deleted) for film Presenting Lily Mars
11/20/42
For Me And My Gal premieres in New York
12/22/42
Records "The Joint Is Really Jumpin' Down At Carnegie Hall" for film Thousands Cheer (films this guest spot around this date)
12/28/42
Appears on "The Lux Radio Theatre" in A Star Is Born Radio Version
12/29/42
Records "I Got Rhythm" for film Girl Crazy
1/2/43
Records "Bronco Busters" (deleted) for film Girl Crazy
1/4/43
Filming begins on Girl Crazy
1/29/43
Judy exhausted and confined to bed. Dr. Marcus Rabwin suggests that she not dance for 6 to 8 weeks, but she is back at the studio by mid February
3/1/43
Completes principle photography for Presenting Lily Mars (Date Approx)
3/4/43
Records "Where There's Music (Finale)" for film Presenting Lily Mars
3/22/43
Appears in "The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre" Radio show based on For Me And My Gal with Gene Kelly & Dick Powell
3/22/43
Performs "After You've Gone," "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm". "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again/Strike Up The Band," "For Me And My Gal," on the "Screen Guild Players" radio show edition of For Me And My Gal
3/29/43
Records "But Not For Me" for film Girl Crazy
4/14/43
Records "Bidin' My Time" for film Girl Crazy
4/15/43
Records "Embraceable You" for film Girl Crazy
4/15/43
Records "End Title (Embraceable You)" for film Girl Crazy
4/28/43
Records "Could You Use Me?" for film Girl Crazy
5/1/43
AFRMS Personal Album - "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"; "But Not For Me"; "I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City"; "Takin' A Chance On Love" (Date Approx)
5/19/43
Completes filming Girl Crazy
6/10/43
21st Birthday
7/1/43
Gives first "solo/popular" concert and the Robin Hood Dell in Philadelphia
7/1/43
Goes on her 2nd Army Camp Tour - completes one month later
7/2/43
Presenting Lily Mars is released
7/4/43
Performs "This Is The Army, Mr. Jones" on "The Pause That Refreshes On The Air" radio show
9/8/43
Hollywood Bond Cavalcade/Third War Loan Campaign kicks off with Judy as a part of it
09/11/43
Judy poses for photos at the St. Moritz hotel for the third War Loan Rally to be held at Madison Square Garden with James Cagney, Lucille Ball, Fred Astaire, Greer Garson, Paul Henreid, Betty Hutton, Harpo Marx, Margie Stewart, Barney Ross, May Kyser, Mickey Rooney, Rosemary LaPlanche.
11/2/43
Records "But Not For Me" for Decca Records
11/2/43
Records "I Got Rhythm" for Decca Records
11/2/43
Records "I Got Rhythm" (alternate take) for Decca Records
11/3/43
Records "Boys And Girls Like You And Me" (deleted) for film Meet Me In St. Louis
11/4/43
Records "Could You Use Me?" for Decca Records
11/4/43
Records "Embraceable You" for Decca Records
11/4/43
Records "Bidin' My Time" for Decca Records
11/4/43
Records "Embraceable You" (alternate take) for Decca Records
11/11/43
Meet Me In St. Louis goes into production
11/26/43
Girl Crazy is released
12/1/43
Records "Meet Me In St. Louis" for film Meet Me In St. Louis
12/2/43
Records "The Trolley Song" for film Meet Me In St. Louis
12/3/43
Records "Meet Me In St. Louis" (vocal with Lucille Bremer) for film Meet Me In St. Louis
12/3/43
Records "Skip To My Lou" for film Meet Me In St. Louis
12/4/43
Records "The Boy Next Door" for film Meet Me In St. Louis
12/4/43
Records "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" for film Meet Me In St. Louis
12/17/43
Records "Under The Bamboo Tree" for film Meet Me In St. Louis
12/18/43
Judy arrives late for Meet Me In St. Louis filming, meets with producer Arthur Freed, then leaves at approx 10:30 am not feeling well
12/22/43
Records "A Journey To A Star" for Decca Records
12/22/43
Records "No Love, No Nothing" for Decca Records
12/30/43
Judy absent from filming of Meet Me In St. Louis due to illness
1/7/44
Thousands Cheer is released
1/12/44
Judy absent from filming of Meet Me In St. Louis due to illness
3/1/44
Judy absent from filming of Meet Me In St. Louis due to illness
3/9/44
Judy absent from filming of Meet Me In St. Louis due to illness
3/23/44
Judy absent from filming of Meet Me In St. Louis due to illness
4/20/44
Records "Boys And Girls Like You And Me" for Decca Records
4/20/44
Records "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" for Decca Records
4/20/44
Records "The Boy Next Door" for Decca Records
4/21/44
Records "Meet Me In St. Louis" for Decca Records
4/21/44
Records "Skip To My Lou" for Decca Records
4/21/44
Records "The Trolley Song" for Decca Records
5/26/44
Records "Over The Banister" for film Meet Me In St. Louis
6/1/44
Completes Meet Me In St. Louis (Date Approx)
6/1/44
Performs "Dixieland Band" & "Long Ago And Far Away" on "Command Performance" radio show
6/4/44
Performs "The Trolley Song," "The Way You Look Tonight" & "Long Ago & Far Away" on The Bakers of America Salute to the Armed Forces radio show. 
6/5/44
6/7/44
Files for divorce from David Rose
6/10/44
22nd Birthday
6/25/44
Does "Mail Call" radio program with Bing Crosby
7/7/44
Judy in MGM Rehearsal Hall A rehearsing "Madame Crematon" number with director Charles Walters for film Ziegfeld Follies
7/11/44
Appears on "Everything For The Boys" Radio Show
7/11/44
Performs "There Is A Tavern" on "Everything For The Boys" radio show
7/22/44
On MGM Stage 21 filming "Madame Crematon" with new director Vincente Minnelli for film Ziegfeld Follies (rehearsed 10 days, recorded in 1 day, shot in three days)
7/31/44
Records "Mine" for Decca Records
8/1/44
Begins filming The Clock with director Fred Zinnemann. (Date Approx)
8/13/44
Performs "Over The Rainbow" on Your All-Time Hit Parade radio program
8/13/44
Judy Garland VDISC - "Over The Rainbow', "I May Be Wrong"
9/1/44
Filming begins anew on The Clock with new director Vincente Minnelli
10/8/44
Judy performs "parody of Over the Rainbow,""Someone to Watch Over Me" and "The Trolley Song" on the radio as part of the Hollywood Democratic Committee Dinner
11/1/44
First preview of Ziegfeld Follies
11/6/44
Performs "Gotta Get Out And Vote" on "Democratic National Committee" radio show
11/21/44
Completes filming The Clock
11/22/44
Meet Me In St. Louis premieres in St. Louis, MO
12/17/44
Performs "The Trolley Song." "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and "Jerome Kern Medley for Philco Radio Hall Of Fame
1/10/45
Production Memo for The Harvey Girls: "Judy Garland had an 11:00 ready call this a.m. to make wardrobe tests, she arrived in studio at 10:45. At 12 noon she called Griffin, assistant on the picture, to say she couldn't be ready till after lunch. We went to lunch at 12:30 and on return she still was not ready; she arrived on the stage at 3:07p.m. all made up but not in wardrobe; she came on set dressed at 3:35. At 4:00 she left the stage without making a test, for a conference with LB [Mayer] and did not return to the stage again."
1/11/45
Production Memo for The Harvey Girls: "Judy Garland had a 10 a.m. makeup call to be ready on the set at 1 p.m. She arrived at the studio at 12:12 and came on the set at 1:48."
1/12/45
Production Memo for The Harvey Girls: "Last night Judy Garland was given a call for this morning, by the assistant, 8:00 in makeup, 10:10 ready on set. She told him she wouldn't be in until 8:30 as she didn't need more than an hour and a half for makeup. This morning she arrived at the studio at 9:25, onstage 10:50, went into her dressing room and didn't come on the set until 11:25."
1/12/45
Filming begins on The Harvey Girls
1/5/45
Records "On The Atchison, Topeka, & The Santa Fe" for film The Harvey Girls
1/5/45
Records "It's A Great Big World" for film The Harvey Girls
1/13/45
Records "Training Montage" for film The Harvey Girls
1/26/45
Production Memo for The Harvey Girls: "Miss Garland called at 3:20 this morning to say that she was not feeling well and could not come to work today. We will try and shoot whatever we can without her…"
1/26/45
Records "This Heart Of Mine" for Decca Records
1/26/45
Records "Love" for Decca Records
1/26/45
Records "This Heart Of Mine" (alternate) for Decca Records
1/30/45
Performs "Love" & "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" on March Of Dimes Radio Show
2/9/45
Judy on set of The Harvey Girls but does not come out to film due to illness and states that she will not be available for filming the following Monday due to having two teeth extracted and a bridge being made on that date.
2/15/45
Appears on "Command Performance" Radio Show in Dick Tracy in B Flat - Judy does a parody of "Over The Rainbow" titled "Over A Barrel" as well as "I'm Gonna Be Strong For You" (w/Bob Hope)
2/16/45
Records "In The Valley When The Evening Sun Goes Down" for film The Harvey Girls
2/16/45
Records "My Intuition" (deleted) for film The Harvey Girls
2/17/45
Records "March Of The Doagies" (deleted) for film The Harvey Girls
2/17/45
Records "In The Valley When The Evening Sun Goes Down" (deleted reprise) for film The Harvey Girls
2/17/45
Records "March Of The Doagies" (deleted reprise) for film The Harvey Girls
2/19/45
Records "Hayride" (deleted) for film The Harvey Girls
2/19/45
Records "Swing Your Partner Round And Round" for film The Harvey Girls
3/2/45
Production Memo for The Harvey Girls: "The company was informed by Evelyn Powers, Judy Garland's secretary, that as of this date use of her Webster phone number was to be discontinued and that a new address but no phone number would be supplied to us March 3rd. Our contact with Judy Garland from now on will be through Evelyn Powers and a call bureau. This, of course, will be of inconvenience to the company and of greater inconvenience to Judy Garland should we ever wish to change a call to a later hour. She is aware of the latter possibilities."
3/9/45
Records "Yah-Ta-Ta, Yah-Ta-Ta (Talk, Talk, Talk) for Decca Records
3/9/45
Records "Connecticut" for Decca Records
3/9/45
Records "Connecticut" (alternate) for Decca Records
3/9/45
Records "Yah-Ta-Ta, Yah-Ta-Ta (Talk, Talk, Talk) (alternate) for Decca Records
3/12/45
Second preview of Ziegfeld Follies
4/19/45
Judy cancels scheduled "loops" for The Harvey Girls due to being bruised from previous day's filming of fight scenes
4/19/45
Records "You've Got Me Where You Want Me" for Decca Records
4/23/45
Is recorded singing impromptu duet with Kay Thompson "In The Valley When The Evening Sun Goes Down" - only know recording of these two great friends singing together
4/24/45
Judy absent from filming of The Harvey Girls due to illness
5/14/45
Records "Swing Your Partner Round And Round" for Decca Records
5/15/45
Judy calls studio and says she cannot film this date due to being up all night recording for Decca Records
5/24/45
Judy cancels scheduled "loops" for The Harvey Girls due to hoarse throat
5/26/45
Judy cancels scheduled "loops" for The Harvey Girls due to illness
6/4/45
Principle photography completed for film The Harvey Girls
6/10/45
23rd Birthday
7/7/45
Records "On The Atchison, Topeka, & The Santa Fe" with the Merry Macs for Decca Records
7/7/45
Records "If I Had You" for Decca Records
7/7/45
Records "If I Had You"(alternate) for Decca Records
7/10/45
Records "Smilin' Through" for Decca Records
7/10/45
Records "You'll Never Walk Alone" for Decca Records
7/12/45
First preview of The Harvey Girls
8/20/45
"Road Show" premiere in Boston, MA of Ziegfeld Follies
9/7/45
Records "In The Valley When The Evening Sun Goes Down" for Decca Records
9/7/45
Records "It's A Great Big World" for Decca Records
9/10/45
Records "On The Atchison, Topeka, & The Santa Fe" (chorus version) for Decca Records
9/17/45
Judy marries Vincente Minnelli - studio boss Louis B. Mayer gives the bride away
10/5/45
Performs "How Deep Is the Ocean," "Gotta Be This Or That" (with Frank Sinatra) and "My Romance" (with Frank Sinatra) on "The Danny Kaye Show" Radio Show
10/6/45
Appears on "The Danny Kaye Show" Radio Show
10/9/45
Records "Who?" for Till The Clouds Roll By
10/9/45
Records "Look For The Silver Lining" for film Till The Clouds Roll By
10/15/45
Records "D'Ya Love Me?" (deleted) for film Till The Clouds Roll By
11/1/45
Completes filming her guest spots in film Till The Clouds Roll By (Date Approx)
12/9/45
Appears on the "Jerome Kern Memorial Special" Radio Show - performs "Look For The Silver Lining" & part of finale "They Didn't Believe Me"
12/25/45
Appears on "Command Performance" Christmas Radio Show
12/25/45
Performs "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" on "Command Performance" radio show




Judy Garland Books
For even more detailed timelines, check out Scott Schechter's fantastic book "Judy Garland The Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Legend." This book is not a "biography" but exactly what the title says: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of Judy's life. With access to the Arthur Freed archives in the UCLA Library, as well as a multitude of other sources, Scott picks up where The Judy Room timelines leave off - and provides even more detailed information than you'll find here. Nice pictures too. For people who enjoy raw data this is the book for you! - Click here to purchase.
Click here for more information about Judy Garland books.

spacer

top of page

© The Judy Room  -  Copyright Statement