1946 - 1950 Timeline

Summertime The years 1946 - 1950 were tumultuous ones for Judy. Following her success in Meet Me In St. Louis, she was the reigning queen of MGM. Judy followed St. Louis with a critically acclaimed dramatic turn in The Clock followed by the highly successful The Harvey Girls. She made guest appearances in Ziegfeld Follies and also Till The Clouds Roll By.

But the previous years of overwork plus her increasing dependence on prescription drugs were beginning to take their toll. After giving birth to Liza Minnelli, and enjoying a much needed year of rest, the prospect of going back into the grind of making film after film was a frightening one. Judy announced that she would not renew her contract with MGM when it expired in August, 1947. MGM, of course, had other plans. She was their top star of the time, making $3,000 per week even though she wasn't working. MGM lured her back with a contract giving her $5,619.23 per week (in 1946 dollars no less), with a guarantee of $300,000 per year; the promise to make only 2 films per year with one being a guest appearance; the promise that Dottie Ponedell would continue to be her make-up artist, and that her husband Vincente Minnelli would be her director. She would also be allowed to make records and radio appearances and keep the money from those (as long as MGM was mentioned). It was too tempting to refuse. The contract was drawn up on November 20, 1946 and Judy returned to work on December 2, 1946 to begin work on The Pirate. This would prove to be, in hindsight, a big mistake.

The studio insisted that she lose weight (Judy had a hereditary weight problem), so the pressure was once again on her shoulders to "deliver." She would falter (The Pirate), then rise again (Easter Parade), then falter (Annie Get Your Gun) then rise (Summer Stock) then falter again (Royal Wedding). There were several nervous breakdowns, a couple of suicide attempts (which were more cries for help than actual attempts to kill herself), and firings from big budget films.

Finally, at the mutual consent of Judy and the studio, she left MGM in 1950 at the age of 28. Little did she (or anyone) know that this would be the beginning of a new career for Judy. A career that would cement her legendary status as "The World's Greatest Entertainer."

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.

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DATE	EVENT
1/18/46	The Harvey Girls premieres at Capitol Theater in N.Y.
3/12/46	Judy gives birth to Liza Minnelli
4/8/46	Ziegfeld Follies opens nationwide
6/10/46	24th Birthday
7/2/46	First preview of Till The Clouds Roll By
7/20/46	Judy fills in for an absent Lena Horne at the Hollywood Bowl during their Jerome Kern Memorial Concert (Judy was already part of the program)
9/11/46	Records "For You, For Me, Forevermore" for Decca Records
9/11/46	Records "Aren't You Kind Of Glad We Did?" for Decca Records
9/11/46	Records "Changing My Tune" for Decca Records
10/1/46	Records "There Is No Breeze" for Decca Records
10/1/46	Records "Don't Tell Me That Story" for Decca Records
11/12/46	Appears on "Philco Radio Time" radio show with Bing Crosby sings Liza as a tribute to her 8 month old daughter
11/21/46	Appears on the "Suspense" radio show in "Drive-In"
11/27/46	Appears on "Philco Radio Time" radio show with Bing Crosby
12/1/46	Returns to MGM after birth of Liza with a new contract for $300,000 per year
12/2/46	Appears in "The Lux Radio Theatre" radio show version of Meet Me In St. Louis
12/27/46	Records "Love Of My Life" (outtake version) for film The Pirate
12/28/46	Records "Mack The Black" (outtake version) for film The Pirate
12/28/46	Records "Mack The Black" (2nd outtake version) for film The Pirate
1/3/47	Till The Clouds Roll By is released
2/17/47	Filming begins on the film The Pirate
2/19/47	Appears on "Philco Radio Time" radio show with Bing Crosby
3/12/47	Drops out of singing "On The Atchison, Topeka & The Santa Fe" at the Oscars
4/10/47	Records "Voodoo" (outtake) for the film The Pirate
4/12/47	Judy has major breakdown on set of The Piratewhile filming the "Voodoo" number and is led off the set after screaming "The want to kill me" when she looked into the fire and then ran up to several of the extras begging for benzedrine
5/8/47	Arthur Freed visits Judy in her dressing room on the set of The Pirate and restores Judy's confidence - but not for long
5/13/47	Records "You Can Do No Wrong" for film The Pirate
5/29/47	Appears on "Command Performance" radio show for the 5th anniversary of the program
6/10/47	25th Birthday
6/30/47	Is absent from set of The Pirate and will be absent 8 more days over next two weeks
7/14/47	Records "Be A Clown" for film The Pirate
7/14/47	Completes principle photography for The Pirate
7/15/47	Begins filming "Be A Clown" for film The Pirate (endures 33 takes of 5 different camera setups)
7/16/47	Makes first suicide attempt - is sent to Las Campanas sanitarium, then to Austin Riggs Center in Stockbridge, MA (Judy leaves after two weeks, returns to MGM in September) (Date Approx)
7/18/47	Completes filming "Be A Clown" plus retakes and pick-ups for 5 other scenes
8/14/47	Principle photography is completed on The Pirate
9/18/47	Vincente Minnelli taken off directing Easter Parade at the suggestion of Judy's psychiatrist
9/23/47	Begins filming Easter Parade
10/12/47	Gene Kelly breaks ankle and is taken off Easter Parade Fred Astaire replaces him 3 days later
10/21/47	From this date through December 19, retakes are done on The Pirateincluding the new version (as seen in the film) of "Mack The Black" (probably filmed around the 17th judging from the recording date of the song)
10/26/47	Appears on "Hollywood Fights Back" radio show
11/2/47	Records "I Want To Go Back To Michigan" for film Easter Parade
11/13/47	Records "A Couple Of Swells" for film Easter Parade
11/15/47	Records "I Wish I Were In Love Again" for Decca Records
11/15/47	Records "Nothing But You" for Decca Records
11/15/47	Records "Falling In Love With Love" for Decca Records
11/17/47	Records "Vaudeville Montage Medley" for film Easter Parade
11/25/47	Filming begins on Easter Parade
12/12/47	Records "Mr. Monotony" (outtake) for film Easter Parade
12/15/47	Records "Mack The Black" (final film version) for film The Pirate
12/15/47	Records "Love Of My Life" (final film version) for film The Pirate
1/7/48	Records "A Fella With An Umbrella" for film Easter Parade
1/7/48	Records "It Only Happens When I Dance With You" for film Easter Parade
1/17/48	Records "Better Luck Next Time" for film Easter Parade
1/26/48	Records "Easter Parade" for film Easter Parade
1/26/48	Appears on "The Lux Radio Theatre" Radio Show performing The Clock
2/9/48	Films finale sequence for Easter Parade on MGM Lot 3
2/28/48	Easter Parade previews at the Westwood Village Theatre
5/6/48	Appears on "Chesterfield Supperclub" radio show
5/28/48	Records "I Wish I Were In Love Again" (w/ Mickey Rooney) for film Words And Music
6/1/48	Films dramatic scenes and the song "I Wish I Were In Love Again" for Words And Music(during first week)
6/10/48	26th Birthday
6/11/48	The Pirateis released (this is the only film Judy made for MGM that did not net a profit)
6/12/48	Scheduled start date for Judy to begin the film The Barkleys Of Broadway but she is absent
6/14/48	Judy begins filming The Barkleys Of Broadway
7/7/48	Absent from The Barkleys Of Broadway set (will be out until 17th)
7/16/48	Easter Parade is released
7/17/48	Judy is placed on suspension by MGM for her failure to report to work during production of The Barkleys Of Broadway
7/19/48	Is replaced in The Barkleys Of Broadway by Ginger Rogers
9/11/48	Guest on "Philco Bing Crosby Radio Show"
9/22/48	Guest on "WMGM Radio Show"
9/30/48	Appears on Al Jolson's "Kraft Music Hall Radio Show"
9/30/48	Records "Johnny One Note" for film Words And Music
10/1/48	Films "Johnny One Note" for film Words And Music
10/1/48	Begins rehearsals for film In The Good Old Summertime (Date Approx)
10/6/48	Appears on "The Bing Crosby Show" (radio)
11/16/48	Records "Last Night When We Were Young" (outtake) for film In The Good Old Summertime
11/16/48	Records "Merry Christmas" for film In The Good Old Summertime
11/16/48	Records "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey" for film In The Good Old Summertime
11/16/48	Records "Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland" for film In The Good Old Summertime
11/17/48	Records "Play That Barbershop Chord" for film In The Good Old Summertime
11/17/48	Records "I Don't Care" for film In The Good Old Summertime
11/17/49	Records "Finale (In The Good Old Summertime)" (unused finale) for film In The Good Old Summertime
11/18/48	Poses for some costume tests for film Annie Get Your Gun
3/17/49	Judy calls in sick for scheduled Annie Get Your Gun costume tests
3/25/49	Records "Doin What Comes Natur'lly" for film Annie Get Your Gun
3/25/49	Records "You Can't Get A Man With A Gun" for film Annie Get Your Gun
3/28/49	Records "They Say It's Wonderful" for film Annie Get Your Gun
3/28/49	Records "The Girl That I Marry (reprise)" for film Annie Get Your Gun
3/30/49	Records "Let's Go West Again" for film Annie Get Your Gun
3/30/49	Judy & Vincente announce their separation
3/31/49	Records "There's No Business Like Show Business" for film Annie Get Your Gun
3/31/49	Records "There's No Business Like Show Business (reprise)" for film Annie Get Your Gun
4/1/49	Records "I've Got The Sun In The Morning" for film Annie Get Your Gun
4/1/49	Records "Anything You Can Do" for film Annie Get Your Gun
4/4/49	Filming begins on Annie Get Your Gun
4/25/49	Records "I'm An Indian Too" for film Annie Get Your Gun
5/4/49	Judy leaves early from Annie set due to illness
5/10/49	MGM puts Judy on suspension regarding Annie Get Your Gun
5/20/49	Is replaced by Betty Hutton in film Annie Get Your Gun
5/30/49	Enters Peter Brent Bringham Hospital in Boston for rest will stay for approx 6 weeks
6/10/49	27th Birthday
6/14/49	Louella Parsons announces In The Good Old Summertime with Judy as star
10/1/49	Begins rehearsals for Summer Stock (Date Approx)
10/5/49	Appears on "The Bing Crosby Show" (radio)
10/13/49	Records "If You Feel Like Singing" for film Summer Stock
10/13/49	Records "(Howdy Neighbor) Happy Harvest" for film Summer Stock
10/27/49	Records "Friendly Star" for film Summer Stock
10/31/49	MGM sends Judy warning letter - Judy goes to Louis B. Mayer and requests to be released from both Summer Stock and her MGM contract
2/2/50	Records "All For You" for film Summer Stock
2/2/50	Records "Happy Harvest" (finale) for film Summer Stock
2/3/50	Records "You Wonderful You" for film Summer Stock
2/13/50	Records "You Wonderful You (reprise)" for film Summer Stock
2/26/50	Completes Summer Stock (except "Get Happy" ) (Date Approx)
3/15/50	Records "Get Happy" for film Summer Stock
6/9/50	The Freed Unit gives Judy a birthday party on the set of Royal Wedding
6/10/50	28th Birthday
6/16/50	Wardrobe tests for film Royal Wedding
6/17/50	Judy cancels rehearsal call for film Royal Wedding in the afternoon - MGM immediately drops her from the film and puts her on suspension again
6/19/50	Attempts suicide - press releases it to the nation
9/1/50	Billy Rose writes "love" column in the newspaper after seeing Summer Stock
9/5/50	Judy goes to see Summer Stock at theater in N.Y. - crowd goes wild when house lights come up after film is over and they discover Judy is there!
9/18/50	Judy returns to MGM
9/29/50	Judy is released from her MGM contract
10/11/50	Performs "Goodnight Irene (parody)", "Sam's Song" & "Get Happy" on "The Bing Crosby Show" (radio)
10/18/50	Appears on "The Bing Crosby Show" (radio)
12/6/50	Appears on "The Bing Crosby Show" (radio) Judy sang: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (with Bing), "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (first public performance of this song, as a tribute to Al Jolson - he passed away on October 23, 1950), "Boise, Idaho" (with Bing), "Blue Boy" (with Bing) and "These Lush Moments" (with Bing)
12/25/50	Performs "Over The Rainbow" on the "Lux Radio Theatre" show

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