The tragic story of Judy Garland’s final movie: “You evil, corrupt monsters”
The story of Judy Garland is a tragic one that points towards the insidious underbelly of Hollywood, with each system being built to exploit and control those who enter its gates. From the experiences of Marilyn Monroe to Amanda Bynes, there are too many women who have worked in the business and been abused by most people inside it, being treated as disposable commodities with no care for their well-being or humanity.
It’s sadly a tale as old as time, with the Garland being an early example of the ways that Hollywood can destroy you, even if you’re at the top of your game. Garland started performing as a child, signing a contract with MGM at just the age of 13 and shortly going on to star in The Wizard of Oz at 16, a film that defines cinematic history and the Technicolour revolution that captivated audiences all over the world.
However, her experiences during production signalled towards something darker, with the actor being encouraged to take amphetamines to work longer hours and maintain her weight, being forced onto extreme diets by her mother and being mistreated by the director while filming. From this point onwards, the actor began a lifelong struggle with drugs and poor mental health, something that manifested while filming her final movie, I Could Go On Singing.
For such a star-powered project, the production of I Could Go On Singing was marked by constant struggle and creative conflict, with drastic script changes and scheduling issues that almost guaranteed its failure. After the countless rewrites, the struggles only worsened as they began shooting, with Garland’s temperamental mental state causing problems after showing up late to set, trashing hotel rooms and skyrocketing the production costs for the studio.
The disturbing truth behind Judy Garland’s final movie
Garland attempts to fire many of the people working on the film (including the director), saying that she has the power in her contract to do so. While shooting, she is found in a hotel room, almost unconscious after a fatal overdose. The production is suspended while she recovers in the hospital, needing to have her stomach pumped. But despite this, the producers are intent on finishing the film, despite the fact that their lead actor nearly died.
Garland’s psychiatrist called the producers of the film, berating them for forcing her into work and exploiting someone who was clearly very unwell, saying, “You evil corrupt monsters are destroying this poor abused girl.” The producers insist that the film needs to be completed and that they’ll allow for her recovery time in the schedule, with the psychiatrist negotiating a suitable number of days for her to rest.
Millions of dollars have been spent on the picture, and so far, they have a few scenes in the can and none of Garland’s songs. The producers try to sweet-talk her into completing the picture, rewriting segments of the script to make the scenes more manageable, finally encouraging Garland to come back and complete the film.
While it was made in the end, it remains another harrowing story from her career in which she was treated like a performing monkey, with no thought to her well-being and the battles she was fighting behind the scenes. The film was the last one she ever made, and while it showcased her talents, it might well have been the final nail in the coffin, being forced to perform until she had nothing left.
