Everyone remembers Judy Garland for her role of Dorothy in the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz”. Yet she began her career, in the 1936 production “Every Sunday”, three years and seven films prior to her walk down the yellow brick road. Regardless of your favorite “Oz” character, it is all Garland in issue number twelve from the “Legends of Hollywood” series. This single .39-cent commemorative stamp was released June 10th in New York, NY and is available in a pane of twenty.
Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp using a portrait of Garland by Tim O’Brien, an artist living in Brooklyn, New York. O’Brien’s portrait is based on a publicity photo for A Star Is Born, the 1954 film for which Garland received an Academy Award nomination for “best actress.” A reproduction of Garland’s signature appears at the bottom of the stamp. The photo that will be on the selvage shows her in another signature role, as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
Garland was born June 10, 1922 in Grand Rapids, MN. As one of the last century’s greatest entertainers, she appeared in 32 feature films. She also was vocally talented, having released more than a dozen albums and nearly 100 singles and made hundreds of radio broadcasts. Garland also starred in her own television show and was seen making guest appearances on others. She frequently broke box office records with her live performances in theaters, concert halls, and nightclubs. Garland’s hometown honors her with the Judy Garland Museum (http://www.judygarlandmuseum.com) that is a non-profit, educational organization.
