Get Happy: The Life Of Judy Garland: Gerald Clarke

The girl with the pigtails, the symbol of innocence in The Wizard Of Oz; the brightest star of the Hollywood musical and an entertainer of almost magical power; the woman of half a dozen comebacks, a hundred heartbreaks and thousands of headlines. A remarkable list of sources have been drawn on, including the unopened papers discovered in a Tennessee courthouse and the unpublished memoir of Judy's make-up girl and closest confidante as well as Judy's unfinished autobiography. Unforgettable characters are brought to life: Oscar Levant; Orson Welles; Rita Hayworth; Vincente Minelli and the smooth, seductive David Begelmnan, who stole Judy's heart so he could steal her money. Judy described her unfinished autobiography as, '...one hell of a great, everlastingly great book, with humour, tears, fun, emotion and love.' She might just as well have been describing Get Happy. Illustrated with black and white photographs.