URBAN LEGEND: JUDY GARLAND

URBAN LEGEND: Did Judy Garland steal her costume from the set of Valley Of The Dolls after she was fired from the film?

ANSWER: No!

STOLEN COSTUME? For years there were rumors that Judy Garland, upon being fired by Fox, stole the famous pant-suit eventually worn by Susan Hayward in VALLY OF THE DOLLS. This is not true. The studio, after hiring her at 75 Grand per week, found her drunk and loaded on pills and they were unable to film her first scene. She had already been through costume fittings and had recorded I'LL PLANT MY OWN TREE, one of her Broadway numbers for the Helen Lawson character she was playing. It went well. Her fans believe that the Director deliberately called her in for a morning shoot which was not scheduled until almost 5 PM. Whether he was testing Judy's resolve to stay sober or whether he had sabotaged her first day, is up for dispute. It's a difficult decision for a Movie Studio to make and Garland had been a big help in the HYPE PUBLICITY prior to the filming of Valley of the Dolls, so they paid her a fair settlement for her few days of work and let her keep the famous costume...