Judy Garland is one of those actresses who lit up the big screen as a child star as well as an adult actress as she made the successful transition that many often fail at.
She acted as well as sung in a career that spanned over forty years and saw her pick up a string of awards.
Frances Ethel Gumm kicked off her career as a singer as Judy and her two older sisters toured on the vaudeville circuit as The Gumm Sisters.
They changed their name to the Garland Sister in 1934 and just twelve months later Judy had been signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Throughout the mid thirties she went on to appear in the likes of Every Sunday, Pigskin Parade and Thoroughbreds Don't Cry.
While she did capture the attention studios with early performances it was 1938 and a certain movie called The Wizard of Oz that really propelled her to fame.
Garland was just sixteen when she took on the role of Dorothy Gale - fighting off tough competition from Shirley Temple.
The movie was both a critical and commercial success and Garland's place in cinematic history was secured - this movie is still as popular and loved today as it was when it released.
At the Oscar ceremony in 1940 Garland was presented with an Academy Juvenile Award for her performance in both The Wizard of Oz and Babes in Arms.
The work for Garland cam flowing in as a success with movies such as Strike Up the Band, and Little Nellie Kelly.
It was to be Little Nellie Kelly that provided Garland with her first adult role as she began her transition away from being a child star.
These two movies were a huge success for the actress and Little Nellie Kelly really showed the young actress in a very different light.
Her personal life was also as interesting as her professional life and she was married in 1941 to David Rose, she began her relationship with him while he was still married to Martha Raye.
Just three years after her marriage to Rose the pair were divorced in 1944. She continued to work during this tough time as she starred in For Me and My Gal with Gene Kelly before going on to Presenting Lily Mars.
With these two roles she completed the transition to adult star and her teenage acting days were well and truly behind her.
In 1944 she starred in the movie Meet Me in St Louis - which went on to be one of the most successful movies of her career.
The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli and saw the actress team up with Margaret O'Brien and Mary Astor.
The movie was a huge hit when it was released and the film is still regarded as one of her greatest movies.
Her personal life hit the headlines again in 1947 when she had a nervous breakdown before trying to take her own life - she went on to receive treatment for her problems.
Garland enjoyed some success on the stage before returning to movies as she went on to star in A Star Was Born.
It was a performance that saw her nominated for a Best Actress Oscar - losing out to Grace Kelly for The Country Girl.
She may have missed out on the Oscar but the actress did pick up a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical.
Judy Garland died June 22 1969 from an overdose of barbiturates - however there was no evidence to suggest that she committed suicide.
Judy Garland delivered some great performance during her career and movies such as The Wizard of Oz and Meet Me In St Louis really have endured.
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