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Posted by: Naomi on 2008-02-17
Her acting was so superb in this production, she was nominated for and won Best Actress. Judy was completely convincing as the 'dumb blonde' in that film. She had reached the pinnacle of her craft and was a force to be reckoned with, but unforeseen circumstances loomed on the horizon.
After filming 'The Marrying Kind', Judy was summoned before the Un-American Activities Committee to ask her about organizations and affiliations she was associated with. Joseph McCarthy, the junior Senator from Wisconsin, had earlier stated that he had a list of Communists in the State Department. In fact, there was no list, only McCarthy trying to make a name for himself. He and his fellow committee members made the allegations sound credible.
It wasn't long before the 'Red Scare' spilled over into the entertainment industry. Numerous entertainers were summoned to Washington to answer for their 'questionable' associations. Judy was one of those called to testify. Fortunately for her, she was not 'blacklisted' as were some of her counter-parts, but the damage was done.
It was the old adage of guilt by association. Now the Oscar winning actress didn't get the parts that she probably could have had. Her film career was curtailed somewhat, but rebounded. She continued with her stage and musical efforts, but limited time on the screen. After filming 'The Solid Gold Cadillac' in 1956, Judy was absent from movies for the next four years.
Her last film was the MGM production of 'Bells Are Ringing' with Dean Martin in 1960, and it was one of her best. She was 39, an age where she should have been fast becoming a household name. Her performances were flawless, an actress with a fantastic talent. But she had become ill with cancer. She had pulled her life together and continued to work the stage and make records, but she was slowly dying.
Judy died three weeks before her 44th birthday in New York City on June 7, 1965. If only she'd been dealt a better hand at life, she could have very well been one of the most famous actresses of all time.
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