Behind The Scenes Secrets: The Wizard Of Oz

Louis B Mayer Kept Judy Garland Under Control via Spying

Judy Garland was an important part of theWizard of Ozproduction, but it still seems just a bit creepy that Louis B Mayer had people who were sent to spy on her. If she dared to deviate from her diet of chicken soup, coffee and 80 cigarettes (to control her appetite), she received his famous reprimand. It was especially bad if they caught her with a sundae. Plus, a doctor would prescribe more diet pills. She really couldn’t win.

All of the spying and control over her life just fed into her already poor self-esteem. She already thought she was overweight, so those rants were just exacerbating many of the psychological issues. For Garland, her magical moment in the sun (withWizard of Oz) really led to her own continued deterioration and eventual death at such an early age.