Somewhere Over the Rainbow

No one will ever forget Judy Garland -- least of all anyone who votes on the American Film Institute's (AFI) movie lists.

Created by the National Endowment for the Arts, AFI has honored Garland's work many times -- usually for the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz," which was named #6 on the Top 100 Movies of All Time (although it dropped four spots in a revised 2007 edition of the list) and #26 on the Top 100 Most Inspiring Movies.

But AFI recognized Garland for her body of work, ranking her #8 on the Top 100 Female Stars list. Anyone who's ever heard her sing "Over the Rainbow" knows it's an honor she richly deserved.

(By the way, AFI ranked that song #1 among movie songs. And, on a separate list, Garland's line, "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" was recognized as the #4 movie quote of all time.)

Garland was born 86 years ago today. Less than two weeks after her 47th birthday, she was found dead of an accidental overdose of pills she had been taking for a long time. Thus, her death was ruled accidental and not a suicide.

Her death was as tragic as Marilyn Monroe's had been earlier in the decade. I will always remember how sad my grandmother was upon learning the news.

Actually, it was my grandmother who introduced me to Judy Garland -- figuratively speaking, of course.

When I was about 5 or 6, I watched "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time -- with my grandmother. The flying monkeys frightened me! And my family owned a small black-and-white TV set in those days so I didn't get to see things like a truly yellow yellow brick road for several years. (That was quite a revelation, I can assure you!)

But I learned to appreciate Garland's singing through my grandmother.

Garland's "Wizard of Oz" co-star, Ray Bolger, probably summed things up best at her funeral when he said, "She just plain wore out."

Indeed she did.

But I, for one, never get tired of seeing her or hearing her sing.