During the golden age of Hollywood, one of the brightest stars was unquestionably Judy Garland. As a multi-hyphenate with a soaring heart and a beautiful humanity, Garland had a career that was comprised of some of the most lilting musicals, rope-a-dope romances, and chilling dramas. It's a folly to even consider reducing her career to just ten roles.
Without a doubt, there is an endless amount of ace films in Garland's extensive filmography. Traveling down the IMDb rating scale will reveal gems like The Pirate, I Could Go on Singing, and Ziegfeld Girl. It's the top of the top, though, that are among Hollywood's best-ever productions, and it was an honor for all of them to feature Garland in their top-billed credits.
For Me And My Gal: 7.1
Garland was a regular collaborator with Busby Berkeley, the bombastic, visual language-defining director from the old guard at MGM, and Gene Kelly, a song-and-dance man perhaps like no other. For Me and My Gal saw that trio team up in 1942 for a quality film, even if it wasn't the best of either pairing.
Released during the dead heat of World War II, For Me and My Gal looked to how vaudeville operated during World War I for a then-contemporary parallel between showbiz and global conflicts. Garland led the film brilliantly as Jo Hayden.
In The Good Old Summertime: 7.2
Garland was linked to MGM for the majority of her career, and another Technicolor musical from that era paired her with Van Johnson for 1949's In the Good Old Summertime. The general story of the film is also best known as being based from The Shop Around the Corner and the half-century-later film, You've Got Mail.
Garland and Johnson have strong enough chemistry together, even though she's the clear standout as Veronica Fisher. Notably, this film was also the debut for Liza Minnelli, Garland's daughter who was three at the time.
A Child Is Waiting: 7.2
Garland always knew how to join up with talented directors, no matter which era she worked within. After mounting an on-screen comeback, she found her way to John Cassavetes for the penultimate film role of her career: Jean Hansen in 1963's A Child Is Waiting.
It's a role Garland had aged into perfectly by that point of her career. As a teacher whose heartful methods change the trajectory of many children, there was almost an aching, meta, "what could have been" quality to the film as well.
Summer Stock: 7.2
In 1950, Garland clocked her final film for the MGM studio when she re-upped with Gene Kelly for the sumptuous and downright gorgeous musical, Summer Stock. The production was frustrating, but the final result is profound.
Garland portrayed Jane Falbury, a farm owner who ends up flexing her hospitality skills when an entire theater troupe needs a location for show rehearsals. The film is lovely and fun, but the most stunning moment comes when Garland croons "Friendly Star" as the camera pans to Gene Kelly's Joe Ross, who is furtively listening with affection.
The Clock: 7.4
The only director who Garland was more prolific with than Busby Berkeley was Vincente Minnelli, the musical savant who would become Garland's husband in 1945. Also in 1945? The couple's second film together, The Clock.
In The Clock, Garland was Alice Mayberry, a rather passive character in Garland's oeuvre who vacillated between being down on her luck and highly sought after. It's a perfectly serviceable film that helped buoy Garland's career outside of pure musical territory.
Easter Parade: 7.4
Musicals will always be what Judy Garland is best known for. In 1948, for example, one of her top roles came in the form of Easter Parade, from director Charles Walters. As Hannah Brown, Garland is enchanting in the pastel, swell affair.
Easter Parade paired Garland with Fred Astaire, as well as songwriter Irving Berlin, and became one of the biggest hits of the 1940s. Obviously, the title number is sweet, but Garland's rendition of "I Want to Go Back to Michigan" is one of the more undervalued moments from the film.
A Star Is Born (1954): 7.6
The story of A Star Is Born is one that has been seen time and again in Hollywood, yet the 1954 rendition is clearly one of the defining roles of Garland's career. In this version, she portrayed Esther opposite James Mason's Norman.
The rest is well-known in Hollywood history. Garland's first pairing with Warner Brothers was tinged with yearning, drive, and recovery. It ended up earning her a Golden Globe trophy and an Oscar nomination, both of which were exceedingly well-deserved.
Meet Me In St. Louis: 7.6
Garland's first film with Minnelli is also one of the most enduring musicals of all-time. Meet Me in St. Louis tells the tale of one year in the life of the Smiths through a series of vignettes that relate to each season, and the story is an engrossing and emotional one, to be sure.
Garland delivers what is probably a career-best starring turn for her as Esther Smith, a character who flips between wrenching and fun-loving with ease. "The Trolley Song" alone would be enough to vault this movie to the top three of the list, but the film also includes "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," perhaps one of the most iconic numbers in musical history and an all-timer of a holiday song. That was Garland's magic.
The Wizard Of Oz: 8.0
While she is never better than she is in Meet Me in St. Louis, it's hard to imagine any time when Garland's most famous role would not be considered to be The Wizard of Oz. Her breakout performance came as Dorothy Gale in one of the most famous movies to ever exist.
It's hard to imagine anyone not primarily associating her with the classic fantasy. It's for good reason, too. Garland was the perfect choice for Dorothy, as she brought sweetness and innocence to the role, as well as a sense of nurture and adventure. Not to mention, her performance of "Over the Rainbow" is probably the Oscars' most acclaimed Best Original Song winner.
Judgment At Nuremberg: 8.2
Judgment at Nuremberg is certainly not the most iconic Garland film or performance, but the 1961 Stanley Kramer courtroom drama would not have been nearly as quality without Garland's Oscar-nominated supporting turn as Irene Hoffmann.
Her testimony winds up being one of the most pivotal in the film, which is very loosely based on real events. It's a true supporting turn and a fascinating showcase of Garland's career trajectory by the 1960s. It may not be the defining Garland film, but there's no doubt it's one of the best on her resume.