Ethel Marion Milne: Death & Everything About Judy Garland’s Mother

Ethel Marion Milne is known as the mother of American actress and singer Judy Garland born Frances Ethel Gumm. Judy Garland appeared in several films during her acting career but she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). She attained international stardom as an actress in both musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage.

Judy Garland has also won several accolades for her contributions to the entertainment industry. She has a lot of fans and due to her stardom, several people want to know about her parents which bring Ethel Marion Milne into the picture.

Ethel Marion Milne: Bio Summary

As mentioned earlier, Ethel Marion Milne is the mother of popular entertainer Judy Garland. Ethel was born on the 17th of November 1893 to John B. Milne and Eva Marion Fitzpatrick. She was born in Michigamme, Marquette, Michigan, United States. She got married to a man named Francis Avent “Frank” Gumm (1886–1935).

They were vaudevillians who settled in Grand Rapids to run a movie theater that featured vaudeville acts. The family relocated to Lancaster, California, in June 1926, following rumors that her husband Francis Avent Gumm had homosexual inclinations. The couple had an off-and-on relationship. Frank bought and operated another theater in Lancaster.

Judy Garland’s mother, Ethel Marion Milne started to manage her daughters and work to get them into motion pictures. Ethel Marion Milne and Francis Avent Gumm are the parents of Mary Jane Gumm, Frances Ethel Gumm known as Judy Garland, and Dorothy Virginia Gumm. Judy, Mary, and Dorothy Virginia pursued a career in the entertainment industry.

The three sisters came together to form The Gumm Sisters and later changed their name to the Garland Sisters. They performed on the stage of their father Francis’ movie theater during a Christmas show and sang “Jingle Bells”.

The Gumm Sisters performed there for the next few years, accompanied by their mother Ethel on piano. The trio toured the vaudeville circuit as The Gumm Sisters for many years by the time they performed in Chicago at the Oriental Theater with George Jessel in 1934.

Ethel Marion Milne’s husband Francis Avent Gumm was hospitalized with meningitis and had taken a turn for the worse. Frank died the following morning at age 49, on November 17, 1935, in Los Angeles, California, USA. Ethel died on the 5th of January 1953.

Ethel Marion Milne died in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States. She was around 59 years old when she died. She was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles, California, United States.

Ethel Marion Milne Was Called “the real Wicked Witch of the West.”

Ethel Marion Milne did not enjoy a blissful married life with her husband Francis Avent Gumm. They would break up and reconcile. They considered an abortion when Ethel discovered she was pregnant. The abortion didn’t come off and they welcomed a daughter who they named Frances Ethel Gumm, popularly known as Judy Garland.

Ethel Marion Milne was hard on her daughter Judy Garland who gave her the name “the real Wicked Witch of the West,” because of how she treated her. Ethel took Judy to numerous vaudeville gigs and allowed her to go to nightclubs at a young age. Judy revealed that her mom, Ethel used to threaten to hurt her if she failed to perform.

Ethel Marion Milne caused Judy Garland’s addiction to drugs as she gave her pills to keep her up at night and work long hours before she was even 10 years old. Judy Garland was plagued by alcohol and substance abuse, throughout her adulthood. She struggled in her personal life from an early age.

Judy Garland was pressured into early stardom and that affected her physical and mental health. She was also influenced by constant criticism from film executives who believed that she was physically unattractive and who manipulated her onscreen physical appearance.

Ethel Marion Milne’s Daughter Judy Garland

Ethel Marion Milne’s daughter Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm, on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She was the youngest child of her parents. She worked as an actress and singer. She began performing in vaudeville as a child with her two older sisters, in a vaudeville group “The Gumm Sisters” and was later signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager.

Also Read: Josephine Poszywak: Death & Facts About Jimmy Hoffa’s Wife

Judy Garland appeared in more than two dozen films for MGM. She was a frequent on-screen partner of both Mickey Rooney and Gene Kelly and regularly collaborated with director and second husband Vincente Minnelli. She starred in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), The Harvey Girls (1946), Easter Parade (1948), and Summer Stock (1950).

Judy Garland spent 15 years with MGM and the studio released her amid a series of personal struggles that prevented her from fulfilling the terms of her contract. She is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). She attained international stardom as an actress in both musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage.

Renowned for her versatility, Judy Garland received an Academy Juvenile Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Special Tony Award. She was the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, which she won for her 1961 live recording titled Judy at Carnegie Hall.

Ethel Marion Milne’s daughter, Judy Garland was married five times and had 3 children. She was found dead in the bathroom of her rented house in Cadogan Lane, Belgravia, London, on June 22, 1969. She died at the age of 47 years. At the request of her children, her remains were disinterred from Ferncliff Cemetery in January 2017 and re-interred 2,800 miles (4,500 km) across the country at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.