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Fred Otash was wished to get Judy Garland to nan different broadside of nan rainbow.
The declare was made in a caller curriculum vitae about Tinseltown’s most notorious backstage detective, "The Fixer: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars and Marilyn." It delves into shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files.
For nan book, co-author Manfred Westphal was fixed entree to Otash’s archives pinch nan blessing of his daughter, Colleen. Westphal, who first met Colleen at Otash’s funeral, developed a adjacent relationship pinch her complete nan years.
'WIZARD OF OZ' STAR JUDY GARLAND'S YOUNGER LOVER WASN'T SURPRISED BY HER TRAGIC DEATH: 'SHE LIKED DISORDER'
Authors Josh Young and Manfred Westphal person written a caller book connected precocious backstage interrogator Fred Otash titled "The Fixer." (Grand Central Publishing)
Otash, a World War II Marine veteran, died successful 1992 astatine property 70.
Westphal alleged to Fox News Digital that Otash helped the "Wizard of Oz" star briefly get sober.
"When Judy Garland revenge for divorcement from her 3rd husband, Sid Luft, she was acrophobic to beryllium successful her location alone," Westphal explained. "She feared that Sid mightiness kidnap nan children. So her attorney, Jerry Giesler, hired Otash to service arsenic her bodyguard."
Judy Garland pinch her hubby Sidney Luft, circa 1957. (Edward Miller/Keystone/Getty Images)
"He turned retired to beryllium her fixer," Westphal added.
Life for Garland wasn’t always marked by drama. In 1935, nan performer known arsenic Frances Ethel Gumm caught nan oculus of MGM co-founder Louis B. Mayer. The 13-year-old signed a semipermanent statement and earned a Depression-defying net of $100 a week, aliases $2,200 today.
Judy Garland is seen present successful 1945. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
But 15 years aft she was discovered by Hollywood, Garland was spat retired by nan prima factory. As a child, she was put connected utmost diets to please workplace executives who would heavy scrutinize her weight. She worked excruciatingly agelong hours connected set, utilizing stimulants, or "pep pills," to support her performing erstwhile needed. A domineering shape mother ensured those pills were taken. And arsenic an adult, Garland was unlucky successful love.
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Judy Garland dressed arsenic Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz," circa 1939. (MGM Studios/MGM Studios/Getty Images)
Mayer, whom she considered a begetter figure, yet severed ties pinch Garland. The actress, who was a supplier addict and alcoholic earlier turning 30, suffered a tense breakdown, was admitted to a backstage sanitorium, attempted termination and underwent electroconvulsive therapy to conflict depression, the book claimed. One of Hollywood’s astir bankable stars was kicked to nan curb.
Judy Garland revenge for divorcement little than 4 years aft she joined Sid Luft, alleging intelligence cruelty. (Getty Images)
In 1952, Garland joined Luft, but nan 3rd time wasn’t the charm erstwhile it came to her marriages. Less than 4 years later, she revenge for divorce, alleging mental cruelty. Giesler felt Otash would beryllium a trusted keeper for his troubled client.
At first, Otash was wary of being a babysitter to a fallen movie star. But Garland would beryllium paying $500 a day, aliases $6,300 today. To him, it sounded like "easy money," the book claimed.
Judy Garland was having marital troubles pinch Sid Luft erstwhile Fred Otash was hired to thief her. (Getty Images)
And Otash was nary rookie.
According to nan authors, Otash was nan boy of Lebanese rug merchants whose life was marked by tragedy.
He mislaid his begetter and only relative during nan Great Depression, prompting him to driblet retired of precocious schoolhouse astatine property 16 to subordinate nan Civil Conservation Corps to support his mother and sisters. He went connected to unpaid for nan Marine Corps and, astatine nan outset of World War II, fought successful nan South Pacific.
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Fred Otash was allegedly hired by Judy Garland's lawyer to look aft her. (© nan Otash/Houck Archives)
Otash landed successful Los Angeles successful 1945, where he signed up for nan LAPD. There, he made a sanction for himself arsenic a renegade bull earlier launching his ain detective bureau successful 1955, which, acknowledgment to his entree to emerging technology, eclipsed his contemporaries. He served arsenic a freelancer for nan L.A. tabloid Confidential.
Westphal said that a lonely Garland "demanded" that Otash move successful pinch her.
"Fred Otash moved in," Westphal explained. "And erstwhile he did, he soon discovered her addiction to intoxicant and medicine drugs. So, he took complaint of nan situation. Much to Judy’s chagrin, he locked up each the booze in her car shed and flushed each her pills down nan toilet. She struggled pinch withdrawal."
For galore a sleepless night, Judy Garland kept Fred Otash awake arsenic she struggled pinch withdrawal. (Keystone/Getty Images)
"She had many, galore sleepless nights," Westphal continued. "She pretty overmuch demanded aliases forced Fred to enactment up each nighttime pinch her into nan wee hours of nan morning. They would just sit successful her surviving room, and he would patiently perceive to her talk astir each nan tests and tribulations that she went done successful her life. He knew that it would beryllium bully for her to get it each out."
According to nan book, Otash described Garland as "a crazy mixed-up kid wrong a woman’s body, frightened to decease of surviving while sidesplitting herself pinch self-doubt, booze and those sh---y small pills." As Garland was heavy sedated, nan book alleged that Otash was thankful a nanny watched complete her 3 young children: Liza Minnelli, 12; Lorna Luft, 5; and Joey Luft, 3.
The book claimed that Otash recovered pills scattered each over Garland’s home, including uppers, downers and "some pills he didn’t recognize."
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According to "The Fixer," Fred Otash helped Judy Garland get sober briefly. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
But nan late-night rituals paid off, Westphal claimed.
"It genuinely was beneficial," he said. "When that 30-day play was over, she was clean. And his activity helped reconcile her matrimony to Sid Luft. And they became bully friends passim nan process. Fred had a awesome affection for her. He had moreover go rather attached to her children."
According to nan book, Otash later recalled: "One day, a terribly awkward Liza, caught successful that awkward shape betwixt a small woman and a young lady, came retired to nan backmost of nan location wherever I was washing my car, and she thanked maine for helping her mother."
Judy Garland is seen pinch Sid Luft and her 3 children: Liza, Lorna and Joe. (Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Getty Images)
Garland’s victory was brief. The book noted that her matrimony to Luft, nan longest of her life, came to an extremity successful 1965 erstwhile she revenge for divorcement for nan past time. Garland was awarded full custody of her children.
Judy Garland, erstwhile Hollywood royalty, suffered a tragic nationalist downfall. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Her life further spiraled. After her matrimony to hubby No. 4 ended successful 1969, Garland found herself owing the Internal Revenue Service respective cardinal dollars aft her supplier embezzled astir of her earnings. As she struggled pinch a crippling addiction to barbiturates and amphetamines, nan one-time Hollywood royal was described arsenic being "homeless," crashing at friends' houses arsenic she hung on.
Judy Garland poses pinch her caller 5th husband-to-be Mickey Deans astatine location connected nan greeting of their wedding astatine Chelsea Register Office successful London connected March 15, 1969. (R. Powell/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
That aforesaid year, she joined her 5th and last husband, nightclub head Mickey Deans. Garland traveled to London for a five-week performance series, which was meant to beryllium a triumphant comeback, but nan prima later died from a barbiturate overdose. She was 47.
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Judy Garland died from a barbiturate overdose. (Getty Images)
The book described really Otash remembered Garland "with awesome melancholy."
"But for a while astatine least, Judy… mediocre Judy, looked for illustration nan kid who went complete nan rainbow," he later said.
Stephanie Nolasco covers intermezo astatine Foxnews.com.
