Judy Garland - From Babe Gumm to Judy Garland

When Babe (Judy) was 11, Ethel Gumm packed the three sisters and moved lock stock and barrel to LA - without the blessing of Frank Gumm. That began an even more relentless succession of auditions and one night gigs in vaudeville houses.

An opportunity for a weeklong contract was signed for a top vaudeville house in Chicago. Ethel Gumm thought nothing driving half way across the country. Comedian George Jessel was the headliner and emcee and saw their act. “There’s only one thing wrong with the Gumm Sisters,” he commented. “It’s their name”, he grumbled. When I introduce them, the audience snickers because the name rhymes with bum, crumb, dumb…or worse yet, Glum….deadly for a singing group…?
Jessel suggested to Ethel Gumm that they change their performing name to Garland, after a friend of his.
The singing Gumm sisters went to the singing Garland sisters overnight. I liked the name Judy, so we changed that too.
Jessel went on to say that, as singers, the older sisters, were fine. But Babe, well, “she sang like a woman carrying a torch for Valentino.”