<P> Garland was nearly equally as famous for her personal struggles and everyday life as she was for her entertainment career, although The New York Times argues that Garland's personal life eventually overshadowed her career and talent . She has been closely associated with her carefully cultivated girl next door image . Early in her career during the 1930s, Garland's public image had earned her the title "America's favorite kid sister", as well as "Little Miss Showbusiness". In a review for the Star Tribune, Graydon Royce wrote that Garland's public image remained that of "a Midwestern girl who couldn't believe where she was", despite having been a well - established celebrity for over 20 years . Royce believes that fans and audiences insisted on preserving their memory of Garland as Dorothy no matter how much she matured, calling her "a captive not of her own desire to stay young, but the public's desire to preserve her that way ." Thus, the studio continued to cast Garland in roles that were significantly younger than her actual age . </P> <P> According to Malony, Garland was one of Hollywood's hardest - working performers during the 1940s, which Malony claims she used as a coping mechanism after her first marriage imploded . However, studio employees recall that Garland had a tendency to be quite intense, headstrong and volatile; Judy Garland: The Secret Life of an American Legend author David Shipman claims that several individuals were frustrated with Garland's "narcissism" and "growing instability", while millions of fans found her public demeanor and psychological state to be "fragile", appearing neurotic in interviews . MGM reports that Garland was consistently tardy and demonstrated erratic behavior, resulting in several delays and disruptions to filming schedules until she was finally dismissed from the studio, who had deemed her unreliable and difficult to manage . Farrell called Garland "A grab bag of contradictions" which "has always been a feast for the American imagination", describing her public persona as "awkward yet direct, bashful yet brash". Describing the singer as "Tender and endearing yet savage and turbulent," Paglia wrote that Garland "cut a path of destruction through many lives . And out of that chaos she made art of still - searing intensity ." Calling her "a creature of extremes, greedy, sensual and demanding, gluttonous for pleasure and pain", Paglia also compared Garland to entertainer Frank Sinatra due to their shared "emblematic personality...into whom the mass audience projected its hopes and disappointments", while observing that she lacked Sinatra's survival skills . </P> <P> Despite her success as a performer, Garland suffered from low self esteem, particularly in regards to her weight which she constantly dieted to maintain at the behest of the studio and Mayer; critics and historians believe this to be a result of having been told by studio executives that she was an "ugly duckling". Entertainment Weekly columnist Gene Lyons observed that both audiences and fellow members of the entertainment industry "tended either to love her or to hate her ." At one point, Stevie Phillips, who had worked as an agent for Garland for four years, had described her client as "a demented, demanding, supremely talented drug - addict ." Royce argues that Garland maintained "astonishing strength and courage", even during difficult times . English actor Dirk Bogarde once called Garland "the funniest woman I have ever met". Ruhlmann wrote that the singer's personal life "contrasted so starkly with the exuberance and innocence of her film roles". </P> <P> Despite her personal struggles, Garland disagreed with the public's opinion that she was a tragic figure . Writer William Randall Beard, who wrote that play based on Garland's life entitled Beyond the Rainbow, believes that Garland possessed "a wicked sense of humor and a passion", to the point of which she would have questioned anyone who stated she had lived "a tragic life". Her younger daughter Lorna agreed that Garland "hated" being referred to as a tragic figure, explaining, "We all have tragedies in our lives, but that does not make us tragic . She was funny and she was warm and she was wonderfully gifted . She had great highs and great moments in her career . She also had great moments in her personal life . Yes, we lost her at 47 years old . That was tragic . But she was not a tragic figure ." Ruhlmann argues that Garland actually used the public's opinion of her tragic image to her advantage towards the end of her career . </P>

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