- published: 19 Feb 2014
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Henry Armetta (July 4, 1888 – October 21, 1945) was a Sicilian-born American character actor who appeared in at least 150 American films, starting in silents around 1915 to 1946, when his last film was released posthumously.
Armetta was born Enrico Armetta in Palermo, Sicily. At the age of 14, he stowed away on a boat and came to America. The authorities were ready to send him back when an Italian came forwards to act as his sponsor. He performed menial tasks to get by and eventually ended up working as a pants presser in New York City at a well known club where he managed to befriend Raymond Hitchcock, who got him a chorus part in his play "A Yankee Consul".
He moved to Hollywood in 1920 and easily found work as stereotypical Italian, often playing a barber, grocer or restaurant owner. He went on to appear in over 152 films (at least 24 films in 1934 alone), sometimes uncredited. In 1938 he appeared in "Everybody Sing" with Judy Garland, Allan Jones, and Fanny Brice. In 1941, he memorably played the father of a large Italian family shopping for beds in The Big Store opposite the three Marx Brothers.
Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969), born Frances Ethel Gumm, was an American singer, actress, and vaudevillian. She was renowned for her contralto vocals and attained international stardom which continued throughout a career that spanned more than 40 years as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on concert stages. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award and won a Golden Globe Award as well as a Special Tony Award. She was the first woman to win a Grammy for Album of the Year.
Garland was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the remake of A Star Is Born and for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1961 film Judgment at Nuremberg. She remains the youngest recipient (at 39 years of age) of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the motion picture industry.
After appearing in vaudeville with her two older sisters, Garland was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager. There, she made more than two dozen films, including nine with Mickey Rooney, and 1939's The Wizard of Oz. After 15 years, she was released from the studio and then gained new success through record-breaking concert appearances, including a return to acting, beginning with critically acclaimed performances.