1952
JANUARY: The Book of Knowledge reveals its annual list of the "World's Brainiest Women". Judy Holliday is the only actress to make to the list that year. The other 11 women are: Eleanor Roosevelt (First Lady), Margaret Chase Smith (Senator), Dr. Florence Reno Sabin (anatomist), Anne O'Hare McCormick (N.Y. Times correspondent & columnist), Mme. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (former Indian Ambassador to the U.S.), Marguerite Higgins (correspondent), Katharine Lenroot (social worker), Lise Meitner (physicist), Princess Elizabeth (royalty), Anna Rosenberg (Assistant Defense Secretary), Mrs. Ogden Reid (publisher of the N.Y. Herald Tribune).
JANUARY 7: Judy Holliday reaches a settlement with NBC regarding their decision to cancel her contract for a series of guest appearances on the radio program The Big Show. To settle the matter, NBC agreed to pay her the full amount remaining on the contract ($17,500). Essentially, she was being paid not to appear.
MARCH: Judy and several other entertainment figures are subpoenaed to appear before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee to give testimony about their alleged ties to communism. Burl Ives, Sam Levenson, and Philip Loeb also testify before the committee.
MARCH: Columbia Pictures president, Harry Cohn persuades Nevada Senator Pat McCarran not to televise the upcoming testimony of Judy Holliday. McCarran, who heads up the Senate Internal Security Committee, grants the request allowing the testimony to take place in an executive session, without the presence of the public or the press.
MARCH 13: Columbia Pictures premieres The Marrying Kind in New York City. The film stars Judy as "Florence Keefer" and co-stars Aldo Ray. Movie theaters showing the film are picketed by several anti-Communist groups who object to Judy Holliday.
MARCH 14: The Marrying Kind is released nationwide in the United States.
MARCH 24: In preparation for her upcoming testimony, Judy meets with blacklisted actor Sam Jaffe in New York City. Though it was widely known that Jaffe was not a Communist, he was still placed on the Hollywood blacklist the previous year for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Also present at this strategy session were Judy's husband, David Oppenheim, friend, Heywood Hale Broun and her legal counsel, Judge Simon H. Rifkind.
MARCH 25: Judy and her husband, David, drive to Washington, D.C. and spend the night at the home of their friend Robert Green to avoid publicity. Green advises Judy to use her dumb blonde public image to her advantage, so she won't be perceived as a serious political threat.
MARCH 26: Judy appears in Washington, D.C. to answer her subpoena and give testimony. The closed-door hearing begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 1:10 p.m. To read the complete transcript of her testimony click here.
APRIL: Judy appears on the cover of the Canadian magazine New Liberty. It is accompanied by an 8 page article written by Frank Rasky entitled "Judy Holliday: The Smartest 'Dumb Blonde' In Showbusiness."
SEPTEMBER 24: Two FBI agents show up at Judy's home in New York. They present her with a bound transcript of her Senate subcommittee testimony from March 26th, and inform her that similar copies will be released to all the major press outlets within 24 hours.
SEPTEMBER 25: The United States Government releases to the public a transcript of the testimony that Judy Holliday gave before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee.
OCTOBER 6: TIME magazine publishes a story entitled "Born Recently". Using very selective excerpts from Judy's recently published testimony, the article intimates that Judy deceived the committee. "In making the minutes public last week, the committee drew no conclusions, made no recommendations; but the session sounded as if Oscar-winning actress Holliday was still skillfully playing the dumb blonde - this time for higher stakes." Several newspapers and other publications run similar stories furthering the public backlash against her.
NOVEMBER 10: In labor, Judy is admitted to Doctor's Hospital in New York City.
NOVEMBER 11: Judy gives birth to her first and only child, a son named Jonathan Louis Oppenheim. The child is delivered by Cesarean Section.
NOVEMBER 28: Judy learns that slanderous attacks have been made on her character by a Miss Kalomiris. She passes the information on to her lawyers and writes a "thank you" letter to the woman who brought it to her attention. To read a transcription of the letter click here.
UNKNOWN: Judy appears in print ads for Purolator Oil Filters.
UNKNOWN: Because ABC has a more relaxed policy toward hiring entertainers who are rumored to be Communists than the other TV networks, Judy is allowed to make a guest appearance on the game show The Name's The Same.
1953
WINTER: Judy, her husband, David, and their infant son, Jonathan, move from 158 Waverly Place in Greenwich Village to apartment #77 of the Dakota apartment building located at 72nd Street and Central Park West. It is to be her final long-term residence.
MAY: Judy is nominated for a Best Foreign Actress BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for her work in The Marrying Kind.
MAY 1: Judy begins work on her third film for Columbia, It Should Happen To You, originally titled A Name For Herself.
JUNE: Production of It Should Happen To You moves to New York City for location shooting.
JULY 5: Almost 3 years after being barred from appearing on the show, producer Mark Goodson finally gets his way and Judy appears as the mystery guest on the CBS television program What's My Line?. The panelists are: Dorothy Kilgallen, Steve Allen, Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf. John Daly serves as the moderator.
JULY: Production of It Should Happen To You is completed in Hollywood. Judy remains in California until mid-August, then returns to New York.
AUGUST 30: Columbia Pictures announces that they will make a musical version of My Sister Eileen. It is announced that Judy Holliday has agreed to play the part of "Ruth." It would have been her first musical on either film or stage, but the project never comes to fruition.
DECEMBER 8: Judy makes an appearance on the ABC television program The Name's The Same.
1954
JANUARY 15: Columbia premieres It Should Happen To You. The film stars Judy as "Gladys Glover." Jack Lemmon (in his film debut) and Peter Lawford co-star.
JANUARY 18: It Should Happen To You is released nationwide in the United States.
JANUARY: A picture of Judy and her son, Jonathan, appears on the cover of the Italian magazine OGGI.
FEBRUARY 3: Newspapers run a picture of Judy visiting with the March of Dimes Polio poster boy. She is shown holding a vial that contains the Polio vaccine.
FEBRUARY 14: Judy stars in the television production The Huntress. The half-hour drama is an installment of NBC's Goodyear Television Playhouse and co-stars Tony Randall.
MARCH 7: Judy performs a 30 minute radio version of Dream Girl on an episode of NBC Star Playhouse.
MARCH 15: Judy makes a guest appearance on an episode of the NBC television show The Arthur Murray Party.
MARCH 28: A full-page color photo of Judy appears on the the "cover" of the New York Sunday News.
SPRING: Judy begins filming her 4th film for Columbia Pictures, simply entitled Phffft.
JULY: Judy appears on the cover of the Italian magazine Cinema Nuovo with Peter Lawford.
AUGUST: Judy finishes filming Phffft and returns home to New York.
OCTOBER 8: Judy appears on the cover of Television Week magazine.
OCTOBER 8: Judy appears on the cover of TV Preview magazine.
OCTOBER 10: Judy appears with Steve Allen and Dick Shawn (in his television debut) on the NBC television special Sunday In Town. This 90 minute variety show is the first of five "color spectaculars" that she appeared in. It was produced and directed by Max Liebman.
NOVEMBER 7: Judy appears with Steve Allen, Jacques Tati and Frank Sinatra on the NBC television special Fanfare. This 90 minute variety show is the second of five "color spectaculars" that she appeared in. It was produced and directed by Max Liebman.
NOVEMBER 8: Judy receives the Minuteman award from the United States Treasury Department for her work promoting U.S. Savings Bonds. She accepts the award with the following remarks: "It gives me great pleasure to accept this and I think I am accepting it also on behalf of the entire motion picture industry, because we are all eager to work for the Treasury Department. Thank You."
NOVEMBER 10: Columbia premieres the second Judy Holliday-Jack Lemmon film called Phffft. Judy stars in the role of "Nina Tracey." Lemmon, Jack Carson and Kim Novak round out the cast.
NOVEMBER 22: Judy appears on the cover of LIFE magazine.
NOVEMBER 25: Judy takes part in the 25th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
DECEMBER: Judy appears in a film featurette called Extra Dollars along with her Phffft co-star Jack Lemmon and the film's director, Richard Quine. The purpose of the film is to promote United States Savings Bonds.
UNKNOWN: Judy appears in print ads for Lux Soap. She had previously done endorsements for the same product 8 years earlier.
UNKNOWN: Judy hosts a 35 minute documentary for Columbia Pictures called Hollywood Movies March On. It reviewed significant scenes and events in motion picture history. Directed by Ralph Staub.
UNKNOWN: The Saalfield Publishing Company issues a book of Judy Holliday paper dolls.
UNKNOWN: Judy's name appears in a booklet called Red Treason On Broadway written by Myron C. Fagan. Like his earlier work, it lists 300 writers, directors, producers and stars suspected of being Communists. It was published by the Cinema Education Guild.
1955
JANUARY 2: Judy stars in the NBC televison special Good Times along with Steve Allen, Dick Shawn and The Ritz Brothers. One of the highlights is her performance as Harpo Marx. This 90 minute variety show is the third of five "color spectaculars" that she appeared in. It was produced and directed by Max Liebman. Neil Simon serves as co-writer.
FEBRUARY: Judy appears on the cover of Jewish-American World News magazine. The magazine also includes a 2-page article written by Paul Lewis Jacobson entitled "Judy Holliday: 'Dumb' Blonde Makes Good."
FEBRUARY 26: Judy appears on the cover of TV Guide along with Steve Allen. Inside is a story on Judy and her career.
MARCH: An article written by Judy appears in Coronet magazine entitled "Judy Holliday's Greenwich Village." In it she describes the sights, sounds and soul of the neighborhood she called home for many years.
MARCH: Judy takes part in a promotional event at New York's "21" Club. She and 9 nine other celebrities play "Teeko" against the game's inventor John Scarne. The other celebrities include: Steve Allen, Joan Crawford and Walter Slezak. You can view a photo of the event here.
MARCH 27: Judy appears on the NBC television special Entertainment 55 along with Helen Hayes, Dinah Shore and Fred Allen.
APRIL 11: The American Cancer Society releases a filmed Public Service Announcement (PSA) starring Judy Holliday. It is shown in movie theaters throughout America. To see a still and read the text of the PSA click here.
APRIL 24: Judy hosts and stars in the NBC television special Kaleidoscope along with Dick Shawn, Bea Arthur and Frank Sinatra (making his 1st appearance on a color television program). This 90 minute variety show is the fourth of five "color spectaculars" that she appeared in. It was produced and directed by Max Liebman. Neil Simon serves as co-writer.
MAY: TV and Movie Screen magazine publishes a 4-page article entitled "An Intimate Talk with Judy Holliday" written by Betty Randolph.
MAY: Judy is nominated for a Best Foreign Actress BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for her work in Phffft.
MAY 22: Judy stars in the NBC television special Promenade along with Tyrone Power, Janet Blair, Barbara Baxley, Kay Starr, and Herb Shriner. This 90 minute variety show is the fifth and final "color spectacular" that she appeared in. It was produced and directed by Max Liebman.
FALL: Judy begins filming her 5th film for Columbia Pictures, called The Solid Gold Cadillac.
NOVEMBER: Production on The Solid Gold Cadillac moves to Washington, D.C. and New York City for location shooting.
DECEMBER: Judy finishes filming The Solid Gold Cadillac and returns home to New York.
DECEMBER 31: Virginia Bird writes an extensive article on Judy's life and career entitled "Hollywood's Blond Surprise" for The Saturday Evening Post magazine.
UNKNOWN: Judy appears on the cover of the French magazine Le Film.
1956
JANUARY: The gossip magazine The National Police Gazette prints an article that includes excerpts of Judy's 1952 testimony before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee. The excerpts are carefully selected and heavily edited. They are designed to cast the congressmen who interrogated her in a positive light and cast suspicion upon Judy.
JANUARY 10: Judy appears on the NBC television program The Milton Berle Show. Other guests include George Jessel.
FEBRUARY 18: Judy serves as one of the hosts for the Academy Award nomination ceremony, which is telecast on NBC.
MARCH: Judy appears on the cover of the French-Canadian magazine Le Film.
WINTER: Judy and husband David Oppenheim
separate.
SPRING: Judy begins filming her 6th (and what would be her final) film for Columbia Pictures, called Full of Life.
APRIL: While in Hollywood shooting Full of Life, Judy is introduced to Sydney Chaplin (son of Charlie Chaplin).
JUNE: Judy finishes shooting Full of Life and returns to New York to begin work on a new play called "Bells Are Ringing."
JULY 22: Judy appears on the NBC television program The Steve Allen Show. Other guests include Count Basie.
AUGUST 5: Judy appears on the NBC television program The Steve Allen Show. She and Allen perform a parody of I Love Lucy called "I Love Lulu." Other guests include Tony Bennett, Louis Jordan, and Carmen Cavallero.
AUGUST 22: The Columbia film The Solid Gold Cadillac premieres. The film stars Judy as "Laura Partridge." The supporting cast includes Paul Douglas and Fred Clark.
SEPTEMBER 10: Judy Holliday, Betty Comden and Adolph Green appear as guests on the premiere episode of The Tex and Jinx Show. The TV show, which appreared on a local NBC affiliate in New York, is hosted by the husband-and-wife team of Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg.
OCTOBER: The play Bells Are Ringing begins tryout performances in New Haven, CT.
NOVEMBER: Judy appears on the cover of the French-Canadian magazine Le Film. She is pictured on the set of Full of Life reading a previous issue, one where she also graced the cover.
NOVEMBER 24: Judy appears on the cover of CUE, an entertainment guide for New York City.
NOVEMBER 29: Bells Are Ringing starring Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin, makes its Broadway debut at the Shubert Theatre.
DECEMBER 2: Judy and the rest of the cast from Bells Are Ringing record the entire original cast album of the play in one recording session.
DECEMBER 19: Bells Are Ringing plays a benefit performance for the Yeshiva organization.
UNKNOWN: Judy produces a stage version of William Shakespeare's Othello in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The play stars Yaphet Kotto.
UNKNOWN: Judy appears in print ads for Timely Clothes.
UNKNOWN: Columbia Pictures premieres the film Full of Life. Judy plays the character of "Emily Rocco." Richard Conte and Salvatore Baccaloni co-star.
1957
JANUARY 2: Judy is featured on the NBC radio program Recollections at 30. The year-long series is a celebration of NBC's 30th Anniversary in the broadcast industry and is comprised of "best of" clips. This particular episode was entitled Ladies' Night and also featured performances by Ethel Merman, Martha Raye, Grace Moore, Judy Canova and Ginny Simms.
JANUARY 8: Bells Are Ringing plays a benefit performance for the New York Botanical Garden.
JANUARY 16: Bells Are Ringing plays a benefit performance for the Child Study Association of America.
JANUARY 17: Bells Are Ringing plays a benefit performance for the Wellesley College Faculty Endowment Fund
JANUARY 20: Judy is nominated for a Golden Globe award for her performance in The Solid Gold Cadillac.
FEBRUARY: The film Full of Life goes into nationwide release in the United States.
FEBRUARY 5: Bells Are Ringing plays a benefit performance for the Greer School of Duchess County.
FEBRUARY 19: Bells Are Ringing plays a benefit performance for the Big Sisters organization.
FEBRUARY 27: Bells Are Ringing plays a benefit performance for the East Side Hebrew Institute.
MARCH 1: Judy's divorce from David Oppenheim is finalized.
MARCH: Judy appears on the cover of Theatre Arts magazine. Inside is an article about Judy and Bells Are Ringing.
MARCH 17: Judy makes her second appearance as the mystery guest on the CBS television program What's My Line? The panelists are Arlene Francis, Robert Preston, Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf. John Daly serves as moderator.
APRIL 14: Judy appears as a guest star on the television program The Ed Sullivan Show. She sings 2 songs: "I'm Goin' Back" from "Bells Are Ringing" and the title song to her film Full of Life. Other guests on the program are: Henry Fonda, Alan King, Kay Thompson, Alma Cogan, Roy Campanella, Smith & Dale, Jack Harris, Linon, and Paul Anderson.
APRIL 21: Judy wins a Tony award for her performance as "Ella Peterson" in Bells Are Ringing.
APRIL 26: Judy, Sydney Chaplin and others connected with Bells Are Ringing are interviewed on the NBC radio program Monitor.
MAY 14: Judy Holliday, Sydney Chaplin, Joey Bishop, Edie Adams and others take part in a benefit event at Madison Square Garden for the Hartman-Homecrest orphanage (a.k.a. the Hebrew National Orphan Home).
MAY 17: Judy makes out what will be her final will.
MAY 21: Judy makes a guest appearance on the NBC television show The Arthur Murray Party. Other guests include Bert Lahr.
JUNE: Redbook magazine runs an article entitled "Judy Holliday: I Lost My Childhood."
JUNE 15: Judy makes an appearance at Macy's Department Store in New York City to crown the teanage fashion queen of the Junior Deb Center.
AUGUST: Judy is appointed the Legitimate Theatre Chairman for a campaign to raise $1 million for the New York Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation.
AUGUST 6: MGM announces they will produce a film version of the hit play Bells Are Ringing. The film will star Judy Holliday, but because she still has two films remaining on her contract with Columbia Pictures, they say that the film will not be made until 1959 at the earliest.
SEPTEMBER: While on vacation together in Europe, Judy and Sydney Chaplin have a falling out. Their personal relationship comes to an end.
SEPTEMBER: Judy appears on the cover of Family Circle Magazine.
SEPTEMBER: Judy appears on the cover of the Italian magazine OGGI.
UNKNOWN: Decca Records releases a 45 rpm single of Judy Holliday singing the title song from Full of Life. The B side of the record is the song "These Will Be The Good Old Days (20 Years From Now)."
UNKNOWN: Judy appears in print ads for Rheingold Beer.
UNKNOWN: Judy appears on the cover of the French magazine Festival.
1958
JANUARY 15: Judy's father, Abraham Tuvim, dies after a protracted battle with stomach cancer.
FEBRUARY: Judy makes a :15 radio appeal on behalf of the American Heart Association's 1958 Heart Fund.
FEBRUARY 1: Judy appears on the NBC television program The Perry Como Show along with Mike Nichols and Elaine May.
FEBRUARY 23: Judy makes her third appearance as the mystery guest on the CBS television program What's My Line? The panelists are Arlene Francis, Tony Randall, Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf. John Daly serves as moderator.
FEBRUARY 26: Judy appears on the NBC television program The Perry Como Show along with George Hamilton IV, The Ray Charles Singers and The Mitchell Ayres Orchestra.
FEBRUARY 27: Harry Cohn, head of Columbia Pictures, dies at the age of 66. In the wake of his death, it is decided that neither the studio nor Judy will pursue the final remaining film of her 1950 contract. She is eventually released from her contract with Columbia Pictures.
FEBRUARY 28: Judy appears on the CBS television program Person To Person. She is interviewed by the show's host, Edward R. Murrow.
MARCH 8: Judy appears on the NBC television program The Perry Como Show along with Frankie Avalon and Jimmy Dean.
MARCH 17: Judy has the first of three recording sessions for her first solo album called Trouble Is A Man. It is during this session that she records the songs "What'll I Do?," "What I Was Warned About," "Lonely Town" and "Confession."
MARCH 24: Judy has the second of three recording sessions for her first solo album called Trouble Is A Man. It is during this session that she records the songs "I Got Lost In His Arms," "An Occasional Man" and "Ride On A Rainbow."
MARCH 31: Judy has the third and final recording session for her first solo album called Trouble Is A Man. It is during this session that she records the songs "How About Me?," "Trouble Is A Man," "Am I Blue?," "Where Have You Been?" and "I'm One Of God's Children."
APRIL: LIFE magazine conducts a photo shoot at Judy's apartment. It is a pictorial that features 11 actors dressed up for their dream role. Judy picks "Amanda" from The Glass Menagerie (inspired by Laurette Taylor's performance in the play). The color photograph taken by Eliot Elisofon is published in the April 14th issue. Judy also allows LIFE to photograph Marilyn Monroe in the apartment that same day.
APRIL 13: Judy appears at the Tony Awards in New York City as a presenter.
MAY 11: Judy is one of ten stars who perform at the Theatre Guild's Memory Book dinner show. The event takes place at The Plaza hotel in New York City. Judy performs a song from Bells Are Ringing.
SPRING: While at a party, Judy meets jazz musician Gerry Mulligan.
NOVEMBER 1: Judy appears on the NBC television program The Perry Como Show along with Jane Morgan, "Kukla," "Fran" and "Beulah the Witch."
DECEMBER 15: The stage production of Bells Are Ringing switches venues from the Shubert Theatre to the Alvin Theatre.
UNKNOWN: Judy makes her first television commercial for Rheingold beer.
1959
JANUARY: Judy records a radio appeal on behalf of the American Heart Association. The minute long spot is designed to raise awareness about the 1959 Heart Fund campaign. Other celebrities recording similar appeals are James Cagney, Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck and Ethel Merman.
FEBRUARY: Judy appears on radio and television as part of an ad campaign designed to promote the use of live music. The ads are sponsored by the American Federation of Musicians and are in response to several entertainment programs who have recently switched to pre-recorded music. Jackie Gleason, Jimmy Durante and others also take part in the campaign.
MARCH 7: After 924 performances, Bells Are Ringing ends its Broadway engagement. Judy joins the touring company version of the show for runs in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco.
MARCH 10: Judy and the Bells Are Ringing touring company open at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C.
APRIL 20: Judy and the Bells Are Ringing touring company open at the Philharmonic in Los Angeles, CA.
OCTOBER 7: Judy begins shooting her second film for MGM, the big screen version of Bells Are Ringing.
AUGUST 20: Director Alan J. Pakula announces that Judy Holliday will play the lead role in his new Broadway play Laurette.
DECEMBER: Dinah Shore performs the Judy Holliday-Gerry Mulligan song "It Must Be Christmas" on her holiday television special.
DECEMBER 24: Filming on Bells Are Ringing is completed.
UNKNOWN: Judy makes an appeal on behalf of the 1959 Crusade For Freedom during a radio broadcast from New York City. The program is a benefit in support of Radio Free Europe. Other speakers include Duke Ellington, Arthur Godfrey and Robert Preston.
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