The Harvey Girls (1946) gave Judy Garland one of her most rousing musical roles, as Susan Bradley, a young woman who travels west to become a Harvey Girl waitress.
Set in the days of the railroad, the film follows Susan and her fellow waitresses as they bring respectability to a rough frontier town. Garland sang On the Atcheson, Topeka and the Santa Fe, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
The film’s large-scale musical numbers, choreographed with great energy, gave Garland a chance to shine as both singer and dancer. Susan Bradley remains a favourite among her musical roles.
Image: Judy Garland singing Over the Rainbow, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 / public domain. Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Judy_Garland_Over_the_Rainbow_2.jpg