Fred Otash was determined to get Judy Garland to the other side of the rainbow.
The claim was made in a new biography about Tinseltown’s most notorious private detective, “The Fixers: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars and Marilyns.” It reveals shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigation files.
For the book, co-author Manfred Westphal was given access to Otash’s archives with the blessing of his daughter Colleen. Westphal, who first met Colleen at Otash’s funeral, developed a close friendship with her over the years.
Authors Josh Young and Manfred Westphal have written a new book about late private investigator Fred Otash titled “The Fixer.” (Grand Central Publishing)
Otash, a World War II Marine, died in 1992 at the age of 70.
Westphal accuses Fox News Digital of helping Otash “Wizard of Oz” star In short, calm down.
“When Judy Garland filed for divorce from her third husband, Sid Luft, she was afraid to be alone in her home,” Westphal reported. “She feared Sid might kidnap children. So her lawyer, Jerry Geisler, hired Otash as her bodyguard.”
Judy Garland with her husband Sidney Luft, circa 1957. (Edward Miller/Keystone/Getty Images)
“He turned out to be her fixer,” Westphal said.
Garland’s life was not always marked by drama. In 1935, an artist known as Frances Ethel Gumm married MGM co-founder Lewis B. Attracted the mayor’s attention. The 13-year-old signed a long-term contract and earned an anti-depressant salary of $100 a week, or $2,200 today.
Judy Garland is seen here in 1945. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
But 15 years after being discovered by Hollywood, Garland was dropped by the Star Factory. As a child, she was put on extreme diets to please studio executives, who heavily monitored her weight. She worked long hours on set, using stimulant drugs or “pep pills” when necessary to continue her performance. An overbearing mother made sure those pills were taken. And as an adult, Garland was unlucky in love.
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Judy Garland played Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” circa 1939. (MGM Studios/MGM Studios/Getty Images)
Meyer, whom she considered a father figure, eventually broke with Garland. The actress, who was a drug addict and alcoholic before she turned 30, suffered a nervous breakdown, was admitted to a private sanatorium, attempted suicide and underwent electroconvulsive therapy to fight depression. The book claims, One of Hollywood’s most trusted stars was ousted.
Judy Garland filed for divorce from Sid Luft, accusing him of mental cruelty, less than four years after marrying her. (Getty Images)
In 1952, Garland married Luft, but the third time was not the charm when it came to their marriage. Less than four years later, she filed for divorce, accusing him of mental cruelty. Geisler felt that Otash would be a reliable protector for his troubled client.
At first, Otash was wary of becoming a fallen movie star’s babysitter. But Garland would pay $500 a day, or $6,300 today. The book claims that to them it seemed like “easy money”.
Judy Garland was experiencing marital problems with Sid Luft when Fred Otash was hired to help her. (Getty Images)
And Otash was no novice.
According to the authors, Otash was the son of Lebanese rug traders whose life was filled with tragedy.
He lost his father and only brother during the Great Depression, causing him to leave high school at age 16 and join the Civilian Conservation Corps to help support his mother and sisters. He volunteered for the Marine Corps and, at the beginning of World War II, fought in the South Pacific.
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Fred Otash was reportedly hired by Judy Garland’s attorney to look after her. (© Otash/Hawk Archives)
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Westphal said that Garland, alone, “demanded” that Otash move in with her.
“Fred Otash moved in,” Westphal explained. “And when she did, she soon discovered his addiction to alcohol and drugs. So, she took charge of the situation. Much to Judy’s dismay, she flushed all the alcohol in her garage and flushed all her pills down the toilet. She struggled with the comeback.”
Judy Garland spent many sleepless nights keeping Fred Otash awake as she battled withdrawal. (Keystone/Getty Images)
Westphal added, “He had to spend many sleepless nights.” “She pretty much demanded or forced Fred to stay with her every night until the wee hours of the morning. They would just sit in her living room, and he would patiently listen to her talk about all the trials and tribulations she went through was in his life. He knew it would be good for him to get it all out.”
According to the book, Otash described Garland as “a crazy mixed-up child inside a woman’s body, afraid to live, full of self-doubt, alcohol, and killing herself with those little pills.” Since Garland was heavily sedated, the book alleges that Otash was beholden to a nanny who looked after his three young children: Liza Minnelli, 12; Lorna Luft, 5; and Joey Luft, 3.
The book claims Otash found pills scattered throughout Garland’s home, including uppers, downers, and “some pills he did not recognize.”
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According to “The Fixer”, Fred Otash helped Judy Garland get sober for a while. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
But the late-night rituals paid off, Westphal claimed.
“It was really rewarding,” he said. “When that 30 day period was up, she was clean. And her work helped resolve her marriage with Sid Luft. And they became good friends during this whole process. Fred loved her very much. There was affection. He even became quite attached to her, child.”
According to the book, Otash later recalled: “One day, a very shy Liza, caught in that awkward stage between a little girl and a young woman, came out from behind the house where I was washing my car. Was, and he thanked me for helping his mother.”
Judy Garland is seen with Sid Luft and his three children: Liza, Lorna, and Joe. (Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Getty Images)
Garland’s victory was brief. Mentioned in the book her marriage to luftThe longest period of her life ended in 1965 when she filed for divorce for the last time. Garland was granted full custody of her children.
Judy Garland, once Hollywood royalty, suffered a tragic public downfall. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
His life moved further. After her marriage to husband No. 4 ended in 1969, Garland owed several million dollars to the Internal Revenue Service because her agent had embezzled most of her earnings. Because she struggled with addiction to barbiturates and amphetamines, the one-time Hollywood royal was described as “homeless” when she hung out at friends’ houses.
Judy Garland poses at home with her fifth husband-to-be, Mickey Deans, on the morning of her wedding at Chelsea Register Office, London, March 15, 1969. (R. Powell/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
That same year, she married her fifth and final husband, nightclub manager Mickey Deans. Garland traveled to London for a five-week concert series, intended to be a triumphant comeback, but the star later died of a barbiturate overdose. She was 47 years old.
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Judy Garland died of a barbiturate overdose. (Getty Images)
The book described how Otash remembered Garland “with great sadness”.
“But at least for a while, Judy… poor Judy, looked like the child who went over the rainbow,” he later said.