Judy Garland died at the age of 47 of a barbiturate overdose. Her funeral took place in New York City on June 27, 1969.

Approximately 20,000 fans took to the streets to grieve the Hollywood star. Inside the funeral home, many of Garland's co-stars and colleagues were in attendance:
  • James Mason
  • Ray Bolger
  • Lauren Bacall
  • Alan King
  • Betty Comden and Adolph Green
  • Johnny Mercer
  • Harold Arlen (who wrote "Over the Rainbow")
  • Mickey Rooney

​But Gene Kelly—Garland's co-star in For Me and My Gal, The Pirate, and Summer Stock—was not there, it appears. Based on the widely circulated account of Garland's funeral (see above image), Kelly—along with Grace Kelly and Louis Armstrong—sent his condolences via telegram.

I can only assume Kelly did not attend his longtime friend and colleague's funeral for two industry-related reasons:
  1. In Los Angeles, he was putting the final touches on Hello Dolly!, which premiered in December 1969 (filming apparently ended the previous summer).
  2. At the same time, he was readying production for Cheyenne Social Club, which began shooting in L.A. and Santa Fe, New Mexico, in early July 1969.

​In 2017, Garland's remains were moved from New York to Los Angeles for, the AV Club reports, "a surprisingly sweet reason."

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