TWELVE DAYS AFTER HER 47TH BIRTHDAY, THE TURBULENT CAREER AND LIFE OF JUDY GARLAND CAME TO AN END EARLY THIS MORNING (SUNDAY) IN A MEWS COTTAGE ON A QUIET STREET IN LONDON'S CHELSEA. SHE WAS FOUND BY HER FIFTH HUSBAND MICKEY DEANS, WHOM SHE HAD MARRIED ONLY 14 WEEKS EARLIER.

EXTREMES OF HAPPINESS AND DEPRESSION HAD CHARACTERIZED BOTH HER PRIVATE AND BUSINESS LIFE FOR YEARS - FROM HER DAYS AS ONE OF HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST MONEY-EARNERS TO HER RECENT LEAVING A LONDON CABARET STAGE AFTER BEING BOOED AND PELTED WITH RUBBISH BY THE AUDIENCE. IN SPITE OF THIS, FEW STARS HAVE COMMANDED THE FANS' ADMIRATION AS SHE HAS, AND EACH OF HER MANY COMEBACKS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN RECEIVED WITH ADULATION.

BORN FRANCES GUMM IN GRAND RAPIDS, MINNESOTA, SHE WAS - LIKE THE WORDS OF ONE OF HER MOST FAMOUS SONGS - "BORN IN A TRUNK". HER PARENTS WERE BOTH VAUDEVILLIANS AND SHE MADE HER DEBUT AT 3 SINGING "JINGLE BELLS" - AND HAD TO BE DRAGGED OFF STAGE. AFTER WINNING A SPECIAL JUNIOR "OSCAR" FOR HER ROLE IN "THE WIZARD OF OZ" IN 1939, SHE TEAMED UP WITH MICKEY ROONEY AND THEY BECAME ONE OF THE MUSICAL SCREEN'S MOST FAMOUS COUPLES.

BUT SUCCESS ALSO BROUGHT ITS PROBLEMS - AS A STAR SHE HAD LITTLE OR NO CHILDHOOD. SHE WAS PLAGUED WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS CAUSED BY DIETING, WHICH WERE LATER GREW TO INCLUDE NERVOUS BREAKDOWNS, INSOMNIA, UNPUNCTUALITY, COURT SQUABBLES, DRUGS AND SUICIDE ATTEMPTS. SHE WAS PREVIOUSLY MARRIED TO CONDUCTOR DAVID ROSE, DIRECTOR VINCENTE MINNELLI, AGENT SID LUFT AND ACTOR MARK HERRON - ALL ENDED IN DIVORCE. SHE HAD THREE CHILDREN: LIZA MINNELLI, NOW A SUCCESSFUL SINGER IN HER OWN RIGHT; AND TEENAGERS LORNA AND JOE LUFT, WHO LIVE WITH THEIR FATHER IN CALIFORNIA.

JUDY GARLAND ARRIVED IN BRITAIN IN DECEMBER 1968, ACCOMPANIED BY MICKEY DEANS - A DISCOTHEQUE OWNER FROM NEW YORK CITY. AFTER SOME INITIAL LEGAL TROUBLES ABOUT HER CONTRACTS IN LONDON, SHE MADE SEVERAL STAGE AND CABARET APPEARANCES - ENDING WITH THE ILL-FATED NIGHT WHEN SHE WAS BOOED OFF THE STAGE. BUT SHE DECIDED TO SETTLE IN LONDON BECAUSE, SHE SAID, SHE WAS UNDERSTOOD BY THE BRITISH. THEN CAME HER MARRIAGE TO DEANS - IN A CEREMONY AT CHELSEA'S REGISTRY OFFICE - WITH SINGER JOHNNY RAY AS BEST MAN AND HUNDREDS OF FANS TO WISH HER WELL. AFTER THE CEREMONY SHE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING: "I'M SCARED STIFF - NOT AT THE IDEA OF GETTING MARRIED AGAIN, BUT AT THE THOUGHT THAT THE HAPPINESS I FEEL TODAY WON'T LAST".