 Judy Garland (I) (qv) scoffed at the idea of portraying yet  another teenager (she was 21 when filming began) and wanted nothing  to do with the film. Her mother even went to MGM chief  Louis B. Mayer (qv) on her behalf. However,  Vincente Minnelli (qv) convinced her to play the part of Esther  Smith, and Judy later fell in love with the story. In her later  years she considered it one of her favorite roles.