Sid Luft aided Garland’s career

LOS ANGELES – Producer Sid Luft, who is credited with reviving the career of his then-wife, Judy Garland, in the 1950s, has died. He was 89.

Luft, whose credits include “Kilroy Was Here” (1947), “French Leave” (1948) and “A Star is Born” (1954), died Thursday in Santa Monica of an apparent heart attack, John Kimble, a longtime friend and business partner of Luft, said Friday.

Luft and Garland were married in 1952 and divorced a tumultuous 13 years later. The marriage was Garland’s third and Luft’s second.

They had two children together, Lorna in 1952 and Joey in 1955. Luft also was stepfather to singer-actress Liza Minnelli, daughter of Garland’s second husband, Vincente Minnelli.

Luft was credited with helping resurrect Garland’s career after she was released from her contract at MGM in 1950 following a series of personal and professional crises.

It was at MGM that she became a star and made such films as “The Wizard of Oz” and “Meet Me in St. Louis.”