Judith Barsi (land before times Ducky); Tragic child actress death
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Judith Barsi (land before times Ducky); Tragic child actress death
This is so fucked up i recently discovered this story:
Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 – July 25, 1988) was an American child actress. She was small in stature and often played characters younger than her actual age. After years of physical and mental abuse, Barsi and her mother were shot and killed by her father, József, in a murder–suicide.
Life and career
Barsi was the daughter of Hungarian immigrants József Barsi and Maria Barsi (née Benkő), who had both fled the 1956 Soviet occupation of Hungary and then immigrated to Los Angeles, California shortly before the birth of their daughter. Maria Barsi had aspired to be an actress herself, but later hoped that her daughter would be one, instead. Judith was discovered at a skating rink when she was five years old, but could still pass for three. She went on to appear in over 70 commercials and soon appeared in films. Later in her life, Barsi had growth hormone injections to encourage her growth.
Parental abuse
As Barsi became more famous, her father József, an alcoholic and unemployed plumber, became increasingly abusive, jealous, and paranoid. He would mentally abuse her and once held a knife to her throat while threatening to kill her, because he was convinced that his wife and daughter would leave for a photo shoot or movie shoot and never come back. Barsi was taken to a child psychologist after breaking down in front of her agent. The psychologist identified severe physical and emotional abuse, and reported her findings to the authorities.
József would often stay home drunk and refused to let Maria work. The family was on welfare for a brief period until Barsi's career started taking off around 1984. By the time she entered fourth grade, she was earning an estimated $100,000 a year which helped her buy the family a three-bedroom house in the West Hills section of Los Angeles.
József suffered from paranoia and had their house surrounded by a high-fence which could only be opened from inside the house. József remained a recluse and threatened to kill his wife and daughter many times. Child Protective Services was called numerous times, but as Maria was reluctant to press any charges, the case was never followed up. Maria rented an apartment for her daughter and herself as a daytime safe haven away from József.
Death
On July 25, 1988, József shot Judith in the head while she was asleep, in her room. Maria, hearing the gunshot, rushed down the hall to check on Judith, where József met her and shot her as well.[1] He left the bodies for three days, before drenching them both in gasoline and setting the house on fire. József then went into the garage and shot himself in the head with a .32 caliber pistol.[2]
Legacy
Barsi and her mother were buried in unmarked graves at the Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. In June 2004, a fund was set up by Barsi's fan club to get headstones for Judith's and her mother's graves. The fund was spearheaded by Nancy Kelly of Yelm, Washington, who had tutored Barsi on the set of one of her movies.
Barsi's marker was placed on August 23, 2004. Future donations will go toward donating Beanie Babies to hospitalized children. Her marker reads "In Memory of the Lovely Judith Eva Barsi *Our Concrete Angel* Yep! Yep! Yep!" in reference to Martina McBride's song about child abuse, and Barsi's character Ducky's catchphrase from The Land Before Time.
Irene Cara and Freddie Jackson reportedly recorded the All Dogs Go to Heaven theme song "Love Survives" for Barsi (the film, in which she voices the orphaned Anne-Marie, was released in 1989, a year and a half after her death).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Barsi
Such a sad and tragic life. I wont ever watch Land Before Time and All Dogs Go To Heaven the same way again. Anyone else find it eerie her last movie was All Dogs Go To Heaven?
Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 – July 25, 1988) was an American child actress. She was small in stature and often played characters younger than her actual age. After years of physical and mental abuse, Barsi and her mother were shot and killed by her father, József, in a murder–suicide.
Life and career
Barsi was the daughter of Hungarian immigrants József Barsi and Maria Barsi (née Benkő), who had both fled the 1956 Soviet occupation of Hungary and then immigrated to Los Angeles, California shortly before the birth of their daughter. Maria Barsi had aspired to be an actress herself, but later hoped that her daughter would be one, instead. Judith was discovered at a skating rink when she was five years old, but could still pass for three. She went on to appear in over 70 commercials and soon appeared in films. Later in her life, Barsi had growth hormone injections to encourage her growth.
Parental abuse
As Barsi became more famous, her father József, an alcoholic and unemployed plumber, became increasingly abusive, jealous, and paranoid. He would mentally abuse her and once held a knife to her throat while threatening to kill her, because he was convinced that his wife and daughter would leave for a photo shoot or movie shoot and never come back. Barsi was taken to a child psychologist after breaking down in front of her agent. The psychologist identified severe physical and emotional abuse, and reported her findings to the authorities.
József would often stay home drunk and refused to let Maria work. The family was on welfare for a brief period until Barsi's career started taking off around 1984. By the time she entered fourth grade, she was earning an estimated $100,000 a year which helped her buy the family a three-bedroom house in the West Hills section of Los Angeles.
József suffered from paranoia and had their house surrounded by a high-fence which could only be opened from inside the house. József remained a recluse and threatened to kill his wife and daughter many times. Child Protective Services was called numerous times, but as Maria was reluctant to press any charges, the case was never followed up. Maria rented an apartment for her daughter and herself as a daytime safe haven away from József.
Death
On July 25, 1988, József shot Judith in the head while she was asleep, in her room. Maria, hearing the gunshot, rushed down the hall to check on Judith, where József met her and shot her as well.[1] He left the bodies for three days, before drenching them both in gasoline and setting the house on fire. József then went into the garage and shot himself in the head with a .32 caliber pistol.[2]
Legacy
Barsi and her mother were buried in unmarked graves at the Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. In June 2004, a fund was set up by Barsi's fan club to get headstones for Judith's and her mother's graves. The fund was spearheaded by Nancy Kelly of Yelm, Washington, who had tutored Barsi on the set of one of her movies.
Barsi's marker was placed on August 23, 2004. Future donations will go toward donating Beanie Babies to hospitalized children. Her marker reads "In Memory of the Lovely Judith Eva Barsi *Our Concrete Angel* Yep! Yep! Yep!" in reference to Martina McBride's song about child abuse, and Barsi's character Ducky's catchphrase from The Land Before Time.
Irene Cara and Freddie Jackson reportedly recorded the All Dogs Go to Heaven theme song "Love Survives" for Barsi (the film, in which she voices the orphaned Anne-Marie, was released in 1989, a year and a half after her death).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Barsi
Such a sad and tragic life. I wont ever watch Land Before Time and All Dogs Go To Heaven the same way again. Anyone else find it eerie her last movie was All Dogs Go To Heaven?
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Judith Barsi (land before times Ducky); Tragic child actress death
Its always sad when I hear about someone pulling a murdoch.
#3
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Judith Barsi (land before times Ducky); Tragic child actress death
Better story here about this and other Hollywood deaths...
http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/b...dith_barsi.htm
http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/b...dith_barsi.htm
#5
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Judith Barsi (land before times Ducky); Tragic child actress death
Better story here about this and other Hollywood deaths...
http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/b...dith_barsi.htm
http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/b...dith_barsi.htm
#6
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Judith Barsi (land before times Ducky); Tragic child actress death
Thanks OP for depressing the shit outta me.
I know the thread title was a clue but it really doesn't carry just how tragic a story it is. I used to love The Land Before Time (unlike the horrid sequels). Dunno if I'll be able to watch it now.
Though very belated, may she rest in peace.
I know the thread title was a clue but it really doesn't carry just how tragic a story it is. I used to love The Land Before Time (unlike the horrid sequels). Dunno if I'll be able to watch it now.
Though very belated, may she rest in peace.
#7
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Judith Barsi (land before times Ducky); Tragic child actress death
i've just spent the last two hours at that findadeath site.
it's got pictures.
it's got pictures.
#9
#10
DVD Talk Gold Edition
#11
#13
DVD Talk Limited Edition
#14
DVD Talk Special Edition
#18
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Judith Barsi (land before times Ducky); Tragic child actress death
There are a lot of tribute videos on Youtube. There used to be a 5 minute or so clip with commercials back to back to back with her, wish I had saved it, there are a few still on Youtube, for Lays, Ford, Sears, McDonalds, Six Flags, KFC, etc. etc.
I never knew about all this until about a year ago. It hit me really hard. I never saw Land Before Time, I was watching All Dogs Go To Heaven one night on cable, I'd seen it a few times, saw it in theaters, and wanted to know who did the voice of Ann Marie.
Sad sad stuff.
After checking around, i also remembered her from a couple of episodes of Punky Brewster.
I found this clip on Youtube, pretty fuzzy but very informative.
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zqsL2c73OHc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zqsL2c73OHc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
I never knew about all this until about a year ago. It hit me really hard. I never saw Land Before Time, I was watching All Dogs Go To Heaven one night on cable, I'd seen it a few times, saw it in theaters, and wanted to know who did the voice of Ann Marie.
Sad sad stuff.
After checking around, i also remembered her from a couple of episodes of Punky Brewster.
I found this clip on Youtube, pretty fuzzy but very informative.
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zqsL2c73OHc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zqsL2c73OHc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
#19
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Judith Barsi (land before times Ducky); Tragic child actress death
I'm sure most of you clicked on this link if you read the Wikipedia link, but here's a more detailed account from the LA Times.
http://judithbarsi.dc-lundberg.net/a..._08071988.html
if you go back to the main site there (You have to alter the URL youself), there are more articles, pictures, etc.
http://judithbarsi.dc-lundberg.net/a..._08071988.html
if you go back to the main site there (You have to alter the URL youself), there are more articles, pictures, etc.