Michael Sidney Luft

 Michael Sidney Luft (November 2, 1915 – September 15, 2005)

Luft was a show business figure, the third husband of actress and singer Judy Garland and the second husband of actress Lynn Bari. Luft was once an amateur boxer and bar-room brawler and had the nickname "One-Punch Luft". He was a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force and in the early 1940s was a test pilot for Douglas Aircraft Company. He is credited with keeping Judy Garland working, and with setting up a deal with Warner Bros. to bankroll his wife's comeback film, a 1954 musical remake of A Star Is Born plus future projects. Luft's name is on the film's credits as producer. A Star Is Born was a major critical success. During its first release, the picture proved to be very popular with audiences and grossed an enormous amount of money, but it failed to recoup its production costs. This was considered a major factor in Garland not winning the Academy Award that year for Best Actress. As a result, the studio canceled the Luft–Garland contract, which would have starred Judy in two additional Warner films and given Luft a berth at Warner's as a producer. The couple had two children together, Lorna and Joey. However, the relationship was troubled, and the couple separated on a few occasions, finally divorcing in 1965. Luft still acted as a producer for one of Garland's most famous Broadway concert series, At Home at the Palace, in 1967. Luft would marry twice more after Garland, and was married a total of five times. He died from natural causes on September 15, 2005 at age 89.