- Judith Barsi
-
Judith Barsi 
Barsi's portrait made by Anna Rozwadowska using dry pastels.Born Judith Eva Barsi
June 6, 1978
Los Angeles, California, U.S.Died July 25, 1988 (aged 10)
Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, U.S.Cause of death Homicide Resting place Forest Lawn Memorial Park Nationality American Occupation Actress Years active 1984–1988 Parents Deceased 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.[1] After years of physical and mental abuse, Barsi and her mother were shot and killed by her father, József, in a murder–suicide.
Contents
Life and career
Barsi was the daughter of Hungarian immigrants József and Maria Barsi, who had both fled the 1956 Soviet occupation of Hungary and then immigrated to Los Angeles, California shortly before the birth of their daughter.[2] Maria Barsi soon began grooming her daughter to become an actress.[1]
At the age of 5, Barsi was discovered at a skating rink.[1] She went on to appear in over 70 commercials and guest starring roles in television.[3] She also appeared in several films including Jaws: The Revenge, and provided the voice for the character of Ducky in The Land Before Time (1988). As she was short for her age (she stood 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) at age 10), Barsi began receiving hormone injections at UCLA to encourage her growth.[1]
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.[4]
Parental abuse
As Barsi's career success increased, her father József, an alcoholic and unemployed plumber, became increasingly abusive, jealous, and paranoid. He would routinely threaten to kill himself, his wife and daughter. In December 1986, Maria reported the years of threats to the police and also reported that József had hit her in the face and choked her. After police found no physical signs of abuse, Maria eventually decided not to press charges against József.[1]
After the incident, József reportedly stopped drinking but continued to threaten and abuse his wife and daughter.[1] Before leaving to shoot Jaws: The Revenge in the Bahamas, József threatened Barsi with a knife, telling her, "If you decide not to come back, I will cut your throat". Due to József's abuse, Barsi began exhibiting disturbing behavior which included plucking out all her eyelashes and pulling out her cat's whiskers.[3] After breaking down in front of her agent, Barsi was taken to a child psychologist by Maria. The psychologist identified severe physical and emotional abuse, and reported her findings to Child Protective Services.[5]
The investigation was dropped after Maria assured the case worker that she intended to start divorce proceedings against József, and that she and Judith were going to move into a Panorama City apartment she had recently rented as a daytime haven away from József.[6] Friends urged Maria to follow through with the plan, but she resisted reportedly because she did not want to lose the family home and belongings.[5]
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, and József shot her as well.[4] József then poured gasoline on the bodies and set them on fire.[7] He later went into the garage and shot himself in the head with a .32 caliber pistol.[8]
On August 9, 1988, Barsi and her mother were interred in unmarked graves at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.[9] In June 2004, a fund was set up by Barsi's fan club to purchase headstones for their graves. Barsi's marker, placed on August 23, 2004, 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.[10]
Barsi's final film, All Dogs Go to Heaven, in which she voices the orphaned Anne-Marie, was released in 1989, a year and a half after her death.[11]
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes 1984 Fatal Vision Kimberly (age 3) Miniseries 1985 Kids Don't Tell Jennifer Ryan Television movie 1985 Do You Remember Love Kathleen Television movie 1985 The New Twilight Zone Bertie Segment: "A Little Peace and Quiet" 1985 There Were Times, Dear Molly Reed Television movie 1985 The Fall Guy Little Girl Episode: "Escape Claus" 1986 Remington Steele Laurie Beth Piper Episode: "Suburban Steele" 1986 Punky Brewster Anna 2 episodes 1986 Trapper John, M.D. Lindsay Christmas Episode: "Life, Death and Dr. Christmas" 1986 Cheers Child #1 Episode: "Relief Bartender" 1986 Cagney & Lacey Shauna Bard Episode: "Disenfranchised" 1986 The New Gidget Little Girl Episode: "It's Only Rock & Roll" 1986 Eye of the Tiger Jennifer Matthews 1986 The Love Boat Christmas angel Episode: "The Christmas Cruise: Part 2" 1987 Destination America Amy Television movie 1987 Slam Dance Bean 1987 Jaws: The Revenge Thea Brody 1987 The Tracey Ullman Show Little Girl Episode #2.3 1988 The Tracey Ullman Show Karen Episode #2.17 1988 St. Elsewhere Debbie Oppenheimer Episode: "The Abby Singer Show" 1988 ABC Afterschool Special Billie Foster Episode: "A Family Again" 1988 The Land Before Time Ducky Voice 1988 Growing Pains Young Carol Episodes "Graduation Day" 1989 All Dogs Go to Heaven Anne-Marie Voice 1992 Growing Pains Young Carol Episode: "The Last Picture Show, part 2"
(flashback only)References
- ^ a b c d e f Johnson, John; Fuentes, Gabe (1988-08-07). "A Script of Fear : Repeated Threats by Father of Child Actress Carried to Tragic End". latimes.com. p. 2. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-07/local/me-382_1_child-abuse/2. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ Johnson, John; Fuentes, Gabe (1988-08-07). "A Script of Fear : Repeated Threats by Father of Child Actress Carried to Tragic End". latimes.com. p. 1. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-07/local/me-382_1_child-abuse. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Local News in Brief : Child-Abuse Files Ordered Opened". latimes.com. 1988-08-23. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-23/local/me-919_1_child-abuse-files. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ a b Donnelley, Paul (2005-11-01). Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries (3 ed.). Omnibus Press. pp. 122. ISBN 1-844-49430-6.
- ^ a b Johnson, John; Fuentes, Gabe (1988-08-07). "A Script of Fear : Repeated Threats by Father of Child Actress Carried to Tragic End". latimes.com. p. 3. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-07/local/me-382_1_child-abuse/3. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "Inquiry in Barsi Case Dropped Too Soon, Panel Says". The Los Angeles Times. 1988-09-07. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-09-07/local/me-1411_1_judith-barsi. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "Local News in Brief : Bodies Identified as Child Actress, Mother". latimes.com. 1988-07-29. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-07-29/local/me-7875_1_child-actress. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "Child Actress Is Slain, Apparently by Father". The New York Times. 1988-07-30. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/30/us/child-actress-is-slain-apparently-by-father.html. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ C. Phillips, Deidre (1988-08-10). "Child actress Barsi, mother buried". Los Angeles Daily News.
- ^ IMDB biography. A photo of the gravesite shows the referenced text.
- ^ Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. Chicago Review Press. pp. 13-14. ISBN 1-556-52591-5.
External links
Categories:- 1978 births
- 1988 deaths
- Actors from Los Angeles, California
- American child actors
- American film actors
- American people of Hungarian descent
- American television actors
- American voice actors
- Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
- Child abuse resulting in death
- Deaths by firearm in California
- Murdered American children
- Murdered entertainers
- Murder–suicides
- People murdered in California
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