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Description
Judith Barsi (1978-1988) was a child actress best known for her roles as Ducky and Anne-Marie from The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven respectively. She never got to see either film, because of her tragic death at the hands of her father. Knowing her life story makes her final role, Anne-Marie, even more of a tearjerker.

The Barsi family was doomed even before Judith herself was born. The father, József, was an illegitimate child who never knew his father; he was bullied by his peers and even his teachers, destroying his self-esteem and respect for women. The mother, Maria, was abused by her own father, physically and emotionally. All this inevitably carried over to poor Judith’s childhood, culminating in the murder-suicide. While Jószef was certainly abusive to his wife and daughter (as well as his first family), Maria was also at fault for not taking the opportunity to leave her husband or press charges on him because she didn’t want to lose the luxuries that her daughter earned the family (it was Maria’s idea to make Judith a star). While their broken childhoods don’t excuse their decisions on their treatment of Judith, it does explain a lot. Her first acting gig as Kimberly MacDonald in Fatal Vision ended up prophetic, as the character was killed in her bed by none other than her father. Anne-Marie’s final scene even has her in bed, marking unhappy book-ends to Judith’s life in fiction and reality.

What makes Judith’s final film even more tragic is that she was the first main star of ADGtH to die; with Dom DeLuise and Burt Reynolds dying years later (2009 and 2018 respectively), none of the main actors in the film are alive anymore. Charlie, Itchy, and Anne-Marie are reunited at last, as if the final goodbye scene wasn’t already a tearjerker. When Judith broke down during the singing auditions for Anne-Marie, the filmmakers made the right decision not to pressure her any more than she already was at home. The ending song “Love Survives” was dedicated to her memory.

Happy Birthday, Judith Barsi. Rest In Peace, our concrete angel. (“Yep! Yep! Yep!”)

The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven belongs to Don Bluth.

Judith’s half-siblings, as well as their mother, were lucky to escape Jószef. Unfortunately, Barna (1957-1995) became alcoholic and ended his own life, while Ági (1958-2008) died from breast cancer.

Description
Judith Barsi (1978-1988) was a child actress best known for her roles as Ducky and Anne-Marie from The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven respectively. She never got to see either film, because of her tragic death at the hands of her father. Knowing her life story makes her final role, Anne-Marie, even more of a tearjerker.

The Barsi family was doomed even before Judith herself was born. The father, József, was an illegitimate child who never knew his father; he was bullied by his peers and even his teachers, destroying his self-esteem and respect for women. The mother, Maria, was abused by her own father, physically and emotionally. All this inevitably carried over to poor Judith’s childhood, culminating in the murder-suicide. While Jószef was certainly abusive to his wife and daughter (as well as his first family), Maria was also at fault for not taking the opportunity to leave her husband or press charges on him because she didn’t want to lose the luxuries that her daughter earned the family (it was Maria’s idea to make Judith a star). While their broken childhoods don’t excuse their decisions on their treatment of Judith, it does explain a lot. Her first acting gig as Kimberly MacDonald in Fatal Vision ended up prophetic, as the character was killed in her bed by none other than her father. Anne-Marie’s final scene even has her in bed, marking unhappy book-ends to Judith’s life in fiction and reality.

What makes Judith’s final film even more tragic is that she was the first main star of ADGtH to die; with Dom DeLuise and Burt Reynolds dying years later (2009 and 2018 respectively), none of the main actors in the film are alive anymore. Charlie, Itchy, and Anne-Marie are reunited at last, as if the final goodbye scene wasn’t already a tearjerker. When Judith broke down during the singing auditions for Anne-Marie, the filmmakers made the right decision not to pressure her any more than she already was at home. The ending song “Love Survives” was dedicated to her memory.

Happy Birthday, Judith Barsi. Rest In Peace, our concrete angel. (“Yep! Yep! Yep!”)

The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven belongs to Don Bluth.

Judith’s half-siblings, as well as their mother, were lucky to escape Jószef. Unfortunately, Barna (1957-1995) became alcoholic and ended his own life, while Ági (1958-2008) died from breast cancer.