Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 – July 25, 1988) was an American child actress. She began her career in television, making appearances in commercials and television series, as well as the 1987 film Jaws: The Revenge. She also provided the voices of Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven, both released after her death. She and her mother, Maria, were killed in July 1988 in a double murder–suicide committed in their home by her father, József Barsi.[1]
Early life
Barsi was born in Los Angeles County, California, on June 6, 1978, the daughter of József Istvan Barsi and Maria Barsi (née Virovacz), both immigrants to the U.S. who fled the Hungarian People's Republic following the 1956 uprising.[1][2] The two immigrated at different times and met at a restaurant in California, where Maria worked as a waitress. Both had been previously married.[1]
Career
Maria Barsi began preparing her daughter to become an actress when Judith was five.[1] Barsi's first role was in Fatal Vision, playing Kimberley MacDonald. She went on to appear in more than seventy commercials and guest roles on television.[3] As well as her career in television, she appeared in several films, including Jaws: The Revenge. She provided the voices of Ducky in The Land Before Time, and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven.
By the time she began fourth grade, Barsi was earning an estimated $100,000 per year (equivalent to $258,000 in 2023) allowing her family to buy a three-bedroom house in West Hills, Los Angeles.[4] As she was short for her age—she was 3 ft 8 in (112 cm) at age 10[1]—she began receiving hormone injections at UCLA to encourage her growth. Her petiteness led casting directors to cast her in roles as children who were younger than her actual age. Her agent Ruth Hansen was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying that when she was ten, "she was still playing 7, 8 (years of age)."[1]
Abuse and death
As Barsi's career success increased, her father József, an alcoholic, became increasingly angry, and repeatedly threatened to kill himself, his wife, and his daughter. He was arrested three times for drunk driving.[1] Before Judith left to film Jaws: The Revenge, József reportedly held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her if she didn't return.[5] In December 1986, Maria reported his threats and physical violence against her to the police. After the police found no physical signs of abuse, she decided not to press charges against him.[1]
After the incident with the police, József reportedly stopped drinking, but continued to threaten Maria and Judith with violence, including threats to burn down the house. He also reportedly hid a telegram informing Maria that a relative in Hungary had died, hoping to prevent her from leaving the United States with Judith.[6] The physical violence continued, with Barsi telling a friend that her father threw pots and pans at her, resulting in a nosebleed.[7] As a result of being abused, Judith Barsi began gaining weight[6] and developed compulsive behaviors, such as plucking out her eyelashes and pulling out her cat's whiskers.[1] In May 1988, after breaking down in front of her agent, Ruth Hansen, Judith was taken by Maria to a child psychologist, who identified severe physical and emotional abuse and reported her findings to child protective services.[1]
The investigation was dropped after Maria assured the case worker that she intended to begin 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 from him.[8] Maria's friends urged her to follow through on the plan, but she hesitated for fear of losing the family home and belongings.[9]
Months before her murder, Barsi had reportedly told friends, "I'm afraid to go home [...] My daddy is miserable. My daddy is drunk every day and I know he wants to kill my mother."[5]
On July 28, 1988, the Los Angeles Times reported that three people had been found dead in an apparent murder–suicide and that the bodies were believed to be those of Barsi, her mother Maria, and her father József.[10] József shot Maria in the hallway of their home and Judith in her bed.[5] The article quoted Police Lt. Warren Knowles as saying that a flammable liquid, presumably gasoline, had been poured on the bodies of Maria and Judith by József. József's body was found in the garage; he had died from what was determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Neighbor Eunice Daly said that she had heard a gunshot around 8:30a.m. on July 27, prompting her to call the police.[11] Barsi and her mother were buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in adjoining plots.[12]
Barsi's gravestone, paid for by fan subscription in 2004; It contains her Land Before Time catchphrase ("Yep! Yep! Yep!") and an allusion to the Martina McBride song "Concrete Angel."[13]
Since 1988
Both The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven were released after her death.[14] In an interview, Don Bluth, the director of both films praised her as being "absolutely astonishing. She understood verbal direction, even for the most sophisticated situations". Bluth had remarked on the difficulty in finding child actors for roles[15] and had intended to continue to feature her extensively in his future productions.[16]
^"Girl who appeared on 'Growing Pains' told show's star: My dad says he's going to kill me!". The National Enquirer. New York City: American Media, Inc. September 16, 1988.
^Phillips, Deidre C. (August 10, 1988). "Child actress Barsi, mother buried". Los Angeles Daily News. Los Angeles, California: Southern California News Group.
^"Retro Junk". www.retrojunk.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
