Judith Myers

Judith Margaret Myers also known as Judy, is a character in the Halloween franchise. She first appeared in John Carpenter's original 1978 "Halloween". She is portrayed by Sandy Johnson in the film of 1978 and Hannah R. Hall in the 2007 remake of the film.

 Biography 

Halloween by John Carpenter (1978)

In the original film, no information was provided in regards to Judith Myers life prior to the night of Halloween 1963. The character was only seen briefly in the opening scene. What viewers of the film do know is that she was a teenager, came from a middle class family living in a white house in the suburbs of the fictional town Haddonfield, Illinois and was a victim of sororicide at the hands of her six year old brother, Michael Myers. This character is notable for being Michael's first murder victim.

In the opening scene of the film, on Halloween 1963, unbeknownst to Judith, her brother is outside the family home and spying on her through a window. In the living room, Judith makes out with her boyfriend on the couch until he asks, '''"We are alone, aren't we?" Whereby Judith replies, "Ummm...Michael's around here some place." '''She also quickly scans the room looking for her brother who she is obviously supposed to be babysitting. When she doesn't see Michael anywhere in the room, she turns to face her boyfriend who is holding Michael's clown mask up to his face. This makes Judith laugh and her boyfriend then says "Hey, lets go upstairs." Judith says '''"Ok." '''After Michael watches the two teens go up the stairs, he walks around to the front of the house and looks up at Judith's bedroom window. Once the light goes out in the window, Michael then walks around the house and enters through the back door which brings him into the kitchen. He opens a drawer and pulls out a large kitchen knife and walks through the living room towards the stairway. When Michael see's Judith's boyfriend on the stairs saying goodnight to Judith, he waits for the boyfriend to leave. As soon as the boyfriend leaves, Michael ascends the stairs and see's his clown mask on the floor. He picks it up and puts it on. He then enters Judith's bedroom. Judith does not notice Michael right away because she is sitting at her vanity and brushing her hair. It is not until Michael is right behind her, that she notices him in the vanity mirror. When she turns around and notices the knife in his hand, she yells in surprise, "Michael?!" It is at that time that Michael begins stabbing Judith repeatedly as she cries out "No, No! Ahh! Ow! Michael!" until she falls off her chair and onto the floor. While Judith is helpless and dying, Michael walks out of the bedroom, down the stairs and outside the house with knife in hand. Coincidentally, at that time, a car pulls up revealing the occupants to be the parents. The father says "Michael?!" and removes the mask while the mother looks on in apparent shock. Michael is sentenced to the fictional Smith's Grove Sanitarium in Warren County.

Judith's murder became a legend to the citizens of Haddonfield. The Myers house was abandoned sometime after Judith's murder and fell into disrepair. The look of the deserted house, along with Judith's murder led people to believe the house was haunted, especially among the children of the town. Judith and her murder played a somewhat significant role in Michael's future mass murders. In 1978, he stole her headstone to make Dr. Samuel Loomis believe that he had, indeed, come home. Later that same night he broke into the elementary school. The police and Dr. Loomis found a picture that Michael drew of his family with a large butcher knife sticking out of Judith.

Halloween 6: The following information was revealed in the sixth installment regarding the curse of Thorn and Mrs. Blankenship

On the Halloween of 1963, Laurie and Michael were left under the care of their neighbor, Minnie Blackenship, as Donald and Edith went out. However, Judith was left home alone with her boyfriend. While at Mrs. Blackenship's house, Michael was inflicted with the Curse of Thorn, a violent curse, that forced the bearer to kill their family members. Thirty-two years later, Mrs. Blackenship, a victim of the Curse of Thorn herself, exclaimed "The voice came to him, the night he killed his sister!"
 * This information contradicts what Judith told her boyfriend in the original Halloween film of 1978. When he asked her if they were alone, Judith replied that Michael was around somewhere. That would mean that she was supposed to be babysitting him. Also, there was no mention of Laurie because her being their sibling was not revealed until the sequel.

2007 Remake of Halloween

Judith is still the older sister of Michael and of their little sister, whose name is Angel Myers in Rob Zombie's remake. In this film, she is the oldest daughter of Deborah Myers and an unknown father. The father is apparently deceased, and Deborah is dating Ronnie White.

Sometime during the 1990's on Halloween, Judith was supposed to take Michael out trick-or-treating, while their mom went to work as a stripper at the Rabbit In Red Lounge. Instead, she invited her boyfriend, Steve Haley, over, and they snuck upstairs where Steve revealed a white mask that he bought for fun. Following their activities, Steve went downstairs and made a sandwich. Judith drifted to sleep, ironically listening to "Don't Fear The Reaper". Downstairs, Michael beat Steve to death. Michael had previously slit Ronnie's throat. Afterwards, Michael went upstairs and put on Steve's white Halloween mask. In Judith's bedroom, he started to rub Judith's bare legs. At first thinking it was Steve, Judith sat up and when she saw that it was Michael, she demanded to know what he was doing there. Suddenly, Michael stabbed her in the stomach with a butcher knife. Shocked, Judith stumbled into the hallway, but Michael caught up and stabbed her sixteen more times, killing her. Some time after the murders, Deborah Myers commits suicide.


 * Just like in the original film of 1978, Judith and Michael's younger sister is adopted by the Strode family. Her name is changed from Angel to "Laurie" and she has no memory of her biological family. Also, Michael steals Judith's headstone.

Halloween II by Rob Zombie

Laurie learns that she is related to Michael Myers and it is featured in the film.

Novelization Of Original Movie

In the novelization of the original Halloween, Judith appears in a scene exclusive to the book; hours before murdering Judith, Michael has gone trick-or-treating with his friends, and stops at his own house. Answering the door, Judith jokingly refuses to give them candy, and asks what they'll do to get some. Michael responds by, "We'll kill you". Shocked, Judith asks, "Who said that? Michael Myers---was that you?". Michael then says. "I'm not Michael Myers. I'm a clown".

Book that refers to Judith Myers

"The Old Myer's Place" by Kelly O'Rourke was published on December 1, 1997.

The book description is:

Many years ago, in the town of Haddonfield, Illinois, a boy named Michael Myers murdered his sister with a knife. Later, he returned to town on Halloween night to kill again. The only ones who knew how to stop him were his doctor and a teenage girl. Now it is time for Michael Myers to return to Haddonfield once again. And this time, there is no one who can stop him. Mary White just moved to Haddonfield. Being the new girl is tough, but she finally seems to be settling in. She's friends with a popular girl. She's dating a gorgeous guy. Everything is perfect. But Mary's family moved into the old Myers place. In fact, Mary's sleeping in the very bedroom where Michael Myers killed his sister. Now he's coming back to make sure she sleeps like the dead

Comics

In the one-shot comic book, "Halloween", Judith appears in one of Michael's flashbacks after he finds a crime-scene photo depicting her corpse. In that comic's sequel, "Halloween II: The Blackest Eyes", Sheriff Bracket admits to Tommy Doyle that he had once dated Judith, and been physcically and sexually abused by her father. In another comic, "Halloween: Nightdance", Michael suffers a hallucination of Judith in the second issue of the miniseries (Silent Clown). While in a carnival funhouse, Michael smashes one of the warped mirrors, because he sees Judith in it.

Trivia


 * Sandy Johson who played the role of Judith in the 1978 Halloween film was a centerfold and had been featured in Play Boy Magazine's "Playmate of the month" for the June 1974 issue.
 * In the original Halloween film (1978) when Judith's head stone is behind Annie Brackett, the birthdate reads, November 10, 1947 which would mean that Judith was 15 years old at the time of her death on October 31, 1963.
 * In the novel "Halloween" (1979) by Curtis Richards, it is mentioned that some time after Judith's murder her parents Don and Edith Myers moved away from Haddonfield, Illinois as a result of the negative publicity they received. It said that they took up residence in the state of Indiana but were still the owners of the house in Haddonfield and continued to make payments on it since nobody would purchase the house after hearing the story about Judith's murder. Also, in the novel it is revealed on Judith's head stone that her middle name was "Margaret".
 * In some comic books it is said that Judith's parents died in the year 1965 in an automobile accident.
 * In Halloween II (1981), it is revealed that Laurie Strode is the younger sister of Judith and Michael Myers. She was adopted by the Strode family. It is unknown if the name Laurie was given to her by Edith and Donald Myers or by the Strodes.
 * Halloween II (1981): The Haddonfield police bring Dr. Loomis to the elementary school because Michael broke into it earlier that evening. They point out a drawing done by Michael to Dr. Loomis who briefly examines it. The drawing shows Michael with his parents and Judith outside their home. But a large butcher knife was stabbed into the drawing of Judith.


 * In Halloween 5, Jamie Lloyd, the niece of Judith and Michael Myers, re-enacts her aunt's final moments in front of a vanity in the Myers house as a way of luring Michael into a trap.


 * In Halloween H20, Keri Tate also known as Laurie Strode, reveals to her boyfriend that she is related to Michael Myers and says that Judith was 17 years old when she died.
 * In the film "Halloween: Ressurrection", a college student shares the story of Judith's murder with Sara Moyer when he learns that she was selected as a participant on the reality t.v. show promoted by Dangertainment in which she and a few other college students would be exploring the old Myers house. Once the participants of the reality show are placed in the Myers house, Jennifer Danzig and Bill Woodlake enter Judith's bedroom where he mentions how Judith was partially nude when she was murdered and tries to convince Jennifer to take her clothes off for the audiences entertainment. Instead Jennifer only teases him and shows him her bra.
 * In the 2007 remake of the original film, Judith is not Michael's first murder victim. Later on in that film Lynda Van Der Klok's corpse is placed under Judith's head stone.