Kay Thompson was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. These days she is best known as the creator of the Eloise children’s books but back in Hollywood’s heyday she worked for MGM and was their top vocal arranger, vocal coach, and choral director. She served as main vocal arranger for many of producer Arthur Freed’s MGM musicals and as vocal coach to such stars as Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, and June Allyson. She was the vocal arranger for Ziegfeld Follies (1946), The Harvey Girls (1946), Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), Good News (1947), and The Pirate (1948). In November 1943 she married director Bill Spier and they came to live at Garden of Allah. Of all the people Kay worked with, she became an especially close friend of Judy Garland’s, and when Judy disappeared from MGM, she could often be found at their villa.