She celebrated her 4oth birthday while working on The Lonely Stage in London and it was difficult for anyone to believe it.

"They think of her still as a little girl, a 40-year-old little girl" someone remarked, and he pretty much hit the nail on the head where Judy's personal enchantment was concerned. And speaking of being hit on the head, Judy gave evryone the scare of their lives when she tripped in her hotel bathroom, and fell on her head. But, as in the past, when Judy falls down she's able to bounce back up again and following the accident she did some scenes that were so moving even her fellow actors cried at seeing the rushes.

Everyone in fact cries at Judy - except Judy - these days. At 40, she's developed a whole new out-look on life. Her weight went down to 108 pounds and she hasn't looked lovelier since she was the golden girl at MGM.

"Luckily", she says"my weight went down without strenuous dieting. When I'm dieting I'm starved and a mean son-of-a-gun and I never want to be like that again. And the older I get, the happier I feel. I think the youth thing is abominable. Look, I'm getting gray but I'm not going to do anything about it. And my insomnia is gone too. I was so used to going around and saying I'm suffering from insomnia - it was such a good excuse. Well now I'll just have to be a normal person. I go to bed early - and I sleep well".

Judy hasn't been losing any sleep over her domestic problems with Sid Luft and although reports of a possible reconcilliation continue, her attitude seems to be, "Friends go and husband and lovers and even your children leave you and you can't stop it. You just have to rely on yourself. And I think I can now. You need time to hate and to be bitter and I haven't the time to spare. There are too many good things to do. At 40, I've finally found some maturity, and I have love to return to the people who offer it to me. This is happiness".