Latest / Murder Files Unsealed / The Tragic Story of Judith Barsi - The Young Girl who Voiced "All Dogs Go to Heaven"

Transcript

The Tragic Story of Judith Barsi - The Young Girl who Voiced "All Dogs Go to Heaven" · Murder Files Unsealed

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Judith Eva Basi was a talented young actress who showed
• 0:03
  great promise before her father, Josef Barsi, tragically took her
• 0:08
  life along with that of her mother, Maria, in their
• 0:11
  Los Angeles residence, on July twenty fifth, nineteen eighty eight.
• 0:16
  To the outside world, Judith Barsi appeared to be living
• 0:20
  a dream. At the tender age of ten, she had
• 0:23
  already secured various roles in film and television, including appearances
• 0:28
  in Cheers and Jaws The Revenge, as well as providing
• 0:33
  her voice for animated features such as The Land Before Time. However,
• 0:39
  her burgeoning career coincided with her father's abusive behavior. In private,
• 0:45
  Josef Barsi instilled fear within his family. He subjected both
• 0:50
  Judith and her mother, Maria virovach Basi, to severe abuse,
• 0:55
  and even confided in acquaintances about his violent intentions towards them.
• 1:00
  In nineteen eighty eight, he horrifyingly acted upon these threats.
• 1:06
  This narrative recounts the heartbreaking story of Judith Barsi, the
• 1:10
  gifted child actress whose life was cut short by her
• 1:14
  father's heinous actions. Judith Barsi, from the child of immigrants
• 1:19
  to a Hollywood actor. From the outset, Judith Eva Basi
• 1:24
  appeared destined for a life distinct from that of her parents.
• 1:28
  Born on June sixth, nineteen seventy eight, in the vibrant
• 1:32
  city of Los Angeles, California, she was the daughter of
• 1:36
  Joseph Barsi and Maria Virovatz Basi, both of whom had
• 1:40
  fled Hungary to escape the Soviet occupation in nineteen fifty six. Maria,
• 1:47
  captivated by the allure of Hollywood, was resolute in steering
• 1:51
  her daughter towards an acting career. She imparted lessons on posture, grace,
• 1:57
  and articulation. I expressed my dab about the endeavor, recalled
• 2:02
  Joseph Weldon, Maria Barsi's brother, I informed her that the
• 2:07
  odds of success were won in ten thousand. However, in
• 2:11
  a twist of Hollywood fortune, Maria's aspirations bore fruit. In
• 2:17
  a city where filming is a constant, Judith Barsi caught
• 2:21
  the attention of a production crew while skating at an
• 2:24
  ice rink. Enchanted by the sight of the petite blonde
• 2:28
  gliding effortlessly, they invited her to participate in a commercial.
• 2:34
  This marked the beginning of Judith's assent in the acting world.
• 2:39
  She featured in numerous commercials, made guest appearances on television
• 2:44
  shows such as Cheers, and secured roles in films including
• 2:49
  Jaws The Revenge. Notably, Judith portrayed a daughter who was
• 2:54
  tragically murdered by her father in the nineteen eighty four
• 2:58
  mini series Fatal Vision. Casting directors were drawn to her
• 3:03
  diminutive stature, which allowed her to convincingly portray younger characters.
• 3:09
  Judith was so petite that she underwent hormone treatments to
• 3:13
  promote her growth. The disturbing abuse that preceded Judith Barsi's death.
• 3:20
  As Judith Barsis's career ascended, her domestic environment deteriorated. Away
• 3:26
  from the public eye. Both Judith and her mother, Maria
• 3:30
  Verrovacs Barsi, endured abuse inflicted by Yosef. A heavy drinker
• 3:35
  with a volatile temper. Yosef directed his aggression towards his
• 3:39
  wife and daughter. He made threats to kill Maria or
• 3:43
  even Judith, intending to inflict pain on Maria. Peter Kivlin,
• 3:49
  a friend of Yosef, recounted that Yosef expressed his desire
• 3:54
  to kill his wife on numerous occasions, I would attempt
• 3:57
  to soothe him, saying if you harm her, what will
• 4:01
  become of your little girl? Kivlin recalled Josef's reply was unsettling.
• 4:07
  He stated, I have to kill her too. On one occasion,
• 4:11
  Yosef snatched a kite from Judith when she expressed concern
• 4:15
  that he might damage it. He insulted her, calling her
• 4:19
  a spoiled brat who lacked the ability to share, before
• 4:23
  violently destroying the kite. In another incident, as Judith was
• 4:28
  preparing to travel to the Bahamas to film Jaws the Revenge,
• 4:32
  Yosef menaced her with a knife, declaring, if you choose
• 4:37
  not to return, I will slit your throat. Weldon recounted
• 4:42
  overhearing a conversation between father and daughter. Shortly thereafter, while
• 4:47
  Judith and Maria were visiting him in New York. He
• 4:50
  recalled Yosef, saying, remember what I told you before you left.
• 4:55
  This caused Judith to break down in tears. The tragic
• 5:01
  Legacy of Judith Barsi. Although Judith Barsi passed away in
• 5:06
  July nineteen eighty eight, her legacy endures through her performances.
• 5:11
  Following her death. Two of her animated films were released
• 5:15
  The Land Before Time nineteen eighty eight and All Dogs
• 5:18
  Go to Heaven nineteen eighty nine. In the Land Before Time,
• 5:23
  Judith lent her voice to the joyful dinosaur Ducky, whose
• 5:27
  memorable phrase Yep Yep, Yep is etched on her gravestone
• 5:32
  at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. In All
• 5:37
  Dogs Go to Heaven, Judith portrayed Anne Marie, an orphan
• 5:41
  with the ability to communicate with animals. The film concludes
• 5:46
  with the song Love Survives, which is dedicated to her memory.
• 5:51
  Prior to her untimely death, Judith Barsi's career was just
• 5:55
  beginning to flourish. Bonnie Gold, the spokesperson for Judath Talent Agency, remarked,
• 6:02
  she was very successful, with every door open to her.
• 6:06
  There's no telling how far she would have gone. However,
• 6:10
  some claim that Judith's presence lingers in the house where
• 6:14
  she passed away. Charlie saying good bye to Anne Marie,
• 6:19
  it was Burt Reynolds saying good bye to Judith Barsi.