Tortuous Costumes
The actors had to endure tremendous torment to wear their outfits. Bert Lahr’s Lion costume weighed roughly 90 lbs, and it didn’t give him any airflow — he was constantly perspiring in the suit. Every night, it took a few helpers to dry out the suit. Buddy Ebsen couldn’t even sit while wearing his Tin Man costume because it was primarily made of metal. Poor Buddy had to lean against a wall when he became fatigued. He also reacted violently to the cosmetics.
Judy Garland Was Medicated
Garland was only allowed to work for four hours a day while she was a teenager and playing Dorothy. Garland received barbiturates, amphetamines, and sleeping pills while the movie was being made in order to help her taper off of the medicine at night and obtain enough sleep. At the time, those drugs were brand-new on the market, so nothing was known about their side effects, let alone the long-term impacts.
Weight Loss
Even though Garland was just 15 when she started playing Dorothy, the studio requested that their adolescent star lose any extra weight because they wanted her to appear even younger. She should diet, they admonished her.
Weight Loss
Additionally, they gave her a personal trainer who was a spy for the studio. Due to a stipulation in their contracts pertaining to how they conducted themselves, MGM was notorious for hiring employees to shadow its greatest actors.
Plastic Surgery
Plastic surgery was specifically performed on Billie Burke for the movie. Before cosmetic surgery became so popular, attaching small pieces of fabric in front of an actress’ ears and pulling them up tightly with a rope served as a quick and frequently less painful facelift.
Plastic Surgery
The sagging neckline and the chubby cheeks would then be mysteriously rejuvenated when a wig was placed over it. Despite having surgery to make her look younger on camera, Billie Burke, who played Glinda the Good Witch, was actually 54 years old.
Judy Garland Got Paid, Less
Despite the current attention being paid to the gender pay disparity, it was undoubtedly far worse in the past, particularly in Hollywood. Judy Garland received significantly less than the other actors despite having the greatest screen time in the 1939 classic, even though Dorothy is without a doubt its star.
Judy Garland Got Paid, Less
Judy received a meager $500 per week for playing Dorothy. Her co-stars Ray Bolger (Scarecrow) and Jack Haley (Tin Man) made the most money, each taking home roughly $3,000 each week.
It Cost Millions To Make
The Wizard of Oz is regarded as one of the most costly films ever made, with a budget comparable to that of contemporary CGI fantasy movies like Star Wars, Avengers, and Avatar.
It Cost Millions To Make
The amount of money invested in a movie at the time was unprecedented; there were likely the most special effects, makeup, costumes, reshoots, rehearsals, and extended production times in Hollywood history. The total cost of making the movie was $3 million, which was a significant sum at the time.
The Horses Were Covered In Gelatin
To give the horses of the Emerald City their color, the special effects crew opted to paint them with a gelatin mixture. The film crew discovered that several color changes on a single horse required too much time to provide the idea of an animal that changes color constantly, so four distinct horses were employed instead.
The Horses Were Covered In Gelatin
The horses’ continual attempts to lick off the sugar were the only problem, but the crew was able to make the effects work regardless!
Toxic Snow
In the movie, Toto, the Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy snooze in a field of poppies but are miraculously roused by snowfall. That snow was asbestos because history is a never-ending carnival of horrors.
Toxic Snow
From the middle of the 1930s until the 1950s, fake snow made of asbestos fibers was frequently utilized in movies like The Wizard of Oz. The dangers of asbestos weren’t fully understood until several years later, which was far too late to help the actors who had been exposed to the cancer-causing snow.
A Slap In The Face
While filming the classic slap scene between Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion, Judy Garland was smacked; the young actress couldn’t stop laughing.
A Slap In The Face
Viktor Fleming felt it necessary to pull Judy Garland away, slap her across the face, and then order her to “go in there and work” because the film crew’s patience had run out and there were still many more sequences to shoot. When she attempted the scene after that, she performed it flawlessly (with no giggling).
Five Different Directors
The Wizard of Oz has four different directors even though Victor Fleming is the one who is officially acknowledged as the on-screen director. Richard Thorpe was initially let go after two weeks.
Five Different Directors
After that, George Cukor was brought in, but he was told to start working on Gone With the Wind. Then Viktor Fleming arrived, and he stayed the longest until also being summoned away to help with Gone With the Wind; ultimately, King Vidor was hired to finish the film.
The Infamous Urban Legend
An unsettling myth concerning the demise of a Munchkin who was allegedly unintentionally filmed by the cameras and appeared on the big screen has been going around for years. It is untrue to say that one of the small folks committed suicide.
The Infamous Urban Legend
A bird was the shadowy figure in the background as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man ran down the yellow brick road; MGM had a variety of exotic birds about the set to enhance the setting.
Scarier Than You Think
Between the novel and the movie, there are significant variances. Compared to the movie, the Wizard of Oz book is more obscene and terrible. For instance, there is a moment in the book where tiger-bear hybrids are slaughtered in an abyss.
Scarier Than You Think
Additionally, Tin Man attacks 40 wolves and a wildcat with his ax. The scarecrow is swarmed by bumblebees that sting and perish. Since they were deemed to be excessively gruesome and frightful, none of these sequences were ever included in the script or actually shot for the movie.
The Tin Man
Jack Haley was a stand-in for the original Tin Man, who was not cast in the role. Buddy Ebsen, who played the role initially, participated in the first ten days of filming. Unfortunately, he developed severe illness and had to be brought to the hospital.
The Tin Man
There were allegations that the aluminum powder that had been applied to him for the role may have contributed to his demise. Thankfully, they made sure to convert to aluminum paste when Jack Haley assumed the position.
Theater Flop
The Wizard of Oz was viewed as a box office failure, but the reality is a little more nuanced. While it was playing in theaters, the movie did manage to earn $3 million, which made it a big hit at the time. The film did, however, lose money due to production costs such as technical requirements, actor changes, and director changes.
Theater Flop
Additionally, it was taken out of cinemas earlier than rival films like Gone With the Wind, which remained in theaters for a number of years.
Burned On Set
The Wicked Witch’s broom, bonnet, and makeup caught fire due to a fault while the actress Margaret Hamilton was filming the scene where she flees Munchkinland in a puff of smoke. She had significant burns on her face and wrists.
Burned On Set
Her hazardous makeup had to be removed by medical professionals using rubbing alcohol, which was incredibly painful. She was instructed to film the “Surrender, Dorothy” scene after getting back to work, which also required smoke effects. Betty Danko, her stunt duplicate, seized control when she refused.
Kindergarten Witch
Margaret Hamilton worked as a kindergarten teacher before becoming the depraved Wicked Witch of the West. Ironically, this endearing and devoted kindergarten teacher is primarily renowned for her spooky personality and criminal tendencies, in addition to the fact that she has terrified generations of young children.
Kindergarten Witch
The former educator frequently expressed her greatest concern as being that her prominent role on TV would misrepresent her to younger audiences.
The Lost Song
Although “Over the Rainbow” is one of Garland’s most well-known songs, it’s important to remember that she wasn’t the inspiration for the song when it was first composed.
The Lost Song
It turns out that the tune, titled “The Jitterbug,” based on the era’s popular dance move, was actually written with Garland in mind. It was recorded, but after editing, it was removed. The song was an emotive ballad that drew its inspiration from the operetta “Over the Rainbow” from 1915.
Shirley Temple Was The Original Dorothy
Although Judy Garland was the obvious option for the role of Dorothy, readers of the novel voted for child star Shirley Temple.
Shirley Temple Was The Original Dorothy
Since Judy Garland was 15 years old, which was seen as too old for the role, she was not the choice that book lovers preferred. She was exuberant and out of control. The Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz is considerably different from the Dorothy that we see in the movie. But other than Judy Garland, there was never a real contender.
Sneaky Frank Morgan
The Great and Powerful Oz made five appearances in The Wizard of Oz, which starred by actor Frank Morgan. Most people are unable to tell, but he also painted an image of the Great and Powerful Oz.
Sneaky Frank Morgan
He also performed the roles of the fortune-telling professor in the opening, the cab driver for the Horse-of-a-Different-Color carriage, a guard at the wizard’s palace, and the doorkeeper at the palace with the use of additional attire, a mustache, and makeup.
Showbiz Royalty
Billie Burke was a well-known Broadway stage performer in New York City before she won over audiences as the Good Witch, and she had also starred in a number of silent movies.
Showbiz Royalty
Billie Burke was 18 years older than Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, at the time of filming. Hamilton was 54 at the time. These weird, maternal roles helped Billie Burke launch her acting career. She portrayed Judy Garland’s mother in 1938’s Everybody Sing before The Wizard of Oz.
More Than 3,000 Costumes Were Made For The Movie
The fact that The Wizard of Oz required so many costumes shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially with so many Munchkins roaming the countryside. That many outfits were needed to produce a film that debuted in 1939, which still shocks people today.
More Than 3,000 Costumes Were Made For The Movie
It’s noteworthy to note that several of the clothes from the film were later misplaced. The Scarecrow outfit is housed in the Smithsonian, and the Cowardly Lion head is kept at the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The Date On The Wicked Witch’s Gravestone
On The Wicked Witch’s gravestone, you can see the date if you look carefully and pay attention. Evidently, she passed away on May 6, 1938. L was honored by having this done.
The Date On The Wicked Witch’s Gravestone
The Wizard of Oz was written by Frank Baum, who passed away 20 years before. Not just the Witch’s tombstone served as a link between the film and its source material; Professor Marvel’s jacket formerly belonged to Baum as well.
Inappropriate Behavior on Set
Gerard’s ex-husband Sid Luft writes of the abusive actions directed at little Judy on set in his memoir. He stated that the actors portraying the Munchkins, who also used to go out and gamble every night after filming, were mostly responsible for the inappropriate behavior.
Inappropriate Behavior On Set
Due to complaints made by other guests, the police visited the Culver Hotel on a number of occasions. Even one Munchkin actor had to be rescued after becoming locked in a toilet.
The Truth About Lunch
Because of the time and effort, it required to put together his costume, Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion, was not permitted to eat while wearing it.
The Truth About Lunch
He subsisted for a while on soups, milkshakes, and other liquid foods until getting weary of his diet. Lahr had to fight for his right to eat a substantial lunch in between takes throughout the lengthy production of the picture. After eating, he insisted that his costume be adjusted.
More On Lunch
When it came to eating, Margaret Hamilton also had limitations. Her costume’s paint was extremely dangerous to swallow because it contained copper.
More On Lunch
In order to avoid ingesting any paint while donning the Wicked Witch costume, she had to be fed or fed by others. On one occasion, Hamilton ate some of the cosmetics and became very ill for days, going without food for a while.
The Sequel
People were clamoring to see a sequel to the film because it was so well received when it first came out. But because Gerard was successful, this didn’t take place. The sequel to The Wizard of Oz didn’t arrive until 1985 with the release of Return to Oz by Disney since she had been chosen for other films and was preoccupied with other endeavors.
The Sequel
Although it gained a cult following in other nations, the film didn’t perform as well in the United States. Although it didn’t win, the sequel was nominated for an Academy Award for outstanding visual effects.
Missing Slippers
The majority of the Wizard of Oz artifacts were stored in a warehouse that MGM had to clean in the 1970s. When the movie was in production, Kurt Warner, one of the set designers, was given the assignment to clean the warehouse.
Missing Slippers
He was permitted to take whatever he wanted with him in exchange. The infamous ruby slippers Dorothy wore in the movie are among the items he removed. They are currently valued at about $1.5 million.
Scars
Speaking of awful outfits! The actor’s face apparently had numerous minor scars from wearing the Scarecrow suit. He had to have the rubber mask permanently adhered to his face every morning and remove it at night.
Scars
Some claim that he had the marks on his face permanently, while others claim that the scars vanished after a year. Due to her tinted makeup, Margaret Hamilton’s face was likewise stained for some time after the film was finished.
Temperature On Set
The use of Technicolor technology, which displayed brighter and more intense colors on the screen, is one of the film’s most well-known features. The technology needed very bright lights in order to function properly.
Temperature On Set
They employed hot studio lights for it, which caused the set to get above 100 degrees and led to carbon dioxide accumulation difficulties. Imagine having to stand on a set that reached such high temperatures while donning those bulky costumes or going hours without food. Stupid actors!
All-time Favorite
The most watched film of all time, according to the Library of Congress, is The Wizard of Oz. We can confidently state that it is your favorite American fairy tale movie, despite the claims of others that it might just as easily be Vertigo, Casablanca, or The Godfather.
All Time Favorite
Given that it is regularly presented on television, this makes perfect sense. In fact, it frequently airs around Christmas and Easter because those are popular times for vacations and family TV time.
That’s Not Oil
Contrary to what you might have believed, oil wasn’t used to soften the rusted joints of the Tin Man. Actually, it was chocolate syrup. Now, the cause may not be as shocking. Evidently, oil and chocolate simply contrasted better on the screen.
That’s Not Oil
Additionally, perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to spray oil on the leather-covered buckram Tin Man’s suit in the first place. Chocolate may at least be removed with water, while oil is considerably more difficult.
It Was Not Yellow
What has the potential to be among the most recognizable movie moments has a negative component. Since they employed then-novel technology, they had to make a variety of tweaks to ensure that the sequences were captured on camera exactly as they were intended.
It Was Not Yellow
Therefore, it seems like they misjudged the color when they were filming the yellow brick road sequence. They had to repaint it green in the end.
Toto Was Supposed to Be a Male
At least according to Mervyn LeRoy, one of the film’s filmmakers, Toto was going to be played as a male dog. In the end, Terry, a female dog, performed the role.
Toto Was Supposed To Be A Male
Additionally, there appears to be disagreement over the author’s initial intended dog breed. However, the dog breed was never mentioned in the novel. Some academics, however, contend that it should have been a mongrel—likely a Yorkshire Terrier. A Cairn Terrier named Terry.
The Crystal Ball
Most likely, only children born in the 1920s would be familiar with the Wicked Witch’s crystal ball. Evidently, it was utilized in a separate film that debuted seven years earlier, in 1932, than The Wizard of Oz.
The Crystal Ball
In 2011, The Crystal Ball was bought at a public auction. A portion of the funds was donated to the teen art program in New Jersey. It is certainly justifiable to use this funding to support the arts.
Got the Line Wrong
It’s often believed that the Wicked Witch shouted, “fly, my pretties, fly!” when she ordered her army of flying monkeys to deliver Dorothy, alive, to her. That wasn’t exactly what she said, though.
Got The Line Wrong
Actually, if you pay close attention, she says: “Now fly! Fly! There is much ambiguity over the source of this misquote, but the truth is that many of us simply recall it incorrectly.
The Coroner of Munchkinland Was a Pilot
Meinhardt Frank Raabe was a WWII pilot in addition to being one of the last surviving munchkins who lived well into the twenty-first century. Just to refresh your memory, he portrayed the coroner who handed the Wicked Witch of the East her death certificate.
The Coroner Of Munchkinland Was A Pilot
Raabe joined the Civil Air Patrol during World War II, primarily flying lake and fire patrols. Even for the Patrol, he served as a ground teacher.
The Munchkins Got Their Star
There is a fair probability that you didn’t miss Hollywood’s Walk of Fame if you have ever visited Los Angeles. The actors who played the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz didn’t receive their own, collective stardom until 2007, though.
The Munchkins Got Their Star
The movie included 124 different actors playing the munchkins, and it “only” took 68 years for Hollywood to acknowledge their importance to the film’s success.
Lion Skin
The idea that the Cowardly Lion’s costume was made from real lion skin would definitely shock people today, possibly to the point where they might boycott the film. However, utilizing lion pelts to make the outfit was acceptable in the 1930s.
Lion Skin
That must be worse than putting a brown bag in your cosmetics, we suppose. Additionally, Bert Lahr had to take off his outfit in between filming due to its 90 lb weight.
The Legacy Lived On
Liza Minnelli was the daughter of Judy Garland, the actress who played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. The actor Jack Haley Jr., who played the Tin Man in the film, is the father of Minnelli. Although they were married in 1974, the couple’s marriage did not last.
The Legacy Lived On
In 1979, the couple decided to divorce. Garland claimed that they were more like friends than lovers. This doesn’t necessarily reflect Haley’s preferences, but it’s evident that it didn’t assist the pair keep their marriage intact.
It Was the Tenth Screen Adaption
The 1939 motion picture that we all saw and essentially lived off of was not the original film adaptation. However, given that it has never been off the screen since it initially aired, it may be the most recognizable of all of them.
It Was The Tenth Screen Adaption
In fact, when this film was released in 1939, it was the tenth time the story had been adapted for the cinema. However, there are currently more than 50 film versions of this great fairy tale. Frank Baum, the book’s author, initially received only $75,000 in compensation for the rights.
The Hidden Voice
One of the most well-known songs from the movie is “If I Had a Heart.” Additionally, Tin Man sings this song in which he bemoans the lack of a heart he has. The song contains a secret cameo appearance.
The Hidden Voice
One lyric is sung by a little girl’s voice: “Wherefore art thou, Romeo? But this was no ordinary girl. Adriana Caselotti actually performed in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She received $1,000 for singing only this one line.
Margaret Hamilton’s Stunt Double Was Hospitalized
Due to an unhappy occurrence on set, Betty Banko, who served as Margaret Hamilton’s (The Wicked Witch) stunt double, wound up in the hospital with a severe leg injury.
Margaret Hamilton’s Stunt Double Was Hospitalized
The Witch blew up a pipe that was fastened to her broomstick. It seems as though Banko was always in trouble. After being struck by a car while waiting for a bus, her career as a stuntwoman came to an end in the 1950s.
Blonde Dorothy
Richard Thorpe, the film’s original director, who was later succeeded by George Cukor, had originally intended for Dorothy to have blonde hair and wear baby doll clothing. She was gonna wear a ton of heavy makeup, too, at his request.
Blonde Dorothy
Cukor overturned this choice, believing that Dorothy’s appearance as a blonde was too ludicrous. He then returned her hair to its natural brunette color. The author’s original vision of a Kansas girl’s appearance was obviously very different from how the old look was.
Toto Broke Her Paw
During production, Toto, or Terry, a female Cairn Terrier who played the role, had to be changed for a few weeks because one of the Witch’s Winkies, the flying monkeys, unintentionally stepped on her paw and shattered it.
Toto Broke Her Paw
Terry, though, was compensated with a better salary. It was technically given to her owner. Surprisingly, Terry received a significantly higher salary than the munchkins.
Dorothy And The Scarecrow
There was never a final scene after Dorothy’s return to Kansas. If it had, our perception of Dorothy’s friendship with the inept Scarecrow would be very different. The Scarecrow requests that Dorothy write to him before departing for an agricultural college in the last scene.
Dorothy And The Scarecrow
This scenario was intended to signal that a relationship will progress. There are still hints of this plot throughout the movie, especially when Dorothy tells the Scarecrow, “I think I’ll miss you most of all,” as she prepares to depart Oz.
Silver Slippers
In the L. Frank Baum story, the recognizable red slippers that we are all familiar with were originally intended to be silver. Harry Baum The silver slippers that were so important to the plot of the children’s tale as it was originally told were.
Silver Slippers
However, the alteration was made in order to exploit the new Technicolor in pictures, which could be in a brighter hue, and that is how the ruby red slippers came to be, according to MGM studio chief Louis B. Meyer.
The Tornado Stocking
A muslin stocking was utilized to generate the tornado. Remember that this movie was produced in 1938, so special effects weren’t what they are now.
The Tornado Stocking
The 35-foot-long muslin stocking used to produce the tornado that starts the movie’s first confrontation was modeled after the windsocks found (or used to find) at airports. To give it a terrible appearance, they spun it around and around in a lot of dirt, dust, and wind.
Toto
On and off the set, Judy Garland spent a lot of time with Terry, the dog who played Toto, and they became very close friends. Beyond the movie, she wanted to keep her as a pet.
Toto
The proposal was abandoned when Terry’s trainer, Carl Spitz, declined the request since Toto made more money working in the movie than some of the munchkin actors did.
Not The First
A 13-minute silent version of the movie The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was created in 1910. In the modern day, it would be unsettling and perhaps terrifying, but a century ago, it probably came as a revelation.
Not The First
The movie also significantly altered the original plot of Baum’s narrative, which can be perplexing to viewers today. At the end of the film, Dorothy decides not to return to Kansas and to stay in this wonderful realm because it is so much more exciting.