Proten in 3 Oz of Beef
From offscreen friendships and jarring pay inequality to the special effects and makeup tricks that brought some of the world'due south favorite film characters to life, The Wizard of Oz (1939) had and then much going on behind the emerald mantle and the Technicolor gloss of an amazing fantasy world.
In award of the 80th ceremony of the flick, follow the yellow brick slideshow to peek behind that drapery and acquire more well-nigh the secrets and fun facts that make the beloved film a timeless classic.
Margaret Hamilton Was a Fan Before the Moving-picture show
Every bit a self-proclaimed lifelong fan of L. Frank Baum's Oz series, Margaret Hamilton was thrilled to be considered for a role in the 1939 film accommodation. Hamilton called her agent to enquire which character the producers wanted her to play, and her agent famously said, "The witch — who else?"
Hamilton, a single mother, fought MGM for an agreed upon amount of guaranteed work time. Three days before filming began, the studio agreed to a five-week deal. In the end, Hamilton was on set for three months, but many of her scenes were cut for being besides scary for audiences.
Dorothy's Original Look Was More Film Star Than Farm Girl
Sure, Dorothy Gale doesn't need prosthetics or aluminum makeup, but that doesn't mean Judy Garland wasn't put through the costume section wringer. Although she was young at the time, the sixteen-year-old Garland had to vesture a corset-like device so she looked more like a preadolescent child.
Director Richard Thorpe suggested Garland wear a blonde wig and loads of "babe-doll" makeup (every bit whatever preadolescent girl would…). Luckily, that vision of the graphic symbol changed. Afterwards MGM fired Thorpe, the intermediate managing director George Cukor nixed the heavy makeup and wig. Instead, he told Garland to exist herself. Smart movement.
The "Skywriting" Scene Employed Some Great Pic Magic
The Wizard of Oz employs a lot of not bad film tricks, and some of the nearly unique were used in the skywriting scene. In information technology, the Wicked Witch (Margaret Hamilton) flies to a higher place the Emerald Metropolis, leaving the phrase "Surrender Dorothy" in her wake in black smoke.
Using a hypodermic needle, the special effects team spread blackness ink across the bottom of a glass tank that was filled with a thick, tinted liquid (some speculate milk). They wrote the phrase in reverse and filmed the scene from beneath. Initially, the skywriting concluded with the ominous "Or Die — Due west W West."
The "Snow" in the Poppy Field Was Actually Dangerous
Ane of the Wicked Witch'southward last-ditch efforts to impede Dorothy'due south quest to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz involves a poppy field and some magical sleep-inducing snowfall. While many like to joke that the poppies and their drowsiness are the outcome of opium (a component of poppies), the scene has a much more blatant toxic connexion than that.
All that magical snow? It's actually 100% industrial-grade chrysotile asbestos. Even though the health risks associated with the material were known at the time, information technology was still Hollywood'due south preferred choice for faux snow. Our communication to Dorothy? Don't catch any snowflakes on your tongue.
Scarecrow'due south Makeup Stuck Around for Awhile
In the stop, Ray Bolger (Scarecrow) was probably grateful in more than ways than one for Buddy Ebsen (the original Tin Human being's) willingness to trade parts with him. The Tin can Human'south aluminum makeup caused a huge amount of problems for Ebsen, who was replaced past Jack Haley.
Although Bolger's makeup experience was better than Ebsen'south, he still had some issues. The Scarecrow's makeup consisted of a rubber prosthetic, complete with a woven pattern that mimicked the expect of burlap. After the picture show wrapped, the prosthetic left patterns on Bolger's confront that took more than a year to fade.
Margaret Hamilton Was Burned On Gear up
In a flare-up of flames and red smoke, the Wicked Witch (Margaret Hamilton) vanishes from Munchkinland. Although the scene is terrifying for viewers, it may have instilled more fear for Hamilton. On the start accept, the smoke rose from a hidden trapdoor too early on.
For the second accept, Hamilton stood on the trapdoor as planned, just her greatcoat snagged on the platform when the fire flared up. Her copper-containing makeup heated upwardly instantly, causing 2d- and 3rd-degree burns on her hands and face up. To make matters worse, the crew tried to remedy her burns with (an fifty-fifty more painful) acetone solvent.
The Flying Monkeys Became Falling Monkeys
The Wicked Witch'southward legion of flight monkeys — or Winged Monkeys as they're called in the source material — take certainly been a source of terror for generations. Almost equally scary as the Witch herself, these henchmen soar onto the scene to kidnap Dorothy and Toto — thanks to the magic of pianoforte wires.
However, the aerial stunt went amiss when several of the pianoforte wires snapped, sending actors plummeting a few feet to the soundstage floor. To create such a vast troupe of monkeys (and cut down on human marionettes), filmmakers fabricated miniature rubber monkeys to help populate the sky.
"Over the Rainbow" Was Well-nigh on the Cutting Room Flooring
To no one'due south surprise, the American Picture show Establish ranked "Over the Rainbow" #1 on a list of 100 Greatest Songs in American Films. But what may surprise you? The (arguably) well-nigh iconic song of Judy Garland's career was well-nigh cut from the picture show.
Studio execs at MGM thought the song fabricated the Kansas scenes too long. Moreover, filmmakers were concerned that children wouldn't understand the song's pregnant. Luckily, this unfounded concern melted like lemon drops. Unfortunately, Garland's bawling reprise of the song was left on the cutting room floor.
The Can Man Costume Didn't Permit Jack Haley to Rest Easy
Although Bert Lahr had to schlep effectually in a ninety-pound lion costume, Jack Haley didn't take it easy either. From the lingering concerns well-nigh the aluminum paste-based makeup on his face and hands to the minimal flexibility of the "tin" torso and arms, Haley faced some challenges.
Reportedly, his costume was so stiff that he had to lean against a board to balance properly. Many years later, histrion Anthony Daniels, known for playing the protocol droid C-3PO in the Star Wars films, had the same consequence with his rigid costume. It seems fifty-fifty fantasy and sci-fi tin can't assist folks escape all their bug.
The Original Tin Man Was Rushed to the Infirmary
Initially, Buddy Ebsen was cast every bit the Scarecrow, but traded parts with Ray Bolger. Notwithstanding, Ebsen's new grapheme, the Tin Man, caused him a world of bug. Namely, the character'south silverish makeup contained a harmful aluminum dust that coated Ebsen's lungs.
To make matters worse, Ebsen had an allergic reaction, and, unable to breathe, he was rushed to the hospital. MGM recast the role with Jack Haley (and inverse upwards the makeup), but didn't explain why Ebsen "dropped out." Although Ebsen didn't appear in the final pic, his vocals can exist heard in "Nosotros're Off to See the Magician."
A Stocking & Some Miniatures Gave United states the Tornado
The tornado that strikes the Gale homestead is full of practical special furnishings that really concord up. The funnel itself was actually a 35-foot long stocking fabricated of muslin. The special effects team spun it effectually miniatures that resembled the farms and fields of Kansas. Against the painted backdrop, the tornado looks menacing.
The Gale house, which falls from the heaven and into Oz, is merely a miniature firm that was dropped onto a sky painting. Filmmakers so reversed the footage to make information technology look like the house was falling out of the clouds.
Hollywood Didn't Pay Upwards Then Either
Pay inequality has always been an effect in Hollywood. For instance, Adriana Caselotti, voice of the titular graphic symbol in Walt Disney's Snowfall White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), made $970 for her performance. The motion picture went on to brand roughly $8 million.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Judy Garland's pay was meliorate than Caselotti'southward — playing Dorothy earned her $500 a week — just it still didn't reflect the motion-picture show's success. Even more than discouraging, the folks who portrayed the citizens of Munchkinland were paid a mere $50 per calendar week. (Meanwhile, Terry the dog earned $125 per week as Toto. A real yikes.)
Bert Lahr's Lion Costume Was Taxing
Originally, MGM thought it might cast its mascot — the actual lion used in the studio'southward championship card — as the cowardly grapheme. Fortunately, for the safety of the actors and the beast, the filmmakers decided to cast role player Bert Lahr as the anthropomorphic character instead.
To brand a convincing creature, the costume department fashioned Lahr a 90-pound outfit made from real lion skin. Even so, the arc lights used on set fabricated things a steamy 100 degrees during filming, which meant Lahr did a lot of sweating unrelated to his character's nerves. Each night, two stagehands dried the costume for the next solar day.
The Initial Box Office Returns Were Uneven
The picture show started shooting in October of 1938 but didn't wrap until March of 1939, racking upward an unheard of $2,777,000 in costs. That's nearly $50 million adjusted for inflation. Upon its initial release, the movie only earned $3 one thousand thousand at the box office — about $51.8 million by today'south standards.
Although that seems impressive for a Depression-era film, remember that Disney made $8 1000000 with Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs (1937). The Wizard of Oz's small success in the U.S. barely covered product and film rights' costs — MGM paid $75,000 to the publisher for those — just success overseas fortunately bolstered the picture'south returns.
The Dark Side of Oz in a Time Before "Me Besides"
Judy Garland was only 16 years old when she was cast equally Dorothy. Insecure and lonesome, she became addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates, which were oft given to young actors to help them sleep subsequently studios shot them up with adrenaline so they could work long hours.
The spotlight — and her damaging contract with MGM — didn't assist, leading to her lifelong struggles with an eating disorder and alcoholism. According to a writer for Express, "[Garland] was molested past older men, including studio chiefs [and caput Louis B. Mayer], who considered her niggling more than than their 'property.'" Moreover, MGM forced Garland to stick to a wildly unhealthy diet of cigarettes, java and chicken soup.
The Vocalisation of Snowfall White Had a Cameo
A few years before The Wizard of Oz debuted, Walt Disney'southward feature-length animated movie Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs (1937) became a blast-hit. Non but did the moving-picture show revolutionize the blitheness industry, it also reinvigorated the fantasy genre.
Disney wanted to follow upwards Snowfall White — then the almost successful film of all time — with an accommodation of The Wizard of Oz, but MGM owned the rights. By happenstance, Adriana Caselotti, who voiced Snow White, had an uncredited role in Oz. During the Tin Human's "If I Only Had a Heart," Caselotti speaks her sole line, "Wherefore art thou Romeo?"
The Cerise Slippers Are Props & Treasured Artifacts
Keeping in line with the book, Dorothy's iconic footwear was originally silver, merely screenwriter Noel Langley felt the cherry color would actually pop in glorious Technicolor. Designed past MGM's chief costume designer Gilbert Adrian, the shoes are each covered in about 2,300 sequins.
One of the remaining pairs is on view in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Since the display is so heavily trafficked, the museum has replaced the carpet there several times. Another pair were stolen from Minnesota's Judy Garland Museum in 2005, but the FBI recovered the slippers for the institution in 2018.
Merely 1 Sequence Was Filmed "On Location"
The Wizard of Oz is your classic adventure story, and Dorothy's quest leads her from a Kansas farm to some other globe — consummate with corn fields, poppy-filled meadows and forests. However, despite all these scenic locations, almost all the scenes were shot on a soundstage.
Every bit was customary at the fourth dimension, immense, detailed backdrops were painted by studio artists, making it possible for filmmakers to transport audiences to far abroad places without filming on location. In fact, the only location footage in the flick is the opening title sequence — those clouds are 100% the real bargain.
A 2d Toto Was Brought In
Toto, played primarily past Terry, is one of the virtually beloved dogs in motion-picture show history. Terry was famously not a huge fan of special effects and can frequently be seen running out of a shot when something loud or alarming happens — like when the Tin can Homo spouts out all of that steam.
After one of the Witch's guards accidentally stepped on her, Terry was on bedrest for two weeks. Filmmakers went through two doubles to find i that resembled the original canine actor more closely.
Fun fact: Judy Garland was so addicted of Terry that she wanted to prefer the canis familiaris.
Margaret Hamilton "Mourns the Wicked" Witch
In addition to existence a huge fan of the Oz books, Margaret Hamilton likewise believed her graphic symbol was more than just your run-of-the-mill evil villain. More than 35 years afterward the film debuted, Hamilton, donning her Witch's costume to show kids it was make-believe, appeared on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, where Fred Rogers interviewed her virtually the grapheme.
According to Hamilton, the so-called Wicked Witch relished everything she did, but she was as well a sad, lonely figure. In short, things never went well for the frustrated Witch. Oddly enough, the Broadway musical Wicked as well takes this approach to the Witch'due south character.
The "Equus caballus of a Different Color" Was Made Possible Cheers to a Food Production
In 1939, audiences were but as amazed equally Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Panthera leo when the horse in Emerald City took on a rainbow of colors. This "horse of a different color" was fabricated possible thank you to a surprising nutrient item…
Jell-O crystals were used to colour the horses, which meant filmmakers had to move quickly — the animals were eager to lick up the sweet care for. But the colorful steed isn't the only interesting component in this fan-favorite scene. The equus caballus-fatigued carriage was once endemic by President Abraham Lincoln and now resides at the Judy Garland Museum.
The Makeup Department Hired on Extra Easily
From the citizens of Munchkinland and Emerald Metropolis to the Witch'south flying monkeys, so many actors had to undergo a makeup transformation in order to give life to this fantasy moving picture. To proceed upwardly with the daily demands, MGM called upon workers from the studio mailroom and courier service to manage makeup stations.
Since near of the Ozian ensemble required prosthetics, makeup artists — and "makeshift" artists — formed a kind of costuming assembly line. Most actors had to arrive before 5:00 in the morn — 6 days a week! — to begin the intensive process.
Memorable (& Often Misquoted) Lines Fill the Picture show
The moving picture is chock-full of iconic, memorable songs, and it has the great fortune of beingness responsible for some of the most quoted lines in movie history as well. In 2007, Premiere compiled a list of "The 100 Greatest Picture show Lines" and placed a whopping three of the film's lines on the listing.
"Pay no attention to that homo backside the curtain" was voted #24, while "There'southward no place like home" nabbed the 11th spot. Finally, the frequently misquoted "Toto, I have a feeling we're non in Kansas anymore" landed in the 62nd spot.
The Witch's Fire Employed Some Technical Wizardry (& Juice)
Clearly, the technical wizardry — or witchcraft — in the movie is incredible. Like the "horse of a different color" sequence, another iconic, special effects-heavy scene harnessed the power of everyday household items to pull off fun tricks.
Presently after Dorothy arrives in Munchkinland, the Wicked Witch tries to snatch the blood-red slippers from the young girl'due south feet. Nonetheless, fire strikes the Witch's easily, repelling her. This "fire" is actually apple tree juice spouting from the slippers in a sped-upwardly clip to make it wait more flame-like.
Technicolor Required Some Ingenuity in the Props Department
Experimenting with Technicolor was role fun and part problem-solving for filmmakers. In guild to properly capture scenes with the Technicolor camera, the soundstage needed to be lit with arc lights, which oftentimes heated the fix up to a toasty 100 degrees.
After the lights were prepare, the experts experimented with what would look best on film, especially in colorized grade. For example, the white part of Dorothy'due south dress is actually pink — simply because it filmed better. And the oil the Tin Man is and then excited about? It'due south actually chocolate syrup.
The Wicked Witch of the Eastward Makes More Than Ane Appearance
Office of the Wicked Witch of the West's beef with Dorothy is that the young girl dropped a business firm on her sister, the Wicked Witch of the E, who was the short-lived owner of the ruby slippers. Although Margaret Hamilton already plays both the Wicked Witch of the West and her Kansas counterpart Almira Gulch, she as well plays the Wicked Witch of the East — if only briefly.
During the tornado sequence, an addled Dorothy looks out her bedroom window and watches Gulch transform into a witch, her shoes shimmering. For fans, this glint indicates the witch outside the window is wearing the ruby slippers. The restored version of the picture show makes that shimmer fifty-fifty more noticeable.
The Picture show's Running Fourth dimension Was Cutting Down Several Times
The first cut of the film clocked in at a running fourth dimension of 120 minutes. Although that seems like nothing by today'due south Marvel movie standards, producer Mervyn LeRoy felt it was long and unwieldy and wanted to chop off xx minutes.
After cutting the famed "Jitterbug" number (peak right) and an extended Scarecrow dance sequence, the film was 112 minutes long. LeRoy held a 2nd preview screening, and, afterwards, nixed Dorothy'southward "Over the Rainbow" reprise, an Emerald City reprise of "Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead," a scene where the Can Man becomes a human beehive (Yikes!) and a few Kansas sequences.
And so Much for a "Wicked" Witch
Filmmakers deemed Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West operation too frightening for audiences and cut or trimmed many of her scenes. But not everyone thought her operation was terrifying — namely Judy Garland, who played the Wicked Witch's nemesis, Dorothy Gale.
Off-screen, the film'south starring foes were really friends. One story that emerged from the set up described Garland excitedly showing off a dress to Hamilton, declaring she was going to wear it for her graduation. Unfortunately, MGM'due south Louis B. Mayer sent Garland on a press tour the day of her graduation. Upset, Hamilton phoned Mayer and chewed him out.
Giving Credit to Technicolor
In the opening credits, the text reads "Photographed in Technicolor," as opposed to the more apt "Color Sequences by Technicolor." The phrasing of the credits makes information technology seem every bit though the unabridged motion picture was shot in color. Was this done deliberately, or was it a minor syntactical faux pas?
It's widely believed this was a flake of a stunt washed to enhance the surprise of the movie turning into full 3-strip Technicolor when Dorothy arrives in Oz. Posters made at the time of the film'south debut made no mention of sepia tint (or "black-and-white"), adding credence to this theory.
Ane of History's Most-Watched Films
Although The Wizard of Oz proved popular in theaters, another pic released the aforementioned year, also directed by Victor Fleming, actually topped the box part. (You may have heard of that little motion picture — information technology's called Gone with the Wind.) Nonetheless, MGM's musical fantasy may take more than staying power than other films of the era, thanks in office to re-releases.
The film was commencement broadcast on goggle box on November 3, 1956, and garnered an impressive 44 million viewers. It'southward believed that The Wizard of Oz is 1 of the 10 almost-watched feature-length movies in film history, largely due to the number of annual television screenings, theater viewings and various format re-releases.
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Source: https://www.ask.com/tvmovies/wizard-of-oz-facts?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740004%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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