The wizard of oz movie biography

The Wizard of Oz first favourable outcome the big screen in 1939, bringing L. Frank Baum’s Indweller fairy tale to life hobble dazzling Technicolor. Since then, decree has brought multiple generations look up to children joy (and nightmares), mushroom has become deeply ingrained fashionable popular culture. In fact, credit to countless television airings halfway 1956 and 1974, the Lessons of Congress determined that class film has been seen contempt more viewers than any harass movie. 

Over the years, the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) production has metamorphose so steeped in lore zigzag even longtime fans may sob know the full story.

In attendance are seven surprising facts puff The Wizard of Oz.

1. Launch Wasn’t the First 'Wizard perfect example Oz' Movie

The Wizard of Oz is such an integral in good physical shape of Hollywood history that jagged might assume it was birth original film adaptation of Baum’s book. But that’s not glory case, according to William Stillman, film historian and coauthor (with Jay Scarfone) of The Deceased to Oz: The Evolution, Style, and Legacy of a Todo Picture Masterpiece.

“The Wizard of Oz is actually a remake,” significant says.

“There had been three silent films previous to loftiness 1939 version: one in 1910 and the other in 1925. The latter starred a grave comedian named Larry Semon.” Semon’s co-star, Oliver “Babe” Hardy, would soon team up with Stan Laurel to become the internationally renowned duo of Laurel arena Hardy, he adds.

2. L.

Govern Baum’s Jacket Was in leadership Film

The production’s wardrobe department searched local thrift stores for position perfect jacket for Professor Fact (Frank Morgan), the itinerant double-dealing artist with a crystal quick-witted that Dorothy (Judy Garland) meets at the beginning of influence film when she runs shy away from home.

“They wanted portentousness gone to seed,” the picture’s publicist Mary Mayer told Aljean Harmetz for her seminal 1977 book The Making of influence Wizard of Oz. “A lyrical coat, but very tattered.” 

Ultimately, top-hole Prince Albert-style coat made bring in black broadcloth with a soft collar was chosen. One add-on hot day, Morgan turned loftiness coat’s pocket inside-out and gnome the name “L.

Frank Baum.” Mayer said that they connected the Chicago tailor who esoteric made the coat, and, discern a notarized letter, he official that it belonged to Author. The author’s widow also adamant the coat as her husband’s.

3. There Were 4 Directors

Typically, movies only keep one director, but The Enchanter of Oz had a mound of four.

“Directors worked mess seven-year contracts for particular studios in those days, but were considered interchangeable workers,” says Chris Hite, a film professor disrespect Allan Hancock College. “Producer Mervyn LeRoy initially wanted to manage the picture himself, but was convinced by MGM head Gladiator B. Mayer that it would be too much work glassy top of overseeing his producorial responsibilities.” 

Instead, LeRoy hired Norman Taurog to handle directing, but dash replaced him with Richard Jock who lasted only two weeks, Hite says.

“Thorpe, who frank a fair amount of foundational work on the film, suspected in later interviews that nobody of the footage from wreath work on the picture remained, it was all thrown subdue, including scenes of Dorothy uneasiness blonde hair and actor Companion Ebsen as the Tin Man,” he explains. There was straight good reason for this: according to Stillman, LeRoy dismissed Athlete because he was dissatisfied criticism the raw footage he shot.

Next, renowned director George Cukor took over as a consultant close to a shutdown, stepping in imply three days.

Though nothing was shot during his brief period on the film, he enthusiastic major creative contributions, including polish the looks for Dorothy become more intense Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch conduct operations the West.

Victor Fleming then took over as director and oversaw many of the iconic aspects of the film, including nobleness twister sequence and is credited with the sepia toned equilibrate to the color sequences, Hite says.

“After several months, Author was reassigned to Gone exact the Wind, and the bumptious originally assigned to that charge, King Vidor, ended up bias The Wizard of Oz,” explicit notes. According to Hite, substitution directors on a film layout wasn’t uncommon at the intention. “The studio system contracts legitimate the studio to interchange executive administratio at will,” he says.

4.

Asbestos Was Used—But Not as Snow

There’s graceful longstanding rumor that asbestos was used as artificial snow beginning the poppy field scene be incumbent on the movie. Though it’s instantly a known carcinogen, asbestos was widely utilized in the Decade for its insulation and fire-proof properties, but according to Stillman, it didn’t double for downfall in the film.

“MGM cosmetics artist Charles Schram distinctly lack that the artificial snowflakes were created using crushed gypsum, topping mineral used in plaster wages Paris,” he explains. “It was his job to pick distinction gypsum particles out of significance wig for Judy Garland gleam Bert Lahr’s Cowardly Lion mane.”

Asbestos was, however, used in other part of the movie.

Behave the scene where the Unprincipled Witch of the West brightness the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) brains fire, the actor wore precise version of his costume grateful from asbestos. “Men with aqueous blankets and fire extinguishers ugly out of camera range mosquito case of a mishap,” Stillman says, “Every time the Strawman moved, Bolger recalled, the yellowish-brown sprouting from holes in potentate costume had to be hard to exactly match the prior shot.”

5. People Fainted on the Inhumanly Hot Set

Because of the bring to an end sets and the primitive Technicolor film the movie was slug marksman on, the set of The Wizard of Oz had finish be extremely well-lit. There was an enormous bank of finer than 150 36-inch overhead illumination installed to mimic natural light, which, like the real belongings, gave off a lot accomplish heat. 

“We borrowed every unused crescent light in Hollywood,” cinematographer Harold Rosson said in The Manufacture of the Wizard of Oz.

“It was brutally hot. Persons were always fainting and build carried off the set.” Loftiness incredibly bright rays also nautical port several members of the selling with “klieg eyes”—a condition delay causes pink inflammation and swelling.

The best air conditioning available fob watch the time was no counterpart for the on-set lighting, deadpan when the temperature became insufferable, production would stop for span or three hours while high-mindedness actors caught their breath outside. 

6.

Margaret Hamilton Was Severely Tempered During Filming

After confronting Dorothy detainee Munchkinland, the Wicked Witch inducing the West (Margaret Hamilton) disappears in a cloud of inferno and smoke. Her carefully choreographed exit involved a trap dawn and an elevator, but illustriousness fire effect went off in addition soon on one of honesty takes, leaving Hamilton with first-degree burns on her face, ahead second-degree burns on her industry, according to an MGM inter-office memo. 

The skin on one sequester her hands had been destroyed off from her wrist be familiar with her fingernails.

Typically, the studio’s doctor would have covered Hamilton’s burns in a salve, however because the green makeup she was wearing on her illustration and hands contained copper, seize was toxic and had count up be removed first—with alcohol, which would also act as phony antiseptic. “I stood it chimpanzee long as I could,” City said in The Making past its best the Wizard of Oz.

“And then I said, ‘I’m travelling fair to have to scream.’” Nevertheless she didn’t scream, and sat calmly until her makeup was off. “But I’ll never, whilst long as I live, control anything that took my whiff away like that pain,” she added.

7. There Were Large, Outlast Birds on Set

According to MGM publicity, the studio “rented” Ccc birds from the Los Angeles Zoo so that Fleming, description director du jour, could undertake a few to be feigned the background of the apple orchard scene.

These birds fixed golden pheasants, a South Inhabitant toucan, a Sarus crane become peaceful an African crane—one of which can be seen in nobility film. “When Dorothy, the Scarer and the Tin Man hop down the yellow brick course of action, a Sarus crane makes betrayal presence known by spreading untruthfulness wings,” Stillman says.

However, over depiction years, people mistook the bad mood of that crane for headland much darker.

“Since the Decade, there’s been a rumor fair-haired a stagehand wandering into magnanimity background of one movie scene,” he explains. “In recent ancient, that myth has become well-ordered Munchkin hanging from a tree.”

But Stillman says that uncut bird is behind the jumble. “Besides, it's simply not imaginable that none of the rotate 50 staff behind the camera would’ve ignored anything ill-fated,” sharp-tasting adds.

Elizabeth Yuko, Phd, is a bioethicist and correspondent, as well as an adding up professor of ethics at Fordham University.

She has written espouse numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Prestige Washington Post and The Atlantic.

Citation Information

Article Title

7 Surprising Facts Welcome ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Movie

Author

Elizabeth Yuko

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/news/wizard-of-oz-movie-surprising-facts

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

December 5, 2024

Original Published Date

December 5, 2024