shocking tell-all expose: The Wizard of Oz

Behind The Scenes Secrets: The Wizard Of Oz

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The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of the most iconic films of all time. It launched Garland into the throes of major movie stardom. Though the film made Garland’s career, it also ruined her life. Oz was a gorgeous, Technicolor film, but there was an undeniable darkness on set – from drug addiction and assault to injury and near death.

Judy Garland Was Drugged to Get Through Filming

In 2017, you’d probably be outraged and shocked to hear that child actors were being fed drugs to keep up with their often nerve-wracking and intense filming schedule; however, in the ’30s, this was common.

Judy Garland was given barbiturates and amphetamines to keep her skinny on set (gross) and keep her awake. This experience may have helped her during the filming process, but it left her an addict, which she could never shake. Filming The Wizard of Oz made Garland’s career, but it also ruined her life. She died from an overdose at age 47.

Victor Fleming Slapped Judy Garland on Set

Yes, it’s true. Victor Fleming slapped Judy Garland on set. To make things worse, the actress was just 16 years old at the time of the film’s shooting. Talk about totally inappropriate! It happened when director Victor Fleming ran into a bit of trouble during the scene where Dorothy slaps the Cowardly Lion. Apparently, Garland just couldn’t stop laughing. At this point in Garland’s career, she was less of a massive movie star and more of a teenage girl; she had never been in a production of this scale.

According to producer Pandro S. Berman, after Garland’s unshakeable case of the giggles was well under way, Fleming pulled her aside, slapped her and then told her to get back to work. That’s one way to rip the smile right off of a teenage girl’s face.

The Wizard of Oz Was Supposed To Look Totally Different

The film’s original director, Richard Thorpe, had an entirely different idea of how the film should look. Dorothy more closely resembled the original drawings in John R. Neill’s book and had a chicer, blonde haircut with a full face of baby doll makeup.

Judy Garland, who arguably made The Wizard of Oz what it was, wasn’t cast for the role of Dorothy, either. Thorpe was hopeful that the studio could score Shirley Temple. Thorpe was also the one who cast Buddy Ebsen as the tin man. Thorpe ended up being fired from the film after two weeks.

A Temporary Director Came up with Dorothy’s Look

After Thorpe was fired, George Cukor was brought in to be the film’s temporary director. He never intended to stay throughout the whole movie because he hoped to land a gig as the director of Gone with the Wind. Unfortunately, that coveted job ended up going to Victor Fleming, who ended up being the director of Wizard of Oz, too.

During Cukor’s stay on set, he gave Dorothy her signature look. He threw away the blonde wig and opted for something more “natural” that would directly contrast the fantastical nature of Oz.

Buddy Ebsen, the Original Tin Man, Was Poisoned on Set

Poor Buddy Ebsen was cast as the hilarious, quirky tin man, but his stint on set was pretty short lived. Ebsen was actually poisoned in a freak accident that happened just nine days after filming began. Apparently, the silver makeup used in his character’s costume contained aluminum dust, which he inadvertently breathed in (it was all over his face, after all). His lungs failed, and he was hospitalized.

Ebsen spent two weeks in the hospital and took six more to recover at home. He had to be recast and was eventually replaced by Jack Haley, who did not suffer from the same aluminum allergy. To avoid the same problem, the makeup artists on set used aluminum paste instead of aluminum powder.

Jack Harley Didn’t Have a Great Time as the Tin Man Either

Playing the Tin Man really seemed like a labor of love. While it’s true that Ebsen may have been poisoned by the makeup, it’s not like Jack Haley had it easy. Even though makeup artists switched from aluminum powder to aluminum paint, Haley still contracted an eye infection.

The costume was also incredibly stiff (obviously, it’s the Tin Man!). Haley couldn’t rest in the costume whatsoever because he couldn’t sit down. He couldn’t even get up on his own if he decided to lie down on the ground. This forced him to stand up for the entire time his costume was on, and his only relief was leaning against something.

The Cowardly Lion’s Costume Was Actually Made from Real-Life Lions

The Cowardly Lion’s costume is epic and pretty detailed to resemble what a lion would actually look like if it was part human. This is no accident – Bert Lahr’s costume for The Wizard of Oz was partially made from the pelts of real lions. This caused the costume to weigh a whopping 48 lbs (though he still had it better than the Tin Man).

Rumors also report that MGM considered using their famous lion Jackie – the lion in their logo – to play Bert Lahr’s role, but they ended opting for an actual human. Bert Lahr offers a really relatable, humorous take on the character that wouldn’t really be possible with an actual lion.

Toto Made More Money Than the Munchkins

Toto was a star performer played by Terry, a female Cairn terrier who appeared in an impressive 16 films. At the time The Wizard of Oz was being filmed, Terry had already starred in a film with Shirley Temple (1934’s Bright Eyes). It’s no wonder that this movie star of a dog got paid more than the munchkins – actual human actors. Toto raked in $125 per week (equivalent to about $1,700 in 2017). The munchkins made between $50 and $100 a week, which is no small chunk of change for 1939, but hardly the movie star salary you’d imagine.

The Wicked Witch Was Supposed to Be Totally Different

Most of us know the Wicked Witch as a terrifying, hideous, bright green character – unless of course, you’re a fan of Wicked and see her more sympathetically. The Wicked Witch wasn’t always ugly and terrifying. She was originally going to be beautiful, sleek, and sexy. Of course, that doesn’t fit so well with the idea of evil witches being ugly, so producers changed the look to contrast more with the Good Witch.

Gale Sondergaard was not a fan of this new look. She was originally cast as the Wicked Witch, but when she saw the makeup, she bailed. Hamilton took the role instead.

The Wicked Witch Was too Scary, so Studio Execs Cut Her Scenes

Margaret Hamilton brilliantly played the Wicked Witch of the West – so brilliantly, the character now stars in her own Broadway musical, Wicked. Hamilton was undoubtedly terrifying, especially to the children watching what was supposed to be a meaningful but light-hearted story about family. This concerned studio executives who feared that Hamilton’s utterly evil performance was a bit too scary for children. They ended up cutting down Hamilton’s screen time down to just a few bits – though, that didn’t make her character any less of an important presence in the movie.

Margaret Hamilton Was Badly Injured on Set

Not only did producers cut some of Margaret Hamilton’s scenes, but she was so badly injured on set that she had to be removed from the production for six entire weeks.

Hamilton’s injury occurred in the scene where the Wicked Witch of the West leaves Munchkinland in a puff of flames. She was meant to drop down safely into a trap door before the flames ever came out. The door malfunctioned and didn’t open fast enough, but the flames came out as they were supposed to. This left Hamilton’s hands and face with terrible burns that took weeks to heal.

Judy Garland was Molested by Munchkins

According to Garland’s third husband, Sid Luft, the actress was repeatedly molested by the actors who played the munchkins. Luft revealed this information in his scandalous posthumous memoir Judy and I: My Life with Judy Garland. He claimed that they made her life “miserable on set by putting their hands under her dress.” All of the men were 40 or more years old, and Garland was just sixteen.

There were many rumors about the munchkins that sort of back up this claim, saying that the actors were absolutely out of control on set. Various reports claim they were involved with prostitution and gambling while filming.

The Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man Always Ate Lunch Alone

Poor Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, and Jack Haley. All they wanted to do was play their roles without being exiled from the rest of the cast. Unfortunately, the 1930s were a lot different than they are now. They didn’t have intense slasher films and they didn’t have CGI that could make anything happen on film. In the 1930s, costumes like the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man were considered terrifying in real life. They were considered so frightening, that the whole gang was banned from MGM’s lunchroom and forced to alone in case they scared other MGM workers.

L. Frank Baum’s Coat in Real Life was the Wizard’s Coat in the Movie

Sometimes stars just align, and that’s what happened when costume designers were looking for the perfect coat for Frank Morgan, who played both the Wizard and Professor Marvel. They wanted a coat that looked fashionable, but heavily worn, so they hit up a bunch of local thrift stores in their search. They found the perfect coat, and on set, Morgan found a label stitched into the inside of the jacket that said “L. Frank Baum.” It was the author’s coat, which had been tailored justforo him. After filming, producers gifted the coat to the author’s widow.