The current fantasy hit Wicked filmed the Braodway musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire, which is based on the books by L. Frank Baum. Are you still coming with us?
Baum’s fantasy world was already captured on film in the silent film era. But the film adaptation The Wizard of Oz aka The Magical Land from 1939 is much better known – with sound and color! As Forbes writes, this is according to the Library of Congress most-watched film ever. It’s hard to say if that’s true, but it’s definitely one of the best and most influential fantasy films of all time.
But this lasting movie magic came at a high price…
The Horror of Oz: How the Wicked predecessor became the fantasy hell beyond the rainbow
The MGM production, directed by Victor Fleming (Gone with the Wind), became a life-threatening ordeal for many of those involved, with the cast in particular suffering. Here are some of the most gruesome details from the Wizard of Oz filming (via Collider):
The entire cast was under enormous strain stresswhile the complex production had to be completed in six months. Dorthy actress Judy Garland was just 16 years old at the time and churned out both Upper and Downer to be able to work and sleep. As a result, she developed a Drug problemwhich accompanied her for a long time until the Oz filming.
The Wicked Witch of the West was played by Margaret Hamilton, who due to the green color skin damage carried away. But that was the smallest of her problems: for the scene in which her witch appears with smoke and fire in Munchkin Land, she disappeared into the ground via a trap door, burned himself while filming but heavy on the face and hands. When she returned six weeks later, her nerves were still literally (!) frayed and she had to wear gloves. When she refused to film another fire effect, her stunt double Betty Danko was burned to death.
We see Jack Haley as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. However, he only came to the film as a replacement for the original actor Buddy Ebson after this one life-threatening poisoning by the aluminum paint for his metal look and was taken to hospital with convulsions. There he had to spend two weeks in the oxygen tent because the toxic material had also gotten into his lungs.
Bert Lahr and Ray Bolger escaped somewhat better, although not unscathed. While the actor playing the fearful lion in his heavy costume under the hot studio lights dehydrated Often on the verge of fainting, the scarecrow actor wore some Scars from the rubber prosthesis for his sack face.
Watch the trailer for The Wizard of Oz here again:
The Wizard of Oz – Trailer (English) HD
Munchkin Suicide: An age-old fake news movie legend is laid to rest
That you can see how in the background of a Wizard of Oz scene One of the Munchkin actors hanged on set is an old Hollywood myth. This must have been made sometime in the VHS era, when you could actually see something blurry swaying back and forth between the artificial trees on set, around which urban legends could easily be woven. Today we know: What was moving was one of the birds that was running around in the forest in the background.
If there is a film that really doesn’t need any more scary stories from the shoot, it’s The Wizard of Oz. Because another horror rumor about the production is unfortunately absolutely correct: the white snow that the good witch Glinda uses to create the poppy field sleeping magic evil witch undoing actually consisted of asbestos. Toxic, carcinogenic asbestos liberally sprinkled on Dorothy and her Oz companions. We’re off to see the oncologist!
The Wizard of Oz is the product of a completely different era of Hollywood, one in which health and safety weren’t a priority. The magic of the film also lies in its ability to make you completely forget this horror. Once you’re thrown to Oz with Dorothy in a whirlwind, there’s nowhere more beautiful than over the rainbow. In the event of supernatural snowfall, we still recommend: holding your breath.
You can currently stream The Wizard of Oz on Amazon, MagentaTV, Apple and Co. as a rental or purchase title.