It’s one of Hollywood’s best-loved filmsbut behind the scenes, following the yellow brick road proved a tortuous journey for many of The Wizard of Oz stars
It’s 85 years since The Wizard of Oz introduced cinema goers to Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow in the family film that’s been loved by generations. But while the 1939 epic became a smash hit for MGM, bringing L Frank Baum’s tale to the big screen proved a far from magical experience for many of the cast…
FACING FACTS
In comparison to some of his co-stars experiences, Ray Bolger didn’t draw the short straw, but he didn’t get off lightly playing the Scarecrow, either. The rubber mask he donned left his face scarred. It wasn’t porous, meaning his skin couldn’t breathe and it felt like he was suffocating. The marks it left took a year to fade.
NO SWEAT? PLENTY ACTUALLY!
Playing the Cowardly Lion might have given Bert Lahr his best-known role, but he paid a price – in sweat! As his costume was made from real lion fur it was impossible to have spares, so he wore the same suit every day he played it. The hot Technicolor lights meant actors in less weighty outfits were fainting daily and Lahr sweated so much his suit had to go into an industrial dryer every night to be ready for the next day’s filming.
WICKED? IT WAS DOWNRIGHT CRUEL…
As the green-tinged Wicked Witch of the West, actress Margaret Hamilton was a menacing presence on-screen for young Dorothy but the ordeal she herself endured was more frightening. When it came to filming the scene where she disappears in a flash of smoke, the crew started the blaze before she was safely off the set and her broom and hat caught fire. Margaret was left with burns to her face and hand that took six weeks to recover from. She considered suing but feared it might see her blacklisted by studios.
To add insult to injury, when she returned to the set, the studio asked the actress to film another fire stunt. She refused. Hamilton’s double stepped in, only for the broom to again catch fire. The ill-fated actress Betty Danko earned just $35 for the day’s filming – but took
