How Big Is A 64 Oz Water Bottle

From offscreen friendships and jarring pay inequality to the special effects and makeup tricks that brought some of the globe's favorite moving-picture show characters to life, The Wizard of Oz (1939) had so much going on behind the emerald curtain and the Technicolor gloss of an astonishing fantasy world.

In honor of the 80th anniversary of the film, follow the yellow brick slideshow to peek behind that curtain and learn more nearly the secrets and fun facts that brand the beloved motion-picture show a timeless classic.

Margaret Hamilton Was a Fan Before the Film

As a cocky-proclaimed lifelong fan of L. Frank Baum's Oz serial, Margaret Hamilton was thrilled to be considered for a role in the 1939 film adaptation. Hamilton called her agent to ask which character the producers wanted her to play, and her agent famously said, "The witch — who else?"

Hamilton, a single female parent, 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, merely many of her scenes were cut for being too scary for audiences.

Certain, Dorothy Gale doesn't need prosthetics or aluminum makeup, but that doesn't mean Judy Garland wasn't put through the costume department wringer. Although she was immature at the time, the xvi-year-old Garland had to habiliment a corset-like device so she looked more similar a preadolescent child.

Director Richard Thorpe suggested Garland wear a blonde wig and loads of "baby-doll" makeup (equally any preadolescent girl would…?). Luckily, that vision of the character changed. After MGM fired Thorpe, the intermediate director George Cukor nixed the heavy makeup and wig. Instead, he told Garland to be herself. Smart move.

The "Skywriting" Scene Employed Some Groovy Movie Magic

The Wizard of Oz employs a lot of great pic tricks, and some of the about unique were used in the skywriting scene. In it, the Wicked Witch (Margaret Hamilton) flies above the Emerald City, leaving the phrase "Give up Dorothy" in her wake in black fume.

Using a hypodermic needle, the special effects team spread black ink beyond 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 ended with the ominous "Or Dice — W W W."

The "Snow" in the Poppy Field Was Actually Dangerous

I of the Wicked Witch'south concluding-ditch efforts to impede Dorothy's quest to meet the Wonderful Sorcerer of Oz involves a poppy field and some magical sleep-inducing snowfall. While many similar to joke that the poppies and their drowsiness are the result of opium (a component of poppies), the scene has a much more breathy toxic connectedness than that.

Photo Courtesy: MGM Studios/Courtesy of Getty Images

All that magical snow? It'due south actually 100% industrial-grade chrysotile asbestos. Fifty-fifty though the health risks associated with the textile were known at the fourth dimension, it was still Hollywood's preferred choice for simulated snow. Our advice to Dorothy? Don't catch whatsoever snowflakes on your tongue.

Scarecrow'due south Makeup Stuck Around for Awhile

In the end, Ray Bolger (Scarecrow) was probably grateful for Buddy Ebsen (the original Tin Man's) willingness to trade parts with him for more than reasons than one. The Tin can Human'due south aluminum makeup acquired a huge corporeality of problems for Ebsen, who was replaced by Jack Haley.

Although Bolger's makeup experience was amend than Ebsen'south, he withal had some issues. The Scarecrow'due south makeup consisted of a rubber prosthetic, complete with a woven pattern that mimicked the expect of burlap. Afterward the picture wrapped, the prosthetic left patterns on Bolger's face that took more than a twelvemonth to fade.

Margaret Hamilton Was Burned On Set

In a outburst of flames and red fume, 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 first take, the smoke rose from a hidden trapdoor likewise early.

For the 2nd take, Hamilton stood on the trapdoor as planned, but her cape snagged on the platform when the fire flared up. Her copper-containing makeup heated upwards instantly, causing second- and tertiary-degree burns on her hands and face up. To make matters worse, the crew tried to remedy her burns with (an even more than painful) acetone solvent.

The Flight Monkeys Became Falling Monkeys

The Wicked Witch'south legion of flight monkeys — or Winged Monkeys equally they're called in the source material — have certainly been a source of terror for generations. Almost as scary as the Witch herself, these henchmen soar onto the scene to kidnap Dorothy and Toto — thank you to the magic of piano wires.

All the same, the aerial stunt went awry when several of the piano wires snapped, sending actors plummeting a few anxiety to the soundstage floor. To create such a vast troupe of monkeys (and cut down on human being marionettes), filmmakers fabricated miniature rubber monkeys to assist populate the sky.

"Over the Rainbow" Was Almost on the Cutting Room Floor

To no one's surprise, the American Pic Establish ranked "Over the Rainbow" #1 on a list of 100 Greatest Songs in American Films. But what may surprise you? The (arguably) most iconic song of Judy Garland's career was nearly cutting from the movie.

Studio execs at MGM thought the song made the Kansas scenes too long. Moreover, filmmakers were concerned that children wouldn't understand the song'southward pregnant. Luckily, this unfounded business melted like lemon drops. Unfortunately, Garland's tearful reprise of the song was left on the cutting room floor.

The Tin Homo Costume Didn't Allow Jack Haley to Rest Easy

Although Bert Lahr had to schlep effectually in a 90-pound panthera leo costume, Jack Haley didn't have it easy either. From the lingering concerns almost the aluminum paste-based makeup on his face and hands to the minimal flexibility of the "can" torso and arms, Haley faced some challenges.

Reportedly, his costume was so stiff that he had to lean against a board to rest properly. Many years later, role player Anthony Daniels, known for playing the protocol droid C-3PO in the Star Wars films, had the same issue with his rigid costume. It seems even fantasy and sci-fi can't help folks escape all their problems.

The Original Tin Man Was Rushed to the Infirmary

Initially, Buddy Ebsen was cast as the Scarecrow, but traded parts with Ray Bolger. Withal, Ebsen'south new character, the Tin Man, caused him a slew of bug. Namely, the character's silver makeup contained a harmful aluminum dust that coated Ebsen's lungs.

Photo Courtesy: John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

To brand 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 changed upwardly the makeup), but didn't explain why Ebsen "dropped out." Although Ebsen didn't appear in the last moving picture, his vocals tin can be heard in "We're Off to Come across the Magician."

A Stocking & Some Miniatures Gave United states the Tornado

The tornado that strikes the Gale homestead is total of applied special furnishings that really concord upwardly. The funnel itself was actually a 35-foot long stocking made of muslin. The special effects team spun it around 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 business firm that was dropped onto a sky painting. Filmmakers then reversed the footage to make it look similar the house was falling out of the clouds.

Hollywood Didn't Pay Up Then Either

Pay inequality has e'er been an result in Hollywood. For case, Adriana Caselotti, voice of the titular character in Walt Disney'southward Snowfall White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), fabricated $970 for her performance, though the film went on to make roughly $eight one thousand thousand.

Co-ordinate to the Los Angeles Times, Judy Garland's pay was better than Caselotti'due south — playing Dorothy earned her $500 a calendar week — but it all the same didn't reflect the picture show's success. Even more discouraging, the folks who portrayed the citizens of Munchkinland were paid a mere $l per calendar week. (Meanwhile, Terry the canis familiaris earned $125 per week as Toto. A real yikes.)

Bert Lahr's Lion Costume Was Taxing

Originally, MGM idea information technology might cast its mascot — the actual panthera leo used in the studio'southward title card — as the cowardly grapheme. Fortunately, for the safe of the actors and the animate being, the filmmakers decided to cast actor Bert Lahr as the anthropomorphic grapheme instead.

To make a convincing fauna, the costume section fashioned Lahr a 90-pound outfit fabricated from real lion skin. However, the arc lights used on set made things a steamy 100 degrees during filming, which meant Lahr did a lot of sweating unrelated to his character'south nerves. Each night, 2 stagehands dried the costume for the next day.

The Initial Box Function Returns Were Uneven

The film started shooting in Oct of 1938 but didn't wrap until March of 1939, racking up an unheard of $ii,777,000 in costs. That's well-nigh $50 million adjusted for aggrandizement. Upon its initial release, the movie only earned $3 million at the box part — about $51.viii million by today's standards.

Although that seems impressive for a Depression-era movie, retrieve that Disney made $8 million with Snowfall White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The Wizard of Oz's modest success in the U.South. barely covered production and film rights' costs — MGM paid $75,000 to the publisher for those — but success overseas fortunately bolstered the film's returns.

The Nighttime Side of Oz in a Time Earlier "Me As well"

Judy Garland was just 16 years old when she was bandage as Dorothy. Insecure and lonesome, she became fond to amphetamines and barbiturates, which were oftentimes given to young actors to help them sleep after studios shot them up with adrenaline so they could piece of work long hours.

The spotlight — and her damaging contract with MGM — didn't help, leading to lifelong struggles with an eating disorder and alcoholism. According to a author for Express, "[Garland] was molested by older men, including studio chiefs [and caput Louis B. Mayer], who considered her little more than their 'property.'" Moreover, MGM forced Garland to stick to a wildly unhealthy nutrition of cigarettes, java and craven soup.

The Voice of Snow White Had a Cameo

A few years before The Sorcerer of Oz debuted, Walt Disney'southward feature-length animated film Snowfall White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) became a smash-hit. Not only did the film revolutionize the animation industry, it besides reinvigorated the fantasy genre.

Disney wanted to follow upward Snowfall White — then the most successful motion picture of all time — with an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, but MGM owned the rights. Past happenstance, Adriana Caselotti, who voiced Snow White, had an uncredited office in Oz. During the Tin Man'due south "If I Only Had a Heart," Caselotti speaks her sole line, "Wherefore fine art thou Romeo?"

The Ruddy Slippers Are Props & Treasured Artifacts

Keeping in line with the book, Dorothy's iconic footwear was originally silverish, only screenwriter Noel Langley felt the red color would really pop in glorious Technicolor. Designed by MGM'south chief costume designer Gilbert Adrian, the shoes are each covered in about ii,300 sequins.

Photo Courtesy: Larry Marano/FilmMagic/Getty Images

One of the remaining pairs is on view in the Smithsonian Establishment's National Museum of American History. Since the display is then heavily trafficked, the museum has replaced the carpet in that location several times. Another pair were stolen from Minnesota's Judy Garland Museum in 2005, only the FBI recovered the slippers for the institution in 2018.

Just One Sequence Was Filmed "On Location"

The Wizard of Oz is your classic take a chance story, and Dorothy's quest leads her from a Kansas farm to some other world — complete with corn fields, poppy-filled meadows and forests. However, despite all these scenic locations, most all the scenes were shot on a soundstage.

Every bit was customary at the time, immense, detailed backdrops were painted by studio artists, making it possible for filmmakers to transport audiences to far away places without filming on location. In fact, the just location footage in the film is the opening championship sequence — those clouds are 100% the existent deal.

A Second Toto Was Brought In

Toto, played primarily by Terry, is one of the most honey dogs in film history. Terry was famously not a huge fan of special furnishings and can oftentimes be seen running out of a shot when something loud or alarming happens — like when the Tin can Man spouts out all of that steam.

Subsequently one of the Witch's guards accidentally stepped on her, Terry was on bedrest for two weeks. Filmmakers went through two doubles to find one that resembled the original canine actor more closely.

Fun fact: Judy Garland was so fond of Terry that she wanted to adopt the dog.

Margaret Hamilton "Mourns the Wicked" Witch

In addition to existence a huge fan of the Oz books, Margaret Hamilton likewise believed her grapheme was more than just your run-of-the-manufactory evil villain. More than 35 years after the film debuted, Hamilton, donning her Witch's costume to show kids it was brand-believe, appeared on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, where Fred Rogers interviewed her virtually the character.

According to Hamilton, the so-called Wicked Witch relished everything she did, but she was besides a distressing, lonely effigy. In curt, things never went well for the frustrated Witch. Oddly enough, the Broadway musical Wicked also takes this approach to the Witch's grapheme.

The "Horse of a Different Colour" Was Fabricated Possible Thanks to a Food Production

In 1939, audiences were just every bit amazed every bit Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion when the equus caballus in Emerald City took on a rainbow of colors. This "horse of a different color" was fabricated possible thank you to a surprising food detail…

Jell-O crystals were used to color the horses, which meant filmmakers had to move quickly — the animals were eager to lick upwards the sweet treat. But the colorful steed isn't the but interesting component in this fan-favorite scene. The equus caballus-drawn carriage was once owned by President Abraham Lincoln and now resides at the Judy Garland Museum.

The Makeup Department Hired Actress Hands

From the citizens of Munchkinland and Emerald City to the Witch'due south flying monkeys, and so many actors had to undergo a makeup transformation in order to requite life to this fantasy film. To continue up with the daily demands, MGM chosen upon workers from the studio mailroom and courier service to manage makeup stations.

Since virtually of the Ozian ensemble required prosthetics, makeup artists — and "makeshift" artists — formed a kind of costuming associates line. Most actors had to make it before five:00 in the morning — six days a week! — to brainstorm the intensive process.

Memorable (& Often Misquoted) Lines Fill the Film

The film is clogged of iconic, memorable songs, and it has the dandy fortune of beingness responsible for some of the most quoted lines in movie history likewise. In 2007, Premiere compiled a list of "The 100 Greatest Pic Lines" and placed a whopping three of the film's lines on the list.

"Pay no attention to that man backside the mantle" was voted #24, while "At that place'south no place like home" nabbed the 11th spot. Finally, the ofttimes 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)

Conspicuously, the technical wizardry — or witchcraft — in the picture show is incredible. Like the "horse of a different color" sequence, some other iconic, special effects-heavy scene harnessed the ability of everyday household items to pull off fun tricks.

Shortly after Dorothy arrives in Munchkinland, the Wicked Witch tries to snatch the reddish slippers from the immature girl'southward feet. However, burn down strikes the Witch'southward hands, repelling her. This "fire" is really apple tree juice spouting from the slippers in a sped-up clip to make it look more flame-similar.

Technicolor Required Some Ingenuity in the Props Section

Experimenting with Technicolor was part fun and part problem-solving for filmmakers. In order to properly capture scenes with the Technicolor camera, the soundstage needed to exist lit with arc lights, which oft heated the fix upwards to a toasty 100 degrees.

After the lights were set, the experts experimented with what would look all-time on film, especially in colorized form. For example, the white function of Dorothy'due south dress is actually pink — just because it filmed improve. And the oil the Tin Homo is and so excited almost? Information technology's really chocolate syrup.

The Wicked Witch of the Eastward Makes More Than 1 Appearance

Role of the Wicked Witch of the Due west's beef with Dorothy is that the young girl dropped a house on her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East, who was the brusk-lived possessor of the ruby slippers. Although Margaret Hamilton already plays both the Wicked Witch of the Due west and her Kansas analogue Almira Gulch, she also plays the Wicked Witch of the East — if simply 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 exterior the window is wearing the ruby slippers. The restored version of the film makes that shimmer even more than noticeable.

The Film'due south Running Time Was Cutting Down Several Times

The commencement cutting of the film clocked in at a running time of 120 minutes. Although that seems like nothing by today's Marvel movie standards, producer Mervyn LeRoy felt information technology was long and unwieldy and wanted to chop off 20 minutes.

After cutting the famed "Jitterbug" number and an extended Scarecrow trip the light fantastic toe sequence, the moving picture was 112 minutes long. LeRoy held a second preview screening, and, afterwards, nixed Dorothy's "Over the Rainbow" reprise, an Emerald Metropolis reprise of "Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead," a scene where the Tin can Man becomes a human beehive (Yikes!) and a few Kansas sequences.

So Much for a "Wicked" Witch

Filmmakers deemed Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West operation too frightening for audiences and cutting or trimmed many of her scenes. Only not everyone thought her operation was terrifying — namely Judy Garland, who played the Wicked Witch's nemesis, Dorothy Gale.

Off-screen, the pic'due south starring foes were actually friends. One story that emerged from the set described Garland excitedly showing off a dress to Hamilton, declaring she was going to vesture it for her graduation. Unfortunately, MGM's Louis B. Mayer sent Garland on a press bout 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 "Colour Sequences past Technicolor." The phrasing of the credits makes information technology seem as though the entire film was shot in color. Was this done deliberately, or was it a minor syntactical faux pas?

It's widely believed this was a bit of a stunt done to enhance the surprise of the moving picture turning into full 3-strip Technicolor when Dorothy arrives in Oz. Posters made at the time of the picture show's debut made no mention of sepia tint (or "black-and-white"), adding credence to this theory.

I of History's Most-Watched Films

Although The Wizard of Oz proved popular in theaters, another film released the same year, also directed by Victor Fleming, actually topped the box function. (You may take heard of that little pic — information technology's called Gone with the Wind.) Nonetheless, MGM's musical fantasy may have more staying ability than other films of the era, thanks in part to re-releases.

The film was first broadcast on television receiver on November iii, 1956, and garnered an impressive 44 million viewers. Information technology's believed that The Sorcerer of Oz is ane of the x most-watched feature-length movies in film history, largely due to the number of annual television screenings, theater viewings and diverse format re-releases.