40 Details About The Wizard Of Oz That Show What Really Went On Behind The Scenes

The Wizard of Oz remains one of the most captivating and enchanting films ever to come out of Hollywood. It was a marvel of technical advancement and creative storytelling at the time, and it’s still regarded as one of the best movies ever made. But that level of spectacle always comes at a price, and in many ways, the classic feature was a nightmare to make. If you don’t want to break the spell, best look away now – but for everyone else, here are 40 secrets about the journey down the yellow brick road.

40. A fire was created using apple juice

The Wizard of Oz may have boasted some of the most groundbreaking special effects of its time. But some of the tricks the film’s producers used to create its magic were very simple. The fire that suddenly erupts when Dorothy’s red slippers are yanked by the Wicked Witch was created by speeding up a shot of apple juice.

39. The Wicked Witch of the West was too scary

The Wicked Witch of the West was played by Margaret Hamilton, who by all accounts was a lovely woman in real life. On screen, though, she apparently played the role a little bit too well. Studio execs were concerned over whether her appearances in the movie would prove just a bit too terrifying for children. And as a result, her screen time ended up getting cut down.

38. Toto got paid more than the Munchkins

Toto is undoubtedly one of the most iconic dogs in cinematic history, but did that part warrant a higher wage than actual human actors? Well, the people behind The Wizard of Oz certainly thought so. That’s because Terry, the brindle cairn spaniel who played Toto, earned $125 per week; by contrast, the actors who played the Munchkins were paid between $50 and $100 a week.

37. Frank Morgan played several parts

Frank Morgan could never be accused of slacking on The Wizard of Oz’s set. Not only did the actor take on the important role of the Wizard himself, but he also portrayed several other characters, including the Emerald City gatekeeper, Professor Marvel, the horse carriage coachman, and the guard who originally doesn’t allow Dorothy and co. access to the Wizard.

36. The Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow were banned

Dorothy’s three companions were certainly endearing on film — but they evidently weren’t on set. During the shoot, actors Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, and Ray Bolger were denied entry into the studio canteen. Apparently, their makeup was just too unsettling for them to be around other people during lunch.

35. “Over the Rainbow” almost didn’t make it into the movie

“Over the Rainbow” is undoubtedly the most well-remembered and beloved song from The Wizard of Oz. But, believe it or not, it nearly ended up on the cutting room floor. According to Ernie Harburg, son of the song’s co-writer Yip Harburg, Victor Fleming wanted the tune gone from the final edit because it made the film too long. But after Harburg and his colleague Harold Arlen talked to MGM kingpin Louis B. Mayer, it was saved.

34. Judy Garland wanted to keep Toto

Dorothy’s relationship with her furry friend Toto is one of The Wizard of Oz’s most heartwarming. And Judy Garland established such a bond with the lovable canine — whose name in real life was Terry — that she actually wanted to take him home with her for good. Unfortunately for the actress, Terry's owners weren’t on board with the idea.

33. The Munchkins didn’t see much of their earnings

As if being paid less than a dog wasn’t bad enough, the actors playing the Munchkins also had half of their pay taken from them. Hiring agent Leo Singer was the individual responsible for this nefarious practice. After some of the stars he brought on board turned out to not be short enough, his fee was reduced. As a consequence, he took 50 percent of their wages and kept it for himself to make up for the loss. What a charming man…

32. The Tin Man’s tears were edible

Ever wondered what exactly the Tin Man’s tears are made of? Well, The Wizard of Oz’s producers initially used oil to stream down the character’s famous grey face. But the substance wasn’t particularly photogenic, so it was replaced by something far tastier. Yep, when Jack Haley is seen turning on the waterworks, he’s actually crying chocolate sauce.

31. The fake snow had asbestos in it

After having a sleeping spell cast upon them by the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy and company rest up in a poppy field while being lightly sprinkled with snow. In actuality, that snow was made from chrysotile asbestos fibers — a substance that we now know is potentially dangerous to people’s health. At that time, though, asbestos was seen as a cost-effective substance for making fake snow, and nobody really knew about the health risks.

30. Dorothy’s slippers were stolen

In 2005 a pair of Dorothy’s iconic ruby red slippers were pinched from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota. The same museum later hired their own P.I. to track down the footwear, which were insured for a whopping $1 million. However, it was an undercover FBI operation in 2018 that finally helped to recover the cherished piece of Hollywood memorabilia.

29. The Cowardly Lion’s costume was made from real lions

Rumor has it that MGM actually considered using Jackie, the lion in their logo, to play the role of the Cowardly Lion. And while that didn’t end up happening, Bert Lahr’s costume for the film was actually partially made from real lion pelts. For this reason, it was also extremely heavy: it weighed in excess of 48 pounds, in fact.

28. The winged monkeys had trouble staying airborne

Thankfully, the flying monkeys weren’t portrayed by actual monkeys but by people. Less thankfully, a number of them were hurt when the piano wires that held them aloft gave way. Yep, producers chose piano wire because it wouldn’t show up on camera. But as we’re beginning to see, health and safety often took a backseat to spectacle on The Wizard of Oz.

27. It took four different directors to finish the film

While Victor Fleming is regarded as the film’s main director, he wasn’t the only one to sit in the chair. Richard Thorpe came first, but he was fired. Then George Cukor took the job for a week before Fleming came on board. Fleming eventually left to work on Gone with the Wind, though, leaving King Vidor to finish off the shoot.

26. Shirley Temple nearly played Dorothy

The Wizard of Oz’s leading lady could have looked completely different had studio executives gone ahead with their initial choice. While it’s hard to imagine anyone other than the legendary Judy Garland playing Dorothy, child star Shirley Temple was actually the first name considered for the role of the Kansas farm girl.

25. Ray Bolger was transformed

Poor Ray Bolger certainly suffered for his art while playing the character of the Scarecrow in the classic movie. Given the nature of the role, the actor had to wear uncomfortable prosthetics every time he showed up on set. But apparently, they were placed on his face so tightly that he was left with visible indentations for nearly twelve months after shooting on the film concluded.

24. More than 3000 costumes were made for the film

Gilbert Adrian certainly had a challenge getting all of The Wizard of Oz’s outfits ready in time. With the assistance of 178 staff members, the costume designer ended up creating an incredible 3,120 different fashion items. Luckily, Adrian had been a lifelong fan of Frank L. Baum’s original story and so had already filled numerous notebooks with design ideas by the time he was appointed.

23. Dorothy's ruby slippers weren't what they seemed

Dorothy's striking ruby red slippers are one of the most iconic props in Hollywood, so it's hard to believe that they were initially a different color! In the original book, Dorothy's magical shoes are actually silver, so naturally, a real-life pair was created for the film. But MGM head Louis B. Mayer was determined to put the new Technicolor technology to good use, so he demanded ruby slippers instead.

22. The Munchkins may have been rather badly behaved

Producer Meryvn LeRoy claimed that the adult actors who played the Munchkins were so rowdy that the police were often called to their hotel. Garland herself said that they drank a lot, and a memoir written by her husband Sid Luft alleged that some of them harassed the young star. Still, Margaret Williams, who played one of the Munchkins, asserted that many of these claims were exaggerated.

21. Judy Garland was on a diet of chicken soup and black coffee

MGM studios carefully monitored Judy Garland's diet while the film was being shot. Crew members spied on her before reporting back to MGM, and some sources claim that Louis B. Mayer himself made sure that she was only given chicken soup and black coffee to consume. That was in addition to four packs of cigarettes a day, just to make things even more dangerous for the teen.

20. Dorothy’s daughter married the Tin Man’s son

In 1974 Liza Minnelli walked down the aisle with Jack Haley Jr. The former was, of course, the daughter of The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy, a.k.a. Judy Garland. And the latter was the son of the Tin Man, a.k.a. Jack Haley. Sadly the pair didn’t get a happily ever after, and they went their separate ways just five years later.

19. Dorothy's secret dress

If you look at old production photos of Judy Garland in costume for The Wizard of Oz, you may notice something peculiar: her iconic blue-and-white gingham dress wasn't blue and white at all, but blue and light pink! The reasoning behind this goes back to good ol' Technicolor, which at that time was actually brand new technology. Apparently, it was easier to use the technology on pink and blue hues.

18. The Wicked Witch’s stand-in was also injured

After experiencing a scary incident on set (we'll elaborate on this later), Margaret Hamilton refused to do any scenes that involved fire. Sadly, however, her stand-in Betty Danko still failed to escape harm. While shooting a scene involving the Witch riding a broomstick that spewed smoke, the pipe supplying the smoke blew up, scarring Danko’s legs as a result.

17. The significance of May 15th

The date on the Wicked Witch’s death certificate reads May 15th, and this is a particularly significant day in the world of The Wizard of Oz. That’s because this is also the same date that the writer of the original children’s novel, L. Frank Baum, was born in 1856. Baum died aged 62 just six days before this date in 1919.

16. The horses were dyed using Jell-O crystals

One of the most memorable aspects of The Wizard of Oz is its vibrant use of color. But producers took unusual steps to make sure that the Emerald City horses fit in with the whole aesthetic. The animals were dyed purple using none other than Jell-O crystals. Unsurprisingly, the horses spent much of their time on set attempting to lick their makeup off.

15. An alarming urban legend

Some fans of The Wizard of Oz believe that a background shadow in one of the film’s scenes has a tragic explanation. The theory that an actor took his own life on set has become the stuff of Hollywood folklore. In reality, it’s nothing more than an urban legend. The shadow in question actually belongs to a big bird simply spreading its wings.

14. The Yellow Brick Road initially showed up as green

One of The Wizard of Oz’s most famous musical numbers, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” could perhaps have done with a lyric change for its original screen test. The paint that producers first used for the film’s pathway initially showed up green on camera. The behind-the-scenes team then had to repaint it using a standard industrial yellow.

13. The Scarecrow gets the Pythagorean Theorem wrong

As it turns out, even the Scarecrow's new brain can’t do math. The character reels off the Pythagorean Theorem after receiving his upgrade, but incorrectly claims it can be applied to a triangle of the isosceles variety. That’s because actor Ray Bolger, who had a lot of trouble remembering the theorem, failed to get the equation right on the day of filming. And so the producers simply had to make do and use his incorrect utterances.

12. The original Tin Man was poisoned on set

The Tin Man you see in the film was played by Jack Haley, but Haley was actually brought in as a last-minute replacement for another actor — Buddy Ebsen. After only nine days of filming, in fact, Ebsen was hospitalized after his lungs failed. The white makeup he had been wearing was coated with noxious aluminum dust, which the unfortunate actor had inhaled to his detriment.

11. You can see wrinkles in the Tin Man’s pants

The Tin Man is, of course, supposed to be made of nothing more than metal. The clue is in the name. And yet some eagle-eyed The Wizard of Oz viewers have spotted that his grey outfit sometimes appears to defy the laws of chemistry. In one particular scene, the character’s grey outfit can be seen quite clearly creasing.

10. There are approximately 40 differences between the book and the film

There are approximately 40 notable differences between L. Frank Baum’s original novel and MGM’s big-screen adaptation. Notable examples include the film’s omissions of the backstories of the Witch of the North and the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Lion. Also, the fact that Dorothy’s adventure turned out to be a dream is not insinuated within the novel.

9. The shabby coat belonged to L. Frank Baum

In an incredible coincidence, the coat that Professor Marvel can be seen sporting belonged to The Wizard of Oz’s creator. The fashion item was picked out randomly for Frank Morgan at a second-hand store. But when the actor turned one of its pockets inside out he discovered that it had been inscribed with L. Frank Baum’s name. The author’s widow later assured people that the coat did, in fact, belong to her husband.

8. The crystal ball was used in several other films

The crystal ball owned by the Wicked Witch had the kind of filmography that many actors at the time would have envied. As well as appearing in The Wizard of Oz, the 25-inch diameter ball was also used in two 1932 releases, action movie The Mask of Fu Manchu and fantasy Chandu the Magician. In 2011 the object went for over $126,000 at an auction.

7. The Tin Man was turned into a beehive

The Wizard of Oz’s running time stands at 101 minutes, but its original cut reached the two-hour mark. Therefore, several scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. One of the most intriguing is when the Tin Man is transformed into a human beehive by the Wicked Witch. Luckily, the bees flee in defeat after their attempts to sting him result in bent stingers.

6. Victor Fleming was hard on Judy Garland

Director Victor Fleming was reportedly very tough on the cast and crew. This was perhaps most evident during the shooting of the scene where Dorothy attacks the Cowardly Lion. According to producer Pandro S. Berman, Judy Garland couldn’t stop laughing at the time, so Fleming took Garland to one side, slapped her, and then told her to get back to work. And this is a 16-year-old girl we’re talking about, remember…

5. The Wicked Witch of the West’s makeup was toxic

Almost-Tin Man Buddy Ebsen wasn’t the only person to suffer from potentially lethal makeup on set. Margaret Hamilton’s green body paint, for example, was copper-based, meaning that it was dangerous if she swallowed any. Because of this, she had to have liquid lunches and drink through a straw as a precaution. The makeup also had to be taken off using rubbing alcohol after each day.

4. Judy Garland wore a corset to make her look younger

Judy Garland was 16 when she started working on The Wizard of Oz, but Dorothy was meant to be a little younger. To make Garland appear less womanly, she was tied into a torso-covering corset. The corset made her look younger and thinner — yet another example of the producers obsessing over her weight.

3. Toto went through mental and physical anguish, too

Not even the dog was safe from the harsh environment that the shoot became, as Toto star Terry reportedly suffered “nervous breakdowns” while filming. At one point, one of the Wicked Witch of the West’s guards stepped on her, injuring her leg and taking her out of shooting for a few weeks.

2. Judy Garland was given drugs to help her get through filming

Rather upsettingly, giving drugs to child actors wasn’t all that uncommon in the ’30s, and it was no different with Judy Garland. During Oz, for example, she was taking barbiturates and amphetamines to keep her slim and keep her awake. Unfortunately, though, the experience left her an addict.

1. Margaret Hamilton was burned

When Wicked Witch of the West leaves Munchkinland early in the film, she exits in a plume of fire. But while that flame was only supposed to come out after Margaret Hamilton had safely dropped through a trap door, on take two, that door didn’t open fast enough. Hamilton’s hands and face were burned as a result, and the incident took her out of production for six weeks.