The book "The Wizard of Oz, The Official 75th Anniversary Companion" has some shocking new details about the making of the film, including the difficult experiences the cast members endured.
Casting Choices and Early Challenges
Shirley Temple was the original choice to portray Dorothy and sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." However, due to her contractual obligations with 20th Century Fox, MGM turned to Judy Garland.
Garland initially hesitated to take on the role, preferring more sophisticated parts at the age of 17.
Yet, she ultimately recognized the opportunity presented by the movie, stating, "I knew my entire future rested on my ability to play Dorothy convincingly."
The pressure to resemble Temple was immense, and Garland described her experience as "physical torture."
She mentioned that the studio executives tried to transform her appearance to match Temple's by forcing her to wear a corset and a wig, capping her teeth, and putting painful devices in her nose to alter its shape.
Garland recalled, "Making that picture was almost the end of me."
The Physical Toll on the Cast
The challenges did not end with Garland.
Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man, but he faced a near-fatal incident after suffering from a severe reaction to the aluminum powder in his makeup. Jack Haley stepped in to take over the role.
Haley also had to take additional care to keep the metal out of his eyes while filming because the makeup was quite poisonous.
Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow, similarly faced discomfort, noting that the heat from his costume made it feel as if his face was "going to explode."
He struggled with communication while in costume, stating, "I couldn't hear a single thing – and my own voice sounded like somebody talking in a huge, empty hall."
The Struggles of the Supporting Cast
There were also particular difficulties with Bert Lahr's portrayal of the Cowardly Lion.
Lahr said that his performance had led to typecasting. "After 'The Wizard of Oz,' I was typecast as a lion and there aren't all that many parts for a lion."
When Margaret Hamilton replaced Gale Sondergaard, who had previously played the role in a more glamorous way, the Wicked Witch of the West cast member underwent a transformation.
The supporting cast paid a price for Hamilton's depiction of the witch, which became famous for its terrifying presence.
The heavy costumes worn by the Winkies, who served the Witch, led to numerous incidents of heat stroke under the studio lights.
Furthermore, the 124 Munchkin actors faced their own struggles, as sets had to be modified to accommodate their height, and a crewman was specifically hired to assist them in moving around the set.
The Environment Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes, Frank Morgan, who eventually played the Wizard, was known to have a portable cabinet filled with alcohol, reportedly taking sips throughout the filming.
Producer Mervyn LeRoy humorously remarked, "To make a picture like 'The Wizard of Oz,' everybody had to be a little drunk with imagination."
