It has touched both young and old for generations, and ushered in a new age of fantastical cinema. | Besides Auntie Em, she was known as Aunt Pewtie, Aunt Cissy, Aunt Martha, Aunt Mattie, and more. In honor of the films 80th anniversary, heres a look back at a few shocking behind-the-scenes anecdotes that have not aged nearly as well as the film itself. She loved that work. Margaret Hamilton (1902-1985) Miss Almira Gulch/The Wicked . LOS ANGELES Jerry Maren, the last surviving munchkin from the classic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" and the one who famously welcomed Dorothy to Munchkin Land, has died at age 99. As many of them had sacrificed a great deal during its making. We'll set up the larger analysis of what's going on esoterically with the Wizard of Oz! QUIZ: Is he really into you, or does he just need your love to break his familys curse? by The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now. No one, munchkin or otherwise, died on-set during the filming of this cinematic classic, much less in a cut that was used in the finished version of the movie. ( brian_rowe@me.com) Follow. He remained in an oxygen tent for two weeks, recovering from the pure aluminum he had ingested into his lungs from his days in makeup as the Tin Man. After her role on that classic sitcom ended, Jan became more interested in being a mother than being an actress. Instead, studio heads wanted Shirley Temple who was six years younger than Garland, but upon auditioning, Temple was found to be lacking in the vocal range department. This sequence begins with Dorothy and the Scarecrow trying to pick fruit from the talking apple trees, encompasses their discovery of the rusted tin man and their encounter with the Wicked Witch of the West (who tries to set the Scarecrow on fire), and ends with the trio heading off to Oz in search of the Wizard: I just recently was crashing in at my best friend's house and we decided to watch The Wizard of Oz. 817 Views. January 27, 2023, 7:28 pm, by Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. According to People, 91 out of the 220 cast and crew members developed cancer, and 46 of them died, including lead stars John Wayne and Susan Hayward. Betty Danko, Hamilton's stunt double, was tasked with filming the next scene that required fire, and that scene also went horribly wrong. We'll wrap up our epic 3-part deep dive into the Wizard of Oz! The eyelashes and eyebrow on her right eye had been burned off; her upper lip and eyelid were badly burned. When she looked down, her skin had been burned off her hand. In lesser makeup horror stories, actor Ray Bolgerwho played the Scarecrowremoved the rubber prosthetics mask from his face the last day of filming to discover he had burlap scars around his mouth and chin. enjoy. Having starred in such television programs as VEGA$ and Spenser: For Hire. Jason Brassard Spent His Lifetime Collecting the Rarest Video Games. Given the costumes weightand the fact that Lahr was filming under intensely hot Technicolor lights that had even the lesser-costumed actors fainting and being carried off the set, according to cinematographer Harold Rossonthe actor thoroughly sweated through his costume each dayso much that the costume had to be put into an industrial drying bin each night to dry the perspiration. This was a popular American sitcom that ran over 12 seasons and 380 episodes from 1960 to 1972. Now its time to hear from you: did you know that numerous actors almost died during the production of The Wizard of Oz as a result of toxic makeup, and that child actress Judy Garland hook on amphetamines by studio MGM during the filming of the picture in order to keep her weight down? And there were also times where many of them could have died! The unusual movement in the background of the scene described above was noticed years ago, and it was often attributed to a stagehand's accidentally being caught on the set after the cameras started rolling (or, more spectacularly, a stagehand's falling out of a prop tree into the scene). Jack Haley replaced Buddy in the role, and the studio found a safer makeup alternative that wouldnt see Jack hospitalized. Buddy Ebsen, who was the initial actor cast as the Tin Man, turned out to be dangerously allergic to the aluminum dust that was used to give the Tin Man his metallic shine. We're going to cover the occult inspirations of this story- from Aleister Crowley & his Liber OZ, Helena Blavatsky's Theosophy and how it fits into the characters of the film: Dorothy, Tin Man and Scarecrow . Now, rumor has it that a small munchkin can be spotted in the background. Oak Island is a privately owned island that sits off the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada. Rather than being sympathetic to this severe reaction, the studio was furious. Is Margaret Thatcher responsible for Star Wars Day. January 19, 2022, 6:17 pm, by Despite the fact that it was studio MGM who was responsible for performer Buddy Ebsens hospitalization; The star still end up being fire from The Wizard of Oz. Both Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, and her stunt double, Betty Danko, were badly burned when scenes involving fire went terribly wrong. This guy is a painter AND a geocentrist, Damp-hand fetishist introduces himself to people coming out of public restrooms, Medical Experts admit there is no cure for hiccups, Hospitals to fight critical staffing shortage by declaring that all PhDs are that kind of doctor now, Doug Ford announces 50% of all Ontario surgeries will now be done by his buddy Steve, Everything is broken so lets make it worse vs Everything is perfect so lets fix nothing. She would say, I was just an extra, but I knew it made her feel really good that people wanted to connect with her.. They told me to get the hell back to work, Ebsen said. Ray Bolger (1904-1987) . Bert already had health issues before taking on the role. I guess thats because my hat and my black wig were torn loose.. What is not widely enough known is that the US actors cast as Munchkins had just survived the Great Depression, many working as carnival freaks or as vaudeville comedy acts. Editorial: Kids today are overprotected! The bird appears in a different place to where it first appeared. Wicked Witch Margaret Hamilton also spent time in the hospital, suffering second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hand. Throughout Tammones childhood, she said her mother was one of the strongest, independent and most creative people she had ever known. Multiple cast members nearly died during the film's production. The first take of the scene went off fine. Although no one ended up dying during the filming of The Wizard of Oz, they easily could have! Editorial: Trudeau could have ended the Freedom Convoy protest in no time if hed just let them kill him, I know weve called every Conservative Leader for the last 7 years a right-wing extremist, but this time we mean it. (The tragic incident would also had to have been overlooked by all the directors, editors, film cutters, musicians, and others who worked on the film in post-production as well.) All rights reserved. In addition to being force to take amphetamines; she also force to wear a corset so tight that it barely allowed for the young actress to breathe. Hassan Mork, of course, played by the late Robin Williams. They would make Judys life miserable, wrote her third husband, Sidney Luft. After The Wizard of Oz, Glass went on to work in Hollywood for a few more years, mostly as an extra or stand-in. 7.6K Followers. QUIZ: Is it a pyramid scheme or just a regular cult? Facts Verse After Margaret healed and returned to filming; she understandably balked at the prospect of filming any more scenes that involved fire. Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox! Luckily, Haley was able to keep the job, and he did not appear to have any long-lasting effects from the Tin Man's makeup. 5 ways to thank your food delivery guy that say please dont murder me I dont want to die alone on Valentines Day. The Wizard of Oz Fans Also Viewed Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Munchkin (child) - played a munchkin villager, can be seen on the yellow brick roadHere is a link to a picture of Ms. Montgomery looking stunning at the 75th Anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz": I started running around my best friend's house and I hit the wall. The AFI Life Achievement recipient discusses her most memorable filmsand what moviegoers actually misremember. And this take ended up covering Margaret in severe burns when the pyrotechnics were set off just a moment too early. This included the scene where the Wicked Witch of the East is writing a message to Dorothy with smoke in the sky. According to Atlas Obscura, chrysotile asbestos fibers were commonly used by film studios to simulate falling snow, despite the fact that people had been aware of its health risks since the early 20th century. Facts Verse http://www.galesburg.com/article/20160520/video/305209998, Munchkin (child) - played a munchkin villager, can be seen waving from one of the hutsThis is a wonderful interview with Ms. Bruno from '12: Popular, by This material may not be reproduced without permission. That wasn't the only costume that had the potential to cause significant health issues, either. Because of continuity concerns, and the fact it was impossible to find duplicate lion hides with identical colorations and patterns, Cowardly Lion actor Bert Lahr wore one costume primarily through filming. My father worked in a hotel and earned $5 a week, Maren once recalled. Margaret Hamilton The Wicked Witch of the West, "I Thought The Beaverton Was Satire" T-Shirt, https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil:Wizard_of_Oz_Lobby_card_1939.JPG. There are numerous times during the filming of the picture when performers seriously injure. From expensive cars to enormous mansions to copious quantities [] More, While Peter Lawford might the least well-known member of the Rat Pack, he is sometimes referred to as the Man Who Kept The Secrets due to his secretive efforts to connect Marilyn Monroe and his brother-in-law JFK. I died in a fire. He is force to wear during rehearsals made him unable to perform for a period of time. LWLies Recommends. January 27, 2023, 7:23 pm, by (Or, as Atlas Obscura elegantly put it, the film literally dous[es] its main characters in carcinogens.) It wasnt just The Wizard of Oz that relied on asbestos-laced snowthat substance was also used in the 30s in holiday decorations. Meredythe Glass was one of the last surviving cast members of The Wizard of Oz. She died on Saturday at age 98. In addition to her attempted felt hat business, Tammone said she tried to launch a state relief map of each state company as well as a falafel company. Roughly a quarter million of these unlucky souls sustain injuries so severe that they end up dying. Darkness abounds in The Wizard of Oz. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com, A lovelorn actor portraying one of the munchkins hanged himself on the set during the filming of. After her husbands death in the 1980s and after her children grew and moved away, Glass dedicated her life to volunteer work. Chicago | 1.3K views, 26 likes, 4 loves, 3 comments, 3 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Broadway In Chicago: Join Kyle Adams (Grantaire) from Les Misrables US as he takes us through a two show day. Tags: Besides the severe burns that Margaret Hamilton received on the set of The Wizard of Oz; she went on to find out that the heavy green makeup that she had worn throughout the duration of the pictures filming was incredibly toxic and couldve easily killed her. I wanted to go to college, she said in early 2019, but she graduated from high school during the Depression and took the work she could get. The Wicked Witch's broom was also made up of asbestos, as well as the Scarecrow costume that Ray Bolger wore nearly every single day of filming. All rights reserved. In the new millennium, Jan has turned her interests [] More, Each year over 1.5 million patients become victims of medical malpractice in the US alone. The studios official line has long been that what looks like a little person swinging from a tree is actually a shadow cast by a large crane, hired by Fleming, along with other animals from the Los Angeles zoo, in an attempt to make the forest seem alive. 3.Ava Gardner had an abortion after getting pregnant by Frank Sinatra as, otherwise, her "career would be ruined," Jane Ellen Wayne revealed in The Golden Girls of MGM. Judy also continued to suffer from self-esteem issues of the emotional abuse that she encounter through her handlers during The Wizard of Ozs production. The Orlando Sentinel. She wouldve loved it., Linda Tammone, daughter of Wizard of Oz extra Meredythe Glass, looks through her mothers photographs, newspaper clippings, cards and memorabilia in Glasss former apartment at Covenant Shores on Sept. 5. The glorious, all-American fantasy land of Oz retains its power to charm despite a few questionable ideas. She died on July 26, 2022. I didnt want to be an actress. He shows an incredible amount of heart, courage . 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(uncredited) Production Design by http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Comes-Hollywood-Twenty-Two-Tinseltown/dp/0985129581/ref=la_B004QJ1YTC_1_1?s=books\u0026ie=UTF8\u0026qid=1412621204\u0026sr=1-1 | Linda Tammone, daughter of "Wizard of Oz" extra Meredythe Glass, looks through her mother's photographs, newspaper clippings, cards and memorabilia in Glass's former apartment at Covenant Shores on Sept. 5. March 29, 2021, 4:49 am, Way back in 1980, Dolly Parton sat down with Chet Flippo of Rolling Stone magazine for what she thought was just going to be a typical interview. But she ended up spilling the beans on one of the most embarrassing chapters of her life instead. Hassan In May 2018, the last surviving actor to play a Munchkin in the film, Jerry Maren, passed away aged 97. And its lucky that no one ended up dying! July 2, 2021, 6:38 am, by Although star Judy Garland didnt receive any serious injuries on the set of The Wizard of Oz, filming of the picture certainly affected Judys life for the worst. The studio, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, outbid 20th Century Fox for the movie rights. Producer Mervyn LeRoy once stated that the actors had orgies in the hotel and we had to have police on every floor. He would end up having to fight an even tougher battle [] More, What could be more mysterious than an island filled with buried treasure? Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. Hamilton had to take six weeks off to recover before she returned to the set, on the condition that she would not do any more scenes involving fireworks. The Wizard of Oz Action & adventure 1939 1 hr 41 min English audio G CC Buy or rent The Wizard of Oz follows Dorothy and her dog Toto as they get caught in a tornado's path and somehow. Though the little person actors didnt like it when the child actors laughed at them. http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Priscilla+Montgomery/ (She is the only person of the 6 people on this list that is unconfirmed.) It must have been months before my face was really normal again.. So many people were touched by her, she said. Following up on our previous series of Where is the cast of Friends now?, and Where is the cast of Seinfeld now?, get ready to find out what Dorothy, the Tin Man, and all their pals are up to today. However, Tammone said people started reaching out to Glass and asking for autographs since the 80s. policies. But her double acquiescedand promptly caught fire herself after flames again caught on the broom. March 28, 2021, 6:21 am, by I am so positive that I saw munchkin in the background who committed suicide because he was in love. Atari games from the 1980s. September 14, 2021, 5:02 am, by There is an infamous rumor that the corpse of a little person actor that commit suicide by hanging can be see in the background of one scene; Theres also rumor that the little person actors liked to get drunk and act rowdy on the set of the film. In honor of the films 80th anniversary, a look back at a few anecdotes that have not aged as well as the 1939 classic. Sadly, the crew didnt perform trial and error before putting actual performers into the sky. April 2, 2022, 5:13 pm Apparently, they arent subscribers to the old adage that too much of a good thing can actually be a bad thing. His accent wasnt so theatrical, and he was way funnier than Baz Luhrmann gives him credit for. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. This is the version that is now considered the definitive cut, the one youll likely have seen on television. Several facts emerged since the original 1939 production of The Wizard Of Oz that added to its reputation as a "cursed movie." Buddy Ebsen, who was originally cast to play the Tin Man, ended up with an iron lung after using the requisite silver makeup on his skin as it contained toxic aluminum powder. Despite the fact that The Wizard of Oz stands as a favorite amongst family audiences today; the film wasnt all that positively received upon its 1939 debut. I think she started clowning in the mid-80s. Of the film's 10 main cast members, 16-year-old star Judy Garland got the second-lowest salarymaking more than only her canine companion, Terry, who played Toto. Shirley was younger than Judy, and MGM was never quite happy with Judys age or appearance during the filming of the picture. One night during the rehearsal period, Buddy Ebsen woke up in bed, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, screaming from violent cramping in his hands, arms, and legs. And so [] More, Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll. One of the most ubiquitous of film legends holds that a munchkin hanged himself on-camera during the filming of 'The Wizard of Oz.' David Mikkelson Published Dec 12, 1997 Advertisment: Claim: A. However, the door malfunctioned, and Hamilton suffered second- and third-degree burns on her face and hands. Others had fled Nazi persecution in Europe. The production of The Wizard of Oz had a lasting affect on Judy Garland. I remember helping her sew one of her costumes, Tammone said. And then there were the others, who experienced varying degrees of success, one of them actually dropping out of the business to look for greener pastures. Glass retired from her psychiatric work in the 1970s. The porn trilogy for Nintendos. Bert Lahr, who played the character of the Cowardly Lion. Following up on our previous series of "Where is the cast of Friends now?", and "Where is the cast of Seinfeld now?", get ready to find out what Dorothy, the Tin Man, and all their pals are up to today. Forensically examining Instagram accounts, interviews, and police reports, author Kathleen Hale reconstructs their relationship, and ultimately Petitos murder.