‘The Wizard of Oz’s Production Was a Hellish Nightmare

Regardless of being one of many best films ever made, it was no straightforward feat making The Wizard of Oz. Even by in the present day’s requirements, this 1939 classic holds up as a formidable feat of filmmaking. All of us love its well-crafted story and enjoyable forged of characters, and even its particular results have managed to stay charming in 2024. That mentioned, on the time of its launch, this film was nothing in need of groundbreaking. All types of methods and methods needed to be employed throughout manufacturing to bring the land of Oz to life, and as fascinating as that sounds, it made for a hellish, irritating environment on set. Generally, a traditional film comes collectively simply, however within the case of The Wizard of Oz, behind-the-scenes points made it a complete nightmare.

‘The Wizard of Oz’ Stays One of many Most Iconic Movies of All Time

In 1939, filmmaking wasn’t fairly in its earliest years, however in the case of the fantasy genre, issues had been largely left untapped. There have been occasional releases, just like the game-changing movie Metropolis (which was science fiction however nonetheless relied closely on particular results), Faust, and Common’s line of monster films, however by and enormous, cinema was dominated by dramas, comedies, romantic movies, and thrillers. Any time one in every of these fantastical projects came along, audiences would flock to the theater and marvel at their wonderful achievements. In the present day, we’re nonetheless at nighttime as to how the filmmakers behind movies like Metropolis and Faust crafted their worlds, and there is a probability we’ll by no means have the complete image. That mentioned, what’s vital is that they did innovate the medium.

The Wizard of Oz is one in every of these photos. Everyone knows how the story goes. After a twister rips by means of her city, Dorothy (Judy Garland), a younger woman from Kansas, and her canine Toto are transported to the land of Oz, the place they’re joined by the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and the Tin Man (Jack Haley), as they go on a quest to seek out The Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan). This movie has the type of lifespan that almost all films dream of getting. What number of titles are you able to title which can be over 80 years outdated, being launched to children to today, and proceed to win over trendy audiences this lengthy after their preliminary launch? Nicely, getting so far was no straightforward feat — not by any stretch of the creativeness.

The Forged and Crew Suffered From Excessive Stress In the course of the Manufacturing — Particularly Judy Garland

As a result of there have been hardly any huge fantasy films made by 1939, the filmmakers behind The Wizard of Oz had to determine a number of their approaches to special effects throughout manufacturing. In line with Aljean Harmet, the creator of The Making of The Wizard of Oz, “There have been no unions at the moment. Stars and lesser gamers had been indentured servants for studios.” That meant that the actors and other people behind the scenes had much less of a platform to face on when it got here to saying no to sure practices. In comparison with in the present day, film units had been the Wild West. The pay was ridiculous, particular results practices had been harmful, and the forged and crew had been anticipated to do no matter it took to complete a film.

For starters, Judy Garland, who was solely 16 throughout manufacturing, was constantly taking uppers and downers to maintain her going by means of the movie’s taxing capturing schedule. This meant taking medicine with a stronger impact than consuming espresso, but in addition taking sleeping drugs to maintain her going always. Garland would go on to have a reported historical past of drug-related points, so these early experiences of drug use just because a film shoot required it’s a actual disgrace. Apparently, the making of this traditional was so strenuous that the film went through a number of directors, together with King Vidor (who directed the black and white sequences), and the movie’s credited director, Victor Fleming. This fixed change in management behind the scenes could not have made issues any simpler for the forged and crew.

‘The Wizard of Oz’ Had Severe On-Set Accidents

Filming The Wizard of Oz wasn’t merely irritating — loads of movies are stressful to make, to a sure diploma! The Wizard of Oz is not like different films, although. Pulling off the particular results for this film was probably the most troublesome a part of the movie, and plenty of actors had been harmed within the course of. Buddy Ebsen, the unique performer forged because the Tin Man, was despatched to the hospital 9 days into the shoot after by chance ingesting the poisonous aluminum mud that was used to present him his metallic look. In line with the South Florida Solar-Sentinel(via Vanity Fair), he was “screaming from violent cramping in his palms, arms, and legs. When he had problem respiratory, his spouse known as an ambulance and rushed him to the hospital. He remained in an oxygen tent for 2 weeks, recovering from the pure aluminum he had ingested into his lungs.” It is protected to say that he left the film for purpose. Ebsen was changed with Jack Haley, who then needed to have his eye medically handled after being contaminated by the aluminum paint combination that he was recurrently lined in.

Then, there’s Scarecrow actor Ray Bolger, who was left with burlap scars round his face after taking off the rubber prosthetic masks that he wore on set. Margaret Hamilton, who performed the Depraved Witch of the West, was additionally affected by her make-up. She claims that the inexperienced make-up seeped into her pores and skin and stayed there for months, giving her an odd complexion that she ended up bearing for some time after the movie wrapped.

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That is not the finish of the troubles for the Depraved Witch, although. In one of many many scenes the place her character escapes in a flash of sunshine, Hamilton’s garments caught hearth. This was as a result of crew beginning the impact earlier than Hamilton might stroll away, a mishap that ended up igniting a number of elements of her face, and even burned the pores and skin off of her hand. She could not even drive herself house that day — a good friend needed to come decide her up. Hamilton returned to set six weeks later, however as a result of the nerves in her hand had been uncovered, she needed to put on a inexperienced glove for the remainder of manufacturing. Upon returning, she was requested to movie a scene that might contain pyrotechnics. She refused, just for her stunt double, Betty Danko, to be burned as a substitute. What a nightmare!

Many individuals prefer to point fingers at the “Dead Munchkin” rumor that has floated round for years as one other one in every of The Wizard of Oz‘s well-known disasters. For these which can be unfamiliar, the legend is that you may spot a lifeless Munchkin within the background of the “We’re Off to See the Wizard” musical quantity. Whereas folks ought to have accepted the truth that there was by no means any demise reported on the set of the long-lasting movie, after all, the rumor prevailed. Issues grew to become a bit simpler for people to imagine when the record was set straight, and the mysterious object was recognized as a chicken. That is not so dangerous in any respect!

‘The Wizard of Oz’ Was One of many First Movies to Use Asbestos On Set

TheWizard of Oz clearly had its share of troubles throughout its manufacturing, leaving one to marvel how issues might have probably gotten worse on this traumatic set. Nicely, sadly, there’s one stable reply to that. In an effort to create the pretend snow within the movie’s poppy area scene, the crew blended foam with a sort of asbestos known as chrysotile, after which sprayed it everywhere in the set. For individuals who will not be conscious, asbestos is a harmful carcinogen and has been linked immediately with mesothelioma growth. It is exhausting to be extra frustratingly negligent than that.

Whereas this sounds horrible (nicely, it’s), The Wizard of Oz was not the one movie to have used asbestos to assist craft elements of their film. Many past productions used this silicate material when constructing units, not figuring out that subjecting their forged and crew to asbestos publicity would put these folks’s well being at nice threat. Asbestos was blended in numerous concoctions and used on initiatives like Citizen Kane, It is a Fantastic Life, and White Christmas to assist convey a number of snowy scenes to life. Earlier than the early Sixties, filmmakers simply did not know the way dangerous these items was for folks. Utilizing it on a movie set was seen as a innocent and apparent means to an finish. Nevertheless, probably the most iconic James Bond movies, Goldfinger, used asbestos for set development. Ronald Sharpe, a set painter, was not given the correct safety whereas working, and, sadly, died on the age of 59 after having developed mesothelioma. It was across the mid-Sixties that this materials started for use much less and fewer.

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You’d assume that late Twentieth-century filmmakers would know higher than to proceed utilizing this lethal substance, however even the set of 1987’s Full Metal Jacket was affected by asbestos. The movie’s second half was primarily shot at Beckton Fuel Works, an outdated plant that manufactured various hazardous chemical substances. Beckton’s buildings had been constructed utilizing asbestos, so once they had been blown as much as body a war-torn atmosphere, the asbestos mud would then float down on the set. Matthew Modine, specifically, has been vocal in regards to the life-long cough that he developed after the movie wrapped manufacturing. In an interview with ReelBlend, he known as the set “probably the most poisonous locations I’ve ever been in my life.” Not precisely pleased recollections for Mr. Modine.

If there’s any movie set that you possibly can go to in historical past, I doubt it could be The Wizard of Oz. Nonetheless, it lives on as one of the greatest movies of all time and does not appear to be it’s going to be waning in recognition any time quickly. We are able to flinch at these terrifying behind-the-scenes tales now, however greater than something, we ought to be impressed by the ultimate product, given the work that everybody turned in below such making an attempt circumstances. That is one of the cheeriest movies ever made! How these folks by no means confirmed the ache that they had been going by means of, we’ll by no means know. Nonetheless, as horrible because it all sounds, their perseverance paid off as a result of, on the very least, we ended up with a bona fide traditional.

The Wizard of Oz is offered to stream on Max within the U.S.

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