The truth behind the “cursed” set of ‘The Wizard of Oz’

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Victor Fleming mostly directed it, but the troubled making of Gone with the Wind caused him to switch projects. The film is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

The classic story follows an imaginative teenage farm girl called Dorothy who dreams of the fantasy land of Oz. During her time, she befriends a scarecrow, a tinman and a cowardly lion, all of whom need something from the great wizard, like Dorothy needing to go home. The only thing standing in their way is the evil Wicked Witch of the West. The film stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Harley, Billie Burke, and Marget Hamilton, possibly one of the film’s most iconic casts.

Distinguished by its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, musical score, and memorable characters, The Wizard of Oz was critically successful upon its summer release. It exemplifies several progressions in filmmaking history, and, in 1989, it was selected by the Library of Congress as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Furthermore, according to the U.S. Library of Congress, it is the most-seen film in movie history, played on American TVs every Thanksgiving. The Wizard of Oz’s significance lies within being quoted several times in contemporary popular culture and its iconic imagery. The film often ranks on critics’ lists of the greatest films of all time and is the most commercially successful adaptation of Baum’s work.

However, its history and success cannot conceal the damaging and dangerous incidents on set while filming. The alleged curses surrounding The Wizard of Oz have negotiated its status in film history since they demonstrate how studios of the time mistreated their cast and crew for the sake of achieving art. 

The first technical issues surrounding the shooting involved makeup and character design. Buddy Ebsen, known for his musical appearance in Captain January, was originally cast in the role of the Tin Man. However, upon applying the character’s makeup, he was essentially poisoned by it and started to experience body aches, muscle cramps, and shortness of breath. He soon became so ill he had to drop out and be hospitalised. This was revealed to be due to the makeup being made of pure aluminium dust. 

To make matters worse, Ebsen revealed a shocking detail in an interview included on the 2005 DVD release of The Wizard of Oz. The actor claimed that the MGM studio heads ignored his claims he was ill as they refused to believe him. It wasn’t until he was ordered back to the set and was intercepted by an angry nurse that the studio took his health seriously. 

The filmmakers then replaced Ebsen with Jack Haley for the role of the Tin Man. Fortunately, the studio learned from the terrible case of Ebsen and instead of using straight aluminium powder, the makeup artists mixed it into a paste. However, this attempt didn’t run completely smoothly as Harley developed an infection in his right eye that needed medical attention, but it ended up being treatable.

Ebsen and Harley were not the only cast members who suffered injuries during filming. Margaret Hamilton — who played the Wicked Witch of the West- experienced two serious harmful incidents during her time on set. During her iconic first scene, which shows her having a fiery exit from Munchkinland, Hamilton suffered a second-degree burn on her face and a third-degree burn on her hand. This was due to the trap door used for the entrance and exit, having a delayed drop to eliminate the brief glimpse of it seen in the final edit. The fire used for effects caught onto Hamilton, who was hospitalised for six weeks. 

After recovery, the actress stated, “I won’t sue, because I know how this business works, and I would never work again. I will return to work on one condition – no more fireworks!”. However, on her first day back on set, Hamilton was asked to film the “Surrender Dorothy” scene, which would involve her sitting on a broom with smoke-based fireworks pouring out from the back. Of course, she refused, and so a stunt double, Betty Danko, performed the scene. However, she was severely burned during the sequence. The pipe on the broom exploded on the third take and caught fire.

A final cast member who suffered great pain was the leading girl Judy Garland, who played Dorothy. Garland was only 16 when she shot the film, and her dark experience on the set caused struggles with depression and disordered eating that would continue for the rest of her life. One famous incident occurred after the initial shooting of the Cowardly Lion’s introduction, which involved Dorothy slapping the lion and making him cry. 

Garland could not contain her laughter upon seeing actor Bert Lahr’s crying in makeup. Her giggles can even be seen in the final film. However, Fleming was not impressed with this and called cut during filming. He then took it upon himself to slap the child actress so she would stop giggling and told her to stop wasting the crew’s time and get the scene right. 

Furthermore, Garland later claimed that the studio executives gave her uppers and sleeping pills so she could keep up with the demanding pace of show business. The studio considered her too overweight for the part, going so far as to comment on her weight consecutively and even restrict her diet to cigarettes and coffee. Actor Roy Bolger, who played the Scarecrow, can be heard on a behind-the-scenes feature stating, “she [Garland] wasn’t exactly pretty. Just plump”.

Following her experience on set, Garland struggled with drug addiction and attempted suicide several times before tragically dying of an accidental overdose on June 22, 1969, at just 47 years old, leaving an unfillable hole in film and show business. 

During a visibly intoxicated appearance on TV, Garland has also claimed that the Munchkin actors sexually assaulted her several times on set without consequences. There were also allegations that she was groped by Louis B. Mayer, the co-founder of MGM. 

Furthermore, the snow used in the scene where Dorothy and the gang fall asleep in the field near the Emerald City was actually made from the toxic mineral asbestos. This put the actors at risk because asbestos exposure may increase your risk for cancers of the digestive system, including colon cancer.

The Wizard of Oz is also clouded in urban legends, most notably the Munchkin actor who committed suicide on set during shooting. For years, people claimed the footage of his death could be seen in the final film, in the background during one of the “We’re off to see the Wizard” music numbers after Dorothy, and the Scarecrow first meet the Tinman. However, this rumour was put to bed upon the reveal the figure in the background was in fact an exotic bird that got onto the set.

The true curse of The Wizard of Oz is the neglect and abuse its cast suffered at the hands of MGM during a time when actors were not protected as they are now. The set’s horrors jarringly contrast with the completed film’s light-hearted and whimsical tone. Not only does the film serve as documentation of filmmaking history in terms of what film can do, but also the history of how Hollywood studios mistreated its stars and had little safety knowledge of their practical effects.