On the Set
Oz remains an amazing film, even though its production was so fraught with problems. The cast endured more than a few changes and setbacks. Ray Bolger was originally cast as the tinman, but insisted on playing the scarecrow instead. This meant that Buddy Ebsen, originally cast as the scarecrow, took on the tinman's part. This turned out to be a bad trade for Ebsen, who quit the film after suffering a near-fatal allergic reaction to the silver makeup. A few months later, wicked witch Margaret Hamilton was severely burned during a mishap while filming her disappearance from Munchkinland, forcing her to leave the film for six weeks. Betty Danko, Hamilton's stunt double, was yet another casualty. She spent over a week in the hospital after being blown off her broomstick by an exploding pipe used to create smoke effects. Even Terry, the terrier who played Toto, fell victim to injuries on the set. Early in the filming, one of the witch's soldiers jumped on her and she had to be replaced by a double for two weeks.
These weren't the only difficulties. A revolving door of directors worked on the film, including Richard Thorpe (two weeks), George Cukor (three days), King Vidor (ten days), and finally, the credited director, Victor Fleming.
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Available on DVD - with tons of extras, including a documentary, outtakes, interviews with the stars, trailers, and more!