Her performance as the Wicked Witch would frighten generations of children, who routinely, The Wizard of Oz | Victor Fleming consults with his actors. The last of these books is Glinda of Oz, published in 1920. Feiner joined the company in 1977 as an optical camera operator on the night shift. Note: This article includes stories about suicide and assault. MGM wanted 10-year-old Shirley Temple instead. Bolger opened up about the difficulties of the costume, saying "I had a rubber mask. Producer Mervyn LeRoy helped persuade MGM's Louis B. Mayer to acquire the rights to L. Frank Baum's book and played a crucial role in the casting of the characters. When Jack Haley replaced him, the studio started using a safer aluminum paste as makeup. A few scenes, such as the establishing shot of the witch's castle, are complete paintings, 40 inches wide and without live action. Fleming was one five directors who worked on Oz, but he left before it finished to take over Gone With the Wind. The Wizard of Oz - Full Cast & Crew - TV Guide The arrival of Glinda the Good Witch in Munchkinland is a deft bit of fantasy. Tornado shots were used alone and as process plates to be projected behind Dorothy during her attempt to elude the funnel. Feiner notes that advances in digital film conversion and image-processing technologies provides a powerful toolkit for restoration projects. Margaret Hamilton, on the roof, awaits her cue while Jack Haley's Tin Man has a heart-to-heart with Dorothy and the Scarecrow. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. The Wizard of Oz was highly successful in its New York run at the Capitol most of the New York critics hated it, but who cared? That was important, because we wanted to be as close as possible to the original image quality. Curtis' big movie season was 1938-39: he was cast in The Wizard of Oz (1939) (albeit with voice dubbed by Pinto Colvig) and as the cowboy hero of the all-dwarf western The Terror of Tiny Town (1938). Born June 27, 1909 in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. Gillespie had a 35' wind sock cast in thin rubber and ordered a steel gantry specially built and suspended from the ceiling. Billy Curtis The last one who died in 2018 was Jerry Maren, one of the adult Munchkins. We have estimated Margaret Pellegrini, one of the last surviving Munchkin actors, said, "It was the first time I'd ever had anybody help me go to the bathroom. WebCaptain of the Winkie Guard (uncredited) Buster Brodie Winged Monkey (uncredited) Ethelreda Leopold Emerald City Manicurist (uncredited) Billy Curtis Munchkin Jimmy the Crow (uncredited) ", Judy told biographer Paul Donnelly that they'd give her and Mickey Rooney, whom she made several pictures with, the pills "to keep us on our feet long after we were exhausted then knock us out with sleeping pills then after four hours theyd wake us up and give us the pep pills again so we could work 72 hours in a row. The huge camera moved smoothly and quietly over the well-lubricated tracks. Throughout the next few years, MGM started prescribing Garland even more pills to "control both her weight and her energy levels. Principal photography wrapped on March 16, 1939, after five months of production. The picture was produced in 1938-39, with the Great Depression slowly grinding to a close and the specter of global war looming on the horizon. Billy Curtis may have been one of the most unusual heroes in any Western. The MGM Optical Department photographed the film's titles. It was hardly that simple. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. But, the things that happened behind the curtains to make all the wonderful effects come to life are surrounded by myths and speculations, some true and some false. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. In 1936, he replaced James Basevi as special effects chief in charge of miniatures, projection process and mechanical effects. One of the great children's films that made Judy Garland a star. Jerry Maren, the last surviving adult Munchkin from The Wizard of Oz, has died. Are you also in awe of the blue and white combination gingham Dorothy wore in the Wizard of oz? The digital artists were then able to flip the display between the source material and the processed images. Thorpe had made four great Tarzan films and the remarkable Night Must Fall, but the rushes soon convinced producer LeRoy that the director was not capturing the desired fairytale quality. With a final cost of $2,777,000, it was one of the most expensive pictures ever made. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. The artisans also compensated for yellow dye fading. The Wizard of Oz | Harry Earles, Jerry Maren, and Jackie Gerlich, who became the Lollipop Guild kids in Munchkinland. While cleaning the warehouses of MGM, they asked Warner to give them a hand and offered him whatever costume piece he wanted for free. After several takes, the pyrotechnics ignited too soon and she was seriously burned on the face and hand. Company Credits Another was built, and this time it was reinforced throughout with piano wire. It is basically a morality film that teaches if you have hope, anything is possible. This was quite common during those times because asbestos was fireproof, and the use of cotton ceased because it was not fireproof. This was because the producers thought the song to be too slow and not interesting enough for the children, and also, the studio head Louis B was of the view that the song was depressing. at the Wyndham's Theatre. Before Dorothy can break in her new heels, however, the Wicked Witch of the West swears vengeance. You have subscribed to: Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter. Upon alighting, it dissolves to reveal Glinda. Here are some creepy facts about the Wizard of Oz. The Beverly Hillbillies was initially cast as the Scarecrow, but he swapped roles with Ray Bolger. The original look involved a blonde wig and makeup, but this was soon changed. is 4 2 . We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. A cadre of creative minds infused MGMs classic fantasy with a timeless supply of movie magic. Ruby Slippers The Wizard of Oz | Frank Morgan got the role of the Wizard after W.C. Fields demanded too much money. He was paid $50 a week; the dog that playedToto, meanwhile, got $125. And I dont smoke and I dont drink. Encouraged by stock company actress Shirley Booth to take a little person role in a stage production, Curtis soon became a professional actor, with numerous Broadway musical productions to his credit. Mervyn LeRoy, a long-time Warner Bros. director, was lured away to MGM with a lucrative contract offer. WebThe Wizard of Oz. We have covered the most interesting facts about the film. Georgina Onuorah has been announced as the lead role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz this summer, produced by Michael Harrison and the Really Useful Group.. An ambitious restoration project by Warner Bros. has returned the film to its original splendor, with the possible addition of a special effects dance sequence involving the Scarecrow. Don't Lie. "That eliminates the major source of cell abrasions and emulsion digs, which can occur during the duping or printing process. Wizard of Oz The actor, who stayed active in show business long after Dorothy had returned to her home in Kansas, died May 24 at an assisted-care facility in the San Diego area, his nephew Lloyd Decker confirmed toThe Hollywood Reporter. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. A patented imbibition process was used to transfer the image information onto release prints for theaters. Did you know that Frank Morgan played the title role of Wizard of Oz in the movie? The book 'Amazing Wizard of Oz' was published in July 1900, and the film was released in 1939. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents. Margaret Hamilton was a character actress who played a lot of housemaids. "We elected to use Cineon software for automated dust-busting, with one important provision," says Feiner. Curiously, her signature song, ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow,'' was nearly cut from the. The most well-known and commercially successful adaptation based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the film stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! Pacific Title/Mirage was selected by Warner Bros. to restore the black-and-white segments of The Wizard of Oz, plus the additional Scarecrow sequence, which was filmed in Technicolor. It might startle you to know that Dorothy wore a pink and not white shirt. Aug. 15, 1939: The west-coast premiere of The Wizard of Oz at Grauman's Theater in Los Angeles. Did you know that it took more than a year for deep grooves to leave Ray Bolger's face from the prosthetics? Also that year, the Boston native played the villainous Light-Fingered Lester in an Our Gang short film and appeared as Little Professor Atom in The Marx Brothers At the Circus. "Most people wouldn't have noticed that, but I've worked on a lot of trailers for TV in CRI format. Actor Age Check - How old was Billie Burke in The Sat, Jun 10 1922 Billy Shocking Facts About "The Wizard Of Oz" Movie And Humbled, he gives the Scarecrow a diploma, the Tin Woodsman a testimonial and the lion a medal, convincing them that they now have the virtuous qualities they previously lacked. The studio hired an assistant director and a lieutenant to keep an eye on everyone, but "many of them would wind up in jail and have to be bailed out." Jack Young, one of the movie's makeup artists, revealed that the green paint that was used to cover Hamilton's body was actually toxic because it had copper in it: "Every night when I was taking off the Witch's makeup, I would make sure that her face was thoroughly clean. WebBilly Curtis, Actor: High Plains Drifter. On the way she meets a Scarecrow who says he has no brain, a Tin Woodsman who claims to have no heart, and a lion who is a coward. But much to the disappointment of its makers, the film did not do very well at the box office. What made it look pink was the idiosyncrasies of technicolor, a process that consists of the dye-transfer technique. She previously played the role of Dorothy in the Interesting, isn't it? The slap scene between Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion has a story behind it. As the group passes through the Haunted Forest, Dorothy and Toto are seized by flying monkeys who carry them away to the Witch's castle. The house has squashed the Wicked Witch of the East. ", After scanning, the image quality was cleaned up by the digital artists, who removed dust and dirt spots and painted out the wires used to help actor Ray Bolger to fly in the Scarecrow dance number. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. The studio hired an assistant director and a lieutenant to keep an eye on everyone, but "many of them would wind up in jail and have to be bailed out." In Oz, frames were hand-painted in order to create the transition to color. He told her to take the scenes seriously and get it done. THE SEXUAL SECRET OF MARIJUANA in the much longer sexually Casting Garland was a risk, but no one ever doubted her voice. Fields' Wizard would've been more of a con-man while Morgan played him as a frightened little humbug. Wizard of Oz He is a member of famous Actor with the age 79 years old group. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. A silent version of the book was made in 1910 by Selig Polyscope Company, which, if you want to have a look at it, is available on the internet. WebCurtis' big movie season was 1938-39: he was cast in The Wizard of Oz (1939) (albeit with voice dubbed by Pinto Colvig) and as the cowboy hero of the all-dwarf western The But this was the 9th adaptation of the book 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.' With Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney hosting screenings at Loew's Capitol Theater, it set house, The Wizard of Oz | Aug. 15, 1939: The west-coast premiere of The Wizard of Oz at Grauman's Theater in Los Angeles. In his palace, Toto pulls aside a curtain, revealing a man operating levers that create the illusion of the Wizard. (A few children were used as a well.). Like the silver makeup of the Tin Man, Margaret Hamilton's (The Witch of the West) green makeup was poisonous. There's a moment in the movie where smoke comes out of the Wicked Witches' broomstick. Luft recalled one event in particular, claiming, "The next day, on the set, hungover, they would make Judy's life miserable by putting their hands under her dressThe men were 40 or more years old. ", Garland told biographer Paul Donnelly that they'd give her and Mickey Rooney, with whom she made several movies, the pills to "keep us on our feet long after we were exhaustedthen knock us out with sleeping pillsthen after four hours theyd wake us up and give us the pep pills again so we could work 72 hours in a row. Everything that could have gone wrong during the making of this movie DID go wrong. Figuring out how to color the horses in Emerald City was an extremely difficult task, and the The process was also used in other pictures of the era, such as Ziegfeld Girl, Tarzan Finds a Son! The McDonalds character, Mayor McCheese, was played by Billy, from its creation until his death in 1988. However, during one of the test runs, the pipe exploded. Dorothy and her friends take the broomstick and return to face the Mighty Oz. Let's disclose the ones surrounding the episodic book. Ironically, Fleming later replaced Cukor on GWTW as well. That's presuming that the original black-and-white separations have not been scratched or damaged in other ways and that the base on which it is coated has not shrunk. The most interesting fact is he framed the pencil that L. Frank Baum used to write the book. Wizard of Oz was nominated for several Academy Awards and is a two-time Oscar-winning movie today. She made, According to Judy Garland's biographer, her, And the "snowstorm" that took place in the poppy field scene was actually. Others who were considered included Victor Moore, Hugh Herbert, Robert Benchley and Charles Winninger. I will return to work on one condition no more fireworks! Filming & Production A.I. ", MGM Labs had set up a production line to copy the nitrate film onto CRIs, recording from the emulsion side rather than the base side. As of today, no principal cast of the film is still alive. Her performance as the Wicked Witch would frighten generations of children, who routinely cowered when they met her in person. He had been spotted by an MGM scout while performing in a show at the Bond Hotel in Connecticut and was the youngest of the 124 adult actors to suit up as a Munchkin. Ebsen was hospitalized and forced out of The Wizard of Oz's production because of the costuming and makeup. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) American Society of Cinematographers. In 1973, Maren played as a child ape in the sequel Battle for the Planet of the Apes and starred in the comedy film Little Cigars opposite another former Munchkin, Billy Curtis. The vivid colors came from dyes added during this process. What follows is a long journey in search of a wizard who grants wishes, accompanied by a Scarecrow in need of a brain, the Tin Woodman who wishes for a heart and a Cowardly Lion, longing for courage. Though the film opened strong, it wouldn't earn its money back until 1948. Admitting that he is just a balloonist from Kansas, the Wizard offers to take Dorothy home. So, how much is Billy Curtis worth at the age of 79 years old? "We test scanned the original fine-grain and the dupe to see if there were discernible differences in resolution, sharpness and overall image quality," he says. In case she did not follow her diet, Judy was made to have diet pills to speed up the process of reducing her appetite. But you will be surprised to know Frank Morgan played five characters in the movie, including the wizard's guard. They were flown on piano wires and their wings were made to flap by means of small hidden motors. After reciting this magical mantra, Dorothy awakens in her bed, surrounded by her aunt and uncle, the three farmhands who bear an uncanny resemblance to the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion and Professor Marvel, whom we realize is the Wizard. Danko made only $35 for completing the broomstick stunt and $790 for everything else she did in the movie. Initially, he wanted to stop after the sixth book itself, but he had to continue writing due to financial issues. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. And in the 2010 film Dahmer vs Gacy, he played a mime. The big cloud of dust that surrounds the bottom of a twister was made by blowing Fuller's earth and compressed air in from underneath. Billy Curtis Billy, all 42 of him, played the good guy sheriff (who finally arrests the bad guy and gets the girl) in 1938s Terror in Tiny Town. It was rigged to move the full length of the 200' stage. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. While that film was still in production, it was announced that The Wizard of Oz would also be filmed in Technicolor. The film's director slapped Judy Garland. The next casualty was Margaret Hamilton, who was supposed to disappear from Munchkinland in a burst of smoke and fire. A tornado whisks young Kansas native Dorothy and her dog Toto away to the magical land of Oz, where they befriend a Scarecrow, a Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion on their journey to visit the wonderful Wizard of Oz in this beloved classic. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. , money, salary, income, and assets. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Judy Garland, 16, was initially considered too old and too tall for Dorothy. Though the film opened strong, it wouldn't earn. All Rights Reserved. Ken Darby. ", Sidney Luft, Judy's ex-husband, wrote in his memoir that Garland, "unlike other actresses, could not successfully camouflage extra weight, especially because she was dancing and singing in revealing costumes. Did you know Baum had visited Kansas only once in his life but probably picked the place because of the storm that took away Dorothy? Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. Louis B. Meyer, the co-founder of MGM, often referred to Judy Garland as "my little hunchback." He was 98. Category : The Wizard of Oz The bottom of the funnel was anchored in a hidden slot that ran the length of the stage. Ironically enough, today it is one of the most-watched films of all time. Because you don't take chances with green. Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. They had to work fast between each take, though, because "the horses invariably managed to lick off most of the Jell-O between shots.". A strange sequence follows in which Dorothy and her house are inside the twister and she sees various things picked up by the cone go hurtling by. Jerry Maren Dead: Wizard of Oz Munchkin Actor Was However, scanning from a black-and-white element at full film resolution yields about 13 megabytes per frame a rate that allows for more efficient data management at faster speeds. The walls of the spout consisted of a circle of painted muslin, 35' in diameter. The resulting composite was back-projected outside Dorothy and the window. Toto was paid much more than the three munchkins. ", There was a trap door on set that didn't open fast enough, so Hamilton got caught in the flames. Impulse Pictures is proud to present APHRODISIAC! This one twisted and careened wildly. Seconds after the mishap, she looked down at her hand and saw the damage: "From the wrist to the fingernails, there was no skin on the hand. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. The digital restoration work was executed on Silicon Graphics 02 platforms and several dual-processor Octanes running Matador Paint and Cineon applications software. Maren, now 94, is the last surviving Munchkin actor. ", Sidney Luft also wrote in his memoir that the older male Munchkin actors apparently "thought they could get away with anything because they were so small." In the 1930s, Samuel Goldwyn paid Baum $40,000 for film rights. Fantasy was still a hard sell in the Thirties, but it became easier in 1937 following the immense success of Walt Disney's first feature-length cartoon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Curtis' big movie season was 1938-39: he was cast in The Wizard of Oz (1939) (albeit with voice dubbed by Pinto Colvig) and as the cowboy hero of the all-dwarf western The Terror of Tiny Town (1938).