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*Melanie68* · 11-10-2007, 09:41 PM

The Wizard of Oz is on TV tonight (and I'm watching it for the millionth time

). Some interesting trivia about the movie:

"Over the Rainbow" was nearly cut; MGM felt that it made the Kansas sequence too long, as well as being too far over the heads of the children for whom it was intended. The studio also thought it was degrading for Judy Garland to sing in a barnyard.
A reprise of "Over the Rainbow" was filmed, in which Dorothy was remembering Kansas while being imprisoned in the Witch's castle. Judy Garland began to cry, along with the crew, because the song was so sad. It was later cut.
The horses in Emerald City palace were colored with Jell-O crystals. The relevant scenes had to be shot quickly, before the horses started to lick it off.
If you look very closely at the Wicked Witch that Miss Gulch transformed into while Dorothy looks out her bedroom window during the tornado, you will see a shimmer from her shoes--she's wearing the Ruby Slippers. That means that she is the Wicked Witch of the East, who is soon to be killed when Dorothy's house falls on her. Margaret Hamilton has never been credited for playing this role (which is practically a cameo). This shimmer from her shoes is even more obvious when watching a better-quality copy of the film, such as the 1989 50th anniversary laserdisc version or the 1999 60th anniversary Warner Bros. DVD restored version.
Nikko, the name of the head winged monkey, is the name of the Japanese town which houses the shrine featuring the famous Hear No Evil/See No Evil/Speak No Evil monkeys.
Margaret Hamilton suffered a serious injury on the set when her make-up heated up and nearly caught fire in the scene where she disappears in a cloud of orange smoke and fire. As it was, she suffered second- and third-degree burns to her hands and face. It was later discovered that one of the key components in her make-up was copper.
The shot of Dorothy's house falling from the sky was achieved by filming a miniature house being dropped onto a sky painting on the stage floor, then reversing the film to make the house appear to fall towards the camera.

I have to add that the Wicked Witch of the West scared the heck out of me as a kid!

11-10-2007, 09:41 PM	#2988
Melanie68 Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 8,907	The Wizard of Oz is on TV tonight (and I'm watching it for the millionth time ). Some interesting trivia about the movie: "Over the Rainbow" was nearly cut; MGM felt that it made the Kansas sequence too long, as well as being too far over the heads of the children for whom it was intended. The studio also thought it was degrading for Judy Garland to sing in a barnyard. A reprise of "Over the Rainbow" was filmed, in which Dorothy was remembering Kansas while being imprisoned in the Witch's castle. Judy Garland began to cry, along with the crew, because the song was so sad. It was later cut. The horses in Emerald City palace were colored with Jell-O crystals. The relevant scenes had to be shot quickly, before the horses started to lick it off. If you look very closely at the Wicked Witch that Miss Gulch transformed into while Dorothy looks out her bedroom window during the tornado, you will see a shimmer from her shoes--she's wearing the Ruby Slippers. That means that she is the Wicked Witch of the East, who is soon to be killed when Dorothy's house falls on her. Margaret Hamilton has never been credited for playing this role (which is practically a cameo). This shimmer from her shoes is even more obvious when watching a better-quality copy of the film, such as the 1989 50th anniversary laserdisc version or the 1999 60th anniversary Warner Bros. DVD restored version. Nikko, the name of the head winged monkey, is the name of the Japanese town which houses the shrine featuring the famous Hear No Evil/See No Evil/Speak No Evil monkeys. Margaret Hamilton suffered a serious injury on the set when her make-up heated up and nearly caught fire in the scene where she disappears in a cloud of orange smoke and fire. As it was, she suffered second- and third-degree burns to her hands and face. It was later discovered that one of the key components in her make-up was copper. The shot of Dorothy's house falling from the sky was achieved by filming a miniature house being dropped onto a sky painting on the stage floor, then reversing the film to make the house appear to fall towards the camera. I have to add that the Wicked Witch of the West scared the heck out of me as a kid! Last edited by Melanie68; 11-10-2007 at 09:56 PM.