Beverly Hillbillies, Buddy Ebsen, spent almost as little time on set as both the film’s first two directors. Ebsen was accidentally poisoned by his own makeup a little over a week before filming was set to begin. The silver makeup, a main staple of the Tin Man’s costume, was made partly of aluminum dust, which Ebsen breathed in, due to its presence on the entirety of his face. He was hospitalized when his lungs failed.
After two weeks in the hospital it still took six more weeks of rest at home for the actor to recover. It turned out that Ebsen was actually allergic to the aluminum dust, and was recast by Jack Haley, who did not have the same allergy. However, to avoid any other possible mishaps, an aluminum paste replaced the original aluminum powder makeup. Better safe than sorry.
L. Frank Baum’s Coat Made An Appearance In The Movie
Frank Morgan was cast not only as the Wizard of Oz but also as Professor Marvel, who Dorothy runs into when running away in Kansas. Costume designers worked very hard to find the actor, just the right coat for his two characters. They wanted Morgan to look fashionable, but also modest. They went searching through local thrift stores for the perfect style. They found it.
When they passed off the coat to Morgan he examined it before putting it on and found a label, stitched to the coat's interior that read, "L. Frank Baum." It was indeed the original author's coat, and had, back in the day, been tailored to fit him perfectly. After production on the film was complete, the producers gave the coat to L. Frank Baum's widow to keep.
Munchkins Rumors Debunked
While we all love some good Hollywood trivia, one story about the Wizard of Oz set that has persisted throughout the years, was that a munchkin hung himself on set and, this instance was actually caught on film for the movie. There was not a single suicide on set, by cast or crew. Conspiracy theorists claim you can see someone hanging from a tree, but itis actually just a bird.
It's a real bird too. MGM had rented, from a local zoo that they'd worked with on previous projects, some 400 birds. Many of the birds escaped their cages while working and ended up hanging out in random places around the set. The bird in the "suicide" scene is actually a crane with its wings outstretched.
Why Shirley Temple?
Shirley Temple was the darling of American film in the 1930's. She starred in everything: The Little Princess, Heidi, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, to name only a few. She was a paparazzi princess. Her photos and her off set antics were in all of the magazines. There is even a photo where you can see the Wizard of Oz book on one of the pint sized star's own bookshelves.
She was also blonde, the very image of the Dorothy from the books. It was really no wonder producers went after her for the part when they began casting The Wizard of Oz film.
Arthur Freed Voted For Garland
In Hollywood Arthur Freed was a legendary producer and lyricist. He was never credited with any work on The Wizard of Oz film, but he did receive a promotion from MGM for his contributions. This promotion eventually led to his first credit with Rodgers and Hart's Broadway musical, Babes in Arms, which also starred The Wizard of Oz's, Judy Garland, along with Mickey Rooney. The trio of Freed, Garland, and Rooney would work together on a number of successful "backyard" musicals throughout their careers.
While Louis B Mayer voted for Shirley Temple for the role, Freed insisted that Judy Garland, with her singing chops, she was a much better choice.