Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. 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. It was as though someone had taken the top of her hand and peeled it like an orange. Sat, Jun 10 1922 Billy Curtis was: 30. The Wizard of Oz | Margaret Hamilton, on the roof, awaits her cue while Jack Haley's Tin Man has a heart-to-heart with Dorothy and the Scarecrow. Toto was paid much more than the three munchkins. In 1913, Baum founded the Oz Film Company in Hollywood and made three Land of Oz features, all of which failed. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Munchkinland Mayor. Based on the book by L. Frank Baum, it tells of Dorothy and her fantasy trip to the land of Oz where witches, scarecrows, lions and talking trees all exist. Just 4 feet 11.5 inches, she could be underweight and still appear heavy or out of proportion on screen., In the memoir Judy and I: My Life with Judy Garland, Sidney Luft revealed that a lot of the older male Munchkin actors were "naughty." Ultimately, they sponged colorful Jell-O powders onto the horses to get the right color and effect. It would be a crime to cut corners and do anything in a sub-standard manner.". Did you know that it took more than a year for deep grooves to leave Ray Bolger's face from the prosthetics? "Warner Bros. did a diligent search and found the original CRI. Did Dorothy wear a pink shirt or a white one? 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. Even so, Rosson was astonished at the number of big arcs required to light the picture. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. (Cinetech handled this portion of the restoration project. in The When Jack Haley replaced him, they started using a safer aluminum paste as makeup. It had been dramatized on the stage and was filmed by the Selig Polyscope Company in 1910. 1966. Victor Fleming consults with his actors. ", Sid Luft also wrote in his memoir that the older male Munchkin actors "thought they could get away with anything because they were so small." The heat was enormous and was especially torturous for the actors in their heavy costumes. Judy Garland was: 17. This last epic was one of the few instances that Curtis was cast as a good guy; many of his screen characters were ill-tempered and pugnacious, willing to bite a kneecap if unable to punch out an opponent. 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. Some of the best remembered 'beauty shots' in Oz are Newcombe composites, such as scenes in which the towering buildings of the Emerald City loom in the distance as Dorothy and her friends follow the yellow brick road. For that effect, they used, Betty Danko, Margaret Hamilton's stunt double, spent, Hal Roach Studios / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) / Everett Collection / MGM, Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man, but the aluminum dust in his makeup was so, The actors who played Munchkins were only paid, And Terry, the dog who played Toto, was paid nearly three times as much as the Munchkins. The only way to do that is to compare the processed images on the computer screen to a matching frame of the source material. After 11 days, production was halted and George Cukor assumed directorial duties. The artisans also compensated for yellow dye fading. There's no magic bullet with digital technology you can only scan in the image quality on the source material. Actor Age Check - How old was Billie Burke in The However, Toto jumps out of the gondola to chase a cat and Dorothy chases after him as the balloon is carried away. Billy Curtis Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family While it is true that they used to visit Culver City in their free time, anything else, says Time, is gossip. Jungle Moon Men. I pray the Lord my soul to take. In the 1930s, Samuel Goldwyn paid Baum $40,000 for film rights. Still, it took me about a day to discover what had happened. Another was built, and this time it was reinforced throughout with piano wire. Warren Newcombe headed the matte painting section, where he and his assistants produced what the studio called "Newcombe Shots.". Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Ever wonder how he would have thought of the name 'Oz'? Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. Seldom accepting a role which demeaned or patronized little people, Curtis played an obnoxious vaudeville performer compelled to sit on Gary Cooper's lap in Meet John Doe (1941), a suspicious circus star willing to turn Robert Cummings over to the cops in Saboteur (1942), and one of the many fair-weather friends of The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). Among other injuries, there was a "two-inch-deep wound that nearly circled Danko's leg, which was full of bits of her costume." Webscottbdoug. The Wizard of Oz | Casting Garland was a risk, but no one ever doubted her voice. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. Pacific Title/Mirage converted it to digital format with a Kodak digital film scanner at full film resolution. Apparently they spent most of their time after work at bars and "were disorderly as hell, yelling and screaming." This is how the executive at MGM referred to Judy Garland. Half of the time we were hanging from the ceiling, but it was a way of life for us., Sid Luft, Judy's third husband, wrote in his memoir that Judy, "unlike other actresses, could not successfully camouflage extra weight, especially because she was dancing and singing in revealing costumes. Born with dwarfism, actor Billy - Rhyolyn's Birthdays were photographed separately and double-printed onto the spinning background. A.I. He was 98. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. This proved to be a key advantage on the Oz undertaking, given the job's aggressive eight-month schedule. While filming the scene, the actor Judy Garland kept giggling, and, frustrated, the director Victor Flemming took Judy aside and slapped her for real. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, makeup artist: Margaret Hamilton (uncredited), executive in charge of production (uncredited), supervising re-recording mixer (uncredited), senior special effects technician (uncredited), stereoscopic production manager (3D version 2013), managing director: stereoscopic conversion (3D version 2013), stereoscopic compositor (3D version 2013), stereo conversion producer: Prime Focus (as Scott Farrar) (3D Version 2013), stereo conversion supervisor (3D version 2013), technical support (1998 release, credited on theatrical prints only), director of global development: Prime Focus (3D version 2013), lead digital film restoration artist (2009 restoration), digital paint artist (1998 restoration) (uncredited), digital compositor (1998 restoration) (uncredited), digital paint artist: 1998 restoration (uncredited), camera operator: digital restoration (uncredited), digital production coordinator (1998 restoration) (uncredited), director of photography: visual effects unit (uncredited) / special photographic effects (uncredited), visual effects supervisor (1998 restoration) (uncredited), assistant visual effects supervisor (uncredited), lead digital compositor (1998 restoration) (uncredited), director of matte painting staff (uncredited), director of global development at prime focus (uncredited), senior stereoscopic supervisor: Prime Focus (uncredited), camera operator: visual effects unit (uncredited), roto supervisor: 3D version 2013 (uncredited), stunt double: Margaret Hamilton (uncredited), associate: Technicolor photography (as Allen Davey), still photographer: Kodachrome stills (uncredited), camera technician: Technicolor (uncredited), assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited), orchestrator: Munchkinland musical sequence (uncredited), music pre-recording supervisor (uncredited), singing voice: Lollipop Guild (uncredited), composer: original incidental music (uncredited) / conductor (uncredited), orchestral and vocal arrangments (uncredited), choreographer: scarecrow's dance (scenes deleted) (uncredited), dance stand-in: Judy Garland (uncredited), agent: Leo Feist Music Publishing (uncredited), assistant choreographer (uncredited) / assistant: Mr. Connolly (uncredited), handler: Cowardly Lion's tail (uncredited), dog owner and trainer: Terry (uncredited). An oft-told legend maintains that the tornado was created by manipulating a windblown silk stocking through a tabletop set. However, during one of the test runs, the pipe exploded. Category : The Wizard of Oz (film) - Wikimedia McDonalds retired the character when Billy died in 1988. The renowned Ruby Slippers were taken for free. 1939 was the magical year when this classical film was released. The Wizard of Oz (1939) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb ", 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. The McDonalds character, Mayor McCheese, was played by Billy, from its creation until his death in 1988. "For nearly 40 years this story has given faithful service to the Young in Heart; and Time has been powerless to put its kindly philosophy out of fashion. Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice was first considered for the Good Witch, but the final choice was Billie Burke, Ziegfeld's widow. She previously played the role of Dorothy in the document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) American Society of Cinematographers. The trio (plus Toto, whose real name was Terry) approaches the Cowardly Lion's hunting grounds. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. Curiously, her signature song, ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow,'' was nearly cut from the film. Temple was signed to 20th Century Fox, and for years she was expected to star in some type of Oz film series. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. In his palace, Toto pulls aside a curtain, revealing a man operating levers that create the illusion of the Wizard. Casting of the Wizard was more complicated. Our thanks to Fred Detmers, Buddy Ebsen, Lois January, and the late George Cukor, Billy Curtis, Marcel Delgado, Harold Rosson, ASC and Harry Wolf, ASC. Harry Earles, Jerry Maren, and Jackie Gerlich, who became the Lollipop Guild kids in Munchkinland. Wizard also presented many problems not previously encountered in three-strip photography because of its numerous special effects scenes. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. Fuller's earth was fed into the muslin funnel from above, and enough of it escaped through the porous muslin to blur the edges of the sock realistically. Interesting, isn't it? US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. But the costumes were so unhandy.". A. Arnold Gillespie was in charge of miniatures, projection process, and mechanical effects. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. ", This particular incident occurred when the Wicked Witch of the West was supposed to make her dramatic, fiery exit from Munchkinland. She spent six weeks recuperating in the hospital and at home. Ruby Slippers ", The images were stored on the high-speed disk array for display at 2K resolution. Judy Garland Dorothy Gale. The Wizard of Oz | 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, The Wizard of Oz | The film opened in New York on Aug. 17, 1939. The process was also used in other pictures of the era, such as Ziegfeld Girl, Tarzan Finds a Son! A miniature of the Kansas farm, scaled at 3/4" to 1', was built on Stage 14. ", Billy Curtis, one of the Munchkin actors, remembered the event, saying, "They had to clean him off like he was a baby." Dorothy flees with Toto but runs for home after talking to Professor Marvel, a fortune-teller and balloonist. The actors of the film had to dress up in costumes that were tormenting. Release Date: Tuesday, August 15 1939 83 years ago . In late October, Ebsen became seriously ill from breathing the powdered aluminum dusted over his Tin Man makeup. Her performance as the Wicked Witch would frighten generations of children, who routinely, The Wizard of Oz | Victor Fleming consults with his actors. Jimmy the Crow (uncredited) Jimmy the Crow was: 5. At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. The last of these books is Glinda of Oz, published in 1920. The Technicolor photography for Oz was difficult because of the vastness of the sets. He replaced Buddy Ebsen two weeks into filming after the original Tin Man fell ill. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, For instance, the cowardly Lion costume worn by Bert Lahr was authentic, meaning it was made from a real lion and weighed approximately 90 lbs (40.8 kg). He is a member of famous Actor with the age 79 years old group. The movie rights were fought over between several studios, but MGM ultimately got the rights. ", 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.