Another was built, and this time it was reinforced throughout with piano wire. Ebsen claimed to have breathing problems for the rest of his life because of "that damned movie.". As of today, no principal cast of the film is still alive. In 1936, he replaced James Basevi as special effects chief in charge of miniatures, projection process and mechanical effects. It was rigged to move the full length of the 200' stage. The studio tries several alternatives to make the horses appear mystical and magical. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. She previously played the role of Dorothy in the However, in 1960, the fine-grain film stocks and the techniques employed for making optical and contact copies were nowhere near as sophisticated as they are today. "You have to be very careful that you don't lose fine details like highlights in people's eyes. WebThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz, childrens book written by L. Frank Baum and first published in 1900. Studios also tried using cornflakes that were painted white to look like snow, but this method was too noisy because of the crunching sound it made whenever actors walked during scenes. The vivid colors came from dyes added during this process. Don't Lie. However, another tall dancer, Ray Bolger, wanted the part so badly that he replaced Ebsen, who was then assigned to play the Tin Woodsman. 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. 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. 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." To do this, she had to step on a certain part of the road and descend on an elevator. When requests were made for duplicate negatives, MGM Labs fashioned a copy from this source. Billy Curtis Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family The one where EW follows up with the cast. Fields begged off because he was preparing You Can't Cheat an Honest Man at Universal. One of the great children's films that made Judy Garland a star. 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). Adjusted for inflation, that's just over $900 in today's world. That led to his employment by D. W. Griffith for America (1923) and, in 1925, the start of his long career at MGM. MGM wanted 10-year-old Shirley Temple instead. The Wizard of Oz - Full Cast & Crew - TV Guide The final method that worked was Jell-O powders. Luft recalled one event in particular, saying, "The next day, on the set, hungover, they would make Judy's life miserable by putting their hands under her dress. Louis B. Meyer, the co-founder of MGM, often referred to Judy Garland as "my little hunchback." Jerry Maren, the last surviving adult Munchkin from 'The Wizard of Oz' who also appeared in Marx Brothers movies and on 'Seinfeld,' has died. Then, MGM Studios managed to cut a deal to borrow Shirley Temple for The Wizard of Oz, the silent film. The most interesting fact is he framed the pencil that L. Frank Baum used to write the book. The resulting composite was back-projected outside Dorothy and the window. The green makeup used for Margaret Hamilton's costume was so, MGM hired attendants to help the little people on and off studio toilets because one of the Munchkin actors got, Clara Blandick, who played Auntie Em, committed, Margaret Hamilton, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, suffered second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hand after a stunt, The male actors who played Munchkins would often, In fact, a lot of the Munchkin actors were so bad that an MGM employee was literally assigned to watch over them, and a lot of the actors ended up getting, Buddy Ebsen was the original Tin Man, but the aluminum dust from the makeup, Figuring out how to color the horses in Emerald City was an extremely difficult task, and the studio ultimately decided to paint them with, 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. While that film was still in production, it was announced that The Wizard of Oz would also be filmed in Technicolor. Curiously, her signature song, ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow,'' was nearly cut from the film. The huge camera moved smoothly and quietly over the well-lubricated tracks. Ironically, Fleming later replaced Cukor on GWTW as well. Fields' Wizard would've been more of a con-man while Morgan. So, how much is Billy Curtis worth at the age of 79 years old? 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. By manipulating the car, the effects experts could make the tornado twist and perform erratic moves. ", 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. Because today at least, it washes off. The expensive gantry and its perambulating car saw further service in getting the witch's flying monkeys airborne. The top of the sock was attached to a small car on the bottom of the gantry. Maren now rests in the Court of Remembrance in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood, right below actress Sandra Dee, Decker said. The face mask that Ray Bolger wore for his Scarecrow costume was made of rubber, and it was so heavy and tight that it nearly, The studio executives at MGM treated Judy Garland so terribly that they often, In fact, Louis B. Meyer apparently had Judy Garland on a, The male actors who played Munchkins would often, In fact, a lot of the Munchkin actors were so bad that an MGM employee was literally assigned to watch over them, and several of the actors ended up getting, Margaret Hamilton suffered such severe burns on her face and hand after a stunt, And the green makeup that was used for the Wicked Witch of the West's costume was so, Although the studio used toxic paint on its actors, they decided to go for a safer route when it came to painting the colorful horses in Emerald City. He told her to take the scenes seriously and get it done. She made, The "snowstorm" that took place in the poppy field scene was actually, Betty Danko, the Wicked Witch's stunt double, spent, Hal Roach Studios / Wikipedia/ Public Domain /, Shirley Temple was originally promised the role of Dorothy, but the deal ultimately, According to Judy Garland's biographer, her, The studio executives at MGM treated Judy Garland so terribly that they often, And the head of the studio forced Judy on a, 23 Shocking And Unexpected Movie Facts You Didn't Know Until Now, 23 Shocking And Unexpected Christmas Movie Facts You Didn't Know Until Now. Here are some creepy facts about the Wizard of Oz. 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. ", 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. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. 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 To those of you who have been faithful to it in return and to the Young in Heart we dedicate this picture.". 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. Ebsen claimed to have breathing problems for the rest of his life because of "that damned movie. Scroll to Crew. Billy Curtis may have been one of the most unusual heroes in any Western. 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). All of the original three-strip Technicolor film from that period was recorded on a potentially flammable nitrate-based emulsion. 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." Sat, Jun 10 1922 Billy WebThe Wizard of Oz Minor Cast Members View source This partial list of the minor cast in the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz includes extras and stand-ins and stunt players. The famous song 'Over the Rainbow' almost did not make it to the final cut. After 11 days, production was halted and George Cukor assumed directorial duties. In the famous poppy field scenes of the movie where a snowstorm was shown, the snow was not snow but asbestos. This article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. One would think it to be Judy Garland, but she only made $500 per week. One of his most unusual roles was as the smaller version of "The Thing" (replacing James Arness) in the creature's final scene in The Thing from Another World (1951). Casting Garland was a risk, but no one ever doubted her voice. and Girl of the Golden West. The trio (plus Toto, whose real name was Terry) approaches the Cowardly Lion's hunting grounds. The film's director slapped Judy Garland. I pray the Lord my soul to take. Adjusted for inflation, that's $898 by 2021's standards. The images themselves were recorded simultaneously onto three strips of a special black-and-white film custom-made by Kodak: one strip was sensitized to record the density of cyan colors, another was sensitized to yellow and a third to magenta. Ray Bolger, who played Scarecrow, had to tolerate the marks his makeup left on his face even after a year since the beloved film was wrapped. 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 Everything that could have gone wrong during the making of this movie DID go wrong. 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." Oscars honor classic on Sunday; take a trip back in time with historic vintage pics, Credit: Digitized by the Margaret Herrick Library Digital Studio. That figure surprises those who only remember the black-and-white footage from the scene in which Dorothy opens the door of her Auntie Em's house to discover that a tornado has transported her to a Technicolor universe. He was replaced by Victor Fleming, a hard-boiled former cinematographer. 16 Fucked-Up Facts About "The Wizard Of Oz" That Prove It'd Never Get Made In 2021. 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. While shooting for an iconic scene where the wicked of the west, Margaret Hamilton, had to make a grand entrance, which involved fire. Tornado shots were used alone and as process plates to be projected behind Dorothy during her attempt to elude the funnel. "That eliminates the major source of cell abrasions and emulsion digs, which can occur during the duping or printing process. Completely untrue. When the movie was hit, 1939, the makeup industry was far behind where it is today, especially in the quality of makeup. Mon, Jan 01 1934 Sat, Jan 01 1955. Billy Curtis on his work in High Plains Drifter (1973). Curtis became an advocate for equality, working with Billy Barty to pressure the Screen Actors Guild in the early 1970s to allow little people to have full union membership and voting privileges. Prior to that time, little people operated on waivers. TelevisaUnivision Taps Becky G for Upfront Performance (Exclusive), Former ABC News/Disney Exec Marie Nelson Named Hot Docs Fest President, James Gunn Created 600 Unique Versions of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 For Various Types of Cinemas (Exclusive), Sylvester Stallone Sets Cliffhanger Reboot With Angel Has Fallen Director, GKIDS Acquires North American Rights to The First Slam Dunk, Wes Anderson Directing Star Wars? The farmhouse, which was about 3' high, was swept aloft on piano wires. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. Fleming was one five directors who worked on Oz, but he left before it finished to take over Gone With the Wind. Judy Garland was put on a strict diet which was monitored by people specially hired to watch her by Louis B. Meyer. This was done in exchange for allowing Clark Gable and Jean Harlow to star in Fox's Old Chicago film. He replaced Buddy Ebsen two weeks into filming after the original Tin Man fell ill from the character's aluminum dust makeup. Category : The Wizard of Oz Also learn how He earned most of Billy Curtis networth? In the 1930s, Samuel Goldwyn paid Baum $40,000 for film rights. The book was written by L. Frank Baum, and the movie was produced by Victor Fleming and Mervyn LeRoy while the Director was Victor Fleming. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Amen. | If we had scanned from the original fine-grain, we would have copied the abrasion and emulsion digs and that would have required extensive digital paintwork. 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. He was 98. After this incident, MGM hired attendees for them. A miniature of the Kansas farm, scaled at 3/4" to 1', was built on Stage 14. "It took an aesthetic eye," he explains. But by the end of 1938, with 25 Technicolor features in release, color had become a selling point instead of a liability. He had a regular gig throwing confetti at the end of each Gong Show; had recurring roles on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Sid and Marty Kroffts Lidsville; and guest-starred on such series as The Odd Couple, The Beverly Hillbillies, Get Smart, The Wild Wild West and Seinfeld (in the 1997 The Yada Yada episode). Wizard also presented many problems not previously encountered in three-strip photography because of its numerous special effects scenes. A musical adaptation also originated in 1902, which, a year later, was transformed to Broadway. I will return to work on one condition no more fireworks! That was then considered to be the archival master. And I dont smoke and I dont drink. The tale begins in Kansas, where Dorothy lives with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and enjoys the friendship of three farmhands: Hunk, Zeke and Hickory. A cadre of creative minds infused MGMs classic fantasy with a timeless supply of movie magic. On some sets, as many as eight cameras about a third of Technicolor's inventory were used, with one getting the overall scene while others were hidden among the scenery for tighter shots. An Unusual Hero Reporting on what you care about. While it is true that they used to visit Culver City in their free time, anything else, says Time, is gossip. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf were the credited authors of the final screenplay, which was begun in late February 1938 and completed in August.
was billy curtis in the wizard of oz