Wizard of Oz
Female Characters
Female Characters
1. Dorothy's blue gingham dress and white blouse is a variation of what female character that wore a blue gingham dress and a white apron?
2. What did Judy wear under the dress to make herself appear younger?
1. Alice in Wonderland
2. A painful corset-style device
What accidents were involved in the movie?
Buddy Epson, the original Tin Man, had to quit when aluminum dust in the makeup put him in an iron lung. Another type of makeup was used.
(Margaret Hamilton suffered burns and missed 6 weeks of filming. Her stand-in spent 11 days in hospital for burns from an exploding broom.)
What food item gets its name from the Wizard of Oz?
When Dunkin Donuts started selling their donut holes in 1972, they named them “Munchkins” after the "Wizard of Oz" characters. The company marketed the holes to kids while the grownups went for the whole donuts.
What genre is the first hour of the movie? What is the last 30 minutes?
The first hour of the movie is a musical. The last 30 minutes is a straight adventure with no songs.
What does the gray circle and zig-zag pattern spell on the yellow brick road near the main entrance of the Emerald City?
OZ
"Over the Rainbow" inspired what song for the Muppets?
"The Rainbow Connection"--The Muppet Movie of 1979
Although Judy Garland was always the favorite to play Dorothy, what other actresses were considered for the part?
Shirley Temple, Jean Harlow, Deanna Durbin, and Bonita Granville
Where was the Wizard from?
The Wizard says he's "an old Kansas man", but his balloon says Omaha in Nebraska.
What kind of dog was Toto?
Toto was played by a female cairn terrier named Terry. At the end of the movie, Judy wanted to adopt Terry, but the owner would not give her up.
How much did MGM pay Baum for the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the original title of the book?
$75,000 in l937--equivalent to $1,580,015.63 today.
What color were Dorothy's slippers in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?
Silver. MGM decided that the shoes would be more visible in Technicolor if they were a brighter color.
What happened to one pair of the ruby slippers Judy Garland wore?
The shoes were stolen in 2005 and recovered by a 2018 FBI sting operation. When they were stolen, the slippers were insured for $1m, but the current 2023 market value is about $3.5m.
What did Judy wear at the beginning of filming that was a contrast to how she appeared later?
A blond wig and heavy "baby-doll" makeup
What can be seen over the Tin Man's shoulder as he begins singing "If I Only Had a Heart"?
A heart shaped leaf.
How were some of the Winged Monkeys injured?
They were suspended from piano wires that snapped and dropped them several feet to the floor of the stage.
How many directors and screen writers were needed to make the movie?
5 directors--Richard Thorpe, Victor Fleming, King Vidor, Mervyn Leroy, and George Cukor
14 writers
When did The Wizard of Oz first appear on television?
It was the first MGM film televised on an entire network, rather than just a local station. CBS ran it as the final episode of the Ford Star Jubilee (1955 or 1956) series.
How much are the ruby slippers worth?
In 1988, a pair sold for $165,000; in May of 2000, a pair sold for $666,000. Garland wore several pairs of ruby slippers during production of the 1939 musical, but only four authentic pairs remain. The other pairs are held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Smithsonian and a private collector.
After Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch, was burned during filming, she refused to work around fire again. But what happened to her body after she died in 1985?
She was cremated.
Why did the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Lion eat lunch in their dressing rooms?
Their makeup frightened the other diners in the MGM cafeteria.
How were each "horse of a different color" created?
Technicians tinted them with lemon, cherry, and grape flavored gelatin powder to create yellow, red, and purple horses. The scenes were acted quickly before the horses could lick the colors off.
Why were firemen required on the Wizard of Oz set?
There were so many lights needed to film Oz's throne room that firemen were required to keep watch. At one point, the Wizard's throne caught on fire.
How tall were the Munchkins?
They ranged in size from 2'3" and 4'8". Nearly all the dwarfs were hypopituitary dwarfs--their pituitary glands did not function properly. They were not deformed--just miniature.
How were parts of The Wizard of Oz recycled?
The basket Dorothy carried was reused by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1949 movie Little Women.
The sets were reused in the 1970s in Little House on the Prairie. The yellow brick road was discovered when flooring was being pulled up.
On what TV show did Margaret Hamilton appear to reassure children that witches are not always scary?
Mister Rogers'
Neighborhood.
How did Baum come up with the name Oz?
Baum noticed that his filing cabinet was A-N and O-Z.
How many takes did they make having Toto run alongside the actors as they skipped down the yellow brick road?
12--look for Toto on the yellow brick road!
The 1938 audience was considered too sophisticated to accept Oz as a fantasy. How was the movie revised?
The setting became Dorothy's lengthy, elaborate dream sequence.
What connection does Judy's daughter Liza Minnelli have with the movie?
Liza married the son of the Tin Man, Jack Haley.
What was the worth of papers found on the origin & development of The Wizard of Oz?
In 2018, they were bought for $1.2 million at auction.