Everyone suffered on the set of The Wizard of Oz
Although filming The Wizard of Oz was a nightmare for all those involved, it may have been a milestone in the history of cinema. Both Margaret Hamilton, the witch, and her stunt double suffered severe burns to their hands and faces. Ray Bolger’s scarecrow mask was taped on and removed for every day of filming, leaving him with multiple permanent scars on his face.
A negative response to the makeup even caused actor Buddy Ebsen, who was meant to play the Tin Man but wasn’t in the movie, to have lung failure. Lastly, Judy Garland experienced enormous weight loss pressure, including substance misuse, and was disregarded by her male co-stars. Not nearly the idyllic classic we’d envisaged from our childhood?
