Behind The Scenes Secrets: The Wizard Of Oz

Jack Haley (Tin Man)

MGM hired Jack Haley for the part of the Tin Man after Buddy Ebsen was nearly killed by the costume’s silver paint. With that incident so fresh in their memory, they switched from powder/dust to aluminum paste for Haley’s costume make-up. While he avoided the allergic reaction and the side-effects of having aluminum dust settle in his lungs, Haley still developed an eye infection so severe that he needed a surgical treatment, which put a hold on shooting for 4 days.

Of course, because he was the Tin Woodsman, Haley was also Hickory, a farm worker at Aunt Em’s place.