Behind The Scenes Secrets: The Wizard Of Oz

A Temporary Director Came up with Dorothy’s Look

After Thorpe was fired, George Cukor was brought in to be the film’s temporary director. He never intended to stay throughout the whole movie because he hoped to land a gig as the director ofGone with the Wind.Unfortunately, that coveted job ended up going to Victor Fleming, who ended up being the director ofWizard of Oz,too.

During Cukor’s stay on set, he gave Dorothy her signature look. He threw away the blonde wig and opted for something more “natural” that would directly contrast the fantastical nature of Oz.

Buddy Ebsen, the Original Tin Man, Was Poisoned on Set

Poor Buddy Ebsen was cast as the hilarious, quirky tin man, but his stint on set was pretty short lived. Ebsen was actually poisoned in a freak accident that happened just nine days after filming began. Apparently, the silver makeup used in his character’s costume contained aluminum dust, which he inadvertently breathed in (it was all over his face, after all). His lungs failed, and he was hospitalized.

Ebsen spent two weeks in the hospital and took six more to recover at home. He had to be recast and was eventually replaced by Jack Haley, who did not suffer from the same aluminum allergy. To avoid the same problem, the makeup artists on set used aluminum paste instead of aluminum power.