Behind The Scenes Secrets: The Wizard Of Oz

Animals Left Out Of Oz

A few animals seen in the original book were cut from filming. Allegedly, this was done because MGM felt that the scenes were too gory as L. Frank Baum wrote them. In the book, various animals, both real and imaginary, are seen including “Kalidahs” (tiger-bear hybrids), wildcats, wolves, and bumblebees. All of the scenes involving these creatures were somewhat gory including one where the Tinman uses anaxeto kill a wildcat and forty wolves.The Wizard of Ozkind of has a creepy undertone as it is and would have been even more exacerbated had the director included these scenes in filming.