Director’s Notes on The Wizard Of Oz

One of the essential joys of childhood and indeed one of most enduring memories for an adult is the classic fantasy by L. Frank Baum, with the enthralling title of The Wizard of Oz. Whether you were introduced to the four main characters by the original story in book form, one of the many film versions (the 1939 MGM film being the most popular), or by re-runs on television or cable, you were, no doubt, caught up in its magic and the simple story line with strong values. Its whimsy, humor, pathos, honest emotions and clearly drawn, unforgettable characters have probably been planted in your memory bank forever.

We hope to rekindle those memories and we will attempt to create the classic special effects in our own, very different and creative way. We hope you enjoy these effects and our wonderful actors of all ages who have traveled many miles for rehearsals and have worked incredibly hard to bring you this tale of awe and wonder.
There is much research material available these days on the internet about this classic. Though my time was limited, due to rehearsals and production meetings, I have been able to glean some fascinating tidbits on the history of the story, which I thought you might find interesting. Please enjoy, and then sit back, and allow us to transport you to the magical land of Oz!

The role of the Wizard in the MGM film, though played by Frank Morgan, was written with W.C. Fields in mind, and some lines are still written for his cadence. (Famed comedian, Ed Wynn was also considered.)
Judy Garland started filming the part of Dorothy in a blonde wig and baby doll makeup, until it was decided that she should play and look more like herself.

Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Woodsman, but had to drop out due to being severely allergic to the aluminum powder makeup that they originally used. He was replaced by Jack Haley with different makeup.

The Ruby Slippers are silver in the original story, but were changed to the ruby red color for the 1939 film for the dynamic effect of that color. 7 pairs were used in the filming, only 5 are known to still exist and each one is worth at least 15 million dollars.

Over The Rainbow was nearly cut from the 1939 film, and thank goodness it wasn’t. This song was recently ranked #1 in the American Film Institute’s list of The 100 Greatest Songs in American Films.

The MGM classic was made to directly compete with Walt Disney’s smash hit, Snow White and The Seven Dwarves.

When it first opened, in 1994, the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas had extensive décor related to “Oz”, including life-size statues of the main characters (including Toto) near the entrance. In 2000, nearly all was removed and now is generically themed around motion pictures.