The 1939 production of The Wizard of Oz at MGM studios was defined by dangerous working conditions. Technicolor filming required an immense amount of light, which caused the soundstage temperature to rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Actors wearing heavy costumes faced physical exhaustion every day. The crew monitored the electrical equipment constantly to prevent fires from the heavy power load.
Makeup for the main characters created severe health risks. Buddy Ebsen, the original Tin Man, suffered a medical emergency after only ten days of filming. The silver makeup used aluminum powder that coated his lungs and prevented him from breathing. He required weeks of hospital care to recover. Jack Haley took over the role once the studio switched to a silver paste. Even then, Haley developed a serious eye infection from the paint.
Margaret Hamilton, playing the Wicked Witch, experienced a life-threatening accident on set. During a scene where she disappeared in a cloud of smoke, a trapdoor failed to open in time. The pyrotechnic sparks ignited her copper-based green makeup. She suffered second and third-degree burns on her face and hands. Her stunt double was also injured later when a smoking broomstick exploded.
The costumes caused constant physical pain for the actors. Bert Lahr wore a Cowardly Lion suit made from real lion skins that weighed 90 pounds. This material did not breathe, leading to frequent dehydration. Ray Bolger wore a rubber mask for the Scarecrow that left permanent lines on his skin for a year. Because of the heat and sweat, the costumes required a dedicated cleaning crew to scrub them every night.
Directing the film involved four different people over several months. Richard Thorpe was fired after two weeks, and George Cukor briefly changed Judy Garland’s appearance. Victor Fleming directed the majority of the movie, while King Vidor finished the Kansas scenes. The production lasted over six months and cost nearly three million dollars.
