The Movie That Almost Killed Its Cast: The Dark History of The Wizard of Oz
The Toxic Backstage Reality of The Wizard of Oz
Uncover the shocking truth behind Hollywood's most iconic movie, detailing near-death accidents, toxic artistry, and severe abuse suffered by the cast. Discover why the film’s happy Technicolor facade masked a horrifying production nightmare.
Short Summary
- [01:11:54] Buddy Ebsen suffered chemical pneumonitis after inhaling aluminum dust used for the Tin Man makeup.
- [01:36:04] Margaret Hamilton sustained second and third-degree burns after a set fire, exacerbated by heat trapped in her copper-based green makeup.
- [02:48:50] Crucial set elements, including snow and the Scarecrow's suit, were made from carcinogenic asbestos.
- [05:06:50] Judy Garland endured mandated starvation diets, physical abuse, and constant body shaming engineered by studio executives.
This episode scrutinizes the production history of The Wizard of Oz (1939), moving past the Technicolor magic. Learn how groundbreaking cinematic techniques came at a devastating cost to the actors' health and well-being. The story reveals severe occupational hazards and systemic cruelty within the classic studio system that nearly destroyed its biggest star.
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Top Comments (10)
I'm 72 so when I was a kid, I never knew the movie changed to color when she landed in Oz. I was in my 20's when I got my first color TV and watched with my daughters - MIND BLOWN - LOL
This is my FIRST dark history that I did my own digging on years ago… MGM as a whole is so effed up! Bailey if you haven’t already please do a dark history episode about MGM!
Cool fact. Margaret Hamilton got to wear the costume again when she was on Mr rogers. Apparently, when she was invited to come on the show, she was more than happy to accept the invitation because her grandkids were fans
I'm 85, baby, but when I was real young, I got up late at night, watched the whole movie, and ate an entire pack of Big Red bubble gum.
Ngl, the munchkins on smoke break is kind of iconic
In the book, the slippers were silver. They thought red would look better in Techincolor, so they became ruby slippers.
Starvation diets??? And the Wicked cast has been looking very, very thin too.
Margaret Hamilton basically professionally telling them to "f off" is amazing
Speaking of Judy Garland, she could have a dark history episode all her own! Or even child stars in general.
Any police officer who mutes the body cam footage during an interrogation or an investigation should absolutely either be charged with evidence, tampering, or have some kind of legal repercussions
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Top Comments (10)
I'm 72 so when I was a kid, I never knew the movie changed to color when she landed in Oz. I was in my 20's when I got my first color TV and watched with my daughters - MIND BLOWN - LOL
This is my FIRST dark history that I did my own digging on years ago… MGM as a whole is so effed up! Bailey if you haven’t already please do a dark history episode about MGM!
Cool fact. Margaret Hamilton got to wear the costume again when she was on Mr rogers. Apparently, when she was invited to come on the show, she was more than happy to accept the invitation because her grandkids were fans
I'm 85, baby, but when I was real young, I got up late at night, watched the whole movie, and ate an entire pack of Big Red bubble gum.
Ngl, the munchkins on smoke break is kind of iconic
In the book, the slippers were silver. They thought red would look better in Techincolor, so they became ruby slippers.
Starvation diets??? And the Wicked cast has been looking very, very thin too.
Margaret Hamilton basically professionally telling them to "f off" is amazing
Speaking of Judy Garland, she could have a dark history episode all her own! Or even child stars in general.
Any police officer who mutes the body cam footage during an interrogation or an investigation should absolutely either be charged with evidence, tampering, or have some kind of legal repercussions