![]() Flying monkeys falling from the skyĪccording to The Guardian, a number of actors hired to play the Winged Monkeys suffered injuries on-set after the piano wires holding them aloft snapped. Wisely, however, the make-up department changed to a safer silver paste to turn Haley into the Tin Man. Jack Haley would later replace Ebsen when, astonishingly, the studio fired the ailing actor for refusing to return to work during the time he was still recovering in hospital. He remained in an oxygen tent for two weeks.” Indeed, Ebsen’s skin had turned blue as a result of inhaling aluminium dust. When he had difficulty breathing, his wife called an ambulance and rushed him to the hospital. Jack Haley (pictured) would later replace Buddy Ebsen.īuddy Ebsen, who was originally cast as the Scarecrow, then changed to the Tin Man, then found himself replaced, ended up avoiding serious illness when it was established early enough that the aluminium dust used to paint his face silver was coating his lungs.Īccording to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, during the rehearsals stage of production, Ebsen woke up in bed “screaming from violent cramping in his hands, arms, and legs. ![]() “I guess that’s because my hat and my black wig were torn loose.” Original Tin Man actor narrowly escapes serious illness after inhaling aluminium dust In interview she recalls: “I felt as though my scalp was coming off,” she said after spending over a week in the hospital. The witch’s broomstick – which was actually a smoking pipe – exploded injuring Danko’s left leg and causing lifelong scars. The accident occurs during the filming of the unforgettable “Surrender Dorothy” skywriting scene. So the scene was left to her stunt double Betty Danko to do. Margaret Hamilton’s stunt double Betty Danko suffers lifelong leg injuryĪfter spending six weeks recovering from the burns she suffered filming a previous scene, the crew unwisely asked Hamilton to do another fire scene. She suffered second-degree burns to her face while her hand suffered third-degree burns. Hamilton’s broom, hat and cape caught fire before she dropped through the trapdoor. This time the special effects team set the pyrotechnics off too early. ![]() Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the East, successfully filmed the scene in which she disappears in a cloud of smoke from Munchkinland, the actor dropping into a trapdoor below her feet. Pyrotechnics raging out of control, toxic make-up, and asbestos snowflakesįrom the Wicked Witch of the East catching on fire and suffering second and third-degree burns to original Tin Man actor Buddy Ebsen nearly choking to death from the silver make-up used on his face, The Wizard of Oz was a production beset by danger. The film based on it was one of the first to use Technicolor, changing from black-and-white to full colour as Dorothy finds herself in Oz, ultimately amazing audiences worldwide.īut amidst all this critical, commercial and, from a technical perspective, filmmaking success, The Wizard of Oz proved to be hellish for some of those making it. ![]() He continues: “It has something for everyone: wonderfully strange lands, fun-scary moments, a dazzling assortment of fairy-tale characters, fabulous songs to take us all somewhere over the rainbow, a peerless Judy Garland performance, and meaningful messages in abundance.”īaum’s book was written in 1900 and titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Dorothy’s adventure along the Yellow Brick Road is one filled with wonderful characters and some of the most memorable songs ever written.Īs Cinafantastique writer Alan Jones says, the musical adaptation of L Frank Baum’s classic fable is “probably the most beloved fantasy film of all time and the ultimate family picture.” Undoubtedly, the wonder and spectacle of cinema shines through The Wizard of Oz like few other movies. The Wizard of Oz nearly killed members of the cast on numerous occasions And as well as being a groundbreaking technical feat, it proved to be almost deadly to a cast who hadn’t realised what they’d let themselves in for. The production of the seminal musical was anything but easy. The Wizard of Oz is a family favourite a fun, frolicking fantasy-adventure that’s as wholesome and innocent as a child baking cookies in a Norman Rockwell painting.
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