Some of the best remembered 'beauty shots' in Oz are Newcombe composites, such as scenes in which the towering buildings of the Emerald City loom in the distance as Dorothy and her friends follow the yellow brick road. I believe we bring a unique film aesthetic to the use of digital tools for restoration.". The Wizard of Oz | Jack Haley was the last one to join the cast. "I realized I had one of the dupes," Feiner says. Billy Curtis (Luigi Curto) was born on 27 June, 1909 in Springfield, MA, is an American film actor. They were flown on piano wires and their wings were made to flap by means of small hidden motors. The most interesting fact is he framed the pencil that L. Frank Baum used to write the book. "Warner Bros. did a diligent search and found the original CRI. ", There was a trap door on set that didn't open fast enough, so Hamilton got caught in the flames. This last epic was one of the few instances that Curtis was cast as a good guy; many of his screen characters were ill-tempered and pugnacious, willing to bite a kneecap if unable to punch out an opponent. Fields' Wizard would've been more of a con-man while Morgan. Feiner joined the company in 1977 as an optical camera operator on the night shift. The Technicolor photography for Oz was difficult because of the vastness of the sets. Warren Newcombe headed the matte painting section, where he and his assistants produced what the studio called "Newcombe Shots.". Webscottbdoug. The Wizard of Oz | Margaret Hamilton, on the roof, awaits her cue while Jack Haley's Tin Man has a heart-to-heart with Dorothy and the Scarecrow. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. Fleming was one five directors who worked on Oz, but he left before it finished to take over Gone With the Wind. Age information for actors in the movie The Wizard Of Oz, released on Tuesday, August 15 1939. But Cukor left after a week to begin preparing Gone With the Wind. The actors and people on set had to endure several hardships while shooting for the film. ", Judy told biographer Paul Donnelly that they'd give her and Mickey Rooney, whom she made several pictures with, the pills "to keep us on our feet long after we were exhausted then knock us out with sleeping pills then after four hours theyd wake us up and give us the pep pills again so we could work 72 hours in a row. The trio (plus Toto, whose real name was Terry) approaches the Cowardly Lion's hunting grounds. Glinda tells her she can go home if she clicks the heels of the ruby slippers and thinks "There's no place like home" three times. The arrival of Glinda the Good Witch in Munchkinland is a deft bit of fantasy. WebThe Wizard of Oz. ", Billy Curtis, one of the Munchkin actors, remembered the event, saying, "They had to clean him off like he was a baby." People found the book so captivating that it sold out in the first two weeks of its distribution and remained a best-seller for two consecutive years. Fantasy was still a hard sell in the Thirties, but it became easier in 1937 following the immense success of Walt Disney's first feature-length cartoon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The farmhouse, which was about 3' high, was swept aloft on piano wires. ", Ebsen, who's famous for playing Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, was ultimately hospitalized and forced out of the movie's production. In 1951, he was a mole-man in the dark George Reeves movie Superman and the Mole-Men. Completely untrue. The three join up and travel to the Emerald City, where a terrifying apparition appears and finally agrees to help them all if they will bring him the Wicked Witch's magic broomstick. Then, MGM Studios managed to cut a deal to borrow Shirley Temple for The Wizard of Oz, the silent film. The camera was placed in the center and spun rapidly while the muslin remained stationary. The slap scene between Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion has a story behind it. Being L. Frank Baum's best-seller, the book is today one of the popular choices in children's literature and has been translated to languages from around the world. When Jack Haley replaced him, they started using a safer aluminum paste as makeup. The final method that worked was Jell-O powders. ", Sidney Luft, Judy's ex-husband, wrote in his memoir that Garland, "unlike other actresses, could not successfully camouflage extra weight, especially because she was dancing and singing in revealing costumes. A. Arnold Gillespie was in charge of miniatures, projection process, and mechanical effects. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. | and the Hollywood premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater was lavish. However, scanning from a black-and-white element at full film resolution yields about 13 megabytes per frame a rate that allows for more efficient data management at faster speeds. Knocked unconscious, Dorothy awakes to find the house spinning through the air. Like the silver makeup of the Tin Man, Margaret Hamilton's (The Witch of the West) green makeup was poisonous. She had to go through a lot of physical and verbal abuse on set. Soon after, the press stated that Temple not being cast as Dorothy was the greatest disappointment of her brief and eminently griefless career. A few decades after that, Shirley Temple commented on the fact that Judy Garland had been picked for the movie and graciously said, Sometimes the gods know best., Throughout the next few years, MGM started prescribing her even more pills to "control both her weight and her energy levels. George E. Turner American Cinematographer This article originally ran in AC, They also made several complete Technicolor features and shorts in the late 1920s and early '30s. The script was based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which sold over a million copies and launched a long series of Oz books. WebLearn more about the full cast of The Wizard of Oz with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide. One of his most unusual roles was as the smaller version of "The Thing" (replacing James Arness) in the creature's final scene in The Thing from Another World (1951). Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf were the credited authors of the final screenplay, which was begun in late February 1938 and completed in August. Many have claimed that Pink Floyd's album, 'Dark Side of the Moon,' was made with the film in mind and is synchronized with the scenes in the classic film. Louis B. Mayer, the top man at MGM, bought the rights from Goldwyn for $75,000 in June of 1938. Each model required two wires for the bodies and two for flapping the wings. This munchkin was played by the actor Billy Curtis. "Most people wouldn't have noticed that, but I've worked on a lot of trailers for TV in CRI format. Another was built, and this time it was reinforced throughout with piano wire. Judy Garland was: 17. But you will be surprised to know Frank Morgan played five characters in the movie, including the wizard's guard. Sat, Jun 10 1922 Billy Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. The dancing Scarecrow sequence was an outtake stored on 250 feet of film less than three minutes of screen time in the CRI (Color Reversal Intermediate) format. ", She spent six weeks recuperating in the hospital and at home. Gillespie, a long-time pilot, decided that a tornado funnel was shaped something like the wind socks seen at airports. ", In the memoir Judy and I: My Life with Judy Garland, Judy's ex-husband revealed that a lot of the older male Munchkin actors were "naughty." He wanted to produce and direct Wizard, but was informed he was assigned to produce but not direct the high-budget project. Did Dorothy wear a pink shirt or a white one? Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, arrives and slides the evil witch's magic ruby slippers on Dorothy's feet. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. Blanche Sewell edited The Wizard of Oz, an enormous responsibility considering all the scenes that were ultimately discarded. Ray Bolger, who played Scarecrow, had to tolerate the marks his makeup left on his face even after a year since the beloved film was wrapped. While he was attending Northwestern University, he and his sister A dozen monkeys seen in the foreground and in scenes where they harass the heroes were men in costume, all selected because of their slight physiques. When Feiner inspected the Scarecrow scene, the image seemed slightly off. In regards to having bathroom attendants, Margaret Pellegrini, one of the last surviving Munchkin actors, added that it was "the first time I'd ever had anybody help me go to the bathroom. Diminutive American actor Billy Curtis avoided the usual onus of freak-show employment as a youth, opting for a mainstream job as a shoe clerk. ", The images were stored on the high-speed disk array for display at 2K resolution. at the Wyndham's Theatre. Release Date: Tuesday, August 15 1939 83 years ago . The Adventures of Superman. LeRoy wanted Ed Wynn, who felt that the part was too small. Feiner speculates that MGM decided to rid its lot of nitrate-based film sometime in the late Sixties or early Seventies. Due to this hazardous effect, the actor, Hamilton, could not consume anything while she had her green makeup on. Among other injuries, there was a "two-inch-deep wound that nearly circled Danko's leg, which was full of bits of her costume." When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. And then I said, 'I'm going to have to scream. Danko made only $35 for completing the broomstick stunt and $790 for everything else she did in the movie. "We elected to use Cineon software for automated dust-busting, with one important provision," says Feiner. He was paid $50 a week; the dog that playedToto, meanwhile, got $125. After this incident, MGM hired attendees for them. Safety nets and pads usually saved the day, although several "monkeys" landed in the hospital. "We test scanned the original fine-grain and the dupe to see if there were discernible differences in resolution, sharpness and overall image quality," he says. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. The Wizard of Oz | The men who were hired to play the winged monkeys were attached to ''bat wings'' and a small motor suited to power windshield-wipers. After reading about some interesting Wizard of Oz facts, including the story around the Tin Man dance, also check out wind vane facts and world bank facts. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. This was done in exchange for allowing Clark Gable and Jean Harlow to star in Fox's Old Chicago film. The heat was enormous and was especially torturous for the actors in their heavy costumes. Her screen test convinced everyone that she was ideal for the part. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) American Society of Cinematographers. With those words, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer introduced what became the most popular Technicolor fantasy ever made, The Wizard of Oz. Because it was initially given the title of 'The Emerald City.'. The green makeup used for Margaret Hamilton's costume was so, MGM hired attendants to help the little people on and off studio toilets because one of the Munchkin actors got, Clara Blandick, who played Auntie Em, committed, Margaret Hamilton, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, suffered second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hand after a stunt, The male actors who played Munchkins would often, In fact, a lot of the Munchkin actors were so bad that an MGM employee was literally assigned to watch over them, and a lot of the actors ended up getting, Buddy Ebsen was the original Tin Man, but the aluminum dust from the makeup, Figuring out how to color the horses in Emerald City was an extremely difficult task, and the studio ultimately decided to paint them with, The actors who played Munchkins were only paid, And Terry, the dog who played Toto, was paid nearly three times as much as the Munchkins. Others who were considered included Victor Moore, Hugh Herbert, Robert Benchley and Charles Winninger. Note: Submissions include topics of sexual assault. Any information you provide to us via this website may be placed by us on servers located in countries outside the EU if you do not agree to such placement, do not provide the information. But much to the disappointment of its makers, the film did not do very well at the box office. He is from MA. Don't Lie. However, another tall dancer, Ray Bolger, wanted the part so badly that he replaced Ebsen, who was then assigned to play the Tin Woodsman. I. E. Chadwick produced a silent Wizard in 1925 which also flopped, despite featuring Larry Semon as the Scarecrow, Oliver Hardy as the Tin Woodsman, and Charlie Murray as the Wizard. Did one of the Munchkins hang himself on the film's set? They tried several different alternatives, including food coloring, but "the colors were not subtle enough." By manipulating the car, the effects experts could make the tornado twist and perform erratic moves. Cast. In Oz, frames were hand-painted in order to create the transition to color. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. Stories of randy Munchkinland behavior, like the anecdotes Judy Garland told frequently in her later. Seldom accepting a role which demeaned or patronized little people, Curtis played an obnoxious vaudeville performer compelled to sit on Gary Cooper's lap in Meet John Doe (1941), a suspicious circus star willing to turn Robert Cummings over to the cops in Saboteur (1942), and one of the many fair-weather friends of The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). Our thanks to Fred Detmers, Buddy Ebsen, Lois January, and the late George Cukor, Billy Curtis, Marcel Delgado, Harold Rosson, ASC and Harry Wolf, ASC. "We're proud of our history," Feiner says, "which includes a large amount of the optical restoration work on the Star Wars trilogy. There was a trap door on set that didn't open fast enough, so Hamilton got caught in the flames. Other writers involved were Herman J. Mankiewicz, Irving Brecher, Robert Pirosh, George Seaton, Herbert Fields, Jack Mintz and Ogden Nash. ", The studio rightfully ruled that it would be unacceptable to use real paint on the horses. Also learn how He earned most of Billy Curtis networth? Gillespie was also called in to photograph scenes in the poison poppy field, for which it was necessary to have the camera move along the ground surrounded by flowers. The makeup used on the sets of the Wizard of Oz circles many claims. Principal photography of this fantastic adventure story began on October 13 with Richard Thorpe directing. We have covered the most interesting facts about the film. Bert Lahr was a vaudeville star famous for playing anxious and neurotic comic characters. The film's director slapped Judy Garland. The only way to do that is to compare the processed images on the computer screen to a matching frame of the source material. WebThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz, childrens book written by L. Frank Baum and first published in 1900. The walls of the spout consisted of a circle of painted muslin, 35' in diameter. If you liked our suggestions for Wizard of Oz facts, then why not take a look at bigfoot facts or Calculator facts. Official Sites The fine-grain intermediate provided by The Library of Congress showed no visible signs of vinegar syndrome or shrinkage, and it had a stable base. In the 1930s, Samuel Goldwyn paid Baum $40,000 for film rights. The Night They Saved Christmas. The Wizard of Oz | Blanche Sewell edited The Wizard of Oz , an enormous responsibility considering all the scenes that were ultimately discarded. If we had scanned from the original fine-grain, we would have copied the abrasion and emulsion digs and that would have required extensive digital paintwork. The only reason she didn't sue the studio was because "I know how this business works, and I would never work again. Casting of the Wizard was more complicated. "Countless millions have seen it on TV. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. Shirley Temple, Twentieth Century Foxs child superstar, was originally sought for the lead role of Dorothy, but for various reasons, the deal was never consummated. This last epic was one of the few instances that Curtis was cast as a good guy; many of his screen characters were ill-tempered and pugnacious, willing to bite a kneecap if unable to punch out an opponent. The studio's next choice was W.C. Fields a mind-boggling concept! For instance, the cowardly Lion costume worn by Bert Lahr was authentic, meaning it was made from a real lion and weighed approximately 90 lbs (40.8 kg). WebThe Wizard of Oz (1939) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Margaret Hamilton was a character actress who played a lot of housemaids. In 1973, Maren played as a child ape in the sequel Battle for the Planet of the Apes and starred in the comedy film Little Cigars opposite another former Munchkin, Billy Curtis. There's a moment in the movie where smoke comes out of the Wicked Witches' broomstick. Have you been quoting the line of the Witch of the West as" Fly, Fly, my pretties" when she sent her monkeys? A silver ball floats like a giant bubble into the scene, looming larger and larger as it moves into the foreground of the set. ", She did her hair and makeup one final time, put on her nicest outfit, and took an overdose of sleeping pills. Ken Darby. The studio tries several alternatives to make the horses appear mystical and magical. The book was written by L. Frank Baum, and the movie was produced by Victor Fleming and Mervyn LeRoy while the Director was Victor Fleming. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. Stormy skies were created with dense smoke fed from the catwalks, while patches of spray-painted cotton attached to 8' x 4' foreground glass plates were placed in front of the camera to mask the top of the tornado and the gantry. In the beginning, the author could not come up with the magical land that Dorothy is swept onto. Billy Curtis retired in the 1980s, except for the occasional interview or Wizard of Oz cast reunion. What made it look pink was the idiosyncrasies of technicolor, a process that consists of the dye-transfer technique. Feiner opted to make a contact liquid-gate dupe negative of the fine-grain IP, which eliminated the worst of the abrasions and emulsion digs. Fleming was one five directors who worked on Oz , but he left before it finished to take over, The Wizard of Oz | Fleming with actors Billy Curtis (left) and Charlie Becker (right). Reporting on what you care about. Harry Earles, Jerry Maren, and Jackie Gerlich, who became the Lollipop Guild kids in Munchkinland. 1939 was the magical year when this classical film was released. Finally, one of the producers and an assistant producer said they would quit if the song were not added, and so it was made the film's part, a famous one. Billy Curtiss income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. Though the film opened strong, it wouldn't earn. Mervyn LeRoy, a long-time Warner Bros. director, was lured away to MGM with a lucrative contract offer. This was a very common practice on movie sets back in the day, as asbestos was fireproof (unlike cotton, which was previously used) and looked close enough to the real thing. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Act now to receive 12 issues of the award-winning AC magazine the worlds finest cinematography resource. Judy Garland, 16, was initially considered too old and too tall for Dorothy. There is a reason behind it. So, how much is Billy Curtis worth at the age of 79 years old? The Wizard of Oz | Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! All Rights Reserved. Thorpe had made four great Tarzan films and the remarkable Night Must Fall, but the rushes soon convinced producer LeRoy that the director was not capturing the desired fairytale quality. Then again, his first Oater wasdifferent. Billy Curtis' career thrived into the 1970s, notably with solid parts in the Clint Eastwood western High Plains Drifter (1973) and the crime-caper melodrama Little Cigars (1973), in which he had second billing as a diminutive criminal mastermind. Pacific Title/Mirage converted it to digital format with a Kodak digital film scanner at full film resolution. "We wanted to provide a pristine internegative which accurately emulates the original Wizard of Oz, and provide an enduring film record for future generations to enjoy.". Sat, Jun 10 1922 Billy Curtis was: 30. ", Sid Luft also wrote in his memoir that the older male Munchkin actors "thought they could get away with anything because they were so small." The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. It is basically a morality film that teaches if you have hope, anything is possible. A patented imbibition process was used to transfer the image information onto release prints for theaters. Dorothy and her friends take the broomstick and return to face the Mighty Oz. "We assembled and trained a staff with the appropriate skills and film sensibilities, plus the dedication needed to do the job properly," Feiner says. Lanky, loose-jointed dancer Buddy Ebsen was signed to play the Scarecrow, a part for which he was ideally suited. WebBilly Curtis retired in the 1980s, except for the occasional interview or Wizard of Oz cast reunion. , money, salary, income, and assets. The big cloud of dust that surrounds the bottom of a twister was made by blowing Fuller's earth and compressed air in from underneath. The face mask that Ray Bolger wore for his Scarecrow costume was made of rubber, and it was so heavy and tight that it nearly, The studio executives at MGM treated Judy Garland so terribly that they often, In fact, Louis B. Meyer apparently had Judy Garland on a, The male actors who played Munchkins would often, In fact, a lot of the Munchkin actors were so bad that an MGM employee was literally assigned to watch over them, and several of the actors ended up getting, Margaret Hamilton suffered such severe burns on her face and hand after a stunt, And the green makeup that was used for the Wicked Witch of the West's costume was so, Although the studio used toxic paint on its actors, they decided to go for a safer route when it came to painting the colorful horses in Emerald City. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, Check your inbox for your latest news from us. In that time, the 1970s, to be more precise, Kurt Warner was the set designer, and he also assisted in wardrobe management in Hollywood during the 1970s. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. A few scenes, such as the establishing shot of the witch's castle, are complete paintings, 40 inches wide and without live action. Diminutive American actor Billy Curtis avoided the usual onus of freak-show employment as a youth, opting for a mainstream job as a shoe clerk. I pray the Lord my soul to take. Producer Mervyn LeRoy helped persuade MGM's Louis B. Mayer to acquire the rights to L. Frank Baum's book and played a crucial role in the casting of the characters. During the process, one of the trap doors was stuck; consequently, Hamilton received second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hands. He also appeared as Little Oscar in Oscar Mayer ads and as Buster Brown for the shoe company. Paul Adams: stand-in for Frank Morgan Stafford Campbell: stand-in for Ray Bolger Betty Danko: stand-in and stunt double for Margaret Hamilton Jimmy Fawcett: stand-in for Bert Lahr A look at, say, The Adventures of Robin Hood was sufficient to convert many naysayers. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. Half of the time we were hanging from the ceiling, but it was a way of life for us., Sid Luft, Judy's third husband, wrote in his memoir that Judy, "unlike other actresses, could not successfully camouflage extra weight, especially because she was dancing and singing in revealing costumes. Curiously, her signature song, ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow,'' was nearly cut from the film. (At press time, that decision had yet to be made.). A cyclone actually came and killed 31 people in 1893 and destroyed two towns. The studio hired an assistant director and a lieutenant to keep an eye on everyone, but "many of them would wind up in jail and have to be bailed out." The Wizard of Oz | Margaret Hamilton was a character actress who played a lot of housemaids. The images themselves were recorded simultaneously onto three strips of a special black-and-white film custom-made by Kodak: one strip was sensitized to record the density of cyan colors, another was sensitized to yellow and a third to magenta. And in the 2010 film Dahmer vs Gacy, he played a mime. Buddy Esben was to play the role, but while nearing the end of the shoot for the role, his lungs failed, and he was rushed to the hospital. 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The Kansas scenes at the beginning, directed by King Vidor, were photographed in black-and-white. An ambitious restoration project by Warner Bros. has returned the film to its original splendor, with the possible addition of a special effects dance sequence involving the Scarecrow. Bolger mugs with Mickey Rooney, the MGM star of the Andy Hardy movies who was Garland's frequent costar. TMZ first reported the news of his death. You have subscribed to: Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter. It's a hazardous journey. Meaning, if seen from the perspective of the present year, 2021, Toto made $116,792 yearly. This last epic was one of the few instances that Curtis was cast as a good guy; many of his ( more) Fleming was one five directors who worked on Oz, but he left before it finished to take over Gone With the Wind. The one where EW follows up with the cast. Y. Harburg songs, especially "Over the Rainbow," were well-received. Your privacy is important to us. Spotlessly clean. That equals $2,246 per week in the year 2021or a yearly salary of $116,792. As of today, no principal cast of the film is still alive. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. The Wizard of Oz | Frank Morgan got the role of the Wizard after W.C. Fields demanded too much money. The book 'Amazing Wizard of Oz' was published in July 1900, and the film was released in 1939. were photographed separately and double-printed onto the spinning background. WebCurtis' big movie season was 1938-39: he was cast in The Wizard of Oz (1939) (albeit with voice dubbed by Pinto Colvig) and as the cowboy hero of the all-dwarf western The Terror of Tiny Town (1938).
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