The Disastrous Production History of The Wizard of Oz

A Deep Dive Documentary into the production history of ‘The Wizard of Oz’. What were the early (and failed) adaptations? Why did the 1939 version have so many problems? What about all the lost footage, including the first 2 weeks that was be an entirely different version of the film altogether? We’ll explore all of this is and more!
PRIMARY INFORMATIONAL SOURCES:
American Experience: American Oz - PBS / The WGBH Educational Foundation
The Making of the Wonderful Wizard Of Oz - © Warner Bros. In association with Leva Filmworks, Inc.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic (1990) - © Warner Bros.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Original Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers (Book Now in Public Domain)
The Making of the Wizard of Oz - Aljean Harmetz - Published by Alfred A. Knopf, INC. © 1977 by Aljean Harmetz
The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History - Puck Productions - By John Fricke, Jay Scarfing, William Stillman. Warner Books, INC. - © John Fricke, Jay Scarfing, William Stillman.
The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion - Copyright © Warner Bros. Global Publishing
The Wizard of Oz: An Illustrated Companion to the Timeless Movie Classic - By John Fricke and Jonathan Shirshekan, published by Metro Books - © John Fricke and Jonathan Shirshekan
OZ: Before The Rainbow - Mark Evan Swartz, published by The John Hopkins University Press
The Oz Scrapbook - By David L. Greene and Dick Martin - Published by Random House Inc., New York - © David L. Greene and Dick Martin
The Wizard of Oz: The Artistry and Magic of the 1939 M-G-M Classic - By Jay Scarfing and William Stillman - Published by Gramercy Books, a devision of Random House Inc., New York - © Jay Scarfing and William Stillman
OzMuseum.com
TheJudyRoom.com
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONAL SOURCES:
Oz Book Sales Statistics - www.rareozbook...
Oz Radio Play - steampunkopera...
Wizard of Oz Production Timeline - oz.fandom.com/...
Lost Media - lostmediawiki....)
en.wikipedia.o...
thewizardofoz....
Oz Financial Information - ozmuseum.com/b... - Article by John Fricke
Lost Media - lostmediawiki....)
Asbestos Timeline - www.mesothelio...
South Dakota State Historical Society
Museum of the City of New York
Syracuse University Libraries
The New York Public Library
The New Yorker
Hathi Trust
Library of Congress
I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary - Chris Zabriskie - chriszabriskie...
(The rest of the attributions can be found in the video’s end credits, as they were far to long for the description)

[@thewholecircus]

Fun fact: if you watch an OSHA workplace safety video and wizard of oz at the same time, they sync up perfectly

[@potterinhe11]

I know this reference and about the abuse of little people.

[@mtgamateurnight]

dark side of the rules?

[@morbidsearch]

​@@mtgamateurnight Yes, Pink Floyd syncs perfectly with Dua Lipa's 2017 hit.

[@Ihartwalrusguy]

@@potterinhe11 didn’t one of them hanged themselves on set, and it was left in the final film?

[@AndrewParkins-v6b]

@@Ihartwalrusguynope that’s a myth I researched it. The only munchkin who died was of a car accident where she was a passenger during filming.

[@shyb7847]

A few weeks ago, my dad was telling us a story about seeing the wizard of OZ on a colored TV for the first time. He said the man who had the TV was flipping out because he thought it was broken. They hadn't realized that the wizard of OZ didn't have color in the beginning.

[@bennymora3086]

I really did enjoyed that film!☺️🧙🏻‍♂️🌈

[@thefonzkiss]

Sepia is color. It’s not black and white.

[@derekllewellyn6663]

​@@bennymora3086Do you know what me too

[@derekllewellyn6663]

​@@bennymora3086do you know what in wizard of Oz it's on Disney channel on 90s TV's before I just didn't know all about it before I was in kid was

[@bennymora3086]

@@derekllewellyn6663 Wow, I didn’t know that.

[@kait3863]

The fact that young Judy Garland was seen as ugly is wild to me

[@RemoWilliams1227]

Lol honestly. I grew up wearing out more than one VHS of The Wizard of Oz and I certainly wouldn't describe young Judy as ugly lmfao.

[@gatchywatchyentertainmentb2090]

Execs have always been asses. Don’t let anyone ever tell you different.

[@weatheredseeker]

It's classic abuse. Tell her she's ugly but that you're the only one that'll give her a chance and sees her beauty. It was a lie no one believed for sure

[@WizardIllustrator]

​@@weatheredseeker We call that pegging or reverse psychology aka....emotionally manipulation abusive assholes.

[@MaskedMan66]

Nobody ever called her flat-out "ugly." But she did not fit the very narrow standards of beauty that the showbiz industry touted in those days.

[@QuietM4n]

Kansas being gray and OZ being colorful is pretty much in the book, it mentions the grass is burnt gray and matches the dirt. It made logical sense to shoot it that way, it's wild only 1 screenwriter put it in there

[@frisk7382]

I was thinking this too, I thought the black and white going into amazing Technicolor was like a main part of wanting to make the movie, showing off Technicolor 😅

[@WysteriaGuitar]

I actually met Buddy Ebsen when I was in High School. He came to our school not sure why. He was at an advanced age by then but such a gentleman and all around nice guy.

[@MaskedMan66]

And very tall!

[@evanmak7837]

Margaret Hamilton was a treasure to the world. Her being Judy's emotional support on the set is so wholesome.

[@susanrado]

They could not have picked a more perfect witch

[@MaskedMan66]

Judy didn't need "emotional support." She wasn't a fragile little flower, she was a Jitterbug, and everyone loved her.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@susanrado Wicked Witch, you mean! ;-)

[@gregorykeithmorris3970]

Margaret was far more motherly than Judy's actual mother.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@gregorykeithmorris3970 Not at that point in Judy's life. Judy and Ethel were in fact in a very good place. But after _Wizard_ made Judy a megastar, Ethel was blinded by dollar signs.

[@ozvlog]

Hi there! I’m a Wizard of Oz historian and this was an excellent video! A couple of details were myth/legend rather than fact, but the major points were all perfect! 💚 Well done!

[@YesterworldEntertainment]

Thank you so much for the kind words, I'm honored you took the time to watch my video :) Out of curiosity, off the top of your head, do you recall any of them? I did my best to avoid perpetuating any myths/legends as facts, but as you can imagine that's easier said than done given all the conflicting information out there amongst various publications.

[@ozvlog]

@@YesterworldEntertainment Bert Lahr’s costume actually weighed about 60 lbs (it gets heavier with every retelling), the “three dirty hams” story was a joke, not true. There is historical disagreement about the asbestos in the snow. There are reports from people on the set (particularly Charles Schram who was responsible for picking the snow from Judy Garland’s hair and Bert Lahr’s mane) that it was actually gypsum. Those minor points aside, this was so comprehensive and well-made! This is a very impressive video.

[@YesterworldEntertainment]

I appreciate you pointing those out! The whole Asbestos/Gypsum controversy is quite fascinating. Maybe one day someone will find an official MGM memo or document putting this to rest, neatly packaged alongside a perfectly preserved rough cut of the film, and underneath that, an equally well preserved reel of the Richard Thorpe footage...one can hope :)

[@ozvlog]

@@YesterworldEntertainment That would be my wildest dream come true!!! 🌈

[@Forysan]

I literally just recommended your work in a comment! 😂 Your information got me into the world of Oz. :)

[@IAmTheShadowStar]

"The song stays. Or we go" what a baller way to protest against the suits, & unlike most cases in history it actually worked.

[@worawatli8952]

It was when MGM was at its golden years, they had best managements who knows how the industry work, not today world where investors play really big role. :(

[@MaskedMan66]

Nobody said that.

[@ministerofdarkness]

Baller!!

[@pennyw2226]

@@worawatli8952I get what you're going for but I don't think we should be praising the higher ups working on the Wizard of Oz when this entire video Is about how bad it was to make this movie and there were like 10+ near fatal accidents caused by negligence

[@MaskedMan66]

@@pennyw2226 The higher-ups at MGM were working on running the studio, not any one motion picture. There were zero near-fatal accidents. There were accidents (about three) in which people were injured, but never near death. And they weren't "caused by negligence." Accidents are unpredictable; or do you think the folks running _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2_ were "negligent," leading to David Holmes's fall which resulted in his being paralyzed from the neck down?

[@PetProjects2011]

A few days ago, I was like "Yesterworld hasn't posted in several months. Hope they're ok." And then BOOM

[@melasnexperience]

Thank you for manifesting this.

[@austins.2495]

Hope they’re* okay. Stay in school, kid. You’re the future

[@SpaceGarfieldboi777]

Tysm, my man! ❤

[@GatsbyCioffi]

I do the same thing with Oversimplified. Every time I think "Man, it's been a while since Oversimplified posted", the next video comes out a day or so later, haha. Speaking of which...

[@epicgamerhank9509]

I find it ironic that Buddy Ebsen’s project with Disney led to the creation of audio animatronics when years ago he was originally supposed to play the Tin Man, who is basically a robot.

[@MaskedMan66]

He isn't a robot. That's more what Tik-Tok is. The Tin Woodman is a human being who became tin when he had to get bits of himself replaced as a result of his axe being under a hex.

[@LittleSuisseGirl]

@@MaskedMan66they used “basically”, I don’t think they meant for anyone to take the Tin Man/Robot figuratively. 🤡

[@alysssabear]

The production history of this film is a tale as old as time but this was definitely the most in depth, informative and entertaining of them all.

[@YesterworldEntertainment]

Thank you so much, that means a lot to read!

[@MaskedMan66]

No, it's only a little over eight decades old. ;-) And it's has a lot of ridiculous embellishments.

[@roomfive5]

@@YesterworldEntertainmentin all seriousness I’ve shown my whole family this amazing documentary and will always be thankful and remember it❤

[@MarvinMiller-v6l]

​​ @YesterworldEntertainment What u said about Clark Gable was NOT true. First of all, it wasn't because George Cukor "liked men" that CG wanted him off the picture. It was because Cukor was known for directing mostly "women's pictures" i.e. films geared toward the female audience. CG was naturally worried as the studio built his image as a masculine, rugged man's man and he wanted that image of himself upheld, and didn't feel secure since the director had a history of making female targeted films. Furthermore, CG didn't even want to be in this movie. He was forced to do it by MGM - as David O. Selznick was Louie B Mayer's son-in-law. Also, CG needed the funds to divorce his then-wife so he could marry Carole Lombard. MGM agreed to fund his divorce if he agreed to do GWTW. PLEASE get your facts straight before maligning others who aren't alive to defend themselves

[@TheDigitalApple]

If I remember the story correctly The Wizard of Oz’s production was so dangerous and disastrous that Hollywood had to put in new safety measures for actors during future film production.

[@SuperWolsey]

John Landis: "What's safety measures?"

[@HandsomeSteveJacobson]

Twilight zone the movie

[@devinisdead4061]

Jed Clampet almost died.

[@MaskedMan66]

You don't remember correctly. Any movie is dangerous, and _Wizard's_ making was in no way "disastrous."

[@toebeans96]

God that was rough. Eli Roth did a series called Cursed Films. That movie was the last episode of the first season. Hearing again from people on set re broke my heart. @@HandsomeSteveJacobson

[@maxxpower3d6]

It's one thing that these actors suffered so greatly for a film that is still watched nearly 100 years later. Now imagine all those who did the same for movies that fell into obscurity.

[@OfftheWallTales]

The Library of Congress estimated in 2013 that of all American made silent full length film, only 14% still exists in its full original state. Another 16% is either missing parts, only has speech cards in different languages (so we can’t be sure the translations are even close) or are in absolute terrible states. That means 70% is estimated to have been totally lost and that’s assuming we know of every single film. It makes me so sad, because it’s actually about 90% is fully lost when you add in motion pictures with sound, television episodes that were tossed for shelf space, and however many films we just lost records of. People still happen to stumble upon random films lost during WWII, like the 1928 French film the Passion of Joan of Arc (found in a Norwegian hospital in 1981). Or Metropolis! A 1927 German film, where we only had partials until a 95% original cut was found in a museum in Argentina… in 2008.

[@watchforever1724]

@@OfftheWallTalessad

[@RidleySmash]

A stuntman DIED for the last Resident Evil film, one of the worst movies I've ever seen

[@skechers28227]

Every time I see a scene where a wall falls off the building and only narrowly misses crushing the actor because of a 2nd story window that lines up perfectly to where the actor is standing.... yeesh. Those guys were just figuring out practical effects. They were really risking their necks for a gag. Crazy. And incredibly brave.

[@lutherheggs451]

You do realize that the movie was a massive, epic flop until decades later when it started airing on television right? The movie was absolutely hated until TV airings.

[@Julie-p6u6m]

As someone who just turned 66 this month I remember being so excited when The Wizard of Oz was going to be shown on TV! This only happened once a year and my siblings and I couldn’t wait to watch it! Then when my family got our first color TV it became even more magical! I remember at one point it was introduced by Danny Kaye! Such a memorable part of my childhood ❤❤❤

[@MaskedMan66]

The very first TV. hosts for the movie were Bert Lahr and Liza Minnelli!

[@unclegumbald989]

Margaret Hamilton had it right: If you're notorious for terrifying children for decades and wanna go on an apology tour: go 👏on 👏Sesame 👏Street! 👏

[@OldDeadAcct44]

We didn’t deserve that woman. 🥹 She was wonderful.

[@emilyholasek63]

And Mr Roger's Neighborhood

[@FTChomp9980]

She is so pure!

[@Musicradio77Network]

Margaret Hamilton did made her guest appearances on TV shows, including “Sesame Street” where she reprised her role as the Wicked Witch of the West in one of the lost episodes from 1976.

[@morbidsearch]

If only Jimmy Savile had known

[@VeggiePun]

Hearing that oldtimey guy measure stage lights in, "Candle power" blew my little mind

[@SuperPickle15]

Candle power is the Imperial measurement for luminous intensity,.though these days it's practically synonymous with the SI unit, candla.

[@jayterra2060]

Aka lumens

[@SuperPickle15]

@jayterra2060 lumens is measurement of luminous flux, while relative to candla but are not the same. candla x square radian = lumen Thus, for spot lights, candla is the appropriate unit to use.

[@jayterra2060]

@@SuperPickle15 thanks for the clarification 🌞

[@luxythefool9401]

God, hearing the detector calling Judy “his little hunchback” is fucking depressing. I never really understood the beauty standards of the time until I heard that for the first time. I’m glad times have changed and my heart goes out to Judy.❤

[@Halfscotboy_39]

I have a back disability and if Louis B Mayer had said this to me. I would have sued the ass off him for discrimination if the law back then had been the way it is now.

[@MaskedMan66]

Victor Fleming the *director* never called her any such thing. Judy claimed later in life that Louis B. Mayer called her that, but it was likely one of her many tall tales.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@Halfscotboy_39 He didn't; Judy claimed years later that he had, but that was when she was telling a lot of whoppers to make people laugh.

[@Halfscotboy_39]

@@MaskedMan66 Well in the Judy Garland biopic starring Judy Davis Me and My Shadow, that same word was used for her being a lil hunched over by make over artists AND the actor playing him used that word too! Also the makeover artists telling her she needed to lose the fat.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@Halfscotboy_39 That series depicted a lot of things, like Judy's famous "three dirty hams" story which also didn't happen, and which almost destroyed her friendship with Jack Haley.

[@kestreldomann2787]

"movie studios put out movie after movie with little regard to quality, just hoping one would be a hit" *TIME IS A FLAT CIRCLE*

[@MaskedMan66]

And that quote is rubbish.

[@MaskedMan66]

Both statements are false.

[@UlrichTheOmega]

The only surviving Buddy Epsen material is the "We're Off To See The Wizard" reprise. You can hear him pronounce Wizard differently from Jack Haley.

[@GareksApprentice]

I'm kinda surprised that wasn't mentioned in the video

[@UlrichTheOmega]

@GareksApprentice it's a very small, easily missed detail, and he's more focused on video production rather than audio. It's just a random bit of trivia I know.

[@stanfordite1]

His recording of If I Only Had a Heart is still in existence.

[@thefonzkiss]

@@stanfordite1 correct

[@MaskedMan66]

Ebsen.

[@wstine79]

The Wicked Witch of the West was my mom's favorite character. Margaret Hamilton really cooked in that role.... Literally.

[@susanrado]

Yes! I agree 1000%

[@MaskedMan66]

Not funny.

[@AntiFaGoat]

I am heavily involved with my local church full of boomers. During one after service lunch discussion, I was talking about "the Wizard of Oz," since it's a favorite live action movie of mine along with the "fogies." The person I was talking to asked me what I thought of the "new colorized" version of it, saying he'd grown up with the movie in black and white. I was confused at first, thinking maybe he was just trying to ask me about the color effects after Dorothy leaves Kansas, but as we kept talking, I realized that he had only watched the movie on black and white television as a child, and he believed that all the technicolor was a gimmick MGM had stuck in later to get butts in seats and boost video sales. It really was shocking to imagine growing up with an Oz devoid of color, especially when the whole story is about a girl with red shoes following a yellow road to a green city. The books are even more wild about the colors in Oz, but that's aside from the point here. I felt so sorry for him, since he had lived with a shadow of the filmmakers' intentions and thought that was all there was. I've heard that people used to report dreaming in black and white when that was the TV standard. I can remember my dreams having a static blur to how everything looked and moved because that was the TV quality my parents could afford and HDTV was far over the horizon, but my dreams became clearer with time as technology improved. The image makes the impact.

[@rosemarierambo5460]

Beautiful

[@MaskedMan66]

Nope, it was in color from the start.

[@robroskey6515]

Wait, is the last part serious. If so I should have had horizontal lines moving across my dreams from watching VHS tapes in the 80s with the tracking not set right

[@gethappyConor]

Hey! I’m one third of the Garland Gab here on KZbin and this is excellent work. The only small piece of feedback is that Judy didn’t smoke several packs of cigarettes a day while making Oz - that’s one of those myths fuelled by social media. She did indeed smoke but that came a few years later - the earliest photos we have are during production of Babes on Broadway in 1941.

[@MaskedMan66]

Thank you! I wish more people would speak against that absurd story.

[@jeanmank6342]

Thank God. I always hated that rumor!

[@meganmodjewski3282]

I have lived in Kansas most of my life (I’m 39). I have seen this so many times that I kinda hate it. We even watched it in school because it’s such an ingrained part of Kansas history. (Even though none of the movie was shot in Kansas) when we went to Disney in 2004 my siblings and I rode the Great Movie Ride and the cast member “driving” our ride car asked people where they were from. We said Kansas and the cast member started gushing about how much we were going to LOVE the end of the ride my siblings and I all groaned. 😂

[@KatieLHall-fy1hw]

That’s gotta be rough. You do have Kansas City though, that place looks lit

[@wwsrodriguez40]

do you ever seen a twister on your place? ;)

[@meganmodjewski3282]

@@wwsrodriguez40 🤣 yes I’ve seen a few. So the other part of the story is that while we were standing in line there was a family behind us from Australia and she asked us where we were from because we had unusual accents (pretty funny considering they are from Australia) anyway I told them and they got all excited and asked what we call those killer dirt devils. I said tornadoes and she said “not that’s not it! Like that movie with the chasers! Oh yeah twisters!” I told her politely that no one actually calls them that where I live. She was so freaking disappointed 😂

[@wwsrodriguez40]

@@meganmodjewski3282 so you go to twister zone? and inside the twister sounds "tornado"

[@1981deloreanfan]

During the costume tests, the production crew tried two different styles for the Ruby slippers. They were the extravagant style Arabian test pair and the traditional style pair. Both were given sequences and faux gems. After the costume tests, it was decided that the traditional pair was better suited for Dorothy and had duplicate pairs made for production. The Arabian test pair was put into storage and were later given to Debbie Reynolds. Reynolds later sold them at auction in 2011 to an undisclosed collector.

[@dylanrinker6831]

What happened to them after she died

[@MaskedMan66]

@@dylanrinker6831 Darn good question! Maybe Billie Lourde has them now?

[@MaskedMan66]

In the book, the silver shoes do have turned-up points. I imagine that those were ruled impractical for dancing.

[@jackkomisar458]

@@dylanrinker6831 The Smithsonian has a pair.

[@shenloken2]

The Wizard of Oz is one of those film classics that started out as financial duds but gained a bigger lease on life through television, theatrical rereleases and home video. Something that still goes on today.

[@thefonzkiss]

Exactly the same as 1971 Wonka.

[@MaskedMan66]

It wasn't a dud, but it only just broke even.

[@fo-ef8qo]

It's funny to me that they didnt want the film dated by the term Jitter Bug, but that term has become a universal phrase. Great Vid!

[@MaskedMan66]

They weren't especially worried about "dating" the film, mainly because they had no idea it would take off like it did. But Jitterbug, which was the Hip-Hop of its time (lifestyle and all), was pretty much on the way out.

[@ethanmacdowell7531]

Yesterworld is like an eclipse. Doesn’t always happen. But when it does it's a sight to see. Edit: Mom I'm famous

[@DMacB42]

Glad I don’t need special yesterglasses to merely gaze upon it though

[@xianblackk]

My 4-year-old daughter has recently taken up an uncanny fascination with the wizard of Oz. She wants me to read her the books all the time and falls asleep to the Judy Garland movie nearly every night. She also loves Return to Oz and even The Wiz! I can't find the James Franco movie anywhere, I suppose Disney is trying to act like it never happened lol really psyched for the new Wicked movie coming out.

[@KatieLHall-fy1hw]

Oh no, the Disney one is pretty bad.

[@RachelGardoll]

It’s on Disney+

[@MaskedMan66]

What do you mean "even 'The Wiz?'" _Oz the Great and Powerful_ tries too hard to seem like the MGM movie, but it's good; I liked it better than I expected to. Joey King was a revelation as the voice of the China Girl. You wouldn't expect a child (I think she was 13 at the time) to have such a handle on getting a performance out from just the voice, but she did it!

[@queenmedesa]

Oh yeah, a black woman painted green 😜

[@MaskedMan66]

@@KatieLHall-fy1hw Which "Disney one?"

[@jessehcreative]

I could never have seen Temple as Dorothy, ESPECIALLY after watching “Cats Don’t Dance.” Garland NAILED the role perfectly. Perfectly.

[@MaskedMan66]

Shirley did eventually make it to Oz, and in a sense one-upped Judy by playing the ruler of Oz, Princess Ozma, in a T.V. adaptation of the second book.

[@slytheringingerwitch]

I think Shirley would have been 'too cute', Judy was much more 'real.'

[@MaskedMan66]

@@slytheringingerwitch It depends. Shirley had a gravitas about her which people don't always realize because they instantly think "Good Ship Lollipop," but she could bring the drama when needed. But that's all moot, since she never truly had a shot at the role of Dorothy anyway.

[@slytheringingerwitch]

@@MaskedMan66 I don't doubt she could have brought something different to the role, but I am still glad that they chose Judy to be Dorothy.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@slytheringingerwitch Mervyn LeRoy never had anyone else in mind but Judy. He was, quite simply, a huge fan of hers; even though she had not yet played the lead in any movie, she had shown her abilities to be more than up to the challenge of carrying a movie.🙂

[@caitlinabbott7895]

Not only is he back, but he's doing proper research into this topic that other people normally don't Look at all thoses sources in the description, TheOzVlog would be proud

[@theUselessProfessor]

She commented her seal of approval! 😊

[@wyattbascom9711]

Looks like he learned from the Kimba video to do proper research.

[@tyrannozilla]

1939-2024. Happy 85th Anniversary.

[@SuperFlashDriver]

Funny enough, I did mention that in my comment as well considering how it's now 85 years old this year....Weird to think many movies now are starting to reach the 100 year mark. And The Lost World (1925) film will turn 100 years old next year, with the stop-motion/claymation work done by the father and pioneer of claymation/stop-motion work Willis O' Brian.

[@UrsulaRulez]

The fact that The Oz Vlog has approved this documentary, means I will be watching it from start to finish!!!!

[@JustAnAccountLmao810]

OH MY GOD HES BACK !! THIS IS NOT A DRILL !!!

[@bennymora3086]

I guess making videos like this one can end up being a 1 hour video.👨🏼‍💻

[@Disneyfreak_8]

I was so excited when I got the notification!

[@SuperFlashDriver]

@@bennymora3086 Considering Yesterworld for his previous community post mentioned it'll take him longer to make videos like these, don't expect him to make another video like this for a good while and such.

[@jimglass3106]

I honestly thought I was hallucinating.

[@MaskedMan66]

He who?

[@tufab3494]

Ok, this right here is going to be a classic real soon. This movie was made in much darker times and Hollywood's behind the scenes was specially obscure, but I never really knew exactly how it was produced and its history. Btw, welcome back Yesterworld!

[@MaskedMan66]

Darker times than now??? You're kidding.

[@steamboatwill3.367]

​@@MaskedMan66) do you know what happened the following month after the films release a and what "Gone with the wind" was really about

[@MaskedMan66]

@@steamboatwill3.367 Yes, but that was after the movie was released, not during the time it was made. What has GWTW got to do with it?

[@steamboatwill3.367]

@@MaskedMan66 ) and you think ABSOLUTELY NOTHING was happening before?

[@MaskedMan66]

@@steamboatwill3.367 Okay, so what were you talking about if not WWII?

[@sin-t]

I find it funny how, despite being an iconic movie that had a huge impact on the world, no one was able to do a fateful recreation of the original book, or even adapting the other Oz books at all (only return to Oz did it best imo). I guess Oz truly is an unfilmable fantasy book

[@thefonzkiss]

They’re also not actually very good.

[@teruienages962]

It could be done. If they could do the Lord Of The Rings, they could do this. The problem is that before this, every adaptation of LOTR was dealt some form of mostly criticism, and never particularly beloved (aside from a few minority of people who have an unhealthy amount of love for the Ralph Bakshi version which is still... yeesh...), but Wizard Of Oz is so beloved as a movie that a faithful adaptation would only make people angry who would hate it due to not being like the film. That's the real difference. It's not that they can't..... it's that they don't to. Even Hollywood which loves to dig up the corpse of ANY franchise for a remake tends to leave the Wizard Of Oz alone. .......well, except for that Tom and Jerry version and we all know how much people loved THAT..

[@DrawciaGleam02]

@@thefonzkiss Really? Why??

[@MaskedMan66]

You mean faithful.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@thefonzkiss "Not actually very good." Yeah. Sure. That's why they were such a major phenomenon. Don't be a troll.

[@NathanSpies]

Rafiki: The King Has Returned!

[@DaveysWonderfulworld3]

Hi Nathan it’s so good to see you here 😊

[@rachel_espinoza]

Fun fact that most people probably know. But: In the forest scene where Cowardly Lion tries to grab Toto, after you can see Judy holding him up to hide her giggle. She ruined take after take laughing. And that was still in there. It was also probably the drugs they had her take

[@Mooms]

It wasn’t because of the drugs. She was probably laughing because she couldn’t take it seriously.

[@invaderzoomer]

I heard the director actually took her aside after so many takes and slapped her across the face as hard as he could to try to make her stop. Even after that you can still see her smile in the movie.

[@stanfordite1]

@@invaderzoomer Victor Fleming immediately regretted what he did to her and asked a crew member to punch him for it. Garland overheard this and kiss Fleming revealing she forgave him and had no hard feelings about what happened.

[@MaskedMan66]

No, it was because Bert Lahr was a hilarious performer. She didn't use any meds but an appetite suppressant.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@invaderzoomer He didn't slap her "as hard as he could." He knew better than that. And the only reason he did it was that they were up against the clock. The studio was about to close for the evening and they had to finish their day's work. The truth is that Judy-- who had a great sense of humor-- had frequent giggle fits, and the standard operating procedure was to wait until she got her breath back under control, after which she'd be all business.

[@Emperor_Oshron]

Buddy Ebsen as the Tin Man has been one of my classic favorite "pop culture what-if" scenarios ever since i learned about it and why he had to quit

[@MaskedMan66]

The #1 thing is that old Nick Chopper would have been a heckuva lot taller! 🙂

[@Metal_Groove45]

I hope the original 2 hour cut isn't completely lost, and hopefully, somebody finds it! I would love to see the Hail Hail, The Witch is Dead number! They should've kept that for the final cut!

[@lutherheggs451]

Its absolutely lost. Between film rot and the fact that studios didn't start hanging on to footage until well into the 90s and well into DVD releases. Its 1000% gone at this point. Studios didn't just sit around on old footage back in the day

[@Finfection]

Even when taking into account all of the fires and disasters that have happened regarding film preservation back in the day. The 2 hour preview cut was not a wide release. It was only screened a few times. And there was likely only one print of it. Had it been more widely released then the chances of it surviving due to more prints would increase assuming that the prints hadn't been altered. This is back in the era where instead of ordering new prints with editing changes, they instead just went ahead and physically cut footage from already printed reels. So, even if that print were still somehow around today it would likely not have the missing footage with it. Studios back then never ever thought about saving and preserving footage for later. When it got cut it really got cut. It was assumed that no one would care about it.

[@SK-yx7hm]

Its absolutely incredible how one movie changed culture and workstyles in hollywood forever.

[@MaskedMan66]

No... no, it didn't. But it did pioneer some areas of special effects and make-up.

[@nobodysperfect06]

The rough cut or just the full uncut version of The Wizard of Oz originally ran 20 minutes longer than the film that we have today. The Scarecrow dance or just also known as the extended version of If I Only Had a Brain is the only deleted scene that completely survives or remains fully intact to this day. However, the one deleted scene that I wish had either stayed in the film or I just wish completely survived, is The Triumphal Return to Emerald City. That scene would have been the musical climax of the movie or it just would have been the last musical number of the movie. Yes I know only a few seconds of footage does survive of that scene in one of the film's trailers. This is how I feel about that deleted scene, there are times I wish I never found out or I wish I never learned about that deleted scene, because when I watch The Wizard of Oz now, the movie feels tragically incomplete without it. In mind boggles me and feels like a crime that they would cut a scene that celebrates the defeat of the film's main villain but yet they have a parade and celebration in munchkinland which celebrates the defeat of a witch who is not the film's main villain and whom is barely noticeable in the film. Plus, Glinda herself said The Witch of the West is much worse of her sister. But yeah I can accept and let go with the rest of the lost deleted scenes of The Wizard of Oz being destroyed, except for the Triumphal Return to Emerald City. I doubt there's anyone alive today who has seen that lost deleted scene in its entirety before it became lost to history.

[@Finfection]

The sad reality is that most of that footage was probably lost long before some of our grandparents were even born.

[@fromchasingtochosen]

The fact that this movie turned out so beautifully when it came so close to being awful in so many ways is seriously mind blowing 🤯

[@Nerdtendo6366]

Bro I swear I was literally rewatching your videos just today because I love these vids. I’m so happy to have a new one

[@SuperFlashDriver]

I believe it or not have them all downloaded for me to watch them offline. Someday yesterworld should do a compilation of his videos, much like how other creators would do to their own works (DidYouKnowGaming, Game Theory, Nintendo Content Creators, SmallAnt, Pokemon Content Creators, Etc.) so this way people can fall asleep to yesterworld's content. I know I did when I put it on, and considering Yesterworld now has over 105+ videos to go through, some of them full length one hour videos full of attractions and movie history videos, it helped me fall asleep to what would usually be the time to watch other videos, or if I need something to sleep to but without having to worry about the internet going out (except electricity going out, that would suck...Thankfully not the case if I have it on my 2TB USB drive without having to use a hard drive....I know I did two days ago).

[@violetthebookcat7457]

New Yesterworld vid!!! I’ve heard some things of the film’s production but can’t wait to see what this episode provides!!

[@JoeyAnimate]

When the world needed him most, he returned.

[@multifandom1662]

When doesn’t the world need him

[@dylanalgate8130]

As the prophecy for told!

[@briana8088]

Somehow, Yesterworld returned.

[@MaskedMan66]

Who?

[@Bonehead_V]

New Defunctland and Yesterworld vids only a week apart? Splendid.

[@jewelzgirl2390]

I’m pretty sure this is the third or fourth time I’ve watched this. It’s very well done and appreciated! Thank you for sharing the history in a awesome format

[@KaponoMonster]

Yesterworld still does an awesome job creating non Disney topics having a connection to Disney!

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

These documentaries ought to be added as extras to future movie DVD releases.

[@SaltWaterLullaby]

I really love how your “history of this movie” encompasses SO MUCH MORE than the movie. I’ve read the original book but had no idea there were sequels let alone that many!!!! Love your dedication and research!!!!!

[@MaskedMan66]

There are forty Oz books.

[@CaptainKotetsu]

I love the over-arching message of this movie. The Lion was Brave enough to help rescue Dorothy. The Tin Man had the heart to care about his friends. The Scarecrow was smart enough to help plan Dorothy’s rescue. All three characters had what they longed for from the beginning.

[@MaskedMan66]

Movie, nothing; there was a book first, thirty-nine years before. And Dorothy rescued herself! But the lads did display their qualities elsewhere in the story.

[@JayPerry-p2n]

A Timeless Classic. It's been enjoyed by generations and generations to come.

[@bryangonzalez1398]

This was a fantastic deep dive! It would be amazing to see a deep dive into the Disney Zorro series and just how it was so connected to Disneyland and the way Walt approached his future TV projects.

[@kojinaoftheinvertedeye810]

Average hospital: "Will it hurt?" *Pulls out the most terrifying contraption ever* "Ah not at all, it'll just make you feel happy"

[@junkjunker842]

And young Fairuza Balk went on to play a wide range of weirdos and nutjobs. For completely unrelated reasons. Ahem.

[@MaskedMan66]

You're more cowardly than the Lion.

[@MaskedMan66]

It was a cool-looking bit of Victorian tech.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@junkjunker842 What?

[@junkjunker842]

@@MaskedMan66 Did you just have a fridge moment over who the girl in the scene was?

[@CaptainKotetsu]

The fact that the dog got paid more than any of the munchkin actors😂

[@NemesisOgreKing]

Golden Age Hollywood makes the wild west look tame.

[@caitlinabbott7895]

The Munchkins were only in one scene and half the pay went to their agent Terry the Terrier was in the entire move. Also the pay went to the trainer, not the dog

[@gracekim1998]

@@caitlinabbott7895yeah I think the OP commentor is aware

[@SuperXzm]

@@gracekim1998 Yeah I think it was just a lukewarm iq take

[@julijepp]

​@SuperXzm not everything is a take, it was just a comment laughing at a fact. Jesus

[@PatrickMealeyVO]

Honestly, as a cinephile and former film major, I love hearing behind the scenes stories and watching these video essays delving into the history of a films production. There’s always different things that can happen on a set, either good or bad, and I think every aspiring filmmaker should know about them! Always love your content my man!

[@sallomon2357]

I find the productions of this time especially fascinating, with the war, the silent era, beginnings of Technicolor all being very close to each other in addition to the way actors were unfortunately pushed to their limits and the use of a lot of materials later found dangerous, like the asbestos or the aluminium powder mentioned in this video. Whenever I see the posters of the time, I think of something mysterious, but also shady, with a lot of stuff behind the scenes now left unknown and lost, and the copious amount of lost media from the time probably contributes to this 😅

[@MaskedMan66]

@@sallomon2357 The snow was gypsum, not asbestos.

[@citizen_morgan7444]

Thank you for putting together this DOCUMENTARY of a MOST beloved film that is today considered a CLASSIC from OLD HOLLYWOOD. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@theseanwardshow]

Fun fact: if you put on Dr Dre's 1992 album The Chronic and start the Wizard of Oz exactly 17 seconds in, it syncs up perfectly

[@MaskedMan66]

Do Pink Floyd need to call their solicitor?

[@mightyfilm]

I'd say the film itself got the best form of revenge. It basically made sure that any and every other adaption (minus a certain stage adaption of a sequel book) would live forever in the big, towering Emerald City shadow. In 1962, Filmation would make A Journey Back to Oz movie, but it would take almost a decade start to end to finish (as well as another 2 years to release), for example. And it was their infamous not really a sequel to the famous film, even though it totally was. Not to mention, not unlike the Disney movie versions of fairy tales, our perception of the Wizard of Oz especially in parody and reference IS based heavily on the movie, not the books. Especially the "it was all a dream" thing the studio forced in. Wasn't that an M&M's commercial at some point? And let's not forget the most cursed adaption, directly referencing the MGM movie, of them all. That Sesame Street episode. Hearing how kindly Margaret was to Judy during the making of this film, makes that letter writing campaign that killed the episode all the more harsh. Plus, that scene where Oscar calls the Wicked Witch the most beautiful person he's ever seen and having her smile at it is low key one of the most heartwarming things I've seen.

[@KatieLHall-fy1hw]

I agree, as nasty as this film may have been to make, it was absolutely a marvelous piece of art and will never be forgotten

[@mightyfilm]

@@KatieLHall-fy1hw My point is that it ruined the potential of every adaption since. Like we'll never get an alternate adaption that's closer to the original text, at least in movie form. And not to say adaptions that directly reference or stem from this version. Like the weird DIC animated series from the 90's or the Dorothy in Oz cartoon WB made a few years back.

[@KatieLHall-fy1hw]

@@mightyfilm I don’t know, I disagree, I think we could. But it would be VERY dependent on the cast and the makeup and the rest of the team.

[@MaskedMan66]

"Revenge" for what?

[@BabyCharmander]

@@mightyfilmI mean, we got Return to Oz, which ruled. It did make a few nods to the MGM musical, but it’s still the better portrayal of Oz.

[@melasnexperience]

1:07:10 Part of me can't believe that MGM thought so little of their archives that they'd dump it in the ocean, but another part looks at stuff like TV tape wiping & now whole sites being wiped without backup, and it's just more of the same.

[@seth.calling.service9678]

I recently JUST got into your content and adored the Roger rabbit video- it’s like the stars aligned

[@YesterworldEntertainment]

Glad you enjoyed the Roger Rabbit episode! I loved making it.

[@darrenorange2982]

I was just looking for a new video from you the other day and was concerned but sooo happy to see this now you have to be one of my absolute favorite creators. Honest without any pretentious elements. You are honestly one of the best.

[@_SoCalDude_]

Wow, I had no idea there were Wizard of Oz movies before the well known and successful one made in the 1930s. I didn't know the original author of the story had written so many sequels either. Had this same thing happen to me several months back when I found out about the extremely weird sequel novels to Dune. I did know about the very bizzare 1980s movie with Patrick Stewart and Sting though, lol.

[@arabatis]

Please do “The Complicated History of the Little Mermaid” video next

[@BigBossMan538]

The Disney film?

[@arabatis]

@@BigBossMan538 Yes, the 1989 version

[@zeldafan1942]

Coincidentally enough, just like "Over the Rainbow" was nearly cut from the Wizard of Oz, Little Mermaid nearly removed "Part of Your World"!

[@hillarypritchard9249]

@@zeldafan1942I know what is it with suits wanting to remove the entire point of movies???

[@zeldafan1942]

@@hillarypritchard9249 I don’t know, but I also have the opinion that “Part of Your World” should have also been a Best Original Song Academy Award winner, instead of “Under the Sea”!

[@fireorb2]

Such a classic film. It's amazing to see all of the challenges and that's putting it mildly, that production went through.

[@Megafreakx3]

Fun fact there is a clever practical effect was used to transition from the black-and-white scenes in Kansas to the Technicolor scenes in Oz. For the iconic scene where Dorothy opens the door of her home to reveal the colorful land of Oz, a double was used. Here's how it was done: 1. **Black-and-White Double**: The interior of the house was filmed in sepia-toned black-and-white. The double, dressed as Dorothy, was also in sepia-toned costume and makeup. 2. **Opening the Door**: The double opened the door to reveal the bright and colorful Munchkinland set. 3. **Switch to Judy Garland**: As the double stepped aside, the camera followed Dorothy (Judy Garland), now in full color, as she steps out into the Technicolor world of Oz. This practical effect allowed for a seamless transition from black-and-white to color without the need for special effects technology that wasn't available at the time.

[@MaskedMan66]

The other gal was Olympic swimmer Bobbie Koshay, who was Judy's stunt double and personal trainer on _Wizard._ 🙂 She also handed Terry and the basket to Judy as they swapped places.

[@bofo408]

I'm surprised you didn't mention that one of the directors (Fleming I think) slapped Judy after being dissatisfied with her performance

[@stanfordite1]

Fleming only slapped her because she kept giggling at Bert Lahr's performance after Dorothy slaps the lion. She went back and nailed it one take although still holds Toto in front of her to stifle a smirk. Fleming immediately regretted what he did and asked a crew member to punch him for what he did to Garland. Garland overheard him and kiss him to show she forgave him and bore no hard feelings.

[@davidfairweather3301]

@@stanfordite1I know the standards were different back then, but it is still wild for a director to slap a child actor in the face for doing something silly. I mean the bare minimum would be that he would feel bad after doing it.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@davidfairweather3301 Fleming didn't "slap a child actor in the face for doing something silly," he snapped a young actress out of a giggle fit with a slap because her giggle fit was endangering the completion of their day's work; the studio was about to close for the evening. He hated having done it and she forgave him. End of story.

[@davidfairweather3301]

@@MaskedMan66 an actor was giggling so he “slapped her out of it” - Damn you crazy 😂😂😂

[@MaskedMan66]

@@davidfairweather3301 An actress, not an actor. And I said he snapped her out of it, as one would use a slap to snap someone out of a fit of hysteria. It's happened millions of times with millions of people, and there's nothing crazy about it or me.

[@NA-ys9ib]

Genuinely it's a small miracle hollywood didn't burn itself to the ground with the way they made movies

[@davidfairweather3301]

It’s crazy too that despite all the wild stuff behind the scenes, there was actually so much creativity and a lot of well made movies

[@Nerd_with_internet_access]

Omg, I’m so excited for this video!! I was obsessed with wizard of oz as a kid, (I dressed as Dorothy for two separate Halloweens, and for my birthday party). I loved kaz rowe’s video about it. When I was four I made my mom read a book about the making of the movie, but she stopped a few pages in because it was NOT for kids. (I think it had parts about what was going on with Judy garland at the time.) But yeah, this was a huge interest of mine at the time, and still is to the day! Thanks for makeing a video about this, I always love yesterwords style and thoroughness! 💜

[@veryberry39]

I dressed as the Scarecrow when I was in like 2nd grade (this was the 80s). It had come from an actual costume kit that I think was licensed and everything. And came with like...a spandex sort of face mask? Everyone I trick-or-treated at thought I was Freddie Kreuger, despite all the straw stuffing sticking out of me. 😭

[@CountofBeretania]

It’s a shame they didn’t wait for Buddy Ebsen. Had he recovered and ended up in the film, his death in 2003 would have made him the last surviving actor in the Wizard of Oz, right next to the munchkins.

[@MaskedMan66]

They had a schedule to keep to. But his voice is still in the movie. Jerry Maren died in 2018. Caren Marsh Doll is still with us at the age of 105.

[@andrealevin8979]

I thought I knew everything about The Wizard of Oz but your video was amazing. I saw footage I've never seen! Going through the shooting script is incredible. Thank you!!

[@DragonStorm545]

The Jitterbug sequence was shown in the 2016 animated film, “Tom and Jerry: Return to Oz”

[@DaveTexas]

Very good video! You presented all the information very well, noting which stories were just rumors. That’s more than a lot of other people do. Sadly, I doubt that the missing footage has survived. I think it would have turned up by now, considering the extensive searches and several big remastering projects. I would LOVE to see the two-hour cut of the film, as I imagine the whole thing makes much more sense when all the dialogue and musical numbers are included. Most of all, I’d love to see the "Ding! Dong! Emerald City" sequence. The still photos make it look so huge. At least all the audio prerecordings were kept, so we have the missing musical numbers in audio format. While I generally hate the idea of using AI to create new content from dead people, I think we might be approaching a time when the missing sequences from the film could be recreated using the existing audio and still photos as guides. I’d pay money to see that, just like I paid money to see the 3-D version that was created digitally 15 or so years ago. The image in that version was the sharpest I’d ever seen; I noticed that Dorothy had freckles on her cheeks, which I’d never seen before. It was really amazing to see the film on a big screen, too.

[@neilhannan7525]

Welcome Back We Missed ❤🎉 glad your back ❤

[@fmphotooffice5513]

What an elegant, excellent presentation... Thank you. Well done.

[@MadisonC]

Please please please do a History of Gone With the Wind video I would absolutely love that

[@heartofalegend]

This is the best doc I've seen about this film and is so good it belongs in the bonus materials on the blu-ray, IMO.

[@erikspooner6518]

I feel like you and defunctland are the twin pillars of this genre. The research and information are amazing. I’m not sure if you would collaborate, but I feel like it could be amazing. Either way keep up the great work.

[@Scorchy666]

Many years ago at a Hollywood memorabilia museum I saw a 4 strip Technicolor camera. They were massive! I can't remember if it was the one used on Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz, or both. I imagine a sizable portion was for camera noise insulation.

[@marcuscarbonaro7089]

I watched wizard of Oz in the movie theatre yesterday on the big screen. -85th anniversary

[@AuthorCertifiedGoof]

The only thing I’ve seen with more information about the making of this movie is the official Making of the Wizard of Oz book, a beautiful and thorough account of the troubled production. But you made a very close runner up to that book. Well done!!

[@MaskedMan66]

The most thorough book on the subject is "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" (2019) by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman.

[@Kirbyfan87827]

I got to meet Mickey Carroll, one of the last surviving Munchkin actors, around twenty years ago give or take at the Mall of America. He was actually from St. Louis, like me and my family! Don't remember much of the meeting, though.

[@MaskedMan66]

Have you heard what he did for the Baum family?

[@flannelsarah4992]

I love hearing about all the disasters that plagued this poor movie, so interesting!! great video :)

[@MaskedMan66]

The accidents that happened would fill less than a day; on the whole, things ran smoothly.

[@hanschristianbrando5588]

According to the Aljean Harmetz book about the film (still considered the definitive one), MGM cast Ray Bolger as the Tin Man and Buddy Ebsen--who looked more like a scarecrow--to play the Scarecrow. But Bolger insisted on playing the Scarecrow, and Ebsen didn't care, so they switched parts. Most of the cut dialogue seems expendable and would have slowed the movie down, and it takes multiple viewings to catch the continuity errors caused by the cuts. The biggest story hole is the ending: since we're not told otherwise, Miss Gulch is still going to come back and take Toto away. It's hard to explain today what a big deal the ritual annual TV screenings were in those pre-home video days.

[@MaskedMan66]

What really happened is that Bolger was the Scarecrow from the start, but his and Ebsen's names got mixed up in news reports, so Bolger wanted to make sure what was what; that was specified by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman in their book "The Road to Oz." Miss Gulch was injured during the storm and while she's on the mend, the Gales will settle matters with the Sheriff.

[@JDelwynn]

Let's all pour one out for Jimmy the Crow (actually a raven but whatever), a true Hollywood rebel!

[@Ryanmichaelmac]

Wow. This is one of the best if not THEE best wizard of oz documentaries I’ve ever seen an independent creator make.

[@MaskedMan66]

Not really.

[@drooliab]

The narration is definitely not Morgan Freeman quality. I'll say that. 😐

[@justafan9399]

@@MaskedMan66 Why not make one, then? You seem intent on correcting any comment that credits videos like these, which should most certainly be enough material to condense into a video.

[@peterheimsoth159]

@@justafan9399 I'd rather encourage people to read the authoritative books which have been written by people who have done the real research. Then they'd have the whole story, and more detailed and exact than can be put into a video.

[@Ryanmichaelmac]

@@peterheimsoth159I’ve read the behind the scenes book that came out in the 90s and the 75th anniversary one. Not sure if their names at the moment. What are some books that you would recommend?

[@tedgruver7618]

🎵 We’re off to see the Wizard! The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!🎵

[@SuperFlashDriver]

Fun Fact: Considering, and thank god, that The Walt Disney Company isn't extending the copyright act anymore, The Wizard of Oz from MGM Studios will eventually be copyright free and in the public domain 10 years from now. And considering some of the horror movies and silent movies in the next 6 years to come will eventually be public domain, the songs however you'll have to wait for most of the 1930s and 1940s recordings to be public domain by the time the 2040s and 2050s comes around, even if the singers & actors has since long passed from this world. And while ten years is a while to wait, before you know it the 2030s will be right around the corner, thus, we'll be able to use, parody, and create new versions of the MGM Studios type of film back in 1939.

[@MrJohnisthename]

Because, because, because, because,because, ​@@SuperFlashDriver

[@SuperFlashDriver]

@@MrJohnisthename I know, but there is still a chance I would say, but it'll take a while to get there.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@SuperFlashDriver Disney?

[@SuperFlashDriver]

@@MaskedMan66 No, I mean Wizard of Oz, this movie here, won't be entering the public domain until 2033/2034.

[@emilyholasek63]

We need a follow up video on the abandoned Wizard of Oz park in North Carolina.

[@Scribal_Chief]

Hear hear!

[@MaskedMan66]

It wasn't abandoned; it reopens every year for special events.

[@emilyholasek63]

@MaskedMan66 it was abandoned for some time. I think that would be a cool follow up to this video.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@emilyholasek63 No, there were still people who did their best to look after it.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@emilyholasek63 I'll bet there are some documentaries (or attempts at documentaries) about Beech Mountain here on YT. And this may interest you; if the link doesn't appear, just type "WE'RE OFF TO SEE...To Tell The Truth! WIZARD of OZ ANNIVERSARY! | BUZZR" in the Search box. 🙂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpyah6KwbJp6iNk

[@jspihlman]

Stage versions of The Wizard of Oz have kept in some of the cut scenes. When we did it in HS we had a tap number for the Jitterbug scene and we kept in the reprise of "Hail, Hail the Witch is Dead."

[@ablueheartemoji]

I have watched so many of these types of Oz videos to try to soak up as much as I can about a story that has a very special place in my heart and this is by far the best and most comprehensive I have ever seen! U had so much stuff in here I had never even seen before, really well done

[@MaskedMan66]

If you want comprehensive, I heartily recommend the books "The Making of The Wizard of Oz" (1977) by Aljean Harmetz with an introduction by Margaret Hamilton, "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History" (1989) by John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman with an introduction by Jack Haley, Jr., and "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" (2019) by Scarfone and Stillman. Other books which contain useful bits of information include ”Down the Yellow Brick Road” (1976) by Doug McClelland, “The Oz Scrapbook" (1977) by David L. Greene and Dick Martin, and "The World of Oz" (1985) by Allen Eyles. 🙂

[@Julie-p6u6m]

I would add that Buddy Eden also starred in a very popular tv series in the 70’s called Barnaby Jones that ran for several years!

[@MaskedMan66]

He did a cameo as Barnaby Jones in the _Beverly Hillbillies_ movie!

[@Whiskin87]

I love old movies. This is such an interesting story. I’d love to see Gone with the Wind. So much to unpack!

[@maxordman4100]

It’s very nice to see another new video from you. You haven’t done one in quite a while and I was wondering when you were going to do something new. This is indeed a special movie and I remember how when I was little, I once told my mom that I didn’t want to watch Wizard of Oz. It just seemed silly to me and probably in part it didn’t grab my attention because I was in a period of my childhood where I wasn’t interested in girls yet and the movie didn’t have a character like Batman or Spider-man on the cover who were my main character icons in my childhood. However my mom pushed me to watch it with the family when it was aired on ABC that year and by a wild turn of events I found myself enjoying the movie. I’m pleased to say that from my very first viewing of the movie it became an absolute hit with me and I still love it to this day. I also love rewatching it and it makes me smile and laugh a lot. It certainly wasn’t the movie I expected it to be, but it was still quite entertaining. Your history telling is also quite amazing and I can’t stop laughing at those old “ads” for the movie that were made for adults! There are also many other fascinating stories and moments throughout this story. Certainly another fantastic Yesterworld production! I truly hope that it won’t be too long before your next project! Thanks again for sharing this with us! Also I simply cannot avoid saying something nice about “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” because it is such an amazing song and it is very dear to the hearts of both my parents and myself. It’s extremely nice to know that the producers of the movie fought to keep this song in the movie because it meant so much to them too!

[@MaskedMan66]

A wonderful story: Not long after seeing _The Wizard of Oz,_ a little girl named Natalie Norris fell ill and was hospitalized. Her mother wrote to MGM and relayed her daughter's wish that she could get a visit from Dorothy Gale. They called Judy, who was of course delighted to do it, and she sent Natalie a Dorothy doll and a letter telling her that they had a date. She wanted to come in full Dorothy kit, but by that time everything had been put away in storage, so Judy wore a simple frock and her own short hair, and Natalie didn't mind a bit. Judy chatted with her a while and even sang "Over the Rainbow" to her, bringing Natalie's mother to tears. Later, Natalie showed rapid improvement, and not only recovered, but later in life became a singer herself!

[@P-P-Panda]

Amazing video, you really put a lot of hard work into your stuff. That was great. I cant believe they threw so much of that stuff away

[@QuicksliceFilms]

Fantastic video, very detailed and well organized!

[@paulhawkins9446]

What a brilliant documentary, well done. Really detailed and full of really interesting content.

[@masterice4464]

Hey good to see you again yesterworld I’m glad your still making videos.

[@YesterworldEntertainment]

I never leave...I just hibernate for awhile while I work on the next one ;)

[@masterice4464]

@@YesterworldEntertainment lol fair enough… still I’m glad your still working on more videos and I’ll always watch them… also you actually teach me the many things I didn’t expect from theme parks and other content so truly thank you yesterworld

[@sarahhumble8246]

Thank you for covering my favorite movie of all time. 🌈I thought I knew all the behind the scenes facts but I learned SO much watching this video!

[@MaskedMan66]

There are a lot of inaccuracies here. You're better off reading the right books.

[@unofficialmajima617]

@@MaskedMan66 Considering you called it "way too long" I doubt you paid much attention to it at all in the first place.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@unofficialmajima617 All you need to do in order to determine whether a project like this is too long is to look at-- the length of time at the bottom of the screen (Fancy that!). Other videos take under ten minutes to tell the same stories-- the true and false ones. Also, the comments here have made it pretty clear that this thing covers the same old stories.

[@Hammerhead547]

Fun Fact: Ritchie Blackmore's band Rainbow used too open and close all their shows with audio from the wizzard of oz in the form of their instrumental arrangement of over the rainbow and film audio from the beginning and end of the movie.

[@ministerofdarkness]

Blackmore Rules!

[@MaskedMan66]

Wizard.

[@lukegreen5341]

1:57 Awesome Behind The Scenes Look About The Wizard Of Oz. Thanks Mate. X❤