In the light of today’s knowledge, the conditions of the filming of the classic film are appalling.
The main actor of the film was only 16 years old at the time of filming. PDO
The Wonderland of Oz is a classic film released in 1930, the filming of which, however, did not go as magically as the end result seems.
The film was shot in life-threatening conditions, which today would grossly violate safety regulations and ethical principles.
Medicines
The main star of the film, Judy Garland, was only 16 years old at the time of filming. It’s downright creepy that the young beginning actress completed the filming of the film heavily medicated.
They wanted to keep Garland fresh during the long filming days, so he was regularly injected with adrenaline. At night, the actor received secobarbital, which helped him sleep. Garland’s own mother also gave her young daughter “cheap pills”
Medicines and various drugs became Garland’s fate years later. He suffered from addictions all his life and died at the age of 49 from an overdose.
In addition to medication, Garland suffered from anorexia. His weight was strictly controlled, which made him sick. The actor’s diet consisted only of coffee, chicken soup and tobacco to tame his appetite. Garland was also made to wear very tight corsets to make her look more childlike in the film.
Judy Garland in The Wonderland of Oz in 1939. Archive PL / Alamy
Fire
Played the Wicked Witch in the Wonderland of Oz Margaret Hamilton had a terrible accident on the set and burned on the set, sustaining serious injuries. His stunt performer was also severely burned.
There was a scene during filming where a pyrotechnic device threw sparks and smoke at Hamilton. Hamilton was supposed to leave the device quickly through the door next to it, but the door was locked and the actor burned as sparks rained down on him.
Margaret Hamilton was the victim of a terrible accident. PDO
The film also used a lion suit made of lion fur, which appeared dangerously hot. Actor Bert Lahr suffered severe body overheating while wearing a lion costume under hot studio lights. In fact, the heat of the studio lights alone was enough to make the film crew faint under them.
Hazardous substances
He played a tin man in the movie Buddy Epstein was masked for his role with aluminum powder, to which he was highly allergic. Epstein had to spend weeks in the hospital after being poisoned on set. Epstein could barely breathe and was suffering from muscle spasms.
The actor had to be absent from the shooting of the film for a long time, so his role was given To Jack Haleywhich would be illegal today.
When Hailey started playing the Tin Man, she had to use a footboard to stay upright with the heavy suit. She couldn’t even sit up during filming because the suit was so stiff. This kind of activity was common in the era when Actors were even sewn into their costumes.
Buddy Epstein was later replaced by actor Jack Haley. PDO
There is a scene in the film where the characters are in a poppy field and it is snowing on them. However, the snow was not any ordinary artificial snow, but asbestos. The scarecrow’s costume was also made of cancer-causing material, as was the witch’s bone.