Classic movies will live forever. It’s hard to evaluate their great contribution to the development of the international cinematography. “The Wizard of Oz” is one of the most well-known films that has got the status of an icon since it was released in 1939. The interesting plot and amazing cast made this motion picture the real masterpiece of its genre. Though, some facts about the movie can still astonish the audience after so many years.
It took 5 directors and 14 writers to bring “The Wizard of Oz” to the big screen. Producer, Louis Mayer, wanted to create a movie that would beat the success of the self-titled book. He wanted to make impressive decorations and costumes that would transfer the viewers from the reality into the magic world of Oz. At that time, studios didn’t have the same high technologies as they have now, so the process of movie creation required a lot of time and efforts.
Wicked Witch actress, Margaret Hamilton, even got burns in the scene where she disappears into a cloud of smoke. The actress spent a few weeks in the hospital before she recovered enough to finish her part. When Hamilton continued shooting, she had refused to act in any scene with a fire.
I will return to work one condition–no more fireworks!
The actress also had to go through another difficulty. The thing was that the Wicked Witch’s makeup was toxic, so Hamilton had to live on a special liquid diet to avoid accidental ingestion.
My face stayed green for weeks after shooting finished due to the copper-based ingredients in my makeup.
Today, it is hard to imagine someone else instead of Hamilton playing the Wicked Witch in the movie. In one of her interviews, the actress said that she took the role not for the money reason, but because “The Wizard of Oz” had been her favorite book since her childhood.
Some scenes in the movie post-production were considered too frightening for children and were removed from the final version, and most of those scenes featured Hamilton. But the actress wasn’t upset because she deeply cared about kids and was afraid her image of the evil witch would give the wrong impression about her.
Margaret Hamilton was definitely one of the most talented and impressive actresses of all times. We love and admire her for the great movies she played in. Of course, the majority of devoted fans will always remember Hamilton as the Wicked Witch from “The Wizard of Oz”. Nevertheless, the sacrifice the actress made to take all great scenes deserves the highest respect and overall recognition.
