Wizard of Oz curse – fed pills, cast injuries, poison makeup and horror burns

It’s been more than eight decades since The Wizard of Oz dazzled audiences and secured Judy Garland’s star status in Tinseltown.

Released as the world teetered on the brink of war in 1939, the film scooped up multiple accolades, bagging two Oscars for Best Original Score and the iconic tune Over the Rainbow. The movie is hailed as one of the first major Technicolour marvels to grace cinemas, despite its eye-watering budget.

However, behind the scenes, the set was far from a yellow brick road of joy, with many dubbing it “cursed” – a notion that has sent conspiracy buffs into a frenzy online.

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With Arianna Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey gearing up to lead the cast in the much-anticipated 2024 adaptation of Wicked, the Daily Star delves into the eerie tales of the original film’s troubled production.

Asbestos nightmares

Back in the day, CGI was the stuff of fantasy, so the crew had to get inventive, especially for the scene where our heroes doze off in a poppy field under a blanket of snow during summer.

Ditching real snow, the bigwigs opted for chrysotile asbestos – substances that can trigger cancer.

This hazardous material enveloped the actors, posing a threat of serious health conditions like lung cancer if breathed in.

Cast calamities

Margaret Hamilton, who portrayed the Wicked Witch of the West, endured some horrific injuries during filming.

In one scene, her character vanishes in a puff of smoke, a trick the crew had rehearsed numerous times using real flames before she exited via a stage door. But when it came to shooting the scene, a delay in the trapdoor’s drop allowed the flames to ignite her dress before she could make a safe exit.

Hamilton reportedly suffered severe burns on her face and hand, with her right eye’s eyelashes and eyebrows completely singed off and the skin on her hand entirely burnt away. The studio allegedly declined to let her leave early, leaving her no choice but to ask a friend to collect her after filming wrapped up.

The director’s alleged disregard for her wellbeing continued when he supposedly phoned the actress the following day to inquire about her return to set. Hamilton took six weeks to recover from her injuries.

Even upon her return to the studio, she was forced to wear green gloves instead of makeup as the nerves in her hands were still exposed due to the burns.

But Betty Danko, Hamilton’s stunt double, also caught fire while filming a scene on the witch’s broomstick. On this occasion, the pipe producing smoke from the broomstick exploded while Danko was aboard, resulting in severe burns and permanent scarring.

Makeup poisoning

The Wicked Witch of the West wasn’t the only character who had to endure heavy makeup on set, with other actors also facing challenges with their costumes.

Die-hard fans will recall the quirky Tin Man who was in search of a heart as he journeyed down the yellow brick road. To achieve the silver, metallic look, actor Buddy Ebsen, who originally played the Tin Man, was painted with pure aluminium.

It wasn’t long before the actor was hospitalised after frequently ingesting the makeup. He woke up one night suffering from severe cramps in his hands, arms and legs, along with difficulty breathing.

The star had been filming The Wizard of Oz for just nine days when he was hospitalised and had to spend two weeks in an oxygen tent due to the aluminium dust in his makeup.

Much like Margaret Hamilton, film bosses reportedly insisted that he return to work.

When he was unable to return to the set, producers replaced him with actor Jack Haley, ensuring they used different makeup that didn’t contain pure aluminium.

Despite these changes, Jack also suffered from a severe eye infection due to the products used to paint him bright silver each day.

Director ‘slapped movie star’

Things weren’t all rosy for lead Judy Garland either, who was only 16 years old at the time of filming.

During the filming, the young actress was allegedly made to follow a strict diet and pop “pep pills” to suppress her hunger to maintain a slender figure for the camera.

But it wasn’t just the diet that was tough; she also had a rough time with Victor Fleming, the director of the movie, who reportedly slapped her on set for not being able to keep a straight face during scenes.

It’s also been claimed that despite her starring role, Judy was paid almost the least among the cast, with her paycheck being only a tad higher than that of her four-legged friend Toto.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk