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‘The Wizard of Oz’ Behind the Scenes: 17 Crazy, Creepy Things You’ve Never Heard Before

Follow The Yellow Brick road to these startling reveals, like how Judy Garland was slapped on set!

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Sure, The Wizard of Oz is a beloved family movie with tons of quotable quotes, but there are so many hidden secrets about this hit classic that you probably never caught when you first watched it all those years ago. In fact, The Wizard of Oz behind the scenes is a treasure trove of little-known facts and strange but true trivia facts.

For instance, certain actors who played our favorite Wizard of Oz characters were stuck in uncomfortable and even downright dangerous costumes or situations on set. From damaging makeup and hot, heavy (100-pound!) costumes, these actors endured many sticky situations to build this memorable film. That’s not the only surprise most viewers didn’t realize!

In addition to the many juicy behind-the-scenes secrets about the making of The Wizard of Oz, there are also some blatantly embarrassing bloopers that somehow made it into the final version. We’re sure the filmmakers hoped we’d never notice these mistakes — one of which involves actress Judy Garland and her iconic dress — but believe us: Once you see them, you’ll never be able to un-see them!

Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow in a scene from the film 'The Wizard Of Oz', 1939.(Wizard of Oz behind the scenes)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty

The Wizard of Oz behind the scenes

After we started digging, so many other Wizards of Oz secrets blew our minds. Ever wonder where the name for the “Land of Oz” comes from? And take a wild guess which of the beloved film’s most iconic songs was almost cut from the movie? Producers thought it was too long — and too slow — for younger audiences, but this timeless film just wouldn’t be the same if they hadn’t decided at the last minute to include it.

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