However, Toto jumps out of the gondola to chase a cat and Dorothy chases after him as the balloon is carried away. Among other injuries, there was a "two-inch-deep wound that nearly circled Danko's leg, which was full of bits of her costume." Obsessed with travel? The Wizard of Oz | The MGM Optical Department photographed the film's titles. ", There was a trap door on set that didn't open fast enough, so Hamilton got caught in the flames. Impulse Pictures is proud to present APHRODISIAC! The slap scene between Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion has a story behind it. The actor, who stayed active in show business long after Dorothy had returned to her home in Kansas, died May 24 at an assisted-care facility in the San Billy Curtis on his work in High Plains Drifter (1973). Curtis became an advocate for equality, working with Billy Barty to pressure the Screen Actors Guild in the early 1970s to allow little people to have full union membership and voting privileges. Prior to that time, little people operated on waivers. "We're proud of our history," Feiner says, "which includes a large amount of the optical restoration work on the Star Wars trilogy. While that film was still in production, it was announced that The Wizard of Oz would also be filmed in Technicolor. Diminutive American actor Billy Curtis avoided the usual onus of freak-show employment as a youth, opting for a mainstream job as a shoe clerk. Our thanks to Fred Detmers, Buddy Ebsen, Lois January, and the late George Cukor, Billy Curtis, Marcel Delgado, Harold Rosson, ASC and Harry Wolf, ASC. Also learn how He earned most of Billy Curtis networth? The dancing Scarecrow sequence was an outtake stored on 250 feet of film less than three minutes of screen time in the CRI (Color Reversal Intermediate) format. Release Date: Tuesday, August 15 1939 83 years ago . Others who were considered included Victor Moore, Hugh Herbert, Robert Benchley and Charles Winninger. were photographed separately and double-printed onto the spinning background. A.I. In regards to having bathroom attendants, Margaret Pellegrini, one of the last surviving Munchkin actors, added that it was "the first time I'd ever had anybody help me go to the bathroom. Louis B. Meyer, the co-founder of MGM, often referred to Judy Garland as "my little hunchback." The resulting composite was back-projected outside Dorothy and the window. (Cinetech handled this portion of the restoration project. ), The original black-and-white negative photographed by Hal Rosson was lost in a 1970s fire at The George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, arrives and slides the evil witch's magic ruby slippers on Dorothy's feet. And if you're curious, one of the costumes for the Cowardly Lion sold for over $3 million at a New York auction a few years ago. If we had scanned from the original fine-grain, we would have copied the abrasion and emulsion digs and that would have required extensive digital paintwork. at the Wyndham's Theatre. In the famous poppy field scenes of the movie where a snowstorm was shown, the snow was not snow but asbestos. The final cost was $2,777,000. The digital restoration work was executed on Silicon Graphics 02 platforms and several dual-processor Octanes running Matador Paint and Cineon applications software. We all know that the film Wizard of Oz is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's book titled 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900, its illustrator was W.W He is from MA. "We assembled and trained a staff with the appropriate skills and film sensibilities, plus the dedication needed to do the job properly," Feiner says. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. But this was the 9th adaptation of the book 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.' Billy Curtis. One of his early roles was uncredited as a Munchkin city father in The Wizard of Oz (1939). He had a featured role as part of the circus troupe in Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur (1942). He also appeared in Superman and the Mole Men (1951), a B-Picture intended as the pilot for the Adventures of Superman TV series. After several takes, the pyrotechnics ignited too soon and she was seriously burned on the face and hand. Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! That would equate to almost $2,300 per week in 2019. One would think it to be Judy Garland, but she only made $500 per week. The studio hired an assistant director and a lieutenant to keep an eye on everyone, but "many of them would wind up in jail and have to be bailed out." When Jack Haley replaced him, they started using a safer aluminum paste as makeup. We have estimated Did Dorothy wear a pink shirt or a white one? Pacific Title/Mirage was selected by Warner Bros. to restore the black-and-white segments of The Wizard of Oz, plus the additional Scarecrow sequence, which was filmed in Technicolor. Being L. Frank Baum's best-seller, the book is today one of the popular choices in children's literature and has been translated to languages from around the world. Fleming was one five directors who worked on Oz, but he left before it finished to take over Gone With the Wind. Sat, Jun 10 1922 Billy Curtis was: 30. The last one who died in 2018 was Jerry Maren, one of the adult Munchkins. 1957. Among other injuries, there was a "two-inch-deep wound that nearly circled Danko's leg, which was full of bits of her costume.". Later, Hamilton's stunt double, Betty Danko, was badly injured while riding (on wires) the witch's smoke-spitting broomstick. The trio (plus Toto, whose real name was Terry) approaches the Cowardly Lion's hunting grounds. WebThe Wizard of Oz Minor Cast Members View source This partial list of the minor cast in the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz includes extras and stand-ins and stunt players. A musical adaptation also originated in 1902, which, a year later, was transformed to Broadway. Fields' Wizard would've been more of a con-man while Morgan played him as a frightened little humbug. Aside from the added expense, many patrons claimed that color films gave them headaches the same complaint they had lodged against talkies a decade earlier. In his palace, Toto pulls aside a curtain, revealing a man operating levers that create the illusion of the Wizard. The top of the sock was attached to a small car on the bottom of the gantry. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf were the credited authors of the final screenplay, which was begun in late February 1938 and completed in August. | Billy, all 42 of him, played the good guy sheriff (who finally arrests the bad guy and gets the girl) in 1938s Terror in Tiny Town. This last epic was one of the few instances that Curtis was cast as a good guy; many of his ( more) Her screen test convinced everyone that she was ideal for the part. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. These structures strongly resemble Alex Raymond's 1934 drawings of Ming's Diamond City in the newspaper cartoon Flash Gordon. Shirley Temple, Twentieth Century Foxs child superstar, was originally sought for the lead role of Dorothy, but for various reasons, the deal was never consummated. The renowned Ruby Slippers were taken for free. The prop exploded, sending her to the hospital for 11 days and leaving her with permanent scars. No, you have no eye vision issues. Fuller's earth was fed into the muslin funnel from above, and enough of it escaped through the porous muslin to blur the edges of the sock realistically. Edna Mae Oliver and Margaret Hamilton were interviewed, and the role went to Hamilton. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. Georgina Onuorah has been announced as the lead role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz this summer, produced by Michael Harrison and the Really Useful Group.. Apparently they spent most of their time after work at bars and "were disorderly as hell, yelling and screaming." While filming the scene, the actor Judy Garland kept giggling, and, frustrated, the director Victor Flemming took Judy aside and slapped her for real. They tried using food coloring, "but the colors were not subtle enough." A silent version of the book was made in 1910 by Selig Polyscope Company, which, if you want to have a look at it, is available on the internet. ", Jack Young, one of the film's makeup artists, revealed that the green makeup contained copper oxide, which made it toxic. WebCurtis "The Pimp" Bennett (Prisoner #01B624) is an African American inmate featured in Oz. Adjusted for inflation, that's just over $900 in today's world. Completely untrue. Note: Submissions include topics of sexual assault. Behind the Curtain: The Wizard of Oz - The American Society of Cinematographers (en-US) Historical April 25, 2023 Behind the Curtain: The Wizard of Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! All Rights Reserved. Act now to receive 12 issues of the award-winning AC magazine the worlds finest cinematography resource. May Robson and Sarah Padden were tested for Aunt Em; Clara Blandick got the part. 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Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action. Most producers were reluctant to go forward with color films even after the much-improved three-color process was introduced in 1934. WebThe Wizard of Oz. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous Family (1) Spouse Curtis, Joann (1948 - 1988) (his death) (2 children) Trivia (7) Billy Curtis was the main reason for Judy Garland 's comment that the Munchkins were "little drunks." Glinda tells her she can go home if she clicks the heels of the ruby slippers and thinks "There's no place like home" three times. This was because the producers thought the song to be too slow and not interesting enough for the children, and also, the studio head Louis B was of the view that the song was depressing. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. Pacific Title was founded in Los Angeles in 1919, the very same year that the ASC came into being. THE SEXUAL SECRET OF MARIJUANA in the much longer sexually "When we scanned our dupe at full film resolution, there was no loss in image quality. If one scans a full-aperture anamorphic frame in full color, the file size would run about 45 megabytes. Alfred Hitchcock Presents. They had to work fast between each take, though, because "the horses invariably managed to lick off most of the Jell-O between shots.". Age information for actors in the movie The Wizard Of Oz, released on Tuesday, August 15 1939. The next casualty was Margaret Hamilton, who was supposed to disappear from Munchkinland in a burst of smoke and fire. By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. While cleaning the warehouses of MGM, they asked Warner to give them a hand and offered him whatever costume piece he wanted for free. Admitting that he is just a balloonist from Kansas, the Wizard offers to take Dorothy home. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. An oft-told legend maintains that the tornado was created by manipulating a windblown silk stocking through a tabletop set. The McDonalds character, Mayor McCheese, was played by Billy, from its creation until his death in 1988. LeRoy wanted Ed Wynn, who felt that the part was too small. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Her performance as the Wicked Witch would frighten generations of children, who routinely cowered when they met her in person. Amen. 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This was done in exchange for allowing Clark Gable and Jean Harlow to star in Fox's Old Chicago film. WebCaptain of the Winkie Guard (uncredited) Buster Brodie Winged Monkey (uncredited) Ethelreda Leopold Emerald City Manicurist (uncredited) Billy Curtis Munchkin Jimmy the Crow (uncredited) Gillespie had a 35' wind sock cast in thin rubber and ordered a steel gantry specially built and suspended from the ceiling. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! ", The digital files for both the Technicolor and black-and-white sequences were converted to intermediate film with a Kodak laser film recorder. The Wizard of Oz was highly successful in its New York run at the Capitol most of the New York critics hated it, but who cared? Initially, he wanted to stop after the sixth book itself, but he had to continue writing due to financial issues. This article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for. The picture was produced in 1938-39, with the Great Depression slowly grinding to a close and the specter of global war looming on the horizon. Toto escapes and brings Dorothy's friends to rescue her, but they are also captured. The Wizard of Oz | The men who were hired to play the winged monkeys were attached to ''bat wings'' and a small motor suited to power windshield-wipers. I will return to work on one condition no more fireworks! It's easy to imagine any of these actors performing the role beautifully, but the final choice, Frank Morgan, proved to be the perfect Wizard. Sid Two effects units operated within Cedric Gibbons' art department. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. The picture's fine-grain master was stored at the Library of Congress. The cigars just for show.. Toto was paid much more than the three munchkins. "Most people wouldn't have noticed that, but I've worked on a lot of trailers for TV in CRI format. He was paid $50 a week; the dog that playedToto, meanwhile, got $125. He had tracks made of half-tubing and designed a special dolly equipped with half-tube runners that fitted over the tracks. Adjusted for inflation, that's $898 by 2021's standards. According to Danko, it "felt as though my scalp was coming off. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. According to Feiner, this process requires 4K x 3K of digital data with 10 bits of log space per pixel. The camera was placed in the center and spun rapidly while the muslin remained stationary. By manipulating the car, the effects experts could make the tornado twist and perform erratic moves. The story exerts warmth and thrills, making it a masterpiece and a must-see film for the young and the old. In contrast to their choices for their actors, the studio chose a safer option to paint the horses. It's a hazardous journey. In 1913, Baum founded the Oz Film Company in Hollywood and made three Land of Oz features, all of which failed. But much to the disappointment of its makers, the film did not do very well at the box office. Tornado shots were used alone and as process plates to be projected behind Dorothy during her attempt to elude the funnel. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Filming & Production Model monkeys in various scales, of sizes down to six inches, flying on wires hanging from the tornado gantry, were used in the backgrounds and miniature landscapes. Dorothy and her friends take the broomstick and return to face the Mighty Oz. "We wanted to provide a pristine internegative which accurately emulates the original Wizard of Oz, and provide an enduring film record for future generations to enjoy.". WebCurtis' big movie season was 1938-39: he was cast in The Wizard of Oz (1939) (albeit with voice dubbed by Pinto Colvig) and as the cowboy hero of the all-dwarf western The Feiner opted to make a contact liquid-gate dupe negative of the fine-grain IP, which eliminated the worst of the abrasions and emulsion digs. He was 98. Aug. 15, 1939: The west-coast premiere of The Wizard of Oz at Grauman's Theater in Los Angeles. The green makeup used for Margaret Hamilton's costume was so, MGM hired attendants to help the little people on and off studio toilets because one of the Munchkin actors got, Clara Blandick, who played Auntie Em, committed, Margaret Hamilton, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, suffered second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hand after a stunt, The male actors who played Munchkins would often, In fact, a lot of the Munchkin actors were so bad that an MGM employee was literally assigned to watch over them, and a lot of the actors ended up getting, Buddy Ebsen was the original Tin Man, but the aluminum dust from the makeup, Figuring out how to color the horses in Emerald City was an extremely difficult task, and the studio ultimately decided to paint them with, The actors who played Munchkins were only paid, And Terry, the dog who played Toto, was paid nearly three times as much as the Munchkins. Born June 27, 1909 in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. "We test scanned the original fine-grain and the dupe to see if there were discernible differences in resolution, sharpness and overall image quality," he says. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? The fine-grain intermediate provided by The Library of Congress showed no visible signs of vinegar syndrome or shrinkage, and it had a stable base. Fleming was one five directors who worked on Oz, but he left before it finished to take over Gone With the Wind. Some of the best remembered 'beauty shots' in Oz are Newcombe composites, such as scenes in which the towering buildings of the Emerald City loom in the distance as Dorothy and her friends follow the yellow brick road. Did you know that it took more than a year for deep grooves to leave Ray Bolger's face from the prosthetics? There was a lot of drama about casting over the next few years, and the part ultimately went to Judy Garland. In 1973, Maren played as a child ape in the sequel Battle for the Planet of the Apes and starred in the comedy film Little Cigars opposite another former Munchkin, Billy Curtis. I believe we bring a unique film aesthetic to the use of digital tools for restoration.". --Billy Curtis, Lord High Mayor of Munchkinland Judy Garland starred in The Wizard of Oz when she was 16. An ambitious restoration project by Warner Bros. has returned the film to its original splendor, with the possible addition of a special effects dance sequence involving the Scarecrow. In a last-minute decision, MGM finally took the three-color plunge for a 12-reel feature, Sweethearts, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. Half of the time we were hanging from the ceiling, but it was a way of life for us., Billy Curtis, one of the Munchkin actors, remembered the event, saying, "They had to clean him off like he was a baby." Due to this hazardous effect, the actor, Hamilton, could not consume anything while she had her green makeup on. MGM wanted 10-year-old Shirley Temple instead. Apparently, they spent most of their time after work at bars and "were disorderly as hell, yelling and screaming." The main camera, mounted on a huge crane, was kept moving, tracking with the subjects in most shots. Producer Mervyn LeRoy helped persuade MGM's Louis B. Mayer to acquire the rights to L. Frank Baum's book and played a crucial role in the casting of the characters. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. Any information you provide to us via this website may be placed by us on servers located in countries outside the EU if you do not agree to such placement, do not provide the information. Ebsen was hospitalized and forced out of The Wizard of Oz's production because of the costuming and makeup. Judy Garland, 16, was under contract to MGM and was a stronger singer than Temple, but was at first thought to be too old for the part. Ebsen claimed to have breathing problems for the rest of his life because of "that damned movie.". Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice was first considered for the Good Witch, but the final choice was Billie Burke, Ziegfeld's widow. Let's disclose the ones surrounding the episodic book. ", She did her hair and makeup one final time, put on her nicest outfit, and took an overdose of sleeping pills. She had to go through a lot of physical and verbal abuse on set. After reciting this magical mantra, Dorothy awakens in her bed, surrounded by her aunt and uncle, the three farmhands who bear an uncanny resemblance to the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion and Professor Marvel, whom we realize is the Wizard. This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Billy Curtis (born Luigi Curto; June 27, 1909 November 9, 1988) was an American film and television actor with dwarfism, who had a 50-year career in the entertainment industry. The bulk of his work was in the western and science fiction genres, portraying a little person. Marcel Delgado, the sculptor and technician who had made the models for The Lost World and King Kong, cast the bodies in rubber over aluminum armatures, with hinges for the wings. The only remaining copies were protection fine-grain intermediates made by MGM Labs in 1960. Principal photography wrapped on March 16, 1939, after five months of production. WebThe Wizard of Oz (1939) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Studios also tried using cornflakes that were painted white to look like snow, but this method was too noisy because of the crunching sound it made whenever actors walked during scenes. It included cornfields, the house, the barn, and fences. Ultimately, they sponged colorful Jell-O powders onto the horses to get the right color and effect. Company Credits Just 4 feet 11.5 inches, she could be underweight and still appear heavy or out of proportion on screen., In the memoir Judy and I: My Life with Judy Garland, Sidney Luft revealed that a lot of the older male Munchkin actors were "naughty." Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. "We now use wet-gate technology to protect the film when it is contact-printed or duplicated with an optical printer," Feiner explains. LeRoy wanted Gale Sondergaard to play the Wicked Witch as a glamorous villainess, but the studio chiefs overruled him, demanding a traditional witch. The walls of the spout consisted of a circle of painted muslin, 35' in diameter. Munchkin Father. ", Billy Curtis, one of the Munchkin actors, remembered the event, saying, "They had to clean him off like he was a baby." In that time, the 1970s, to be more precise, Kurt Warner was the set designer, and he also assisted in wardrobe management in Hollywood during the 1970s. Encouraged by stock company actress Shirley Booth to take a little person role in a stage production, Curtis soon became a professional actor, with numerous Broadway musical productions to his credit. "The supervisor, Mark Freund, has been a great optical camera operator for us for years.". A patented imbibition process was used to transfer the image information onto release prints for theaters. As she arrives, a tornado hits the house. But did we not see the color correctly? It is basically a morality film that teaches if you have hope, anything is possible. What made it look pink was the idiosyncrasies of technicolor, a process that consists of the dye-transfer technique. Maren sang, We represent the Lollipop Guild/And we welcome you to Munchkinland, and presented a oversized lollipop to Dorothy (Judy Garland). The only reason she didn't sue the studio was because "I know how this business works, and I would never work again. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so its important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. When requests were made for duplicate negatives, MGM Labs fashioned a copy from this source. Lanky, loose-jointed dancer Buddy Ebsen was signed to play the Scarecrow, a part for which he was ideally suited. However, another tall dancer, Ray Bolger, wanted the part so badly that he replaced Ebsen, who was then assigned to play the Tin Woodsman. Ironically enough, today it is one of the most-watched films of all time. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. One of his most unusual roles was as the smaller version of "The Thing" (replacing James Arness) in the creature's final scene in The Thing from Another World (1951). A silver ball floats like a giant bubble into the scene, looming larger and larger as it moves into the foreground of the set. They were flown on piano wires and their wings were made to flap by means of small hidden motors. Stories of randy Munchkinland behavior, like the anecdotes Judy Garland told frequently in her later.
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