Believe it or not, the movie almost didn't look anything like the version we watch every year. It’s weird to think about. When you ask who played in Wizard of Oz, the names Judy Garland and Ray Bolger probably pop into your head immediately. But the road to Oz was messy. It was actually a revolving door of actors, near-fatal accidents, and some of the most aggressive studio interference in Hollywood history.
L. Frank Baum’s world was already famous by 1939, but Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was terrified of failing. They spent millions. They fired directors. They even swapped the actors' roles around like musical chairs before the cameras finally stayed on.
The Girl in the Gingham: Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale
Most people assume Judy Garland was the only choice for Dorothy. She wasn't. Shirley Temple was actually the studio's first pick. Can you imagine that? Shirley Temple, the biggest child star on the planet, almost took the role. But 20th Century Fox wouldn’t trade her to MGM, so the part went to sixteen-year-old Judy.
Garland was basically forced to look younger than she was. The studio put her on a strict diet, reportedly consisting of chicken soup, black coffee, and endless cigarettes to keep her weight down. They even bound her chest with a corset to hide her curves. It was brutal. Despite the mistreatment, her performance became the emotional anchor of the film. Without her "Over the Rainbow," the movie probably would have been just another flashy musical that faded away.
The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Great Role Swap
The casting for the three companions is where things get truly chaotic. Ray Bolger was originally cast as the Tin Man. He hated it. He desperately wanted to be the Scarecrow because his idol, Fred Stone, had played the role on stage in 1902.
Bolger eventually convinced Buddy Ebsen—who was set to play the Scarecrow—to swap roles. Ebsen agreed. It was a decision that almost killed him.
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Ebsen started filming as the Tin Man, but the makeup was made of pure aluminum dust. After nine days, his lungs failed. He couldn't breathe. He was rushed to the hospital and spent weeks in an iron lung. MGM didn't even wait for him to get better; they just hired Jack Haley to replace him. Haley wasn't told why Ebsen left, though the studio did switch to an aluminum paste instead of dust to keep him alive. If you listen closely to the group songs like "We're Off to See the Wizard," you can actually still hear Buddy Ebsen's voice in the chorus because they didn't want to re-record the audio.
Bert Lahr: The Cowardly Lion in 90-Pound Skin
Bert Lahr was a vaudeville star, and it shows. He brought a specific kind of "Borscht Belt" comedy to the role of the Lion. But his experience was a nightmare of physical endurance.
His costume was made of real lion skins. It weighed about 90 pounds. Under the intense heat of the Technicolor lights—which often made the set temperature rise above 100 degrees—Lahr was constantly soaking wet with sweat. The makeup was so restrictive he could only eat through a straw. He basically lived on soup and milkshakes for the entire production. Honestly, it's a miracle he managed to be funny at all while wearing a heavy rug in a furnace.
The Wicked Witch and the Glinda Contrast
Margaret Hamilton played the Wicked Witch of the West, and she did it too well. She was actually a former kindergarten teacher who loved children, but she became the face of nightmares for generations.
She also got hurt. During the scene where she disappears in a cloud of smoke in Munchkinland, the trapdoor failed. The pyrotechnics went off while she was still there. She suffered second and third-degree burns on her face and hands. When she returned to work, she refused to work with fire ever again. You can't blame her.
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On the flip side, you had Billie Burke as Glinda the Good Witch. Burke was 54 years old at the time—more than twice the age of Judy Garland—but she projected this ethereal, ageless quality. She was a massive star in her own right, married to the legendary Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld. She brought a level of prestige to the film that helped people take a "fairytale" seriously.
The Wizard Himself: Frank Morgan’s Five Roles
Frank Morgan didn't just play the Wizard. He was a busy guy on that set. If you watch closely, you'll see him as:
- Professor Marvel in the Kansas scenes.
- The Doorman at the Emerald City.
- The Cabbie driving the Horse-of-a-Different-Color.
- The Guard at the Wizard's palace.
- The Wizard of Oz.
It’s a clever bit of casting that suggests Dorothy’s dream is pulling from the people she knows in real life. Morgan was known for his "flustered" acting style, which was perfect for a humbug wizard who was just faking it till he made it.
The Munchkins and the Winged Monkeys
There were 124 little people hired to play the Munchkins. They were mostly members of a troupe called the Singer Dwarfs, though many Americans were also recruited. Contrary to the wild rumors of wild parties at the Culver Hotel, most of the Munchkins were professional performers working for very low wages—often less than what Toto the dog was making.
Speaking of the dog, Terry (the Cairn Terrier who played Toto) was a seasoned pro. She appeared in about 13 films. She even had her foot broken when one of the Winkie Guards accidentally stepped on her. She recovered and lived a long life, eventually having her name officially changed to Toto.
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Why This Cast Still Matters
The reason we still talk about who played in Wizard of Oz nearly a century later isn't just nostalgia. It’s the chemistry. These were actors from different worlds—vaudeville, Broadway, and the new Hollywood studio system—colliding in a way that shouldn't have worked.
The production was plagued by four different directors (Richard Thorpe, George Cukor, Victor Fleming, and King Vidor). Each one had a different vision. Cukor was the one who told Judy Garland to stop acting like a "fancy" girl and just be herself. That’s why her performance feels so modern compared to the stylized acting of the 1930s.
Surprising Facts About the Supporting Cast
- The Winged Monkeys: Pat Walshe played Nikko, the lead monkey. He was a veteran animal impersonator who spent his career playing apes and monkeys in various shows.
- The Aunt and Uncle: Clara Blandick (Aunt Em) and Charley Grapewin (Uncle Henry) were veteran character actors. Grapewin, in particular, had a career spanning back to the 1800s.
- The Apple Trees: One of the actors playing a grumpy apple tree was actually Mitchell Lewis, who also played a Captain of the Winkie Guards.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you want to truly appreciate the cast next time you watch, look for these specific details:
- Watch the Scarecrow's face: The burlap texture on Ray Bolger's skin was actually a rubber mask that left permanent lines on his face for a year after filming ended.
- Listen for Ebsen: In the song "We're Off to See the Wizard," try to pick out the deeper voice that doesn't sound like Jack Haley. That's the "ghost" of the original Tin Man.
- Check the Wizard's coat: There is a famous legend that the coat Frank Morgan wore as Professor Marvel was bought at a thrift store and later discovered to have belonged to L. Frank Baum himself. The studio and Baum's widow confirmed it at the time, though some historians still debate if it was a lucky find or a genius PR stunt.
To get the full experience, look for the 4K restoration. The detail in the costumes—from the real lion fur to the sequins on the ruby slippers—shows the insane amount of labor that went into making these actors look like icons. Knowing the physical pain they went through to bring these characters to life makes the movie feel a lot more "human" and a lot less like a corporate product.