MGM’s 1939 The Wizard of Oz was built on studio soundstages, shaped by multiple directors, and packed with detailed costume and prop work. Here are 15 documented production facts, with later recollections identified as such.
How MGM filmed the world of Oz
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The fantasy world was made on the MGM lot
The film’s Oz was created on studio sets in Hollywood rather than captured on location, according to the Library of Congress production exhibition.
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A scene could use as many as nine cameras
The Library of Congress says MGM sometimes used as many as nine cameras to cover a scene. Some were concealed in bushes or potted plants to obtain close-ups without drawing attention to the equipment.
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Technicolor meant banks of powerful lights
Color filming required extensive lighting on the stage floors and overhead catwalks, the Library of Congress reports.
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The lighting made the stages uncomfortably hot
The heat was especially difficult for performers wearing heavy costumes, according to the same Library of Congress account.
What the costumes required
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The wardrobe department made almost 1,000 costumes
The Library of Congress counts almost 1,000 costumes for 600 actors. Those figures describe the production as reported by the institution; they are not a count of surviving garments.
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Emerald City extras wore individually detailed jackets
A surviving townsman’s jacket in the Library of Congress collection reveals fine handwork. Jackets that look nearly identical differ in the loop pattern across the yoke.
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The Cowardly Lion had more than one wig treatment
The surviving Lion wig has a separate beard. A second wig version was made for the scene in which the character gets a “permanent wave,” the Library of Congress notes.
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The Scarecrow’s mask came after weeks of tests
Ray Bolger’s mask was made from sponge rubber after weeks of experimentation. It flexed around his features and could be reused if removed carefully, but the Library of Congress says it reportedly lasted only a few days.
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A surviving Munchkin outfit belonged to a Lollipop Guild member
The Library of Congress identifies its surviving Munchkin costume as the one worn by Jerry Maren, the central member of the Lollipop Guild.
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Why Dorothy’s shoes are ruby red
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Ruby slippers were not the only design considered
The Library of Congress says MGM developed several footwear designs, including one reminiscent of the silver shoes in L. Frank Baum’s book.
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Each shoe in the described pair has 2,300 sequins
The pair described by the Library of Congress is covered in red satin and has 2,300 sequins on each shoe.
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The change from silver to ruby made use of color
Baum’s shoes are silver; MGM’s film made them ruby. The Library of Congress describes the explanation that the color would show better in the film’s color photography as “purportedly,” so it should be treated as an attributed account rather than a definitively established motive.
Music, story choices and the people behind the camera
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The film commissioned songs for its version of Oz
The Library of Congress says the film used new music rather than songs from stage adaptations that had little connection to the Oz story. E. Y. “Yip” Harburg wrote the lyrics and Harold Arlen composed the music.
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“Over the Rainbow” was nearly dropped
In a recollection reproduced in Yale Film Archive program notes, Harburg said the song was removed from the film after the first preview because the director and producer considered it too slow and disruptive to the pace. He recalled that it was left out of subsequent previews, then reinstated after associate producer Arthur Freed pressed for it. This is Harburg’s later account, not a surviving production order quoted by the archive.
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Several directors helped shape the finished film
Yale’s program notes describe five directors’ involvement. George Cukor did not shoot footage, but influenced the looks of Dorothy and the Wicked Witch; Victor Fleming directed most of the shoot; and King Vidor completed mainly the sepia Kansas material after Fleming left to take over Gone with the Wind.
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