It broke my heart when Margaret Hamilton was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. To be in suffering with the rest of the crew, the lasting effects go on longer than Judy's addictions. I give no shortage of sympathy on Judy's trauma, but for Hamilton to slowly forget all she is and has done, for her real person and place in the world fade away, is truely disheartening.

@flavorfulsoup We're all allies here; you don't have to speak in code.

@flavorfulsoup We're all allies here; you don't have to speak in code.

Lol. Have you heard of this thing called: dying?

Lol. Have you heard of this thing called: dying?

@Meh animationZ Bader? You mean as in the actor Diedrich Bader?

@Meh animationZ Bader? You mean as in the actor Diedrich Bader?

@MaskedMan66 Everywhere at the end of time

@MaskedMan66 Everywhere at the end of time

@Declan Van Heel A reference to what now?

@Declan Van Heel A reference to what now?

“Place in the world fades away” was that meant to be a reference to EATEOT?

“Place in the world fades away” was that meant to be a reference to EATEOT?

@Pikana Margaret Hamilton didn't give a toss about it either, nor did the actors who wore the same make-up to play the Winkies. The copper was what gave the make-up the green color. It's also worth pointing out that people use copper utensils, copper cookware, and wear copper jewelry. If it was as "T.O.X.I.C." as all that, we wouldn't ever go near the stuff.

Miss Hamilton would tell you to relax and just enjoy the movie.

The sheer fact that, unlike Asbestos, Copper Paint was ACTUALLY KNOWN TO BE T.O.X.I.C and they didn't give a single fuck made me sick to my stomach. Will working my way through this, just finished Hamilton's segment.

@MaskedMan66 whell my grandma is unfortunately that person that thinks she is always right and won’t give up on that she broke the dishwasher last week when she was trying to get it open while the dishes where cleaning but to me she is actually pretty nice and says I’m her favourite nephew and she will always ask me if I’m hungry and bring me cookies even if I’m not but to my mom she is kinda rude sometimes with my grandpa she will always argue with him what to do and she even blamed my mom that she broke the dishwasher all tho we literally saw her brake it she can be pretty nice, yust rude and annoying or yust forget everything and think that her daughter (my mom) is her mom and that my uncle (her son) is her father sometimes she is ok but sometimes she yust forgets who he is and basically she forgets everything like where she lives where she is who she is who are the people she know basically it’s getting worse by the years but also better idk

@Kurči My paternal grandmother had it as well; the interesting thing was that she knew her limitations and didn't try doing anything that could prove hazardous. She also forgot who her own close relatives were and even had to ask if her name was the one she remembered for herself. But she always kept a good attitude and loved to listen to us talking even if, as she put it, she "wasn't acquainted with" what we were discussing.

My grandma has Alzheimer and it’s horrible she once forgot how to make some sausages and almost burned the house down she sometimes is ok and sometimes yust forgets everything even asking me who am I it’s horrible and terrifying

@Mobius One Name me one billionaire out of the people I've been talking about, then. I'll wait.

@Mobius One Name me one billionaire out of the people I've been talking about, then. I'll wait.

@MaskedMan66 I mean, that's a good lie I guess, but good try!

@MaskedMan66 I mean, that's a good lie I guess, but good try!

@Mobius One Nobody involved in the making of "The Wizard of Oz" was a billionaire, and it's a cinch that none of the authors I've cited are either. So I don't know who you think you're talking about.

@Sup3rshockwav3 LOL  No, I've not given you my word. I've given you information from film history. If that's not good nough for you, then I wonder how much of anything you haven't seen you even believe.

@MaskedMan66 Stop simping for billionaires

@MaskedMan66 Stop simping for billionaires

@Double Down please go sub to t teg egg Good thing those are fiction

@Double Down please go sub to t teg egg Good thing those are fiction

@Centrist Glass Cannon no. alzheimers and dimentia can change your personality.

@Centrist Glass Cannon no. alzheimers and dimentia can change your personality.

@MaskedMan66 You've given me nothing but your word and I don't trust your word simple as that why do you have to be right? it makes no difference if you were this entire conversation was pointless regardless

@Sup3rshockwav3 Ignoring things-- as I reckon you're ignoring the link to the John Fricke article-- won't help you.

I've given you new information with every comment. I can only conclude that you're just being a troll. So I'm not going to play this game anymore. Legitimate resources have been pointed out to you-- one with an intro by Margaret Hamilton, another with an intro by Jack Haley, Jr.-- and you are free to read them. If you refuse to, that is your loss.

@MaskedMan66 Repeating the same thing over and over again won't make me believe you

@MaskedMan66 Repeating the same thing over and over again won't make me believe you

@MaskedMan66 I'd rather trust this person with a somewhat trustworthy backround than you and your  professionals that may or may not have said anything that you claim they have said that I just met

@Sup3rshockwav3 P.S.: I never said that I was any of those things. But Mrs. Harmetz and Messrs. Fricke, Scarfone, and Stillman are-- apart from the "level of a god" bit.

@Sup3rshockwav3 Real facts by real professionals. Did you miss the words of Margaret Hamilton herself, or are you actively ignoring them?

John Fricke is one of the world's leading authorities on Oz, and has done commentary for DVD releases of the movie as well as writing books about Judy Garland, giving lectures on her and on Oz for decades. Like Mrs. Harmetz-- who interviewed 48 people, as you also seem to be ignoring-- Fricke has spoken with many of the movie's cast and crew while they yet lived.

Jay Scarfone and William Stillman have between them a vast collection of newspaper and magazine articles from the time the movie was made right through to the years since it became a cultural phenomenon. They know their business.

The only thing that is pointless is offering information to a closed mind-- or rather, a mind that has closed itself, having blindly accepted the word of a random video on YouTube. If this doesn't describe you, and you really do want to know about this movie, you'll find and read those books.

@MaskedMan66 Neither are you any of the aspects mentioned no one here will take take your supposed facts by supposed professionals that supposedly exist stop trying your argument is pointless especially against anyone in this comment section no one will change their minds over this or anything else that you say it's pointless

@MaskedMan66  @MaskedMan66  Those books and people could be fake and frankly I don't trust you to give me any good information because you are against the video completely whatever people you site could also be lying or they aren't real and those books could be lying to save face about the production I'd rather trust this video than some random person who claims to "give reliable authoritative sources" whatever that means and who sites book who for all we know could be fake

@Sup3rshockwav3 Because this "random person" gives reliable, authoritative sources, namely books by people whose life's work has been researching the production of the movie and the lives of the people who made it.

Those books are "The Making of The Wizard of Oz" (1977) by Aljean Harmetz (who interviewed 48 people who worked on the movie, actors and behind-the-scenes personnel alike), "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History" (1989) by John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman, and "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" (2019) by Scarfone and Stillman.

John Fricke, by the way, is one of the world's leading authorities on Oz in general and the MGM movie and Judy Garland in particular.

@MaskedMan66 As if you can just trust anything on YouTube some random person in the comment section is just saying stuff that can't be proven true or false why would anyone trust you over this youtuber? why should we trust you after everything we've heard? after all you could be lying

@Centrist Glass Cannon you do suddenly get it all back in the lead up to your death, it’s called “terminal lucidity”

@Carl Jackson  LOL And of course everything you hear on YouTube must be true, just like the tabloids.

It's not a matter for agreement or disagreement. The facts are long-established, and they are laid out in various sources far more reliable than YouTube videos. Find and read the books "The Making of The Wizard of Oz" (1977) by Aljean Harmetz (who interviewed 48 people who worked on the movie, actors and behind-the-scenes personnel alike), "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History" (1989) by John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman, and "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" (2019) by Scarfone and Stillman.

@MaskedMan66 It's all right there in the video. Your making hundreds of comments disagreeing with whats right there in the video so why you expect anyone to agree with you?

@HotWax93 She didn't go through a "barbiturate regimen" on this film. She had her hair and make-up done at home, then during the eight-hour filming day, she was only allowed by law to work four hours, the rest of her time given to school with the studio tutor and recreation. There was no need for artificial relaxation.

And considering that Judy died of a barbiturate overdose, you could probably say that the barbiturate regimen she went through on this film contributed to her death.

It’s like a penny one side is good and ones bad but in this case it’s bad and bader

It’s like a penny one side is good and ones bad but in this case it’s bad and bader

@Diego_1237 So you're saying you wouldn't be proud of being part of a great American classic? They all were.

@MaskedMan66 I said I rather have it I wasn’t talking about them rather having it

@MaskedMan66 I said I rather have it I wasn’t talking about them rather having it

@Diego_1237 No, just hard work. Margaret Hamilton adored the movie and the people she worked with, and never tired of talking about it. She loved playing the Wicked Witch and reprised the role many times throughout her life, on stage and on television.

All the people who worked on that movie were proud of the result.

I mean tbh I rather have Alzheimers than remembering or being apart of the wizard of oz cast, shit sounds like torture

@Teddy Furstman Any mental ailment is. But some people who get them are tough, and can bear up under them.

@Double Down please go sub to t teg egg The soul is not gone. My grandmother had Alzheimer's, but she remained happy and upbeat, even when she had to be reminded of her own name. Her soul was intact, and she never lost her faith.

@DespacEto115 P.S.: She only worked a total of two or three weeks within that five-month period. Remember, she only has twelve minutes of screen time as the Wicked Witch.

@DespacEto115 You are reaching to a degree that strains credulity. Find me a medical report on her condition that directly and irrevocably links it to the make-up that she (and all the other Winkies in the movie) wore, and then we'll talk.

@MaskedMan66 she might have not had any chance to develop Alzheimer's naturally, but thanks to the Copper paint used on her in the 5 month period and constant application possibly gave her the doomed fate to develop Alzheimer's. I'm certain she accidentally ingested a small amount she herself wasn't aware of, and contracted Alzheimer's later on.

Nothing that happened to Miss Hamilton while making "Wizard"-- or indeed any of the other movies, T.V. shows, and stage plays she worked in-- had anything to do with her Alzheimer's.

@True Reaper45 It's like hollowing in Dark Souls, only it's real

@True Reaper45 It's like hollowing in Dark Souls, only it's real

It is the slow death of memory, though I believe the personality is usually left unscathed. It's like soap opera amnesia without the moment where you suddenly get it all back.


I just got into your channel and I have to say, your writing is really something, it’s incredibly well thought out, and flows very nicely.


Damn Emp, another incredibly deep and entertaining video. Ironically, you truly do deserve a bigger stage my man


The meaning of and history surrounding the book itself is interesting.  It was all about bimetallism,  an economic policy that would inflate the money supply by adding silver as a commodity to back currency along with the gold standard that was already in existence. Made popular by William Jennings Bryan (whom the Wizard was based on), the policy was enormously popular with farmers and the layman. Also interesting: Oz refers to ounces (common measurement in gold and silver), the slippers in the book were silver, and the Wicked Witch of the East is a metaphor for the East Coast industrialist establishment  It is all quite fascinating, really.


I think "separate the art from the artist" may be the best case for something like Wizard of Oz, though in this case, it's a matter of separating the work from the director and studio behind it. It's sad to see that the actors behind Wizard of Oz never got the compensation the should have deserved for putting their health through such awful torment during the film's production. To me, the actors who suffered on set for Wizard of Oz are the real artists behind it, not the greedy executives or enterprise that funded it.

They got paid, what are you talking about? And they weren't "put through such awful torment," they just did hard work; that's all Jack Haley ever called it.


<b>Trivial Fact:</b> The Wizard of Oz book was originally titled as "The Emerald City" but the publishers, who are superstitious, believed that the emerald was a sign of bad luck so they asked Frank to change it. Baum found the name for the fair country drawer on the cabinet file that was named "O - Z". He also named the protagonist Dorothy Gale after his niece who died while writing a book.

*Trivial Fact:* The Wizard of Oz book was originally titled as "The Emerald City" but the publishers, who are superstitious, believed that the emerald was a sign of bad luck so they asked Frank to change it. Baum found the name for the fair country drawer on the cabinet file that was named "O - Z". He also named the protagonist Dorothy Gale after his niece who died while writing a book.

@DylanA00 >>"populist"<br> aka "not my democracy"  kind of democracy

@DylanA00 >>"populist"
 aka "not my democracy"  kind of democracy

@Bobby Smith who knows? Superstitious stuff never really makes sense once you actually try to learn how things work.

@Mr. Friendship You're welcome! The very first adaptation of "Wizard" was a stage musical that began in Chicago in 1902 and soon went to Broadway and became a massive hit. Baum himself was in on the planning stages, which may surprise some people given the huge number of alterations to the story. For just a few examples, Dorothy was aged to 19 so she could have an innocent romance with an Ozite poet called Sir Dashemoff Daily (get it?), she traveled to Oz not with a dog, but with a cow, and the Wizard was actually a full-blown villain.

@MaskedMan66 Thanks for clearing this up.

@Mr. Friendship There are hundreds of them.

@Igor Ivanov Never heard the bit about red shoes.

@DylanA00 That's all rubbish, cooked up by a college professor in the 1960's. The Scarecrow was based on a recurring nightmare Baum had as a child, while the Tin Woodman came from his fascination with tin toys.

@Bobby Smith Not emeralds in particular; the superstition that book publishers used to have pertained to all gemstones.

"The Emerald City" was one title Baum considered, and in fact the sixth book in the series was called "The Emerald City of Oz." It wasn't emeralds specifically that publishers had a superstition about; just any gems in general.

The story of the filing cabinet has never been confirmed, but as one version of it goes, it was three drawers, labeled A-H, I-N, and O-Z.

 Dorothy Gage didn't die while writing a book; she was only a baby.

@Иван Бирюк There's an alternate Oz universe? Interesting.

@I'm just a guy if you think the original book was trippy try reading the sequels!

@Sphere space Fun Fact 4: Years later after receiving letters from Soviet children, Volkov wrote five more books with his own storyline and characters, diverging from that of Baum (he was uninterested in translating more of Baum's books). Thus creating alternate Oz universe.

@Bobby Smith Kakyoin's stand was Emerald Splash, and see how he ended up

Fun fact the ruby slippers weren't originally ruby, they were silver.

Ruby red shoes have become a symbol to those in Hollywood for the more sinister and nefarious acts that take place there.
A sign that one is part of that club.

@Felipe Jaquez your english teacher sounds based

So <i>that's</i> why the Simpsons are green.

@Bobby Smith there could be a few reasons. Emeralds will slowly poison you to deatg if you injest them often enough. There used to be a popular clothing dye color called emerald green which was incredibly toxic. Mold is often green.

That’s funny how Seattle is called the Emerald City now.

"Волшебник изумрудного города", how it was called in Soviet Union

Тимофей Лебедев

My mom read me that book. It was trippy af

I find it kinda funny, because my high school marching band was named “The Emerald Aliance”. The year before I joined they did a show called “Wicked” about the Wicked Witch of the West. Just an interesting coincidence.

@DylanA00 sounding like my English Teacher rn

Fun fact 3: the wizard of oz story is thought to originally be populist propaganda. The emerald city being a metaphor for big industrial cities like NYC. The tin man being a metaphor for a factory worker, the scarecrow being a metaphor for the farmers that couldnt make enough money to support themselves, and the lion being a metaphor for the democratic presidential cantidate William Jennings Brian who could have brought the populist movement to the white house if he was fully committed.


I remember the first time I watched this video, I didn’t want it to end. This is such a well made video but I’m not gonna write a whole essay about it. I’m instead gonna watch it again for like the 5th time<br>Edit: Just got done watching it again. Still such an amazing video

I remember the first time I watched this video, I didn’t want it to end. This is such a well made video but I’m not gonna write a whole essay about it. I’m instead gonna watch it again for like the 5th time
Edit: Just got done watching it again. Still such an amazing video


This movie always was special to me. Was my mom’s favourite movie and I remember watching the old 80s VHS and then we got the DVD collection when they first did that. But it was one of the few very early movie’s I genuinely loved. It may have some really fucked up things behind the scenes but I’ll still love the movie


The people freaking out about how "nightmarish" this production was have never been in any kind of acting gig.

I worked in local theater (as in REAL people on a stage not films) and the number of people I met with chemical dependencies, serious mental issues, and suicidal costumes someone wore quintupled every month.

I've never known a costume that wanted to kill itself.


It's incredible that you pulled the ending anecdote out of your recollection when you were writing the epilogue of this video. I aspire to be as talented as you are as a writer someday.


Ironic how a film about exposing the man behind the curtain ultimately loses its magic once you look behind its own curtains.

There is no such thing as lost magic... Magic comes from emotion, pain is an emotion

@ReaverCity Exactly! Margaret Hamilton easily suffered the most of anyone on that project, and she adored the movie for the rest of her life. She even played the Wicked Witch many more times, both on stage and on television.

@Sir Grim Locksmith VIII She suffered no such thing. She only worked for four hours a day and was great friends with her co-workers. If anyone maltreated her, you may be sure that either Victor Fleming or Mervyn LeRoy would have made sure that person was fired.

i dont know about that, it is still a magical film and those apart of it made something wonderful.

dismissing that would be dismissing their sacrifices to achieve it.

@MaskedMan66 Bruh Judy Garland straight-up suffered physical and psychological abuse on set. That's more than just a little hiccup

The magic was never lost for Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, or any of the people who worked on it. ANY movie is hard to make, but once you see the result, usually it makes all the effort worth it. That certainly was the case with "Wizard."

I owned the VHS with an hour or so of production features post-credits and yep, it's no secret that this groundbreaking technicolor marvel came inches from ending several lives. From the Tin Man's toxic powder, the massive lion suit, flammable make-up on the witch during the "vanishing" sequence. It sounded traumatizing.

Still one of the few musicals I can stand, though, so there's that.

The more some things change, the more others stay the same...

Just like Toy Story 2's famous line, "you can't rush art".

It adds to the brilliance of the film somehow

Also just like a company with a similar motto, Disney

Indeed. It really does drive the point home that even productions of movies as beautiful as The Wizard of Oz don't go off without a hitch.


And who runs Hollywood? What do most of the producers and executives have in common


In Dory Previn's autobiography she recalls how in the fifties it was common for big stars including Garland to be undergoing treatment in a psychiatric hospital and go into work as if they were fine. The novel 'Valley of the Dolls' accurately portrays all the stars' addiction to drugs. The scene where a star shuts herself in her dressing room for an hour or so is based on when Garland did the same but for three days.


5:19 "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy/Fairies" from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker ballet.
7:15 "Habanera" from Georges Bizet's Carmen.
9:55 Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens.

5:19 "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy/Fairies" from Tchaikovsky's *The Nutcracker* ballet.
7:15 "Habanera" from Georges Bizet's *Carmen.*
9:55 *Danse Macabre* by Camille Saint-Saens.


It's mindboggling how this dude can make absolutely any topic interesting<br>Well and truly able to make magic

It's mindboggling how this dude can make absolutely any topic interesting
Well and truly able to make magic


Listen to the tapes of Judy toward the end of her life that she recorded for an autobiography. Her drunken drugged up rants about the industry are eye opening, such a tortured soul after the ringer she was out through by the evil s.o.b.s in Hollyweird

@Slapstick Genius I know little about the behind-the-scenes doings of Bollywood, but as for danger, I remember seeing a sequence with a crowd of men dancing on top of a moving train (and no, it wasn't done with Special FX)!

Is Bollywood just as bad? Yeah,  but more dangerous? Definitely! Nepotism is fine but not perfect, but preventing an actual newcomer from entering Bollywood is the real problem. I’ve been watching Tried and Refused productions videos for months now.

@High Council Judy's relationships with a lot of people became strained in her later years. But blood is thicker than booze, and Liza, along with her siblings Lorna and Joey Luft, always speaks of their mother with fondness and nostalgia. I imagine after her own struggles, Liza gained a new empathy for what her mum had to deal with.

@MaskedMan66 I believe it was Liza it was because her mother's alcoholism gotten to the point she didn't want to deal with it anymore

@High Council Are you talking about Liza or Lorna? Because neither of them ever did that.

Judy lashed out at a lot of people in her later years, whether she had just cause to or not. She also told a lot of lies.

i highly recommend you listen to the podcast "you must remember this" about judy garland.

5 different actors have came out and admitted that the majority of what Chris Kappy said was true....

judy was used and abused all her life and no one helped her. 😡

@3g0st of course, but statistically speaking addicts are full of shit WAY more often than non-addicts. if you’ve spent anytime around them you would know this.

and that doesn’t mean they’re not worthy of respect, or that they’re liars. but factually speaking, addicts are in one of the most desperate situations that humanity can face. so yes, sometimes they’re going to lie to get what they want/need.

It actually gets worse Judy's daughter who also became an actor later Cut Her Off from her life in fact the doorman to Garland's daughter's apartment would say that Garland's daughter does not want to see her mother right now

wtf is this normie argument. Give me the tapes! im making a remix

@they_them yeah, you're gonna get a lock of flak for that opinion but it's the truth. Addicts are some of the most smooth talking people I've ever come across.

@Damien Found the troll guys! <br>Pay no attention to this one, he's not worth it

@Damien Found the troll guys!
Pay no attention to this one, he's not worth it

boozed up druggies say alot of things to be taken with a grain of salt.

@P M They are all in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF2932280AE5133F7

Where can I find these tapes? Are they available on YouTube? This sounds so interesting!


This was a dark yet interesting look into the behind the scenes of Wizard of Oz as well as Hollywood itself. Thank you, EmpLemon.

It was also largely exaggerated, and in some cases entirely wrong.


Great video! Only thing I would like to point that newer studies on Pyramids of Giza has shown that the pyramid is dated closer to 12,000 old which is roughly same age as Göbekli Tepe in Turkey.<br>There is also found a lot of water marks around pyramid (and in Sphinx) which indicates the builders perhaps used some kind of water system to build it.

Great video! Only thing I would like to point that newer studies on Pyramids of Giza has shown that the pyramid is dated closer to 12,000 old which is roughly same age as Göbekli Tepe in Turkey.
There is also found a lot of water marks around pyramid (and in Sphinx) which indicates the builders perhaps used some kind of water system to build it.


This video is a benchmark for the line 'great art isn't achieved without great suffering'. Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Allen Poe, Nikola Tesla to name a few: all had rough upbringings to make pieces that would surpass their own existence.


My mother hates this movie with a fiery passion she thinks it’s creepy and frankly I don’t really blame her for thinking that one time years ago I was surfing through the guide on the tv and found the wizard of oz and I said hey mommy your favorite movie is on and she said what and I said the wizard of oz and she said NOT IN MY HOUSE!!!!!!! Her actual favorite movie is Forrest Gump and honestly I think Forrest Gump is the greatest movie ever made in its genre

@MaskedMan66 the problem is this movie promotes abuse and don't you spread false info, this movie needs to be cancelled!

It’s good but Forrest and Jenny? You kiddin me, she was the town bicycle

@Goku KAMEHAMEHA Again, punctuation is your friend, and using it will make your comments a lot clearer; if you want things to be "read as if there was a friggin coma (sic)" there, then put a friggin' comma there.

As you've said nothing new as regards the movie, all that I already wrote still stands; Judy was not molested, Buddy Ebsen was not poisoned (he was born with a congenital bronchial condition), I never called you an idiot, nor did I say you were bigoted. I said that some people were bigoted against the Singer Midgets. If you aren't, then why think you are among those people?

I must say, I had to laugh when you told me to do research, because what I wrote is the result of decades of research, hugely informed by the research of Oz historians and the books they wrote. Read these books for the whole story and the real truth of the matter: “The Making of The Wizard of Oz" (1977) by Aljean Harmetz with an introduction by Margaret Hamilton, "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History" (1989) by John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman with an introduction by Jack Haley, Jr., and "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" (2019) by Scarfone and Stillman.

@UCJ8-kc3kqfchXG_yRI9e6lA number one never call me bigoted because I’m not I’m a humanist I see no difference in anybody to me everyone should have the same rights no matter there race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, disabilities, and what have you to me no one is any less of human in fact I happen to be short myself and have been made fun of because if it I’m about 5”0 now number 2 the line Toto was stepped because the studio was suffocatingly hot was meant to be read as if there was a friggin coma between stepped and because sod for brains number 3 the lion costume was in fact so heavy and hot that at the end of the day it 2 assistants to completely dry it out number 4 did you not read what I said about Judy I said she MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN VIOLATED it hasn’t been confirmed number 5 the other actors all said that the munchkins got drunk and brawled Number 6 the aluminum paint used on the first actor that played the tin man basically poisoned him because it coated his lungs and put him under an oxygen tent after which he was left with permanent bronchitis number 7 go do your research before calling me an idiot and saying punctuation is your friend they’d be happy to help you out what do you think I am an imbecile cause if you do TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND NEVER CALL ME BIGOTED AGAIN BECAUSE IF YOU DO YOUR GOING TO BE MASSACRED WITH WORDS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

@Goku KAMEHAMEHA Buddy Ebsen wasn't poisoned, and the aluminum powder was part of his make-up, not all of it. It was two weeks into filming, and it was pretty obvious he wasn't going to be able to continue. After he had spent two weeks in hospital and a further month at home, MGM cast him in two more movies, which both came out in the same year as "Wizard."

Jack Haley got over his eye infection-- which wasn't "terrible," just painful-- in four days, and eye infections can be triggered by just about anything.

"Toto got stepped on because the movie was the first to be filmed in technicolor" What's that supposed to mean? Terry's paw was stepped on and sprained, requiring a double for her until she got back two weeks later. She fared a lot better than one of the dogs who played Toto in "The Wiz": that dog got killed.

"(T)he witch got third degree burns on her face during a botched take of when Dorothy splashed water on her" Would you please explain how water would burn her? Never mind, don't bother; Margaret Hamilton's injury (third degree burns to her right hand and second degree burns to her face) occurred on the Munchkin City set when she was making her exit. She survived and got on with her work because she loved playing the character, which was a huge change from the spinsters and schoolmarms she usually played. Back to the melting scene, her broom was supposed to be set alight so she could set fire to the Scarecrow's arm.

Most people who wear prosthetic appliances even today find their pores closed up and unable to sweat; that's the nature of prosthetics. Ray Bolger wore the Scarecrow's laugh lines for several months, but not permanently.

Judy ate three meals a day; they just consisted of less food than she was used to eating-- which was a lot. She didn't particularly enjoy it, but she wanted to reduce, so she dealt with it. And you say she was "forced to take barbiturates to keep up with the pace of filming." Again, would you please explain how relaxants were supposed to help her "keep up with the pace?" Judy only worked for four hours a day and had plenty of natural energy, and she wasn't forced to do anything.

(You know, punctuation marks are your friends, and they'd be happy to help you.)

None of the Singer Midgets got drunk on the set; it would have meant instant dismissal. SOME of them went out to bars after hours, but even there they did not get into brawls.

Bert Lahr's costume-- and bear in mind that people have been wearing animal skin and fur ever since we've been wearing anything-- was 70 pounds, which was quite enough for him. There were vents in the costume which were opened whenever there was a break, which was every half hour or so.

Judy was not molested by anybody, and it's really disgusting how people are so bigoted against the Singer Midgets.

Betty Danko didn't spend months in the hospital, she spent eleven days.

Lahr was allowed to eat, of course he was allowed to eat. But after a time of having to deal with his make-up having to get repaired after every time he did (that was nothing he had to "put his foot down" for, it was just a natural thing), he opted instead to have milkshakes and suchlike for meals. Oddly enough, he actually gained weight while making the movie.

The near-removal of "Over the Rainbow" scarcely counts as part of your alleged "curse."

Terry did not get paid. Her trainer Carl Spitz, a specialist, was paid $125.00 a week for the five months he worked on the film. The Singer Midgets, who were extras, got paid $100.00 a week for the few weeks they were filming, except for Mickey Carroll, who, thanks to Zeppo Marx of the Marx Brothers, got $500.00 a week.

Of course Judy got paid less; she had only been with MGM for three years. You see, in those days, it didn't matter if you were the headliner; you were paid according to the terms of your contract, and by that time, Judy's contract, which had started at $100.00 a week, had grown to $500.00 a week. It was to have increased to $750.00 a week in 1940, but when "Wizard" proved her marketability, her old contract was torn up and a new one issued which started her in 1940 at $2000.00 a week.

As for the rest of the main cast, they had all been in showbiz longer than Judy (indeed, Lahr's and Frank Morgan's careers had begun before Judy was born), so naturally they got more.

So much for the movie being "cursed." Why don't you look into the films during the making of which people were actually maimed (like Milla Jovovich's stunt double Olivia Jackson in "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter"), paralyzed (like Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double David Holmes in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"), and killed (like Vic Morrow, Myca Dinh-Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen in "Twilight Zone: The Movie")?

@Goku KAMEHAMEHA Buddy Ebsen wasn't poisoned, and the aluminum powder was part of his make-up, not all of it. It was two weeks into filming, and it was pretty obvious he wasn't going to be able to continue. After he had spent two weeks in hospital and a further month at home, MGM cast him in two more movies, which both came out in the same year as "Wizard."

Jack Haley got over his eye infection-- which wasn't "terrible," just painful-- in four days, and eye infections can be triggered by just about anything.

"Toto got stepped on because the movie was the first to be filmed in technicolor" What's that supposed to mean? Terry's paw was stepped on and sprained, requiring a double for her until she got back two weeks later. She fared a lot better than one of the dogs who played Toto in "The Wiz": that dog got killed.

"(T)he witch got third degree burns on her face during a botched take of when Dorothy splashed water on her" Would you please explain how water would burn her? Never mind, don't bother; Margaret Hamilton's injury (third degree burns to her right hand and second degree burns to her face) occurred on the Munchkin City set when she was making her exit. She survived and got on with her work because she loved playing the character, which was a huge change from the spinsters and schoolmarms she usually played. Back to the melting scene, her broom was *supposed* to be set alight so she could set fire to the Scarecrow's arm.

Most people who wear prosthetic appliances even today find their pores closed up and unable to sweat; that's the nature of prosthetics. Ray Bolger wore the Scarecrow's laugh lines for several months, but not permanently.

Judy ate three meals a day; they just consisted of less food than she was used to eating-- which was a lot. She didn't particularly enjoy it, but she wanted to reduce, so she dealt with it. And you say she was "forced to take barbiturates to keep up with the pace of filming." Again, would you please explain how relaxants were supposed to help her "keep up with the pace?" Judy only worked for four hours a day and had plenty of natural energy, and she wasn't forced to do anything.

(You know, punctuation marks are your friends, and they'd be happy to help you.)

None of the Singer Midgets got drunk on the set; it would have meant instant dismissal. SOME of them went out to bars after hours, but even there they did not get into brawls.

Bert Lahr's costume-- and bear in mind that people have been wearing animal skin and fur ever since we've been wearing anything-- was 70 pounds, which was quite enough for him. There were vents in the costume which were opened whenever there was a break, which was every half hour or so.

Judy was not molested by anybody, and it's really disgusting how people are so bigoted against the Singer Midgets.

Betty Danko didn't spend months in the hospital, she spent eleven days.

Lahr was allowed to eat, of course he was allowed to eat. But after a time of having to deal with his make-up having to get repaired after every time he did (that was nothing he had to "put his foot down" for, it was just a natural thing), he opted instead to have milkshakes and suchlike for meals. Oddly enough, he actually gained weight while making the movie.

The near-removal of "Over the Rainbow" scarcely counts as part of your alleged "curse."

Terry did not get paid. Her trainer Carl Spitz, a specialist, was paid $125.00 a week for the five months he worked on the film. The Singer Midgets, who were extras, got paid $100.00 a week for the few weeks they were filming, except for Mickey Carroll, who, thanks to Zeppo Marx of the Marx Brothers, got $500.00 a week.

Of course Judy got paid less; she had only been with MGM for three years. You see, in those days, it didn't matter if you were the headliner; you were paid according to the terms of your contract, and by that time, Judy's contract, which had started at $100.00 a week, had grown to $500.00 a week. It was to have increased to $750.00 a week in 1940, but when "Wizard" proved her marketability, her old contract was torn up and a new one issued which started her in 1940 at $2000.00 a week.

As for the rest of the main cast, they had all been in showbiz longer than Judy (indeed, Lahr's and Frank Morgan's careers had begun before Judy was born), so naturally they got more.

So much for the movie being "cursed." Why don't you look into the films during the making of which people were actually maimed (like Milla Jovovich's stunt double Olivia Jackson in "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter"), paralyzed (like Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double David Holmes in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"), and killed (like Vic Morrow, Myca Dinh-Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen in "Twilight Zone: The Movie")?

Also the production of this movie was cursed beyond belief look it up the guy who originally played the tin man was essentially poisoned buy the makeup which was made of pure aluminum dust then 9 days after filming started he was hospitalized sitting under an oxygen tent but because he wasn’t getting better fast enough they hired another actor to play the tin man and instead of using the makeup they mixed it into a paste and he ended getting a terrible infection in his eye from it thank god it was treatable Toto got stepped on because the movie was the first to be filmed in technicolor the set was suffocatingly hot the witch got third degree burns on her face during a botched take of when Dorothy splashed water on her not to mention her broom caught fire at point the scarecrow had to wear a mask that made it so he couldn’t sweat that ended up with him having permanent lines on his face Judy Garland pretty much lived like slave only allowed one meal a day and was forced to take barbiturates to keep up with the pace of filming which had a obviously detrimental effect on her health between takes the munchkins got drunk and brawled the cowardly lion’s costume was made out of actual lion hide and weighed about 90lbs it didn’t allow for much ventilation so the actor was constantly sweating it got so bad that it took 2 assistants to dry the costume every night while filming the famous slap seen between Dorothy and the lion Judy garland couldn’t stop giggling and after several ruined takes the director took her aside and slapped her across the face and told her to go in there and work the next take she did it perfectly and Judy may have been molested by the munchkins the witches stunt double spent months in the hospital after a prop broom exploded the actor who played the lion wasn’t allowed to eat while in makeup since it was so difficult to apply but eventually he put his foot down and requested a makeup redo after lunch they almost cut over the rainbow Toto got paid yes you read that right he got paid more than most munchkins Judy earned much less than her friends aka the other actors so yeah like I said cursed as hell

Im with her on this point, all horrible things made in the production aside, the movie just feels so fucking weird, how can someone like that shit? just looks like a twisted up dark movie blended as a child's film

@Goku KAMEHAMEHA  but to be fair, i guess your mother does owns a point because of Wizard of Oz own a horrible quote: "Only ugly peoples are evil"


Hollywood's existence in general seems like a big mistake we made as a species


Very sad story for the making of one the all-time greatest films. It might be a timeless masterpiece but no one deserved to deal with all of this physical and emotional pain.


I’m glad this is the most viewed film of all time, at least the sacrifices meant something, but it’s crazy what people will do for fame..I suppose if it’s what is important to you and you achieve it, that has to count for something.

It wasn't a case of anyone "doing anything for fame," because most of them were already famous; Bert Lahr and Frank Morgan had careers stretching back to before Judy Garland was born. It was just hard work.


It's so interesting how the historical standing of an artwork is so often directly aligned with the suffering of their creation.

There wasn't as much suffering as some would want you to believe. Buddy Ebsen did have his difficulties which knocked him on his back and out of the picture. Margaret Hamilton did get burned, but did not let it knock her out of the picture. It was hard work under hot lights. But otherwise it was business as usual.


imagine checking the guy who ruined your sense of humor with YTPs and seeing him make videos that has higher quality than documentaries nowadays

@TRGB His research, however, leaves much to be desired.

as someone who has an advanced degree in writing and with many friends who do it professionally, know that EmpLemon is absolutely a prodigy in crafting and telling a story. His skill in this area goes beyond what most people achieve in their life, never mind that he's honed it during his early 20s.

@Snazzy Jovial Wyrm Thanks; this whole thread is terribly confusing.

@MaskedMan66 EMP Lemon used to make Youtube Poops before he started doing commentaries for a little bit, then he switched over to doing documentaries about the various facets of Internet and Pop Culture.

Ruined? More like <b>e n h a n c e d</b>

@Blaze404 just like all letters are stupid, yet we have them

That pb looking letter is a Thorn, an old English letter for the -th sound.

It's incredible how a single letter can start an argument

@Tangerine Paint I know those letters but they are stupid

@Blaze404 They are speaking English, never heard of þhis letter?

@meme meme ig Try that again when you have a profile picture.

@NitroNinja24 Oh look the redditor exposed himself

@im_sorry_i_forgot_my_username Looks like we found the theater kid.

@黑龍 - Hắc Long did you just seriously use thorns in place of th.... dude stop this is cringe

@黑龍 - Hắc Long No one said it fails that definition. They said it's a higher quality

@Blaze404 the thorn would be used for replacing the th but I think it was the French who couldn’t pronounce it so the thorn was replaced with th so if you use the thorn when typing or writing it would be þorn

@Blaze404 the thorn would be used for replacing the *th* but I think it was the French who couldn’t pronounce it so the thorn was replaced with *th* so if you use the thorn when typing or writing it would be þorn

@mixed narwhal I know the letter but like no need to use it and I forgot he meaning

@Blaze404 þat is English though but you don’t seem to know about the letter þ or thorn as it’s pronounced

I use to come to Emplemon for his youtube poops 6 years ago. And then all of a sudden he woke me up to the realization of big corporations making videos daily with millions of subscribers, that's what woke me up to that realization. Since then I've subscribed to him and never left. I'm still ashamed I never looked at his Top 10 YTPers to check out until 2019 and such. And even then it was too little too late.

But þis IS a documentary, I don't see how it fails þat definition.


The Keeps AD was entertaining for these reasons:

•It is self-aware about EmpLemon doing yet another AD for Keeps.
• It is a spot-on parody of the Tornado and the Wizard head scenes from the movie.
• Once the AD was over, the tone changes from light-hearted to serious.

The amount of effort in the video, even this AD really shows.


You've got a classical overload in this video, and I love it. Bizet, Saint-Säens, and Beethoven, all of whom I heard bits and pieces of just casually watching.


If this is what happens during production<br>Imagine the stories we are not hearing

If this is what happens during production
Imagine the stories we are not hearing

I should think that what we're not hearing is about the times when there were long waits while things were getting set up or something that had gone wrong was being fixed. Also, they would have to stop filming when it was time for Judy to go to school, and there would be Bolger, Haley, and Lahr having to "while away the" time until she got back. As it was a couple of hours usually, they'd be able to take off their costumes and chill in their bungalow.

Much of what this video says is either exaggerated or false. The real story can be read in these books: “The Making of The Wizard of Oz" (1977) by Aljean Harmetz, "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History" (1989) by John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman, and "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" (2019) by Scarfone and Stillman.


It's amazing to see how the internet both murdered and revived the essayist. I wouldn't be surprised if this wave of high quality video essays are considered a legitimate movement of literature.


I like how this guy talks about anything he wants to, unlike the trendy topic YouTubers (no disrespect meant to them tho). EmpLemon takes his commentary on topics to a more creative level than most other people on this platform.

To be fair, YouTube tends to punish most channels who try to do anything but focus on trendy topics or specific niches.

"We doin' Nascar today? We doin' Nascar today."

@Ben Weaver real cool guy over there am i right

He always said that he did his videos because he wanted to make them, now his efforts are being more rewarded than they used to be

Jewtube wouldn’t be that bad if you could actually voice an opinion.

@Tricky Trey Perfected the conscoomer vs the chad producer

Each video he makes feels different from his others ones, different editing styles, tone, subjects and etc. High quality channel right here.

@McmTJ I like how you managed to misspell a word that doesn't even exist.

Me the ALPHA M*LE of this comment section and me command RESPECT. Right now me telling you to NOT observe any of me nice cool sweet videos. Instead just look at me awesome good powerful thumbnails. Thank you, dear m


Another great video! I'm facinated with the Wizard of Oz and everything that surround its production. Your channel is awesome btw. I just discovered it and been binge watching it since then. Cheers from Brazil.


I'm related to Margaret Hamilton and I was told it was lead paint. She had to hire someone to feed her bread when she went on break during the filming of, "The Wizard of Oz." Thank you so much for this video documentary EmpLemon. It's really sad to hear not that much has changed in the movie industry now going after U.S. veterans and special access programs through the D.O.D. for their content. "You never know when the next big block buster you see in theater was inspired by the Pentagon, or cia."


Man, I remember the old days when you did funny ytps. You’ve really changed the channel around. But hey, it’s not a bad change. Good to see you still going good.


You made me frustrated with your video on operation red herring, and then after a year I watch your video and you don't stop amazing me. I think it's a beautiful thing to know that human beings can be astonishingly impressed at such brilliant creations. I may have had some points I disagreed on with you, but for what it's worth, I think you are a genius.


eh ive been instead useing spiro, estrogen, and weed. my hair's doing wonderfully....

Bro you actually have a really beautiful singing voice wtf

Hey rusty hope you're doing well with your alcoholism :))

Very unlucky, he shows up as a different character every time, and each on of them gets absorbed in the downward spiral.

@The Electric Cheese Productions yeah...it’s called Florida

Are you a part of the “Mothers against Rusty Cage” Facebook group?

At least your residence is better than sr pelo one

Oh shit you turned me into a scitsophrenic!

I've been wondering the longest time now. ARE YOU TWO THE SAME PERSON?

@Romantic Innkeeper of Gran Soren but having hair is cool

Are you the one that asked for the Al Joleson reference in the video?

Please do not buy Keeps. The active ingredient, minoxidil is not good for you

I swear I recognised your voice! Amazing to see you active on youtube again 😊

Rusty plz visit my famil in India we love u plz I kiss urs

I can imagine you actually living in a place that looks like that on the outside

bro we are friends. bro. i love you bro we are ki...ssing. bro....


The transition to your explanation of art and immortality with Any Color You Like in the background was  a flawless execution dude, props.


I love these videos man, you’re definitely my new favorite YouTuber. You’re like a better chiller vsauce, Interesting and informing


Amazing video, loved the ending a lot, and it actually made me tear up.


i think the worst part about this is that pretty much everything that caused the team harm was completely unnecessary<br>so many things were completely avoidable if things were done just barely different

i think the worst part about this is that pretty much everything that caused the team harm was completely unnecessary
so many things were completely avoidable if things were done just barely different


It’s ironic to me how Return To Oz, the much darker film of the two, had far better conditions for its actors and actresses than Wizard Of Oz, the supposedly cheerier and friendlier one.

@MaskedMan66 No thank you. Learn to count higher.

@Shelby Seelbach Learn about figures of speech and just learn to deal with them.

@MaskedMan66 You have literally tried to give meanings to both my words and your words that they don't actually have. So damn funny.

@Shelby Seelbach In that case, your remark doesn't make any sense at all. It's an ordinary expression to say that something you've seen or heard "more times than you can count" means that you've seen or heard it innumerable times.

@MaskedMan66 You said you've seen Wizard of Oz more times than you can count. I responded that it seems like you can't count very high then. How has that confused you so much? It was a simple one sentence response that made a direct statement.

@Shelby Seelbach Good grief, man, can't you read? All right then, what were you talking about?

@MaskedMan66 Please point out where I "seemed to be agreeing" with anyone. Give me the quote of what I said that led you to believe I was agreeing with someone else's comment. I'll wait.

@Shelby Seelbach You didn't, but you seemed to be agreeing with "Richard Anderson," who did, since your first remark addressed to me was in response to my answer to him when he said, "wizard of oz promoted abuse."

@MaskedMan66 Please tell me where I said anything about that at all? I'll wait.

@Shelby Seelbach I watched it every year from the early 70's to when they stopped the annual broadcasts in the 80's, then saw several revivals at theaters and even went to an outdoor showing (at which Margaret Pellegrini and Clarence Swenson appeared), as well as dozens of viewings on tape and DVD.

So how about you tell us what in the movie itself promotes abuse?

@MaskedMan66 It sounds like you can't count very damn high!

@acacia I've watched <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> more times than I can count, and there's nothing in it that promotes abuse or mistreatment of any kind.

@acacia I've watched _The Wizard of Oz_ more times than I can count, and there's nothing in it that promotes abuse or mistreatment of any kind.

@MaskedMan66 wizard of oz promoted abuse

@Kyle Morello Well, as safe as anybody can be running around on a movie set with a pumpkin on his head. ;-)

@MaskedMan66 oh. Then, yeah, much safer.

@Kyle Morello The Gump was animatronic with perhaps a little human assistance down under the sofa; I don't know how many people operated it in all.

Jack was brought to life both as a rod puppet with animatronic features and fingers, and by a man in a suit for scenes of Jack walking and running, which would have been too complicated for the puppet.

@Pwn3r I wouldn't say that things are better now. There are still accidents, and far worse ones than befell anybody in the MGM <i>Wizard.</i> For a start, nobody died making that movie, which sadly can't be said for a lot of actors and crew in many movies and T.V. shows since.

@Pwn3r I wouldn't say that things are better now. There are still accidents, and far worse ones than befell anybody in the MGM _Wizard._ For a start, nobody died making that movie, which sadly can't be said for a lot of actors and crew in many movies and T.V. shows since.

I guess what I'm trying to say is using other mediums helped in terms of being safer and making the fantasy elements feel more authentic.

@MaskedMan66 true. The Gump certainly looks complex. As does Pumpkinhead

@Kyle Morello Not really; who do you think had to operate those puppets?

It kind of helps that most of the cast are either puppets or stop motion.

@Lake of Crystalclan Glad to. If doing some genuine research doesn't frighten you away, as it has some people, then read the books "The Making of The Wizard of Oz" (1977) by Aljean Harmetz with an introduction by Margaret Hamilton, "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History" (1989) by John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman with an introduction by Jack Haley, Jr., and "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" (2019) by Scarfone and Stillman.

@MaskedMan66 A source for your claims of this video being false.

@Jimmy McNulty Weinstein wasn't an acting coach. In any case, there are also gorgeous people who are excellent performers (Angie Jolie comes to mind), and there are average-looking people who are lousy at it, yet still get work.

@MaskedMan66 the attractive ones that can't act. Most of them. Not the Steve Buscemis or James Gandolfini types.<br>Look at the Harvey Weinsten story and tell me I'm wrong

@MaskedMan66 the attractive ones that can't act. Most of them. Not the Steve Buscemis or James Gandolfini types.
Look at the Harvey Weinsten story and tell me I'm wrong

@Jimmy McNulty Which ones are you talking about?

@Melissa Cooper I've always thought that it was the most authentic bit of Oz ever filmed, with the possible exception of L. Frank Baum's own Oz movies.

RtO wasn't connected to MGM's "Wizard." And much of what this video tells is regurgitated rumor and lies.

I liked Return to Oz better because it was much closer to the books than the 1939 MGM movie.

People here will not agree because they like to sh*t on Hollywood at every turn, but things did improve, which is why conditions are better now. Old Hollywood was brutal though.


It seriously blows my mind how little context people who complain about contemporary issues today have for just how far we've come.
There's not a single institution in the west that would ever treat anyone like these actors and society is so unassuming and broadly accepting no one is ever expected to deal with it if they are subjected to psychological torture like this in some fluke of society.

Im not saying everyone should shut up about issues in the modern era, there's no shortage of them and we shouldn't just not care because it was worse before, it's just annoying how many young voices in particular complain like we are still as bad as this video showed 1930's America like they have any business or wisdom making that judgement.


Super cool video! You are so good at just totally breaking down any topic you talk about. Keep up the great work dude.


What started off as a dark behind recounting of the og Wizard of Oz production ended up being an analyzes of the deepest desires of humankind: the desire for immortality. Amazing.

Which wasn't really what it was all about. Most of the people involved were already famous and had already made movies; "Wizard" was Jack Haley's 35th big screen production, for instance. Besides which, nobody had any inkling of what the future held for that movie.  And nothing was "dark," it was just hard work, like any movie.


i knew there was some controversy surrounding the movie, but I never knew the extent of how bad it really was this is horrifying I feel so bad for all these people...

@Kuzz It would be, but Judy's addictions didn't begin until adulthood.

@MaskedMan66 idk man getting a child addicted to amphetamines is pretty bad even without all the other stuff

They wouldn't want to be pitied, and things weren't as bad as this video paints them. Here are some books for your perusal; they contain the unvarnished, yet unsensationalized, facts: "The Making of The Wizard of Oz" (1977) by Aljean Harmetz with an introduction by Margaret Hamilton, "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History" (1989) by John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman with an introduction by Jack Haley, Jr., and "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" (2019) by Scarfone and Stillman.


"Oh yeah, the Cowardly Lion must've sucked wearing all that fur."
*looks at the Wicked Witch and Tin Man, remembering this is the age of lead-lined paint*
Oh...oh God

"Oh yeah, the Cowardly Lion must've sucked wearing all that fur."
**looks at the Wicked Witch and Tin Man, remembering this is the age of lead-lined paint**
Oh...oh God

@Haizina On that ridiculous comment, that's no honor.

@Slender Man 186 Jack Haley was the only one who got an infection when he happened to get a bit in his eye-- mark you, that can happen with just about any substance-- and he was over it in about four days.

But there was no lead in any of the make-up. Seriously, some folks on these threads seem to have a mania for lead poisoning.

@grey. I know, but the point still stands. Lead was known to be toxic since Ancient Rome, yet it was still used to paint houses thousands of years later, even though it was known that the paint would chip away and be consumed by something, usually small kids who thought it tasted good. That’s how my mom got lead poisoning.

Putting aluminum and copper grease paint near people’s mouth and eyes is even worse, you’re just asking for an infection.

@Slender Man 186 dude. They didn't use house paint in a major motion picture for face makeup

@Slender Man 186 That clinches it: you've only skimmed my comments. I made it quite clear earlier that greasepaint's main component is oil.

I quote you to you again: "So we’re now just blatantly ignoring the lung problems caused by the aluminum face paint for both actors that used it?"

"Both actors." So yes, you did say that Margaret had breathing difficulties.

I've maintained all along that aluminum foil has been used for the storing and cooking of food, with no intermediate layer of anything between it and the food. If you know what a tinfoil hat wearer is, then why the heck did you ask?

Again, Buddy Ebsen's bronchial condition was not caused by the aluminum powder, just aggravated by it. He was born with a congenital bronchial condition. Born with it. Thirty years before he played the Tin Woodman, he already had a bronchial condition. Got it now?

You show me a medical report on Margaret Hamilton's Alzheimer's which directly links it to the make-up she wore a half century before, and then we'll talk. And you'd best look into the medical history of the men who played her soldiers, as they wore the same formulation. Because at the moment, you're just speculating.

@MaskedMan66 I’ve worn grease paint, it didn’t have aluminum in it, stop acting like that’s a component in every grease paint, neither is copper. I never claimed Margaret had breathing difficulties, I mentioned how she developed Alzheimer’s and how copper ingestion is linked to it.

Yes yes, I f**ked up and mixed up aluminum and food, lol rofl kek, mainly due to the stupidity of your comment. You bring up how aluminum is used in storing foods, I bring up how those methods require a protective layer to prevent the user from accidentally poisoning themselves, and you denied ever bringing it up like a crazy person, that’s exactly what happened, and now you’ve flip flopped again. Keep you story straight for more than one comment dude.

I know what a tinfoil hat wearer is, why are you even using that term to begin with? Go figure inhaling metals would lead to the worsening of preexisting health problems, especially when it was already shown with the previous tin man that used the face paint that it definitely caused breathing issues, that’s hardly a stretch. It’s also not a stretch to assume that the copper face paint is what caused the Alzheimer’s when the link between the two was already proven, and from what I could find the actress had no family history of Alzheimer’s either. It doesn’t matter that the base of the paint was oil, it still had metal in it that was being inhaled. I mean ffs this isn’t rocket surgery. Yes, medical problems can develop years and even decades after the incident that caused them, this isn’t anything new, lead poisoning takes a similarly long time to develop depending on the dosage.

@Slender Man 186 Buddy Ebsen was born with a bronchial condition; the aluminum powder which was dusted on (not in) the oil-based greasepaint (which actors have worn for centuries and still do) didn't cause his problems. Margaret Hamilton experienced no breathing difficulties.

"You brought up aluminum being stored in food"

LOL  No, I brought up FOOD being stored in ALUMINUM, and I never denied that. You were the one who brought cans into the confab. (I think you need to re-read my comments) And on that subject, the last aluminum soda can I crushed and pulled apart (last week) was just like all the other ones I've disposed of in like manner: aluminum through and through with not a trace of plastic. So I don't know where you get yours from.

The "tinfoil hat brigade" is a term used to describe conspiracy theorists and crackpots of the sort who will fashion such headgear in order to receive transmissions from extraterrestrial or extradimensional beings whom they believe to be running our world. They come up with crazy ideas like, for instance, something an actor wore for a movie role causing him or her physical or mental problems half a century after the fact.

@MaskedMan66 greasepaint That had oxidized copper and aluminum in it to give it the green/silver color. So we’re now just blatantly ignoring the lung problems caused by the aluminum face paint for both actors that used it?

You brought up food being stored in aluminum, not me. So you’ve never seen a modern soda can? Because all of those have a plastic lining in them, aluminum foil also has a layer to prevent aluminum poisoning. Trying reading the comment you’re responding to, I’ve already brought this up.

“Tinfoil hat brigade” tf are you even talking about? You can’t even be consistent, one second your talking about aluminum being used in storing food, the next you’re saying you never brought it up.

@Slender Man 186  No, the paint was greasepaint, whose primary component is oil. Now, when Jack Haley took over the role, the make-up was modified to an aluminum paste, but guess what? Haley suffered no ill effects from that (apart from an eye infection of the sort that can be caused by anything getting into a person's eye, and which cleared up in four days), certainly no lasting effects.

I didn't say anything about aluminum cans, but I suspect you've heard of aluminum foil, which does indeed touch the food that's stored and/or cooked in it. But as you've brought them up, I've never encountered an aluminum can comprised of anything but aluminum.

So I take it you've seen a medical report on Margaret Hamilton proving beyond all shadow of doubt that the make-up she wore (which was the same make-up worn by all the Winkies in the movie) was directly and irrevocably linked to her mental deterioration. No? Then don't act as if you have. You're joining the rest of the tinfoil hat brigade by trying to make such connections.

@Slender Man 186  No, the paint was greasepaint, whose primary component is oil. Now, when Jack Haley took over the role, the make-up was modified to an aluminum paste, but guess what? Haley suffered no ill effects from that (apart from an eye infection of the sort that can be caused by *anything* getting into a person's eye, and which cleared up in four days), certainly no lasting effects.

I didn't say anything about aluminum cans, but I suspect you've heard of aluminum foil, which does indeed touch the food that's stored and/or cooked in it. But as you've brought them up, I've never encountered an aluminum can comprised of anything but aluminum.

So I take it you've seen a medical report on Margaret Hamilton proving beyond all shadow of doubt that the make-up she wore (which was the same make-up worn by all the Winkies in the movie) was directly and irrevocably linked to her mental deterioration. No? Then don't act as if you have. You're joining the rest of the tinfoil hat brigade by trying to make such connections.

@MaskedMan66 oh excuuuse me, it was aluminum powder, that was being used as <b>face paint.</b> Injesting copper has been linked to Alzheimer’s striking earlier than normal, just because it took 50 years for it to form doesn’t mean it’s not related. By that same logic, smoking has no link to cancer since it takes roughly 40 years for the cancer to develop. And no, aluminum cans never come in contact with food or drink in a major way, there’s always a protective plastic layer inside cans, and aluminum foil similarly has two layers to prevent aluminum oxide from getting into your food.

@MaskedMan66 oh excuuuse me, it was aluminum powder, that was being used as *face paint.* Injesting copper has been linked to Alzheimer’s striking earlier than normal, just because it took 50 years for it to form doesn’t mean it’s not related. By that same logic, smoking has no link to cancer since it takes roughly 40 years for the cancer to develop. And no, aluminum cans never come in contact with food or drink in a major way, there’s always a protective plastic layer inside cans, and aluminum foil similarly has two layers to prevent aluminum oxide from getting into your food.

@Slender Man 186 Aluminum has been used for the storing and cooking of food since 1903. So far, that hasn't changed.

@Hannah BG Greasepaint is not the same thing as house paint or model paint.

@Slender Man 186 Yes, I know that. They just used it because they were stupid and greedy. Other film makers and directors wouldn't most likely disagree with the usage of it.

@Hannah BG except it doesn’t take a wizard to figure out that breathing in metals is bad for your health. Hell, lead has been known to be toxic since before the Roman Empire.

@Slender Man 186 While that's true, not everyone suffered from the effects of the paint. Who knows, people 100 years from today might say our paint was toxic too and we just don't notice it.

@MaskedMan66 ya know, except for the lung damage from the aluminum face paint and Alzheimer’s onset by the copper face paint. There were definitely concerns raised about it, as shown in this video.

@Slender Man 186 Considering the fact that actors have been wearing greasepaint (main component: oil) on stage and screen since the 1860's and nobody's brought up any particular health concerns from it, I'd say nobody in "Wizard" was the least bit worried. And of course, nobody had any aftereffects.

@MaskedMan66 still, paint generally had lead in it back then, no way the face paints had anything good for you in them either. Go figure, also metals.

I remember that the make-up that Margaret Hamilton wore had copper in it.


They should make a movie about the making of this movie


Dude, you get mad props for making quite possibly the only legitimately entertaining advert on YouTube in the last two years.


Okay serious question, has anyone tried listening to Dark Side of the Moon while watching this?<br>Honestly, knowing Emp’s love of prog rock (Pink Floyd especially) and memes (internet and cultural), I wouldn’t be surprised if he deliberately paced the video to match certain beats to a portion of that album.

Okay serious question, has anyone tried listening to Dark Side of the Moon while watching this?
Honestly, knowing Emp’s love of prog rock (Pink Floyd especially) and memes (internet and cultural), I wouldn’t be surprised if he deliberately paced the video to match certain beats to a portion of that album.


I actually played the role of the Lion back in kindergarden, alongside many other kids.<br>Imagine a bunch of children running around in 45+ kg suits. Sheesh.

I actually played the role of the Lion back in kindergarden, alongside many other kids.
Imagine a bunch of children running around in 45+ kg suits. Sheesh.


The creators of Wizard of Oz: Some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

That scene just happened as I saw this comment

@Whine *cracks knuckles with the doom 2016 soundtrack playing

@Jiggynomics GARY?? IS THAT YOU?? C'MERE YOU!

You have to understand, we only did this for the <b>benefit</b> of humanity...

You have to understand, we only did this for the *benefit* of humanity...

Not entirely accurate. You mean to say, "the adapters of the Wizard of Oz." The original author of the Oz books had no involvement with the movie since he had died years prior.

@Night Terror Let the Downward Spiral BEGIN!


Another great video and a very interesting topic, I'd love to see you cover more films of that era.


This applies less to this video than almost any other, but I do think it's silly when people say that Emp doesn't YTP anymore. Almost every single video of his has some form of remixing, where he reworks various source materials. I think it makes your documentary styles more appealing than any other youtuber's other than maybe Jon Bois.

I think mediums of art, such as YTP often have a larger impact upon other works, such as documentaries and therefore, Emp's documentaries will carry the YTP torch further than anybody who didn't evolve. Love the videos.


Making a grand movie that isn't as profitable for prestige is still a very profit-driven strategy, you're forgetting how important brand identity is to a corporation. This "doing something for the sake of making something bigger than yourself" is how executives exploit artistic passion to this end. It was true back then and it is true now. CD Project Red is a very good modern example- they say the same stuff about how they make no ordinary video games but monuments to art and it isn't a job for just anyone- all to exploit artistic passion for the bottom line. I don't need to tell you how unsustainable this is (just look at their recent work!) and how great works get made in spite of capitalist exploitation, not because of it.


Masterful, absolutely masterful.

You my friend are up there with Whitelight, Jontron and Ahoy as some of the best quality youtubers of all time.


I played Oz in the high school rendition of this. Dealing with theater kids was only slightly less terrible than the conditions of the real thing

@chainsawplayin why not both? <b>WWII INTENSIFIES</b>

@chainsawplayin why not both? *WWII INTENSIFIES*

Oh Jesus, I'm having flashbacks to going out to McDonald's after school, before rehearsal with theater kids...
and them feeling it's appropriate to have an impromptu barbershop quartet rendition of "For The Longest Time" in our booth complete with snapping and those wry, clever smiles and looks barbershop quartets give as they sing. It was painful.

I was new to the theater scene in my school, only started in my junior year, so I still didn't know these kids very well.

I was not prepared.

The only good thing is that you aren't feed on drugs but it's still worse than having a 200 wagon long train pulled by 5 locomotives losing control and hitting another train at 90mph

@Tom Servo But are you really a theatre kid if you only act in one play?  I figure a theatre kid is a regular at acting in those plays.

It makes sense that Shuck is here. Emplemon was featured in one of his videos. They're good acquaintances, if not friends

That’s the role I went for but got stuck with the silver face🤣

I did actually,Megan(the understudy) and I dated for 2 years. That’s why I winked. I forgot all about my crush when I met her. I’m not sure if that makes me sound like a pig or a gentleman. All other girls become invisible to me once I’m in a relationship so I guess that’s positive😜

@Michael Blaine I honestly can’t remember who I played in some summer camp mini-revue like 20 years ago. Prolly the scarecrow. Coulda stuck with being a theatre kid but didn’t.

@Michael Blaine Sounds awkward. If it's not being too personal, did you end up with either of them?

I played Tin Man. I had a huge crush on the girl who played Dorothy,and her understudy😜

@Mike Barnes Don't bother, a lot of people today love to think they're more important than they actually are

@dapperthanMax Much of what is told about this movie has become ludicrously exaggerated over the decades.

@Tom Servo I give theatre kids all the right to criticize other theatre kids. Not all are cliquey, but so many are. And I was sort of a theatre kid until I was 10. Only at a summer camp though. If I had stuck with it I would have done well enough with it but there is something about the domination of cliquey culture that’s hard to stomach.

Really don’t think you should compare dealing with cringy teens to terrible physical abuse that happened, but idk

Could have benefited from the firm hand of MGM

Could have benefited from the firm hand of MGM

@Firdaus FDZLH Yes, “Wizard of the Oz” is surely a JoJo reference.

Bullshit. Your little high school did not use any of these toxic materials and pyrotechnics did it? What about prescription drugs? No? I didn't think so

@sawyer cowley imagine schuckmeister being your favorite YouTuber

am a former theater kid and I strongly agree with this

am a former theater kid and I strongly agree with this

@Nicholas Perrine im just trolling for lulz and parasocial connection in a post covid self isolation world. Im so lonely and its all thanks to lockdowns I miss people. : ( I love you stranger check out the youtube channel Surveillance Camera Man he has one video Surveillance Camera Man 1-8. Its amazing and I watch it for comfort.

one of my past friends said that her brother (i think?) was in a Wizard of Oz play as Scarecrow, and the worst he suffered was a part of his costume catching on fire with no injuries. meanwhile the shit that happened in the actual film studio... yikes...

The theatre troupe I’m in is prized as the most normal. It’s really tamed down by the fact that we’re in a Catholic school, and that our theatre teacher is somewhat conservative. We went to see a production at a public school and one person had a rainbow Mohawk and another was a real life goth. We still do have narcissists though, so that sucks. Moral of the story, theatre is the radical Islam of high school.

@Nicholas Perrine

Virgin theater kid...

...CHAD choir kid.

Though seriously, my high school's choir when I went there around 2010-ish kicked ass and was friendly to everyone.
We had theater kids, jocks, nerds, populars, punks, conservatives, liberals... nearly the whole spectrum of the student body.

@Jordan Velasco One can only wish for such a pristine role!

Plz tell me you played the cut-out of the emerald city in the background😂😂😂

Can confirm, I once played Thomas Putnam in a rendition of The Crucible.

Never did a stage show again.

(Edit: Oh, shit, hey Shuck!)

Theater Kids are either amazing or horrible.

Theater Kids are either amazing or horrible.

Holy shit, as our highschool play we had to do a mashup of Oz and Wonderland, it was torture dealing with theatre kids, not to mention the material was awful

THE SHUCKMEISTER??! HERE??

NAAAAAANIIIIIII???! SOMEBODY READY AQUA'S BOOZE!! EEEXPULLOOOSSSIOOONN!!!!!

I was in theater in High and Middle School (because I was good at acting and it gave me good grades lol) but I 100% agree, I had to deal with some <b>specimen</b> up there. Granted I was a bit weird myself, but those I saw were either the most socially awkward in the world or the most self centered of narcissist, there was no in between. There were some genuinely good people that I encountered there, but yeah no thank you I probably wouldn't do it again

I was in theater in High and Middle School (because I was good at acting and it gave me good grades lol) but I 100% agree, I had to deal with some *specimen* up there. Granted I was a bit weird myself, but those I saw were either the most socially awkward in the world or the most self centered of narcissist, there was no in between. There were some genuinely good people that I encountered there, but yeah no thank you I probably wouldn't do it again

Hey Jojo guy, who would ever knew that Wizard of the Oz is a jojo reference

I had to play some game called ghost n goblins without the knife, so I guess my suffering was a little bit worse than those actors.

@Nicholas Perrine oof. glad I never did more than half a semester in 9th grade lol.

@SparkleSparkleSparkle Look i'm gay but i don't need to make it <b>that</b> obvious

@SparkleSparkleSparkle Look i'm gay but i don't need to make it *that* obvious

@Nicholas Perrine imagine not being a theater kid

@Nicholas Perrine imagine not being a theater kid

Wow even other youtubers respect emp or like him im glad tbh.


Toxic substances: Exists

The Magic of Oz production: "I'LL TAKE YOUR ENTIRE STOCK"

Toxic substances: Exists

The Magic of Oz production: *"I'LL TAKE YOUR ENTIRE STOCK"*


The whole film just gives me the creeps nowadays, having learnt about the horrific production. It's a great movie but whenever I hear one of the songs or see one of the sets I just shudder.

@RadioFlash No.8 You were seeing things.

It wasn't "horrific"; it was hard work-- as any movie is-- and accidents happened, but that doesn't mean that sinister forces were at work. And you'd do well to bear in mind that the actors and crew were very proud of their achievements. Margaret Hamilton, who went through the worst experience, adored it and the WWW until her dying day.


I've known about this I've I remember delving into this topic back in highschool, such a fascinating and sad situation. Showed this video too my mother a few months back, she was shocked and I don't blame her 💔

@MaskedMan66 oh for sure. I've already reccomeneded The making of the wizard of Oz too her!

A better idea would be having her read these books: "The Making of The Wizard of Oz" by Aljean Harmetz with an introduction by Margaret Hamilton, "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History" by John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman with an introduction by Jack Haley, Jr., and "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" by Scarfone and Stillman.


I'm all for talking about Wizard of Oz and those tragedies, but the main thesis here is the fact that Nintendo can't stand at our alters of nostalgia forever. Maybe we individually don't think we are contributing to the problem but like Emplemon is saying, by not caring about what they do to the individual communities Nintendo will make business practices that keeps eeking over their franchises maintaining their stranglehold over what we are allowed to enjoy with them. We can't exactly equivocate these actions like the actual tangible tragedies from other companies but let's not let them drive us to the next one.


This video has some amazing lines. "Unlike Dorothy, Judy Garland never made it over the rainbow." Actually made me tear up. <br>And then the closing "We can only wonder if science or religion will ever help us achieve eternal life, but at the very least, art can get us pretty damn close."

This video has some amazing lines. "Unlike Dorothy, Judy Garland never made it over the rainbow." Actually made me tear up.
And then the closing "We can only wonder if science or religion will ever help us achieve eternal life, but at the very least, art can get us pretty damn close."

@mickeymouse2able Here's a story about Judy and her huge heart.

A little girl who went to see "Wizard" when it opened became sick soon afterward and was put in hospital. She wrote to MGM asking if Dorothy could pay her a visit. They gave Judy the letter and she wrote back to the girl promising that she would. She wasn't able to dress as she had in the movie because all the costumes had been put into storage already, but she put on a simple frock and went to the hospital and visited with the little girl as long as the doctor permitted. She even sang "Over the Rainbow" to her. The doctor and the girl's mother thanked her with tears in their eyes when she had to leave.

And not only did the girl recover, but later in life, she became a singer herself!

yes, she did. Even with all her Peccadilloes she earned her wings. She worked hard and wanted to really please her audiences. She made it Over the Rainbow.

"Never made it over the rainbow" was a quote from Judy Garland that she made in private recordings.  Those recordings are on YouTube somewhere.


Man, studios should do "prestige" films again. Big Films that exist as art, and not as something to earn money, not even their budget back. It really does show just how corporate Hollywood is now.

@ImCurrentlyNaked thanks for explaining.

@BillyBro Lord of the Rings is debatably a prestige film, sure, but I highly doubt Pirates could be considered one.

From my understanding, a prestige film was essentially spending oodles of money on a making the highest quality film, and having little expectation of making said money back. You're not making the film for business in this case, but "prestige", thus the name.

I doubt Pirates was ever thought to be anything other than financially successful for Disney, but I can totally see how Lord of the Rings being filmed by Peter Jackson was highly risky and ambitious.

I'm not particularly aware of what exactly a prestige film entails, but by the definition in the video, Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean would be prestige films too right?


I love how you decided to do informative videos instead of just YTPs. But still have some YTP humour to these videos.


I made a speech for my freshman year of college talking about the dangers of "Uncomfortable costumes", but it only covered from 1977 to today. We have come a long way since the Wizard of Oz, but we still have a long way to go.


Poor Judy. She was so beautiful. =[<br>All these stars were treated like crap. The studio system was really bad, they owned Hollywood back then and that’s why the LA police were so corrupt (why shit like the Black Dahlia was never solved) Hollywood is a strange beast.

Poor Judy. She was so beautiful. =[
All these stars were treated like crap. The studio system was really bad, they owned Hollywood back then and that’s why the LA police were so corrupt (why shit like the Black Dahlia was never solved) Hollywood is a strange beast.

It was hard working conditions, but movies always have involved hard working conditions.


Wow. Holy shit. The amount of care put into the safety of the actors was almost exactly 0% fuck s given, amazing. I bet she was like “see I told you fire was a bad idea” after the broom exploded

@Striker Squirrel Well said, and as an actor, I agree wholeheartedly; them in Hollywood make way too much money. It's teachers, doctors, police, and first responders who deserve the millions if anyone does.

@norweeg SAG was formed in 1933 by Boris Karloff and others.

This video misrepresents a lot of things and fires woke minds with its distortions.

I do think actors should be taken down a peg in percieved importance. If A list actors had the same clout as smaller actors, that would be pleasant.

But i disagree with Acting being a useless profession. Stories have value for humans. The better the final product is, the better an "actor" is serving the public by entertaining them

@Name Nameson I bet you're fun at parties, weirdo.
I'm not even into movies & I'm not a fan of the corporate oligarchs pumping out shlock disguising itself as film but do you really feel that much spite for famous people to the point where your reaction to hearing about horrific working conditions is to say that they should be placed at the bottom of the barrel?
These are fellow men who went through a lot of crap to give you a piece of art.
You make a point about people not caring about workers who put themselves in danger yet you don't care about those who went through worse conditions than ol' Bob the Builder from down the street just because they're rich & famous.

@Name Nameson You make a very good point, thanks for sharing your perspective!

@Name Nameson did you like, not watch the video?

There's one important thing to consider. Back then movie tickets didn't cost 20 dollars. The costs and regulations today make everything so expensive it's harder to take risk on a loss.<br>That's not just true for movies but for everything. Life is getting so expensive and the rise in costs are accelerating. This is how civilizations collapse. Eventually people can no longer afford to live, and the system breaks down. Oh, but at least actors get treated like gods for their ability to play pretend..

There's one important thing to consider. Back then movie tickets didn't cost 20 dollars. The costs and regulations today make everything so expensive it's harder to take risk on a loss.
That's not just true for movies but for everything. Life is getting so expensive and the rise in costs are accelerating. This is how civilizations collapse. Eventually people can no longer afford to live, and the system breaks down. Oh, but at least actors get treated like gods for their ability to play pretend..

@RayMinishi There's an old saying that goes "regulations are written in blood", and often times for good reason.

Thats why companies now having strict safety regulations to follow these days.


It's amazing that this was the golden age of Hollywood and this was the work conditions. I think working in a factory was better because that may not physical or mentally scar you.

It was the only work conditions anyone knew, so they dealt with it.


Wizard of Oz had a pretty awful production, but during its time it's probably the most advance film in the 30's, but the cost of that is pretty much awful


The thing is, even after all of this I believe that nobody who worked on the film as an actor or otherwise ever regretted it.

They didn't. Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, and Ray Bolger were among the film's biggest fans.


12:46 Sad fact: When Toto (real name is Terry) died, her remains were buried in L. A. But later, a highway was built right on his grave and her body has been distributed into the soil.

@MaskedMan66 You're right. Her new grave is now a cenotaph (grave without the actual body)


Whether you like this movie or not, you HAVE to have mad respect for those actors who were forced to work on this film under the conditions they were forced to undergo.

And the fact they were able to put on such stellar performances despite what was going on behind the scenes is absolutely astonishing.

Truly masters of their craft.

@MaskedMan66 they are indeed forced to do the movie while abused

@Laupis Got one, thanks. How about you get a clean mouth?

@Aisling O'Keeffe Hollywood, schmollywood. I'm talking about one movie.

I don't want to meet someone who can't appreciate this movie

@Neurono C. What's a pilpul? I'm pretty sure I don't even have one.

@Neurono C. What the devil are you talking about? And what cruel practices was I defending? Quote me a quote from me, I'll wait.

@MaskedMan66 So you don't deny that you eat foreskins... Plus, you WERE defending Hollywood's cruel practices. Yeah, I'm sure it must be soooo easy for those actors and actresses to just leave.

@Neurono C. I don't even talk about Hollywood; I'm here on the subject of one movie. Don't try to put words in my mouth. And don't be anti-Semitic.

@MaskedMan66 No Christian defends Hollywood like this. I can sense your nose.

@CMG The Person I don't. Read the books I've cited.

@verrpis Responding back anyway, because this, folks, is an illustration of the mindset of too many people nowadays. It's directly equivalent to sticking one's fingers in one's ears and singing "LA-LA-LA" at the top of one's lungs. People like this are living in willful ignorance, which is a large part of why the world is in such a mess today.

@MaskedMan66 ok go ahead and “educate” this person in the youtube comments section. You sound like a 14 year old on twitter. Also please don’t respond back, Im not going to reply back

@DOC O.G. Your loss, mate. You could stay and get an education.

@MaskedMan66 nvmd man you keeping doing you im gonna play Halo 3

@MaskedMan66 this is the one of the most strangest individuals ive ever come across on Youtube lmao

@DOC O.G. ahem

"No, I have that many comments (and more) of me presenting the truth. Truth isn't an argument, it's simply facts. As for my life, it's wild, rich, and on the whole, tax-free."

@DOC O.G. *ahem*

"No, I have that many comments (and more) of me presenting the truth. Truth isn't an argument, it's simply facts. As for my life, it's wild, rich, and on the whole, tax-free."

@DOC O.G. No, I have that many comments (and more) of me presenting the truth. Truth isn't an argument, it's simply facts. As for my life, it's wild, rich, and on the whole, tax-free.

@MaskedMan66 BRUH YOU GOT LIKE 274 COMMENTS OF YOU ARGUING YOU HAVE NO LIFE LOL

@👁 DMT Infinity 👁  actually DMT guy talking about DMT a lot is far less annoying than bootlicking the Hollywood establishment so you rock right on

@Dimiter Kramer

Feel free to give me his number.

@👁 DMT Infinity 👁  LUL typical of a dmt abuser to be unable to talk about anything without mentioning it. Bet you and Joe “DMT and edibles!!!” Rogan would get along famously

@Aisling O'Keeffe The only thing I reply to is misinformation as regards one movie, namely "The Wizard of Oz." If you'd read my comments rather than just counting them, you'd realize that.

They absolutely would have been blacklisted. The whole old studio system in Hollywood was like this. You violate your contract you lose your career.

@👁 DMT Infinity 👁  Who exactly was risking their "career, repetition (sic), financial security, and future opportunities" more with "Wizard" than with any other project they ever did? Most of the cast were well embarked on their careers, including Bert Lahr and Frank Morgan, whose careers began before Judy Garland was born and showed no signs of stopping.

As if this whole issue is about me, which you seem to want to make it (and which could be seen as evasiveness on your part, not actually wanting to address the film's production), then it may interest you to know that I've researched this movie for about four decades, that research being largely informed by the even more in-depth investigations of Aljean Harmetz, who wrote "The Making of The Wizard of Oz" (1977)-- for which she interviewed 48 people who worked on the film-- John Fricke, who wrote "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History" (1989), and Jay Scarfone and William Stillman, who worked with Fricke on the latter book, as well as writing "The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece" (2019).

You would do well to read those books. Then not only I, but you will know what I'm talking about.

They weren't "forced" to do anything; that is, nobody put guns to their heads and said, "Do this or die!" It wasn't the first time people had to deal with discomfort for acting roles, and it certainly wasn't the last. Anthony Daniels comes to mind.


Sad that those actors, even by putting up great performances above all that was happening, in the end got their talent exploited.<br>I agree with the message at the end, but still wonder at what cost you should sacrifice yourself for art, and even when that can be somehow admirable.

Sad that those actors, even by putting up great performances above all that was happening, in the end got their talent exploited.
I agree with the message at the end, but still wonder at what cost you should sacrifice yourself for art, and even when that can be somehow admirable.

What do you mean "exploited?" They were hired because people knew they were talented and could play those roles. And they didn't sacrifice themselves.


I remember learning all this in school. We learned about classic films and  cartoons along with our regular cirriculum. 90's education hit different!


It's amazing how big of a franchise the wizard of oz was including a museum

Oz was already a phenomenon, and had been so since 1900. There had been a smash hit musical on Broadway in the first decade of the 20th century, as well as a multimedia presentation that L. Frank Baum toured with, as well as silent movies, radio shows, advertising campaigns, other stage productions, and of course for many years, a new Oz book was put out annually at Christmastime.


Good lord, you outdid yourself on this one Emp. The comparison at the end hit me like a ton of bricks.


It's kind of ironic that you used the Mona Lisa to show art outlasting the artist when, in all reality, Leonardo Da Vinci is proably going to be an immortal in the public mind. The man is still taught in schools in both art and history classes. It's very rare, and really only happens with these prolific artists and polymaths when they're one of only a few members of a wave of art movement, but still. Da Vinci may be in the grave now, but he'll never die a true death. He'll be remembered as long as there are humans at this point.


This gives me a new appreciation for the wizard of oz movie and the actors who acted in it. They literally suffered permanent damage from being in it. But considering how influential and famous the film was it really begs the question if it was worth it.

@spooky-yuki Seriously, what is with the hostility and the invective? Learn about this movie from reliable, authoritative sources and you'll see what a load of codswallop all the rumors are. This is about the movie, not your misperceptions about me.

@MaskedMan66 god damn go find something else to do

@The Purified Which nobody in this cast or crew got as a result of making the movie, so your statement is irrelevant.

They didn't suffer "permanent damage," literally or figuratively. Wounds heal, as theirs did. Other people have suffered worse on other movies. Three actors died while making "Twilight Zone: The Movie."

According to Judy, Margaret, and Ray, and others, "Wizard" was most certainly worth the effort.


Sadly, nothing about Hollywood's safety standards have changed. The Alec gun accident was awful.


You know, I usually consider myself as fairly numb to the horrors of the world but Jesus Christ that is a dark story.<br>Imagine you're a young, self-loathing actress in the 30s and you get hooked on meth just to be able to perform..

You know, I usually consider myself as fairly numb to the horrors of the world but Jesus Christ that is a dark story.
Imagine you're a young, self-loathing actress in the 30s and you get hooked on meth just to be able to perform..

Judy Garland never used meth in her life. And she wasn't self-loathing either, just insecure. The story isn't dark, and at that time in her life, Judy Garland was not some timid little tissue-paper waif, she was a ballsy jitterbug who had her own mind and spoke it.