Although the book by L. Frank Baum is already over a century old, the Judy Garland classic movie adaptation from 1939 turns 75 this year. One of the most beloved stories of all time, “The Wizard of Oz” won 2 Oscars and is still loved even to this day for the story, the songs, and the wacky characters. For it’s birthday, we thought we’d have some fun and dig up some old movie trivia. 

1. The film is actually now regarded as the most watched movie in film history, according to recent studies. It’s largely because of its adaptation into so many different types of media, and its regular TV screenings every year.
2. The filming of this movie was unbelievably dangerous. The actress who played The Wicked Witch of the West got second and third-degree burns on her face while filming the scene where she leaves Munchkinland. It involved using smoke and fire to make her disappear, and they found out that one of the components of her makeup was copper. They didn’t know the harmful ingredients they were using just yet.
3. Speaking of deadly make-up, other actors and actresses dealt with the harmful side effects. Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man, but had to quit the film because his lungs became infected by aluminum dust. Jack Haley, who stepped in later, had his makeup adjusted but said it was still terrible to work with.
4. This next bit might be the coolest part of trivia coming out of the movie. When the wardrobe department was looking for a coat for Frank Morgan (who played Professor Marvel a.k.a The Wizard) to wear, they went and bought a bunch from a second-hand store. One of the coats fit Morgan perfectly, and while bored on set he turned out one of the pockets to examine it. On the inside, the label said that it belonged to L. Frank Baum, the writer of the original book. The crew verified it with Baum’s widow as well as the tailor, and gave it back to her after filming.

That’s just a bit of the funny trivia and unique insight into the filming of one of the most beloved films of all time. If you’d like to read more, you can find plenty on IMDb as well as other fan sites. To celebrate its birthday, go ahead and watch it for old times’ sake!