The ruby slippers were cursed, the munchkins were drunk, and Judy Garland was starving. Hollywood magic, baby!
A behind-the-scenes look at the 1939 Wizard of Oz film adaptation that tested the limits of its creators, which included director Victor Fleming and star Judy Garland, as well as its cultural impact and timeless legacy.
Direction
Donahue balances reverence with brutal honesty about studio cruelty.
Production
Archival footage so crisp you'll forget it's 85 years old.
Director
Tom Donahue
Victor Fleming
Self (archive footage)
Judy Garland
Self / Dorothy Gale (archive footage)
Margaret Hamilton
Self / The Wicked Witch of the West (archive footage)
Ray Bolger
Self / Scarecrow (archive footage)
Jack Haley
Self / Tin Man (archive footage)
Bert Lahr
Self / Cowardly Lion (archive footage)
Billie Burke
Self / Glinda the Good Witch (archive footage)
Frank Morgan
Self / The Wizard (archive footage)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The original Tin Man, Buddy Ebsen, was hospitalized for weeks after aluminum powder coated his lungs—he's in zero footage you actually see.
The 'dark side of Oz' documentary genre basically started here; without this film, we'd never have gotten the 'contrarian takes' industrial complex.
US
