The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of the most iconic films of all time. It launched Garland into the throes of major movie stardom. Though the film made Garland’s career, it also ruined her life. The Wizard of Oz was a gorgeous, Technicolor film, but there was undeniable darkness on set. From crippling addiction and devastating assault to injury and ever near-death experiences, behind the scenes of Oz will change your perspective on the classic film.
It’s hard to imagine The Wizard of Oz without iconic actress Judy Garland, but she almost didn’t play Dorothy.
51The Animals of Oz
There are multiple animals seen throughout the film Wizard of Oz and there are also some that are left out from the original novel. For the scenes showing the horses in the Emerald City, the filmmakers placed Jell-O crystals all over the horses’ bodies to give them their color. Of course, they had to shoot the scenes as fast as they could, because like any horse they would want to lick off the sugary concoction. Another interesting animal fact about the film is that a Cairn terrier named Terry played the role of the Toto the dog. Toto was also said to have made more money filming than the Munchkins did!
In the Wizard of Oz, the winged monkeys are played by humans in costumes. In the film, the head winged monkey is called Nikko. Nikko is actually the name of a Japanese town, the town is famous for having a shrine that features the origin of the Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil monkeys.
