It is truly hard to believe that the original The Wizard of Oz film, produced 74 years ago, was an utterly disastrous flop, even though it was later highly acclaimed and became a major influence on American pop culture.

The Wizard of Oz premiered in theaters in 1939, involving more than 10 screenwriters and 3 directors. The film was shot over 23 weeks with a budget of nearly $2.7 million.

A scene from The Wizard of Oz.
This was MGM’s most expensive film project of that year. Despite massive publicity, the film still “lost money” and it wasn’t until 1956, when MGM licensed it to CBS for annual television broadcasts, that it became a cultural phenomenon, with many of its details finding their way into American culture and everyday life.

“They took creative risks,” explained Aljean Harmetz, author of The Making of the Wizard of Oz, the latest book about The Wizard of Oz. “The filmmakers invented new techniques to create special effects. They also brought characters to the screen that had never been seen before. Not to mention, this was the early days of color film, which at the time had only been developing for about three years.”

On the occasion of the latest Wizard of Oz film reaching the public, let’s revisit its production and explore why this movie failed at the box office.

The background of The Wizard of Oz:
After failing at several jobs, including acting and sales, author L. Frank Baum struck gold when he published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. The book became a bestseller among children within two years. Afterwards, it was adapted for the stage multiple times and spawned a whole series of Oz books. In 1937, MGM acquired the rights to bring the book to the big screen.

The screenwriter fired after four days:
The film involved over 10 screenwriters, including former journalist Herman Mankiewicz. He was fired after only four days of work. Although one year later he would win an Oscar for Citizen Kane, the script he wrote for Oz was considered terrible.

Four directors in succession:

The film went through four directors. Richard Thorpe directed for only two weeks, George Cukor for three days, and Victor Fleming for four months — he directed most of the film. Later, Fleming was pulled away by producer David O. Selznick to make Gone with the Wind. The fourth director was King Vidor, who joined the project for just 10 days and shot the opening and ending scenes.

Lead actress forced to flatten her chest:
Judy Garland was not MGM’s first choice for the role of Dorothy — Shirley Temple, a huge star at the time, was. However, Temple was under contract with 20th Century Fox, which refused to “lend” her out, so MGM had to give the role to Garland. At age 16, Garland was considered too “developed” for the role, despite dieting at the time. The studio forced her to bind her breasts tightly. During filming, she earned around $500 per week, and this role launched her into major stardom.

The “Wizard” demanded too high a fee:
W.C. Fields was the first choice for the role of the Wizard, but the studio could not meet his salary demands. Eventually, MGM signed Frank Morgan instead.

A gathering of little people:
To create the village of the Munchkins, MGM hired 124 little people to appear in the film.

Duccini, who played one of the Munchkins, said:
“At the time, I was about 20 years old and living in a town in Minnesota. When I was invited to be in the film, I had no idea there would be other little people involved. For me, meeting them on set was the happiest thing. Now, I find it hard to watch this classic movie because all my friends from back then are gone.”

The Wicked Witch nearly burned alive:
Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, was almost burned alive due to a technical error. In one scene, the flames rose too quickly, and her hat and broom caught fire. Her face was severely burned, forcing her to take a six-week break from filming.

An unlucky canine “actor”:
People say the production was plagued with mishaps, and even Toto the dog was not spared. Once, the dog was blown across the set by a wind machine and later had its leg accidentally broken by one of the witch’s guards.

The dog’s real name was Terry, but after the film, it was renamed Toto. For its “role,” the dog earned $150 per week during filming — less than the main actors but more than the Munchkin performers.

The film was slammed as terrible:
When it first hit theaters, the film was a box office failure — grossing just over $3 million — and was harshly criticized by reviewers. The New Yorker called it “utterly lacking in imagination,” and The New Republic said the film was full of “bizarre characters.” However, the film was still nominated for six Oscars, winning Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “Over the Rainbow.” Judy Garland was also awarded a special Juvenile Oscar.