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10 Things You DIDN’T Know About The Wizard Of Oz
A hidden jacket, a borrowed coat, and a dog paid better than the Munchkins — ten true stories from behind the curtain of the most-watched film ever made.
The Library of Congress calls The Wizard of Oz the most-watched film in history, and after 85 years it still hasn't run out of secrets. Behind the emerald glow is a production so strange that the true stories rival anything in Oz itself. Ten of our favorites, no curtain required.
The slippers weren't supposed to be ruby
In L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel, Dorothy's shoes are silver. MGM switched them to ruby red for one reason: the studio had paid dearly for Technicolor, and red popped against the yellow brick road like nothing else. A marketing decision became the most famous footwear in movie history.
Toto out-earned the Munchkins
Terry the cairn terrier was paid $125 a week — more than many of the Munchkin performers earned. Terry also got injured mid-shoot when a guard stepped on her paw, and recuperated at Judy Garland's house. Garland tried to adopt her; the trainer said no.
Quick hits from behind the curtain
- The Wizard's "secondhand" coat, bought from a thrift store, reportedly turned out to have belonged to L. Frank Baum himself
- The original Tin Man, Buddy Ebsen, was hospitalized by the aluminum-dust makeup and replaced by Jack Haley
- The snow in the poppy field was asbestos — standard Hollywood practice at the time
- The horse of a different color was tinted with flavored gelatin, and kept licking itself back to normal
The making of Oz is its own fairy tale — equal parts magic and "how did anyone survive this production?"
"Over the Rainbow" almost got cut
MGM executives thought the song slowed down the Kansas scenes and tried to remove it more than once. Producer Arthur Freed fought to keep it. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became Judy Garland's signature for the rest of her life.
It flopped — then television saved it
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1939 | Barely breaks even in theaters against a huge budget |
| 1956 | First TV broadcast reaches an enormous audience |
| 1959–1991 | Annual network airings make it a family ritual |
| Today | Most-watched film in history, per the Library of Congress |
Watch-party tip: look for the moment Dorothy opens the farmhouse door — the sepia-to-Technicolor reveal was done in one shot, with a sepia-painted set and a double in a sepia dress.
No place like our Oz collection
From ruby slippers to flying monkeys, our Wizard of Oz collection is officially licensed and printed to order in the USA — free US shipping, free 30-day returns, and 15% off when you buy three.
Disclaimer: SonsOfGotham.com is not affiliated with Turner Entertainment or Warner Bros. All shirts are officially licensed.
FAQ
Why are Dorothy's slippers ruby instead of silver?
In L. Frank Baum's novel they're silver, but MGM changed them to ruby red because red looked spectacular against the yellow brick road in Technicolor — a format the studio had paid a premium to use.
Was The Wizard of Oz a hit when it came out?
Not really — it barely broke even against a huge 1939 budget. Annual television broadcasts starting in the 1950s turned it into a family ritual and, per the Library of Congress, the most-watched film in history.
Are Sons of Gotham's Wizard of Oz shirts official?
Yes — every Wizard of Oz design we carry is officially licensed and printed to order in the USA, with free US shipping and free 30-day returns.
All titles, characters, and trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners. Sons of Gotham sells officially licensed merchandise.
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