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From performing in The Gumm Sisters to gaining international stardom for her role as Dorothy Gale inThe Wizard of Oz,Judy Garland was one of the most iconic actresses of her time. But the very movie that established her fame also exploited her in many ways. From the Munchkins making her life miserable on set to now the revelation that one element of the movie also put her life in mortal danger.
The snow that was in the movie to make it more cinematically pleasing was actually very harmful and could have had a very harmful effect on the actress.
HowThe Wizard of OzPut Judy Garland’s Life in Danger?
The Wizard of Ozwas truly a classic that launched actressJudy Garlandto international stardom. While her memorable performance gained everyone’s attention, it also had several questionable elements attached to it. One of the movie’s most pivotal scenes is the poppy field sequence in which Dorothy and her companions are lulled into a deep sleep by a spell.
As Glinda the Good Witch counteracts the magic, snow gently falls presenting a beautiful cinematic vision in the movie. While it was indeed beautiful, the snow was far from safe and had several harmful effects. During that time, it was a common practice in Hollywood to use industrial-grade chrysotile asbestos to mimic the look of real snow.
Several decades later, the same asbestos is revealed to be a deadly carcinogen, that’s known to cause serious health conditions and diseases like mesothelioma (a rare and aggressive form of cancer). Interestingly, Asbestos wasn’t the only hazardous element on set as Buddy Ebsen (the original Tin Man) suffered a near-fatal reaction to the aluminum powder used in his makeup.
“Go back to your dressing room”: Judy Garland Was Reportedly Assaulted By Her Director During the Making of ‘The Wizard of Oz’
This also led to his hospitalization and eventually, he left the project. After him, Jack Haley was brought in to play the role and he himself had a very serious eye infection because of the makeup. Margaret Hamilton who played the Wicked Witch was severely burned during a pyrotechnic mishap. These practices detail just how difficult it was for the actors to work on set, that too with such dangerous elements.
Judy Garland Was Exploited on the Sets ofThe Wizard of Oz
Being a child actor is not at all easy, and for Judy Garland as well the road to stardomwas a tough one.She signed under MGN when she was just 13 years old, after which she faced several health struggles. To maintain her perfect appearance, the actress would go for days without eating.
She also started taking barbiturates for her insomnia but developed an addiction to them. She passed away in 1969 due to an overdose of this medication and was just 47 years old at the time.
Her personal life was also quite controversial, and Garland was married five times. After her passing her ex-husband Sidney Luft with whom she was married from 1952 to 1965 detailed in his memoir (released posthumously in 2017 as he passed away in 2005) some shocking details about the actress.
In this, Luft claimed that the actors who played Munchkins onThe Wizard of Ozhad s**ually abused the actress on set. He added viaPeople:
They would make Judy’s life miserable on set by putting their hands under her dress … The men were 40 or more years old. They thought they could get away with anything because they were so small.
Before her death, even Garland detailed the actor’s behavior on set during a 1967interview with Jack Paar. The actress added:
They were little drunks….They got smashed every night, and they picked them up in butterfly nets.
On the contrary, the Munchkin actors have denied these claims adding that they’ve worked hard for little pay.
Even Munchkin actress Margaret Pellegrini added viaThe Independentthat the actors liked to go out for a few drinks. However, the situation never got out of hand, and everyone was on their best behavior during the filming.
You can streamThe Wizard of Ozon Max.
Sakshi Singh
Articles Published :1436
Sakshi Singh has written over 1,300 entertainment articles, mostly about Netflix shows and reality TV. She’s spent the last two years covering everything from surprise engagements to shocking eliminations and previously wrote for Essentially Sports in their Netflix Junkie division. A self-proclaimed reality TV addict, Sakshi has watched all 48 seasons of Survivor and never misses a new dating or competition series. She loves watching how strangers meet, fall in love, team up, or betray each other - it’s the mix of strategy and drama that keeps her hooked. When she’s not glued to a reality show, she’s usually watching a crime thriller or tracking the next big streaming hit.
