Billy Curtis retired in the 1980s, except for the occasional interview or Wizard of Oz cast reunion. However, during one of the test runs, the pipe exploded. Maren now rests in the Court of Remembrance in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood, right below actress Sandra Dee, Decker said. Billy Curtiss income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. I will return to work on one condition no more fireworks! The face mask that Ray Bolger wore for his Scarecrow costume was made of rubber, and it was so heavy and tight that it nearly, The studio executives at MGM treated Judy Garland so terribly that they often, In fact, Louis B. Meyer apparently had Judy Garland on a, The male actors who played Munchkins would often, In fact, a lot of the Munchkin actors were so bad that an MGM employee was literally assigned to watch over them, and several of the actors ended up getting, Margaret Hamilton suffered such severe burns on her face and hand after a stunt, And the green makeup that was used for the Wicked Witch of the West's costume was so, Although the studio used toxic paint on its actors, they decided to go for a safer route when it came to painting the colorful horses in Emerald City. Apparently they spent most of their time after work at bars and "were disorderly as hell, yelling and screaming." 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. ", After scanning, the image quality was cleaned up by the digital artists, who removed dust and dirt spots and painted out the wires used to help actor Ray Bolger to fly in the Scarecrow dance number. LeRoy wanted Gale Sondergaard to play the Wicked Witch as a glamorous villainess, but the studio chiefs overruled him, demanding a traditional witch. Another was built, and this time it was reinforced throughout with piano wire. Aug. 15, 1939: The west-coast premiere of The Wizard of Oz at Grauman's Theater in Los Angeles. Shirley Temple had signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. (A few children were used as a well.). Impulse Pictures is proud to present APHRODISIAC! The Wizard of Oz | Margaret Hamilton was a character actress who played a lot of housemaids. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) American Society of Cinematographers. Then again, his first Oater wasdifferent. The original look involved a blonde wig and makeup, but this was soon changed. Judy Garland was put on a strict diet which was monitored by people specially hired to watch her by Louis B. Meyer. "Countless millions have seen it on TV. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. The final cost was $2,777,000. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. For instance, the cowardly Lion costume worn by Bert Lahr was authentic, meaning it was made from a real lion and weighed approximately 90 lbs (40.8 kg). This does not influence our choices. The first test was a failure because the rubber funnel refused to twist like a tornado. The highest paying actor from the cast seems to be Ray Bolger, the Scarecrow, and Jack Haley, the Tin Man, earning $3,000 per week. Munchkin Father. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. Ebsen was hospitalized and forced out of The Wizard of Oz's production because of the costuming and makeup. "Warner Bros. did a diligent search and found the original CRI. A preponderance of shiny surfaces, such as the Tin Man's metallic suit, the big prop emeralds, and even the sequined red slippers, caused problems by creating distracting reflections. The men who were hired to play the winged monkeys were attached to ''bat wings'' and a small motor suited to power windshield-wipers. The digital artists were then able to flip the display between the source material and the processed images. --Billy Curtis, Lord High Mayor of Munchkinland Judy Garland starred in The Wizard of Oz when she was 16. So, how much is Billy Curtis worth at the age of 79 years old? His wife, actress Elizabeth Barrington, died in 2011. She was small, however, and careful costuming and a bust-flattening undergarment made her appear much younger. But the costumes were so unhandy. Her weight was consistently monitored too. When Jack Haley replaced him, the studio started using a safer aluminum paste as makeup. Luft recalled one event in particular, claiming, "The next day, on the set, hungover, they would make Judy's life miserable by putting their hands under her dressThe men were 40 or more years old. 1966. The Wizard of Oz | Blanche Sewell edited The Wizard of Oz , an enormous responsibility considering all the scenes that were ultimately discarded. When requests were made for duplicate negatives, MGM Labs fashioned a copy from this source. And if you're curious, one of the costumes for the Cowardly Lion sold for over $3 million at a New York auction a few years ago. The main camera, mounted on a huge crane, was kept moving, tracking with the subjects in most shots. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. Louis B. Meyer hired people to constantly watch over Judy Garland to make sure she was following her diet. The cigars just for show.. Ever wonder how he would have thought of the name 'Oz'? 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. THE SEXUAL SECRET OF MARIJUANA in the much longer sexually Knocked unconscious, Dorothy awakes to find the house spinning through the air. Mervyn LeRoy, a long-time Warner Bros. director, was lured away to MGM with a lucrative contract offer. When Feiner inspected the Scarecrow scene, the image seemed slightly off. We all know that the film Wizard of Oz is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's book titled 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900, its illustrator was W.W Denslow. ", Judy told biographer Paul Donnelly that they'd give her and Mickey Rooney, whom she made several pictures with, the pills "to keep us on our feet long after we were exhausted then knock us out with sleeping pills then after four hours theyd wake us up and give us the pep pills again so we could work 72 hours in a row. People found the book so captivating that it sold out in the first two weeks of its distribution and remained a best-seller for two consecutive years. The script was based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which sold over a million copies and launched a long series of Oz books. Ironically, Fleming later replaced Cukor on GWTW as well. Jerry Maren, the last surviving adult Munchkin from The Wizard of Oz, has died. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. Feiner speculates that MGM decided to rid its lot of nitrate-based film sometime in the late Sixties or early Seventies. Diminutive American actor Billy Curtis avoided the usual onus of freak-show employment as a youth, opting for a mainstream job as a shoe clerk. Ebsen claimed to have breathing problems for the rest of his life because of "that damned movie. In the famous poppy field scenes of the movie where a snowstorm was shown, the snow was not snow but asbestos. The Technicolor photography for Oz was difficult because of the vastness of the sets. But, the things that happened behind the curtains to make all the wonderful effects come to life are surrounded by myths and speculations, some true and some false. ", In that time, the two makeup colors that studios had to be careful of were gold (because it was a concealer and closed the pores) and green (because of the copper). MGM wanted 10-year-old Shirley Temple instead. The studio's next choice was W.C. Fields a mind-boggling concept! From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. Margaret Hamilton, on the roof, awaits her cue while Jack Haley's Tin Man has a heart-to-heart with Dorothy and the Scarecrow. "We now use wet-gate technology to protect the film when it is contact-printed or duplicated with an optical printer," Feiner explains. It included cornfields, the house, the barn, and fences. The Wizard of Oz | The film opened in New York on Aug. 17, 1939. With Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney hosting screenings at Loew's Capitol Theater, it set house The film opened in New York on Aug. 17, 1939. With Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney hosting screenings at Loew's Capitol Theater, it set house records. A few scenes, such as the establishing shot of the witch's castle, are complete paintings, 40 inches wide and without live action. One of the great children's films that made Judy Garland a star. Everything that could have gone wrong during the making of this movie DID go wrong. The Wizard of Oz | Frank Morgan got the role of the Wizard after W.C. Fields demanded too much money. In 1951, he was a mole-man in the dark George Reeves movie Superman and the Mole-Men. ", She spent six weeks recuperating in the hospital and at home. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous Family (1) Spouse Curtis, Joann (1948 - 1988) (his death) (2 children) Trivia (7) Billy Curtis was the main reason for Judy Garland 's comment that the Munchkins were "little drunks." Dye fading is not inherent to the Technicolor three-strip process. Next, the Tin Man's suit, Buddy Esben wore a metal suit, making it hard for him even to sit. The movie rights were fought over between several studios, but MGM ultimately got the rights. You have subscribed to: Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter. Updated February 28, 2014 at 05:00 PM EST. In Oz, frames were hand-painted in order to create the transition to color. Margaret Hamilton was a character actress who played a lot of housemaids. The vivid colors came from dyes added during this process. ", There was a trap door on set that didn't open fast enough, so Hamilton got caught in the flames. With those words, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer introduced what became the most popular Technicolor fantasy ever made, The Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz | Jack Haley was the last one to join the cast. The huge camera moved smoothly and quietly over the well-lubricated tracks. On the way she meets a Scarecrow who says he has no brain, a Tin Woodsman who claims to have no heart, and a lion who is a coward. 1939 was the magical year when this classical film was released. A commercial artist from Massachusetts, Newcombe entered the movie field in 1922 by producing an art film entitled The Enchanted City. Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice was first considered for the Good Witch, but the final choice was Billie Burke, Ziegfeld's widow. And then I said, 'I'm going to have to scream. On some sets, as many as eight cameras about a third of Technicolor's inventory were used, with one getting the overall scene while others were hidden among the scenery for tighter shots. In the beginning, the author could not come up with the magical land that Dorothy is swept onto. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. This article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for. Release Date: Tuesday, August 15 1939 83 years ago . Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Based on the book by L. Frank Baum, it tells of Dorothy and her fantasy trip to the land of Oz where witches, scarecrows, lions and talking trees all exist. MGM wanted 10-year-old Shirley Temple instead. It's a hazardous journey. | Additionally, the book has 13 sequels. As she arrives, a tornado hits the house. Finally, they can now see it in a cinema the way it is meant to be seen. The set and actors were photographed separately, and the two films were then printed together as a simple double exposure without protection mattes, which lent the ball an ethereal quality. Universals singing star Deanna Durbin was also considered, but her childish contours were blossoming. LeRoy wanted Ed Wynn, who felt that the part was too small. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. As the group passes through the Haunted Forest, Dorothy and Toto are seized by flying monkeys who carry them away to the Witch's castle. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. According to Danko, it "felt as though my scalp was coming off. The explosion blew me off the broomstick." Humbled, he gives the Scarecrow a diploma, the Tin Woodsman a testimonial and the lion a medal, convincing them that they now have the virtuous qualities they previously lacked. Because you don't take chances with green. The Wizard of Oz was highly successful in its New York run at the Capitol most of the New York critics hated it, but who cared? ", MGM Labs had set up a production line to copy the nitrate film onto CRIs, recording from the emulsion side rather than the base side. Bolger mugs with Mickey Rooney, the MGM star of the Andy Hardy movies who was Garland's frequent costar. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 79 years old group. Check your inbox for your latest news from us. Throughout the next few years, MGM started prescribing Garland even more pills to "control both her weight and her energy levels. ", The restoration team at Pacific Title/Mirage tackled the task of restoring Oz with missionary zeal, which Feiner attributes to the company's deep roots in the industry. Apparently, they spent most of their time after work at bars and "were disorderly as hell, yelling and screaming." His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. Producer Mervyn LeRoy helped persuade MGM's Louis B. Mayer to acquire the rights to L. Frank Baum's book and played a crucial role in the casting of the characters. The tale begins in Kansas, where Dorothy lives with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and enjoys the friendship of three farmhands: Hunk, Zeke and Hickory. The actors of the film had to dress up in costumes that were tormenting. Jack Young, one of the movie's makeup artists, revealed that the green paint that was used to cover Hamilton's body was actually toxic because it had copper in it: "Every night when I was taking off the Witch's makeup, I would make sure that her face was thoroughly clean. is 4 2 . Note: This article includes stories about suicide and assault. Note: Submissions include topics of sexual assault. The resulting composite was back-projected outside Dorothy and the window. TMZ first reported the news of his death. Judy Garland was: 17. We have estimated This was done in exchange for allowing Clark Gable and Jean Harlow to star in Fox's Old Chicago film. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. The top of the sock was attached to a small car on the bottom of the gantry. A cyclone actually came and killed 31 people in 1893 and destroyed two towns. Wizard of Oz was nominated for several Academy Awards and is a two-time Oscar-winning movie today. Feiner notes that the original Technicolor imagery can be re-created by making separate passes with each of the three strips directly onto an answer print. That was then considered to be the archival master. Billy, all 42 of him, played the good guy sheriff (who finally arrests the bad guy and gets the girl) in 1938s Terror in Tiny Town. "I noticed that there were two frames, right before the pictures started, with clear lines outside the perforations," he says. Is that famous line from the film accurate? Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! The prop exploded, sending her to the hospital for 11 days and leaving her with permanent scars. Gillespie was also called in to photograph scenes in the poison poppy field, for which it was necessary to have the camera move along the ground surrounded by flowers. He was replaced by Victor Fleming, a hard-boiled former cinematographer. While cleaning the warehouses of MGM, they asked Warner to give them a hand and offered him whatever costume piece he wanted for free. Billy Curtis on his work in High Plains Drifter (1973). Curtis became an advocate for equality, working with Billy Barty to pressure the Screen Actors Guild in the early 1970s to allow little people to have full union membership and voting privileges. Prior to that time, little people operated on waivers. The toxicity of her makeup actually prevented Hamilton from getting faster medical attention during the fiery stunt gone wrong: "It would have been another matter if she had not been wearing green makeup: makeup man Jack Young would have gently blotted off the greasepaint, and Dr. Jones, the MGM doctor, would have covered the burns with salve. All Rights Reserved. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, arrives and slides the evil witch's magic ruby slippers on Dorothy's feet. No, you have no eye vision issues. The bottom of the funnel was anchored in a hidden slot that ran the length of the stage. These structures strongly resemble Alex Raymond's 1934 drawings of Ming's Diamond City in the newspaper cartoon Flash Gordon. Edna Mae Oliver and Margaret Hamilton were interviewed, and the role went to Hamilton. One of our people [Vince Roth] had worked in the MGM Labs optical department for 27 years, and he remembered an optical camera operator who had worked on those conversions. The only reason she didn't sue the studio was because "I know how this business works, and I would never work again. They began including two-color Technicolor sequences in silent features as early as 1924, with The Uninvited Guest. The dancing Scarecrow sequence was an outtake stored on 250 feet of film less than three minutes of screen time in the CRI (Color Reversal Intermediate) format. Each model required two wires for the bodies and two for flapping the wings. Billy Curtis (Luigi Curto) was born on 27 June, 1909 in Springfield, MA, is an American film actor. "When we scanned our dupe at full film resolution, there was no loss in image quality. Louis B. Mayer, the top man at MGM, bought the rights from Goldwyn for $75,000 in June of 1938. Phil Feiner, president of the optical division of Pacific Title/Mirage, reminds us that the first two reels of Oz, as well as the last, are black-and-white. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 27 June. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. "I realized I had one of the dupes," Feiner says. Curtis' big movie season was 1938-39: he was cast in The Wizard of Oz (1939) (albeit with voice dubbed by Pinto Colvig) and as the cowboy hero of the all-dwarf western The Terror of Tiny Town (1938). Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. When the Witch sets the Scarecrow on fire, Dorothy throws water on him. The most interesting fact is he framed the pencil that L. Frank Baum used to write the book. The trio (plus Toto, whose real name was Terry) approaches the Cowardly Lion's hunting grounds. Did Dorothy wear a pink shirt or a white one? Due to this hazardous effect, the actor, Hamilton, could not consume anything while she had her green makeup on. But did we not see the color correctly? ", In the memoir Judy and I: My Life with Judy Garland, Judy's ex-husband revealed that a lot of the older male Munchkin actors were "naughty." Chances are that no film has been seen by more people than The Wizard of Oz. There was a lot of drama about casting over the next few years, and the part ultimately went to Judy Garland. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! The trio (plus Toto, whose real name was Terry) approaches the Cowardly Lion's hunting grounds. Fleming with actors Billy Curtis (left) and Charlie Becker (right). The most well-known and commercially successful adaptation based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the film stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale. Studios also tried using cornflakes that were painted white to look like snow, but this method was too noisy because of the crunching sound it made whenever actors walked during scenes. WebBorn with dwarfism, actor Billy Curtis famously played a Munchkin city father in The Wizard of Oz in 1939. The giant floating head of the Wizard was front-projected onto heavy clouds of white steam piped in from outside the stage. A modern fairy tale with a distinctly American setting, a delightfully levelheaded and assertive heroine, and engaging fantasy characters, the story was enormously popular and became a classic of childrens literature. The Night They Saved Christmas. The big cloud of dust that surrounds the bottom of a twister was made by blowing Fuller's earth and compressed air in from underneath. An oft-told legend maintains that the tornado was created by manipulating a windblown silk stocking through a tabletop set. The previously photo-graphed, which was projected from the side onto a mirror set at a 45-degree angle, relaying the image onto a small translucent screen inside the hollow ball. I. E. Chadwick produced a silent Wizard in 1925 which also flopped, despite featuring Larry Semon as the Scarecrow, Oliver Hardy as the Tin Woodsman, and Charlie Murray as the Wizard. It would be a crime to cut corners and do anything in a sub-standard manner.". Stories of randy Munchkinland behavior, like the anecdotes Judy Garland told frequently in her later years, were more publicity than reality. Though the film opened strong, it wouldn't earn its money back until 1948. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. WebPlayed one of the Munchkins in the film "The Wizard of Oz" CREDITS Broadway; Every Man for Himself (Dec 09, 1940 - Dec 11, Curtis [Little Boy] PlayOriginal. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Diminutive American actor Billy Curtis avoided the usual onus of freak-show employment as a youth, opting for a mainstream job as a shoe clerk. Oscars honor classic on Sunday; take a trip back in time with historic vintage pics, Credit: Digitized by the Margaret Herrick Library Digital Studio. Cast. ", She did her hair and makeup one final time, put on her nicest outfit, and took an overdose of sleeping pills. Given the possible inclusion of the extra sequence, Pacific Title/Mirage was responsible for scanning some 44,500 frames (of the approximately 85,000 in the original 101-minute movie) for image processing, and then recording them back onto film. Principal photography wrapped on March 16, 1939, after five months of production. Seldom accepting a role which demeaned or patronized little people, Curtis played an obnoxious vaudeville performer compelled to sit on Gary Cooper's lap in Meet John Doe (1941), a suspicious circus star willing to turn Robert Cummings over to the cops in Saboteur (1942), and one of the many fair-weather friends of The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). Shirley Temple, Twentieth Century Foxs child superstar, was originally sought for the lead role of Dorothy, but for various reasons, the deal was never consummated. She spent six weeks recuperating in the hospital and at home. The picture's timeless appeal has since made it a cherished tradition in theaters and on television the world over. Adjusted for inflation, that's just over $900 in today's world. Official Sites Sat, Jun 10 1922 Billy Sun, Jun 27 1909 Wed, Nov 09 1988. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf were the credited authors of the final screenplay, which was begun in late February 1938 and completed in August. He was 98. Wizard of Oz is a fiction classic, all about magic, adventure, and make-believe. Billy Curtis. One of his early roles was uncredited as a Munchkin city father in The Wizard of Oz (1939). He had a featured role as part of the circus troupe in Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur (1942). He also appeared in Superman and the Mole Men (1951), a B-Picture intended as the pilot for the Adventures of Superman TV series. Bolger opened up about the difficulties of the costume, saying "I had a rubber mask. The green makeup used for Margaret Hamilton's costume was so, MGM hired attendants to help the little people on and off studio toilets because one of the Munchkin actors got, Clara Blandick, who played Auntie Em, committed, Margaret Hamilton, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, suffered second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hand after a stunt, The male actors who played Munchkins would often, In fact, a lot of the Munchkin actors were so bad that an MGM employee was literally assigned to watch over them, and a lot of the actors ended up getting, Buddy Ebsen was the original Tin Man, but the aluminum dust from the makeup, Figuring out how to color the horses in Emerald City was an extremely difficult task, and the studio ultimately decided to paint them with, The actors who played Munchkins were only paid, And Terry, the dog who played Toto, was paid nearly three times as much as the Munchkins. I would guess that the original negative was probably used to make more than 10 and perhaps as many as 200 release prints. He replaced Buddy Ebsen two weeks into filming after the original Tin Man fell ill from the character's aluminum dust makeup. That figure surprises those who only remember the black-and-white footage from the scene in which Dorothy opens the door of her Auntie Em's house to discover that a tornado has transported her to a Technicolor universe.
was billy curtis in the wizard of oz