How Old Was Judy Garland When She Filmed Wizard Of Oz?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Judy Garland was just 17 when she filmed the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” but it set her on a difficult path for the rest of her career — and her life. Garland was a true child star, showing off her talents for acting and singing from the time she was a toddler, and at age 13 she signed with the iconic Metro-Goldwyn- ...

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How old was Judy Garland when The Wizard of Oz made?

On what would have been Garland’s 99th birthday, take a walk down memory lane (or rather, the Yellow Brick Road) and look at behind-the-scenes photos of the actress filming The Wizard of Oz. Learning lines for her leading role, Garland is pictured at only 17 years old on the MGM set.

What year was Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz?

Although Garland had gained popularity in her first motion pictures with Mickey Rooney, she became an international star by playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz ( 1939 ), in which she sang one of her signature songs, “Over the Rainbow,” and for which she won a special Academy Award for “outstanding performance by a screen ...

How old was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz?

In the 1939 MGM movie, Dorothy is somewhere between 11–13 years old . Her age is nowhere mentioned in the book, but Dorothy seems to be about 10 when her first adventure to Oz occurs. Certainly, she was no more than 12.

Why was Dorothy drugged for Wizard of Oz?

Garland stated that she, Rooney, and other young performers were constantly prescribed amphetamines in order to stay awake and keep up with the frantic pace of making one film after another. They were also given barbiturates to take before going to bed so they could sleep.

How much did Judy Garland weigh when she died?

In December 1959, Judy Garland, only 37 but with a quarter-century of hard living behind her, lay near death in New York’s Doctors Hospital. Alcohol and pills were the culprits. When in reasonably good health, Garland, who stood an inch under five feet, weighed 100 pounds .

Who was originally cast as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz?

Shirley Temple was MGM’s first choice to play Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz but she was under contract to 20th Century Fox. When a deal for her services could not be struck, MGM turned to one of its contract players, Judy Garland, who proved to be the perfect Dorothy!

How old was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz when she died?

On June 22, 1969, Garland’s new husband Mickey Deans broke down the locked bathroom door in their London flat and found the star dead; she was 47 years old .

Which witch had the ruby slippers?

Ruby slippers First appearance The Wizard of Oz 1939 Created by Gilbert Adrian (costume design) Genre Fantasy fiction In-story information

Is Dorothy’s last name mentioned in The Wizard of Oz?

Dorothy’s last name is never mentioned in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz or The Marvelous Land of Oz, the first two Oz books.

Were there any black Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz?

Their voices were mostly dubbed over by professional actors for the movie. Most of the actors were adult little people but a few were average height children. All of them were part of a group called The Singer Midgets not because they sang, but because their manager’s name was Leo Singer, LA Times reported.

Are any Munchkins still alive?

Betty Ann Cain Bruno is the last living Munchkin from the film ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019 in El Verano. Betty Ann can be seen in the photo at left next to Judy Garland’s right side, peeking her head over.

How old is the Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz?

The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow. In his first appearance, the Scarecrow reveals that he lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old and merely naïve.

Are any cast members of The Wizard of Oz still alive?

Maren left no immediate survivors . He was the last surviving member of The Wizard of Oz’s adult Munchkin cast, as well as the last surviving actor to have co-starred in a film starring the Marx Brothers.

What was wrong with Judy Garland teeth?

Shortly in 1935 she signed her first MGM contract and the studio arranged for her to see a dentist (the late Dr. Charles Pincus). Even at age 12, Judy had a weakness for chocolate bars , which no doubt contributed to her extensive tooth decay.

How much did Judy Garland make Wizard of Oz?

Even today women are paid less than men, but in 1939, that was the norm. Despite carrying the movie as the leading role and appearing in almost every scene, Judy Garland was paid $500 per week compared to her male costars, Ray Bolger (Scarecrow) and Jack Haley (Tin Man), $3,000 per week.

Which actor was badly burned during filming?

Margaret Hamilton , who played the Wicked Witch of the West, was badly burned while filming the movie — and her stunt double was burned as well. Unfortunately, Hamilton’s experience was only one example of several things that went wrong while filming The Wizard of Oz.

How much older was Judy Garland than Mickey Deans?

Born Mickey DeVinko in Garfield, NJ, Deans was a disco owner, jazz pianist, and drug dealer. He was 12 years younger than Garland .

Who was supposed to play the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz?

7 The Scarecrow was originally supposed to be the Tin Man ... Buddy Ebsen , who would later on be known for hits like The Beverly Hillbillies, was originally cast as the Scarecrow, but he swapped roles with Ray Bolger.

Who is Judy Garland daughter Liza Minnelli?

Liza Minnelli was born on March 12, 1946. She celebrated her 75th birthday in 2021. She was born in Los Angeles, and was the daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli . Her parents named her after the Ira Gershwin song ‘Liza (All the Clouds’ll Roll Away)’.

How old would Judy Garland be now 2020?

Judy Garland was just 47-years-old at the time of her death on June 22, 1969. She was born on June 10, 1922, which would make her 99-years-old today if she were still alive.

Did Judy Garland wear a wig in The Wizard of Oz?

Judy Garland originally wore the blonde wig during the first week of filming on The Wizard of Oz (Image: profiles in History). ... Although it never actually appeared on-screen, the wig was an important piece of history from the iconic film, and sparked a fierce bidding war between collectors.

Was Wizard of Oz the first color movie?

Contrary to a common misconception, Oz was not the first film made in color , but it was one of the first to prove that color could add fantasy and draw audiences to theaters, despite its release during the Great Depression.

Where does the red brick road go?

The Red Brick Road is supposed to lead travelers from Quadling Country to the great Emerald City .

Why does Dorothy wear red shoes?

In the movie, Dorothy is gifted the slippers from Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, to keep them safe from the Wicked Witch of the West and to help her return home to Kansas . Over the years, they have become one of the most iconic parts of the film and of American culture.

How much did the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz sell for?

The $800,000 price tag is a bargain for Dorothy’s slippers. Several years ago, another pair sold at auction for $2 million. Another pair, found at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, was the subject of a Kickstarter that raised $349,000 to conserve the shoes.

How old is Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz in 2021?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an upcoming 2021 CGI animated fantasy family film, based on the novel of the same name by L. Frank Baum. The film focuses on a nine-year-old girl named Dorothy, and her journey through a whimsical fantasy world.

How old was Dorothy in Return to Oz?

The film opens on an age-appropriate Dorothy ( eleven-year-old Fairuza Balk), six months after the tornado hit Kansas. The joyful bedside reunion which ended The Wizard Of Oz has long since passed, replaced now with Aunt Em’s baleful vigil over her troubled, insomniac niece.

What happens when the witch touches the slippers?

Before the witch can harm Dorothy, Toto escapes, chaos ensues, and the slippers live to see another day on the young Kansas girl’s feet . Eventually, she is able tap her heels together, utter the powerful charmed words, “There’s no place like home,” and magically return, with Toto, to her home in Kansas.

What do the silver shoes symbolize in the Wizard of Oz?

When Dorothy’s house lands, killing the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy is given a pair of magic slippers. ... In his reading of The Wizard of Oz, Littlefield believed that Dorothy was a stand-in for the average American, and that the magic silver shoes represented the late 1890s free silver movement .

Who is the richest of all of the munchkins in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?

Boq is the wealthiest of all the munchkins in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Was Ray Bolger double jointed?

A tall, slender man whose physical capacities as a dancer often mystified audiences ( he was so lithe as to appear double-jointed ), the Massachusetts native began his career in vaudeville.

What are the flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz?

The Flying Monkeys are a magical namesake race of flying monkeys with feathered wings of birds and they are the Wicked Witch of The West’s lackeys from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Their goal is to kidnap Dorothy and her dog Toto. Nikko is their leader. They fly out of the wicked witch’s castle outside.

Who died on the set of Wizard of Oz?

But the film is plagued by 1 particularly egregious rumor

But is there any truth to this long-standing — and especially dark — rumor? According to Snopes, The Wizard of Oz — for all its problematic production issues — did not see any deaths occur on the film’s set , on or off screen.

How much did MGM pay for the rights to The Wizard of Oz book?

49. MGM paid L. Frank Baum a whopping $75,000 for the film rights to his book, which was big money in those days.

Is Betty Ann Cain Bruno still alive?

Now, 88 -year old Betty Ann Bruno builds ‘ohana’ in Sonoma.

Emily Lee
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Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.