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Billy Curtiss income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. The workstations were networked to an SGI Origin 2000 file server that provided high-density image storage and rapid transfer rates. This last epic was one of the few instances that Curtis was cast as a good guy; many of his screen characters were ill-tempered and pugnacious, willing to bite a kneecap if unable to punch out an opponent. This last epic was one of the few instances that Curtis was cast as a good guy; many of his screen characters were ill-tempered and pugnacious, willing to bite a kneecap if unable to punch out an opponent. While filming the scene, the actor Judy Garland kept giggling, and, frustrated, the director Victor Flemming took Judy aside and slapped her for real. Two effects units operated within Cedric Gibbons' art department. But did we not see the color correctly? Her performance as the Wicked Witch would frighten generations of children, who routinely, The Wizard of Oz | Victor Fleming consults with his actors. It's safe to assume that most moviegoers have experienced The Wizard of Oz through the narrow perspective of a television screen. 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). The Beverly Hillbillies was initially cast as the Scarecrow, but he swapped roles with Ray Bolger. Most producers were reluctant to go forward with color films even after the much-improved three-color process was introduced in 1934. To make this happen, a pipe was attached to the bicycle seat saddle on the broomstick, but during one of the practice runs the pipe exploded: "I felt as though my scalp was coming off. Ironically, Fleming later replaced Cukor on GWTW as well. 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. 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. Paul Adams: stand-in for Frank Morgan Stafford Campbell: stand-in for Ray Bolger Betty Danko: stand-in and stunt double for Margaret Hamilton Jimmy Fawcett: stand-in for Bert Lahr Shirley Temple had signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. Pacific Title/Mirage was selected by Warner Bros. to restore the black-and-white segments of The Wizard of Oz, plus the additional Scarecrow sequence, which was filmed in Technicolor. The Kansas scenes at the beginning, directed by King Vidor, were photographed in black-and-white. A commercial artist from Massachusetts, Newcombe entered the movie field in 1922 by producing an art film entitled The Enchanted City. The Wizard of Oz - Full Cast & Crew - TV Guide 1957. "We test scanned the original fine-grain and the dupe to see if there were discernible differences in resolution, sharpness and overall image quality," he says. Oscars honor classic on Sunday; take a trip back in time with historic vintage pics, Credit: Digitized by the Margaret Herrick Library Digital Studio. Half of the time we were hanging from the ceiling, but it was a way of life for us., Billy Curtis, one of the Munchkin actors, remembered the event, saying, "They had to clean him off like he was a baby." THE SEXUAL SECRET OF MARIJUANA in the much longer sexually Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! The only way to do that is to compare the processed images on the computer screen to a matching frame of the source material. in The Billy Curtis (Luigi Curto) was born on 27 June, 1909 in Springfield, MA, is an American film actor. ", She spent six weeks recuperating in the hospital and at home. The movie rights were fought over between several studios, but MGM ultimately got the rights. Casting Garland was a risk, but no one ever doubted her voice. He was perfect for the Cowardly Lion. WebCurtis' 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 But Cukor left after a week to begin preparing Gone With the Wind. Fields' Wizard would've been more of a con-man while Morgan played him as a frightened little humbug. Being L. Frank Baum's best-seller, the book is today one of the popular choices in children's literature and has been translated to languages from around the world. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. He was 98. But green makeup was toxic. But you will be surprised to know Frank Morgan played five characters in the movie, including the wizard's guard. I would guess that the original negative was probably used to make more than 10 and perhaps as many as 200 release prints. Behind the Curtain: The Wizard of Oz - The American Society of Cinematographers (en-US) Historical April 25, 2023 Behind the Curtain: The Wizard of Did Dorothy wear a pink shirt or a white one? 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. '", The studio rightfully ruled that it would be unacceptable to use real paint on the horses during the Emerald City scene. Wizard of Oz He also appeared as Little Oscar in Oscar Mayer ads and as Buster Brown for the shoe company. Age information for actors in the movie The Wizard Of Oz, released on Tuesday, August 15 1939. The men who were hired to play the winged monkeys were attached to ''bat wings'' and a small motor suited to power windshield-wipers. Did one of the Munchkins hang himself on the film's set? "Warner Bros. did a diligent search and found the original CRI. The top of the sock was attached to a small car on the bottom of the gantry. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) American Society of Cinematographers. Though the film opened strong, it wouldn't earn its money back until 1948. Also that year, the Boston native played the villainous Light-Fingered Lester in an Our Gang short film and appeared as Little Professor Atom in The Marx Brothers At the Circus. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. He is from MA. The main camera, mounted on a huge crane, was kept moving, tracking with the subjects in most shots. Check your inbox for your latest news from us. During the process, one of the trap doors was stuck; consequently, Hamilton received second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hands. The picture's fine-grain master was stored at the Library of Congress. --Billy Curtis, Lord High Mayor of Munchkinland Judy Garland starred in The Wizard of Oz when she was 16. The Wizard of Oz | The MGM Optical Department photographed the film's titles. No, you have no eye vision issues. "That eliminates the major source of cell abrasions and emulsion digs, which can occur during the duping or printing process. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. 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. The explosion blew me off the broomstick." He told her to take the scenes seriously and get it done. Obsessed with travel? They were printed in the MGM laboratory's beautiful but long-extinct Sepia Platinum process, which not only gave the images a sepia tone, but lent an iridescent quality to the highlights. Edna Mae Oliver and Margaret Hamilton were interviewed, and the role went to Hamilton. Another was built, and this time it was reinforced throughout with piano wire. 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. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! There was a lot of drama about casting over the next few years, and the part ultimately went to Judy Garland. These structures strongly resemble Alex Raymond's 1934 drawings of Ming's Diamond City in the newspaper cartoon Flash Gordon. Billy Curtis's net worth The next casualty was Margaret Hamilton, who was supposed to disappear from Munchkinland in a burst of smoke and fire. The farmhouse, which was about 3' high, was swept aloft on piano wires. Filming & Production Instead, the camera moved to make the ball appear to describe the path it was to follow. Thorpe had made four great Tarzan films and the remarkable Night Must Fall, but the rushes soon convinced producer LeRoy that the director was not capturing the desired fairytale quality. MGM, then the world's richest motion picture company, stepped gingerly into the realm of "natural color." Ray Bolger was initially approached to play the Tin Man, but he lobbied hard to play the rubber-legged Scarecrow. Born with dwarfism, actor Billy - Rhyolyn's Birthdays Principal photography wrapped on March 16, 1939, after five months of production. WebCurtis' 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). So, how much is Billy Curtis worth at the age of 79 years old? One would think it to be Judy Garland, but she only made $500 per week. Reporting on what you care about. "We elected to use Cineon software for automated dust-busting, with one important provision," says Feiner. The first test was a failure because the rubber funnel refused to twist like a tornado. WebThe Wizard of Oz. This was done in exchange for allowing Clark Gable and Jean Harlow to star in Fox's Old Chicago film. 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. "Some people say 3K, or even 2K, and 8-bit log space per pixel is sufficient, but this film is an important part of our heritage and culture," he says. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. The process was also used in other pictures of the era, such as Ziegfeld Girl, Tarzan Finds a Son! His wife, actress Elizabeth Barrington, died in 2011. You have subscribed to: Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. Still, it took me about a day to discover what had happened. (At press time, that decision had yet to be made.). | Bert Lahr, the Broadway comic who hadn't quite caught on in movies, was hired as the Cowardly Lion and almost stole the show from everybody. WebCurtis' 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 However, during one of the test runs, the pipe exploded. The arrival of Glinda the Good Witch in Munchkinland is a deft bit of fantasy. And I dont smoke and I dont drink. Note: This article includes stories about suicide and assault. After several takes, the pyrotechnics ignited too soon and she was seriously burned on the face and hand. Because it was initially given the title of 'The Emerald City.'. Portrayed by rapper Master P. After Vern Schillinger's daughter-in-law Carrie gave We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! In the beginning, the author could not come up with the magical land that Dorothy is swept onto. "Countless millions have seen it on TV. It has been claimed that the actors playing the three munchkins harassed Judy Garland after visiting Culver City. Casting of the Wizard was more complicated. The studio's next choice was W.C. Fields a mind-boggling concept! Luft said, "you couldn't lock them up for long because they were needed on the set. The camera was placed in the center and spun rapidly while the muslin remained stationary. Some strange and weird props were used for the movie, including chocolate syrup for tears, a brown paper bag as a prosthetic, a cumbersome cowardly lion costume, bizarre stuff in Tin Man's oil, and several others. Have you been quoting the line of the Witch of the West as" Fly, Fly, my pretties" when she sent her monkeys? He replaced Buddy Ebsen two weeks into filming after the original Tin Man fell ill. With Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney hosting screenings at Loew's Capitol Theater, it set house records. A miniature of the Kansas farm, scaled at 3/4" to 1', was built on Stage 14. The Wizard of Oz The front-projection process used today had not been developed at that time, but the close-up registered effectively on the steam in one of the larger projected images that had been attempted in color. Additionally, The production company was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). McDonalds retired the character when Billy died in 1988. 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. Fleming was one five directors who worked on Oz, but he left before it finished to take over Gone With the Wind. That would equate to almost $2,300 per week in 2019. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. Universals singing star Deanna Durbin was also considered, but her childish contours were blossoming. 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). Curiously, her signature song, ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow,'' was nearly cut from the. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. And in the 2010 film Dahmer vs Gacy, he played a mime. Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. There's no magic bullet with digital technology you can only scan in the image quality on the source material. Updated February 28, 2014 at 05:00 PM EST. This was back in the 1930s, so the only reason Hamilton returned to the production and didn't sue MGM's entire studio after the incident was because she knew it would ruin her acting career: "I know how this business works, and I would never work again. This proved to be a key advantage on the Oz undertaking, given the job's aggressive eight-month schedule. He was perfect for the Cowardly Lion. Director Victor Fleming's 1939 classic has made an indelible imprint on American pop culture, giving us durable metaphors ("the yellow brick road") and memorable lines ("We're not in Kansas anymore"). We have estimated Let's disclose the ones surrounding the episodic book. The Wizard of Oz | The men who were hired to play the winged monkeys were attached to ''bat wings'' and a small motor suited to power windshield-wipers. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. That was important, because we wanted to be as close as possible to the original image quality. TelevisaUnivision Taps Becky G for Upfront Performance (Exclusive), Former ABC News/Disney Exec Marie Nelson Named Hot Docs Fest President, James Gunn Created 600 Unique Versions of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 For Various Types of Cinemas (Exclusive), Sylvester Stallone Sets Cliffhanger Reboot With Angel Has Fallen Director, GKIDS Acquires North American Rights to The First Slam Dunk, Wes Anderson Directing Star Wars? Maren now rests in the Court of Remembrance in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood, right below actress Sandra Dee, Decker said. In contrast to their choices for their actors, the studio chose a safer option to paint the horses. She previously played the role of Dorothy in the We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so its important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. Ironically enough, today it is one of the most-watched films of all time. After reading about some interesting Wizard of Oz facts, including the story around the Tin Man dance, also check out wind vane facts and world bank facts. To make this happen, a pipe was attached to the bicycle seat saddle on the broomstick. MGM wanted 10-year-old Shirley Temple instead. WebThe Beverly Hillbillies. Alfred Hitchcock Presents. 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 makeup used on the sets of the Wizard of Oz circles many claims. 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). Each model required two wires for the bodies and two for flapping the wings. 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. Others who were considered included Victor Moore, Hugh Herbert, Robert Benchley and Charles Winninger. Then the individual objects that swirl past men rowing a boat, Hamilton riding her bicycle, Auntie Em in her rocking chair, etc. Encouraged by stock company actress Shirley Booth to take a little person role in a stage production, Curtis soon became a professional actor, with numerous Broadway musical productions to his credit. When Jack Haley replaced him, the studio started using a safer aluminum paste as makeup. Knocked unconscious, Dorothy awakes to find the house spinning through the air. All of the original three-strip Technicolor film from that period was recorded on a potentially flammable nitrate-based emulsion. A look at, say, The Adventures of Robin Hood was sufficient to convert many naysayers. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Category : The Wizard of Oz "I realized I had one of the dupes," Feiner says. The Harold Arlen/E. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. There was a trap door on set that didn't open fast enough, so Hamilton got caught in the flames. The images themselves were recorded simultaneously onto three strips of a special black-and-white film custom-made by Kodak: one strip was sensitized to record the density of cyan colors, another was sensitized to yellow and a third to magenta. They tried using food coloring, "but the colors were not subtle enough." Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The digital restoration work was executed on Silicon Graphics 02 platforms and several dual-processor Octanes running Matador Paint and Cineon applications software. According to Feiner, this process requires 4K x 3K of digital data with 10 bits of log space per pixel. Billy Curtis' career thrived into the 1970s, notably with solid parts in the Clint Eastwood western High Plains Drifter (1973) and the crime-caper melodrama Little Cigars (1973), in which he had second billing as a diminutive criminal mastermind. A few scenes, such as the establishing shot of the witch's castle, are complete paintings, 40 inches wide and without live action. The book was written by L. Frank Baum, and the movie was produced by Victor Fleming and Mervyn LeRoy while the Director was Victor Fleming. It's easy to imagine any of these actors performing the role beautifully, but the final choice, Frank Morgan, proved to be the perfect Wizard. Any information you provide to us via this website may be placed by us on servers located in countries outside the EU if you do not agree to such placement, do not provide the information. "For nearly 40 years this story has given faithful service to the Young in Heart; and Time has been powerless to put its kindly philosophy out of fashion. Buddy Esben was to play the role, but while nearing the end of the shoot for the role, his lungs failed, and he was rushed to the hospital. However, another tall dancer, Ray Bolger, wanted the part so badly that he replaced Ebsen, who was then assigned to play the Tin Woodsman. 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. 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. One day, Dorothy's dog, Toto, bites the vicious Miss Gulch, who obtains an order for the pet's destruction. Billy Curtis Mon, Jan 01 1934 Sat, Jan 01 1955. It would be a crime to cut corners and do anything in a sub-standard manner.". Shocking Facts About "The Wizard Of Oz" Movie And In 1951, he was a mole-man in the dark George Reeves movie Superman and the Mole-Men. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 27 June. The Wizard of Oz 16 Fucked-Up Facts About "The Wizard Of Oz" That Prove It'd Never Get Made In 2021. WebThe Wizard of Oz (1939) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by ", Sidney Luft, Judy's ex-husband, wrote in his memoir that Garland, "unlike other actresses, could not successfully camouflage extra weight, especially because she was dancing and singing in revealing costumes. This film was previously released on home video in a very truncated version with all the naughty bits removed. A silver ball floats like a giant bubble into the scene, looming larger and larger as it moves into the foreground of the set. "The supervisor, Mark Freund, has been a great optical camera operator for us for years.". In 1936, he replaced James Basevi as special effects chief in charge of miniatures, projection process and mechanical effects. In that time, the 1970s, to be more precise, Kurt Warner was the set designer, and he also assisted in wardrobe management in Hollywood during the 1970s. The book 'Amazing Wizard of Oz' was published in July 1900, and the film was released in 1939. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. Although he won Oscars in 1944 (Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo) and 1947 (Green Dolphin Street), his most celebrated achievement is the tornado in Wizard. Later, Hamilton's stunt double, Betty Danko, was badly injured while riding (on wires) the witch's smoke-spitting broomstick. Warren Newcombe headed the matte painting section, where he and his assistants produced what the studio called "Newcombe Shots.". Stories of randy Munchkinland behavior, like the anecdotes Judy Garland told frequently in her later years, were more publicity than reality. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. Admitting that he is just a balloonist from Kansas, the Wizard offers to take Dorothy home. Meaning, if seen from the perspective of the present year, 2021, Toto made $116,792 yearly. The fine-grain intermediate provided by The Library of Congress showed no visible signs of vinegar syndrome or shrinkage, and it had a stable base. Judy Garland, 16, was initially considered too old and too tall for Dorothy. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. The only remaining copies were protection fine-grain intermediates made by MGM Labs in 1960. Principal photography of this fantastic adventure story began on October 13 with Richard Thorpe directing. ", Sidney Luft also wrote in his memoir that the older male Munchkin actors apparently "thought they could get away with anything because they were so small." If one scans a full-aperture anamorphic frame in full color, the file size would run about 45 megabytes. Finally, they can now see it in a cinema the way it is meant to be seen. He had tracks made of half-tubing and designed a special dolly equipped with half-tube runners that fitted over the tracks. 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. And then I said, 'I'm going to have to scream. She made, According to Judy Garland's biographer, her, And the "snowstorm" that took place in the poppy field scene was actually. Frank Morgan got the role of the Wizard after W.C. Fields demanded too much money. ", 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. The three join up and travel to the Emerald City, where a terrifying apparition appears and finally agrees to help them all if they will bring him the Wicked Witch's magic broomstick. Release Dates Feiner opted to make a contact liquid-gate dupe negative of the fine-grain IP, which eliminated the worst of the abrasions and emulsion digs. 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. He stumbled upon the marking of his filing cabinet, and the last drawer was marked 'O to Z,' hence the name Oz came into being. While he was attending Northwestern University, he and his sister Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Interesting, isn't it? The famous song 'Over the Rainbow' almost did not make it to the final cut. This does not influence our choices. Judy Garland, 16, was under contract to MGM and was a stronger singer than Temple, but was at first thought to be too old for the part. The heat was enormous and was especially torturous for the actors in their heavy costumes. The actors of the film had to dress up in costumes that were tormenting. TMZ first reported the news of his death. Don't Lie. When requests were made for duplicate negatives, MGM Labs fashioned a copy from this source. It would have been next to impossible except that Technicolor had just introduced its new, "faster" film, which today would have an ASA rating of about 50. Trailer Mimicking Filmmakers Style Divides Social Media, Italys Far East Film Festival: Malaysian Drama Abang Adik Sweeps Top Prizes, Channel Your Inner Queen Charlotte with This Star-Loved British Brands Exclusive Skincare Kit, Naomi Watts Just Wore These Under-$100 PJs from Two Star-Loved Brands And Theyre the Perfect Mothers Day Gift for Stylish Travelers, The Best Signet Rings for Adding a Red Carpet-Ready Touch to Your Jewelry Stack, The Best Gifts New Moms Really Want, From Cozy Robes to Virtual Escapes, Succession Director on Filming That Surprise Cameo and Tying Up Her Kendall Trilogy, James Gunns Guardians: How Chris Pratt and His Marvel Castmates Rescued Their Directors Career, Diane Keaton: Youre Gonna Pray to Get Off This Call, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. 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 picture's timeless appeal has since made it a cherished tradition in theaters and on television the world over.