The ruby slippers were silver (like in the book) until MGM chief Louis B. Mayer realized that the Technicolor production would benefit from the slippers being colored.
The scene in which the wicked witch tries to take off Dorothy's ruby slippers by using a magic force through her hands is the same scene depicted on the Electric Light Orchestra's album "Eldorado", but this album cover version is reversed from the one seen in the film.
The shot of Dorothy's house falling from the sky was achieved by filming a miniature house being dropped onto a sky painting on the stage floor, then reversing the film to make the house appear to fall towards the camera.
The song "Over the Rainbow" was ranked #1 by the American Film Institute in 2004 on the 100 Greatest Songs in American Films list.
The steam shooting from the Tin Man's cap startles Toto, who runs out of the shot.
The theatrical trailer for the 1998 theatrical re-release (viewable on the 2000 Warner Bros. DVD) features the Kansas footage in black and white instead of its proper sepia tone. The sepia tone footage was restored to the film during its 1988 restoration and was thus available; but Warner Bros. choose to show it in its black and white form for the trailer.
The Tin Woodsman costume worn by Jack Haley was reportedly so stiff that he had to lean against a board to rest. Thirty-eight years later, Anthony Daniels (who played C-3PO in the Star Wars movie series) had the same problem with his costume.
The title of the movie would become the nickname of St. Louis Cardinals' Hall-of-Fame Shortstop Ozzie Smith.
The title role was written with W.C. Fields in mind. Producer Mervyn LeRoy wanted Ed Wynn, who turned down the role. MGM executive Arthur Freed wanted Fields, and offered him $75,000. Fields supposedly wanted $100,000. According to a letter from Fields' agent (which he claimed was written by Fields) Fields turned down the role to devote his time to writing the script for You Can't Cheat an Honest Man. Since the role was perceived as being too small, additional roles were written for the actor in hopes of balancing the screen time for the actor playing the wizard with that of the rest of the cast. Thus Frank Morgan plays the roles of the Wizard, Professor Marvel, the Gatekeeper, the cab driver with the "horse of a different color" who performs a musical number, and the Wizard's Guard. It is also possible that Morgan was made up for the spooky projected image of the Wizard's face transposed on the billowing steam in his Throne Room.
The uniforms of the Flying Monkeys match the uniforms worn by the Witch's castle guards (Winkies).
The Wicked Witch of the West never directly speaks to, threatens or even acknowledges the Cowardly Lion except obliquely, as when she says "The last to go will see the first three go before her." Similarly, Miss Gulch never speaks directly to Dorothy and The Wizard never acknowledges Toto except when he mumbles "Somebody get that dog."
The Wicked Witch that Miss Gulch transformed into while Dorothy looks out her bedroom window during the tornado has shimmering shoes as if she is wearing the Ruby Slippers. This suggests that she is the Wicked Witch of the East. Margaret Hamilton has never been credited for playing this role, since it is only a few seconds long. This shimmer from her shoes is even more noticeable when watching a better-quality copy of the film, such as the 1989 50th anniversary laserdisc version or the 1999 60th anniversary Warner Bros. DVD restored version.
The Wicked Witch's crystal ball was previously used as a prop in The Mask of Fu Manchu and Chandu the Magician. The 25-inch diameter ball sold at auction for $126,500 in May, 2011.
The Wizard only has one close-up; when he is revealed behind the curtain and declares himself to be a good man but a bad wizard. All of his other shots are medium close-ups or two-shots. Similarly, Professor Marvel is never shown in a close-up, but rather in medium close-up or two-shots.
The Wizard was originally supposed to have a song routine where he hands out the awards to the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Woodman. This was scrapped because E.Y. Harburg, the lyricist, felt the scene would work better as a non-musical one, so he translated the lyrics into prose form.
The woods where the Tin Man is first discovered is inhabited by a number of exotic birds. Look for a small toucan in the tree (where the Witch is hiding) at the opening of this scene; and at least one (perhaps more) large, crane-like birds in the background of where the Tin Man stands for most of the scene.
There are a striking number of coincidences between events in the movie and musical cues (and lyrics) on the 1973 Pink Floyd album, "Dark Side of the Moon". It is highly improbable that the band had a print of the movie with them at Abbey Road, and few attempt to claim it to have been deliberate (David Gilmour dismisses it as nonsense), but the coincidences are remarkable nonetheless. If you begin the album on the third roar of the MGM lion (using the NTSC version of the movie, not the 25 fps PAL version which runs a little over 4% faster) the coincidences include (but are not limited to):
- The line "balanced on the biggest wave" comes as Dorothy balances on the fence.
- The song "On the Run" starts as Dorothy falls off the fence.
- "The Great Gig in the Sky" begins when the tornado first appears.
- The song "Us and Them" is played when Dorothy meets the Wicked Witch of the West.
- The line "black and blue" is repeated when they are talking to one another (Dorothy in her blue outfit, the Wicked Witch in black).
- The line "the lunatic is on the grass..." coincides with Dorothy meeting the Scarecrow.
- When we first see Miss Gulch on her bicycle, the song "Time" starts with its bells and alarms.
- Dorothy asks Professor Marvel what else h
There are many alleged lyrics to the "Winkie Chant" performed by the Witch's guards, including "All we own, we owe her", "Oh we love the old one", and "Oh we loathe the old one". However, the correct version, seen in the film's screenplay, is "O-Ee-Yah! Eoh-Ah!" and any other interpretations are simply the result of the listener's mind treating the chant as an audio ink blot.
This was Billie Burke's favorite movie.
Throughout the rest of his career, Jack Haley denounced the idea that the making of this film was enjoyable. He frequently quipped "Like Hell, it was; it was work!"