Morbid - Episode 523: Fan Favorite - The Dark Secrets Behind the Wizard of Oz

Episode Date: December 25, 2023

This episode is a fan favorite that was originally published as Episode 281…For this Holiday week, we wanted to bring you a lighter (?) episode, although it’s really not so light at all! Alaina’s kids have gotten super into the Wizard of Oz and so she decided to do dive into the dark happenings during filming. All kinds of atrocities went down and we are pretty confident that you’ll never watch this movie the same! Sorry…. we mean you’re welcome!References: -https://www.amazon.com/Making-Wizard-Oz-Aljean-Harmetz/dp/1613748329/ref=sr_1_2?crid=TWGV0EMUDT2P&keywords=the+making+of+the+wizard+of+oz+book&qid=1637775119&sprefix=the+making+of+the+wiza%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-2" target="_blank" -The Making of the Wizard of Oz By Aljean Harmetz</a> (Be wary that this book is fascinating but uses some outdated language when referencing certain people)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You're listening to a Movid Network podcast. Weirdos! Happy holidays and you guys thank you so much for making us the most listen to show on Amazon Music. You guys fucking rule, that was unreal. Truly rule. And you know what? Growing up, one of our holiday traditions together was watching the Wizard of Oz as a whole fam. So we couldn't think of a more fitting way to spend today than to revisit the fan favorite episode 281, the dark side of the Wizard of Oz. Take a trip with us over the actual rainbow and hear about its unsettling history. And the actual peril that the actors went through to create one of history's greatest classic films. Enjoy the holiday break you guys and we will be back on Thursday. Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho And this is growing your own loopess. I'm totally kidding, it's actually morbid.

But I was just watching a TikTok about growing your own Lufa and I really want to grow my own Lufa now. Ash got real invest. You know how semtik talks are one minute in summer like 45 minutes and a half? I was on one of those ones that's 45 and a half minutes. Not actually, I think it's like the max is three, but it was good to say. I think it's three, but it's long.

Yeah, it's long. Just being hyperbolic. But anyways, I just saw one of those really long TikToks and this guy was grown his own Nufa. He grew a couple of them. And then he was like peeling it, which looked really satisfying. Like I was like, I wanna do that.

And then he took the whole thing out. And it was like gigantic. I was like, you could cut that in half, put one in your kitchen sink, put one in your shower, and I was really thinking about that. But then I was like, kind of looks like it would hurt on your body. She did.

So, when I say she had all of those thoughts, and she had them all out loud. All loud. You can vouch for that. Most of my thoughts happened out loud when I met a lead. It was a fun little process to watch. I always love someone having an argument with themselves and then coming to a conclusion with both sides of their brain, both sides of the argument that happened in their brain come together.

I don't know if I even came to a conclusion yet, but I believe in you. We had to start working. I'll come to a conclusion later, but I believe in you. We had to start working. So I'll come to a conclusion later today and I guess I'll let you guys know next episode. Yeah. If I'm gonna grow my own luffa or not. Because what we've come down to, I think, is that you are concerned it wasn't gonna feel good.

And then you said, on my skin. No, he said on my body. On my body. I don't think it was feel good on my body. Like, it looks rough. Like, it looks like I'd be like, it looks almost like a pumice stone. It does. Which feels good on my body. It looks rough. It looks like I'd be like, it looks almost like a pumice stone. It does.

Which feels good on your foot, but you're not going to pumice stone your shoulder. Exfoliation. Exfoliation station is where we are. But these days, I guess you're not even supposed to exfoliate as much as I used to think. I feel like everything's stupid. Yeah. Me as well. But anyways, I don't even know the climate in which you're supposed to grow a lupha.

So I guess we can just move on. Yeah, we'll move on from this. We'll figure it out. Don't worry. We'll update you. You know, fashion is like, are you on drugs right now? I'm like, no, I'm on life and the answer is no. We are not. They know to drugs. But you know, it's just it's the holiday week. It's the holiday season. It's almost holiday season. It's almost Thanksgiving. I'm gonna eat a lot of food.

I'm excited. I'm gonna be cooking today like crazy. Yeah, Linna's hosting. Doing Thanksgiving. I'm doing Thanksgiving. So it's gonna be, it's gonna be interesting. I'm particularly excited about your pumpkin and sage pasta. You're, are you making the pesto bread

that I requested? Yes, I am. Because I got all the stuff to make it. Excited about that, and I'm honestly, two more things. I'm also really excited about the sausage stuffing. Oh, yeah. And the streusel. The sweet potato streusel. Yeah, you're all invited to you there.

And you know what? I'll post some recipes, because they're all recipes I found on the interwebs. So I can- I'll post some recipes in case anybody takes any of that sounds good. It does. But yeah, I'm excited. I like cooking a turkey.

I like doing a little herb butter rub underneath the skin all up in there. How do you feel about the length of the lens? Like, ripping it into the cavity. Oh, I mean, that's my job. So it is, but how do you feel like ripping up a line into the cavity? Oh, I mean, that's my job. So it is, but how do you feel about it? The same, I feel about my job. Oh, yeah.

I thought you meant like it's your job because you're completely tricky. No, I mean, like it literally is my job to go into like cavities that no one else wants to go into. Yeah, describe your job in a really weird way. You go first, I guess. Yeah, there it is. I'll go first. I guess. Yeah, there it is, I'll go first.

I cut dead things off of people. So it's just kind of, but as well, it's a turkey. It's easier, I think. Do you put, like lemons or like, oh yeah, you got a, let me let you, let you all know in case you're wondering.

You got to put a little citrus in there. That's what I saw. You got to put a little bouquet of herbs, maybe some times, rosemary, some parsley. Yeah, you got to put a little citrus in there. That's what I saw. You got to put a little bouquet of herbs, maybe some times rosemary, some parsley. Yeah, you got to really get the aromatics in there. You also rub it in salt, right? Yeah, that's a brining process. Some people dry brine, some people don't brine at all.

Do you really up to everybody? I brined before. Do you even brine? Do you even brine, bro? She doesn't even brine? Do you even brine, bro? She doesn't even brine here. Did you even brine, bro? Yeah, and you want to put some garlic and onion in there. Like really get it going.

Do you ever, do you put a shallot in there? Yeah, oh, we love a chalette. We love a chalette in there. And the really important thing is basting my dudes. Baste that gosh darn bird. That's important even if you cook like a chicken. Yeah, base the hell out of it. Baste forever.

It makes a difference. Even when I make like chicken breastesses, I baste them. You gotta base that, yeah. It works, but you know, that's been Thanksgiving. With us. Lufus and Thanksgiving's with Ash and Alina. So we're right on target here.

I think we're right on brand. True crime. True crime, you know? Lufus and... True crime in turkeys. with Ash and Alina. So we're right on Target here. I think we're right on Brent. True Crime. True Crime, you know? Lufus and... True Crime in Tarkies. But yeah, today's also gonna be kind of like a different episode a little bit.

It's like we're in the dark spookiness, but this is like a different one I feel. We've never really done anything like this. Particularly, I'm very excited. I'm pretty excited. So let me, we'll start this off the proper way. Yeah, so I, Alina, that's you. So let me, we'll start this off the proper way. Yeah. So I, Elena, that's you.

That's me. I have been obsessed with Wizard of Oz since I was a little little girl. I used to literally have to dress up like Dorothy. Every time I watched it, I had the Ruby Red slippers, had the outfit, my mom would braid my hair. I know every line of that movie, I watched 100,000 times. Sadorable.

So that was like my jam when I was little. And I was always wondering when I should allow the girls to get into it, because I'm weird. And I watched a lot of shit that I was like, wow, I can't believe that didn't traumatize such as Laplace. But maybe it did. I don't know. The girls have watched Laplace and they love it. But was it a vassal?

Some people I remember Drew was saying the flying monkeys freaked him out. And I remember John was like, no, the flying monkeys are like scary. And I was like, I don't know, guys. Yeah, it's funny because I thought. I don't know men. But they were.

I don't know men. That's how I usually feel. I don't know. I always thought that they were a little bit scary, but then, I didn't think they are. In watching it with the girls, I realized I've only seen it once.

That's wild. Yeah. I only watched it one time and then, it's not that I didn't like it. I think I just like didn't really get that fast. Yeah, you either, you vibe with it or you don't. Yeah, like it's, I think it's like one of those things you watch it and you're either like,

wow, this is my entire personality now, or you're like, yeah, maybe I'll watch it again someday. Yes Yeah, I watched coyote ugly when I was little and I felt like that was my entire personality And I still do that is you're the wizard of Oz and I'm coyote Yeah, I think those honestly describe us pretty well. Yeah, yeah But you know I was worried I didn't know. I was like, it's five good. And then this past Halloween, a couple of people in their dance class and their school had Dorothy costumes.

And I was like, oh! And they were like, what's that about? Oh, people are watching Wizard of Oz, but I was like, I don't know. And they came home one day and were like, I really liked that outfit. Yeah, who's Dorothy? Can you, so I started explaining it to them?

And this is how I usually introduce movies that I'm not quite sure if they're ready for you. Like, Labrins, I did this too. We talk about it a lot. Talk about like the plot. We talk about it, we talk about the story. And then what I'll do is I'll show them little clips of it.

Everyone, I'll look at this fun clip of them in the scary forest with the winged monkeys. And I'm like, do you like that? And they're like, that's cool. And I was like, all right, we're here. So after, that's cool. And I was like, all right, we're here. So after a few days of that, I was like, let's do this. We had to, like, they were so excited. We sat down as a family.

We watched the Wizard of Oz. I was in my glory. Like I was when we watched LabBrent. It's, those are my favorite things about being a parent is like showing them those things. Oh, it's like, oh, I want to love it. You relive your childhood. Oh, it's Because it's like, you relive your childhood. Oh, it's so happiness and like memories from your childhood.

You see it through their eyes. And so we sat down, we watched it, they adored it. They adored it. They watched it how many times since. Probably a hundred times. And it's only been like two weeks. Like I feel like a terrible aunt. But yesterday, one of them was like,

T.T., will you watch that with me? And I was like, ooh, you want to watch anything else? Yeah, you're like, I literally can't. Meanwhile, I'm like, let's watch it again. watch that with me? And I was like, oh, you want to watch anything else? Yeah, I literally can. Meanwhile, let's watch it again. But, and of course, while we're watching it, I immediately was like, guys, who's your favorite? You got to have a favorite of the game, you know? The school law.

And I knew that my little feral middle child's was going to love the cowardly lion. Yep, because she herself is a lion. She loves lions. Not cowardly, but a lion. Not cowardly. And she loves lions. Oldest.

I knew she was gonna dig the scarecrow. I just had a feeling. Yeah, kind of. Vibes. And she likes that whole leader. The whole life. He had the leader of the pack. Oh, and they both love Dorothy.

I think she's like, that just goes with me. That just goes with me. And my littlest one just loved the whole thing. She didn't know what to do. But so we got in the discussion of I was like, you know, when I was little, I was literally in love with the Tin Man. In love with the Tin Man.

My mom can tell you, I used to be like, can I marry the Tin Man? And mom was like, you can't, but that's a nice thought. And I don't know what it is. And I've never really fully thought about it. And I think it's just now. It's because before I was like, that's a nice thought. And I don't know what it is, and I've never really fully thought about it. Like, and I think it's just now, it's because before it was like your little and you're like, I love the Tim man, whatever. You move on, you grow up.

And all of a sudden, watching it with the girls again, I'm like suddenly like, you don't move on or grow up. I didn't move on from that, because I still think the Tim man's hot. What's that about me? Like, I was watching and I was like, no, I'm still like really attracted to the Tim Man. He's from our neck of the woods, he said, right? He is. A lot of them are from Boston. Hell yeah. Like the the wicked witch Margaret

Hamilton. She was from Boston. Oh, shit. I didn't. Yeah. Edit. Margaret Hamilton is not from Boston. I just wanted her to be. Sorry about that. Ray Bulger, the scarecrow Boston. I actually think Ray Bulger, the scarecrow Boston. I actually think, I'm not sure if Bert, I think his name is Lairon, not really sure, I'll get to it in a second, but the guy who played the cowardly lion, he might have been from around here too. A lot of them are from here.

And the Tin Man, you said was from Doorchester. Tin Man is from Doorchester. I love that. And he has like a thick Boston accent. And I think that's like ingrained in my brain to just automatically like connect to. That's the most attractive. Like when he says like the Tin Man forgot to get the Tin,

the Tin Maker forgot to give me a hot. And they both go no hot, no hot. No, just like yes. I love you. You're like swoon. And then I realized that not only do I love the Tin Man, but I love Jack Haley, the man who played the Tin Man. It was a big realization week for me.

Like, I really had like, it was a journey. It was an eat-pray love situation. I just like had to go through it. God, that movie. I never saw that movie or read that book, but I feel like it's a journey of sorts. So it's a journey watching the movie because it's 42 years long.

Yeah, this was my like, my journey through why do I find the tit-man attractive? And I realized that I find it. I can haily attractive. In May of 1980, near Anaheim, California, Dorothy Jane Scott noticed her friend had an inflamed red wound on his arm and seemed unwell. She insisted on driving him to the local hospital to get treatment. While he waited for his prescription, Dorothy went to grab her car to pick him up at the exit, but would never be seen alive again, leaving us to wonder decades later, what really happened to Dorothy Jane Scott? From Wundery, Generation Y is a podcast that covers notable true crime cases like this one

and many more. Every week hosts Aaron and Justin sit down to discuss a new case, covering every angle and theory, walking through the forensic evidence and interviewing those close to the case to try to discover what happened. With over 450 episodes, there's a case for every true crime listener. Follow the Generation Y podcast on the Wondering app, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Generation Y and Free right now by joining Wondering Plus.

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is the co-founder of a cutting-edge biotech company. But when a team of private researchers dive into Serhat's background, they begin to suspect the brilliant doctor is hiding a shocking secret. And when a man is found dead in the snow with his wrist shackled and bullet casing spreading the snow bank, Serhat would no longer be known for world-changing treatments. He'd be known as a fraud and a key suspect in a grisly murder. Follow Dr. Death Bad Magic on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Dr. Death Bad Magic early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. You should do one of those TikToks where it's like show your childhood crush and then show

who you married. Like just is there any? Is there any resemblance? Like any. The ten minutes. The ten minutes pretty tall. He is tall. He's kind.

He has a hot. He has a hot. He has no hot. But he has hot. He has hot. You know? Yeah. And he's got very expressivized. I wonder if he has a nice jaw.

You do love a nice jaw. He has a great jaw. I definitely have a type. I know. We all know that. But so this is what brought me this big long story that I just feel like you all needed to know. Because I also had like a really fun conversation

on Twitter with a bunch of listeners about this. And they were saying a ton of them were into the Tin Man and they were like, oh my god, I thought it was alone. And then a lot of them were into the tin man and they were like, oh my god, I thought it was alone. And then a lot of people were like, I was a scarecrow girl. So like we got or like I was a scarecrow guy and we got like this big discussion of like, why the hell do we find these? Yeah. And it was really fun. So like thanks for getting into that discussion with me. And it made me think about the that, wait, I remember coming upon all these weird dark, like, fucked up things that happened during the making of this movie, which is funny

that like, we're also in love with, like, those of us who are, like, into this movie and find it beloved. You can just be like, well, that was the 1930s. I don't know, like, let's let's let that go on. But when you really look into it, you're like, damn, the making of this movie was like a harrowing adventure. Do you know what? I feel like it's not that I don't like the Wizard of Oz, but I feel like I like feel that when I watch it. Yeah, I feel like a lot.

Darkness. Because I remember the first time I watched it, and like, I guess the only time until recently, I was just like, ugh, like, I still feel good about it. Yeah, see, I felt great watched it. And like, I guess the only time until recently, I was just like, oh, like, I'm so happy. It didn't feel good about it. Yeah, see, I felt great about it. So I, I apparently, I'm not intuitive to the darkness, but now I'm like, wow, it's a lot of dark shit.

It's my empathetic way. So what we're gonna do today is we're gonna go through all the fucked up dark secrets behind the wizard of Oz. Because some people have actually asked us to do this in the past. And recently, when I mentioned the girls were watching it, somebody was like, you gotta do, you gotta do the weird stuff behind the Wizard of Oz. It's like the man behind the curtain.

And actually I think it was Michael from the Spooky's podcast. That was like, you guys should cover that. And I was like, little do you. Got you, no, little do you know. Working on that now. So let's start. We're gonna go through some of these things. I'm just gonna go like list by list, but we're really gonna get into them.. So let's start. We're going to go through some of these things. I'm just going to go like list by list, but we're really going to get into them.

Okay. So the first thing we're going to talk about because it's the most important is the Tin Man makeup. Obviously. Jack Ely. There is a big long, very long standing like legend, myth, rumor that is untrue, that John even thought was true, that the Tin Man, the original Tin Man who played him, died because of the makeup they put on him.

That's a big, long legend of this movie. That people are like, well, the original Tin Man died from the makeup and they'd replace him. No, that didn't happen. In fact, John used to it because when we were watching it, I mentioned how like I was like, oh my God, swooned Tin Man and he was like, too bad what happened to him, huh? Like you made a joke like that's too bad.

And I was like, nothing happened to him. And he was like, what do you mean? That's like, nothing happened to his mom. Nothing happened to his mom, Mary. Nothing happened. So something did happen to the original Tin Man, but it's not what we think. So Jack Haley was not the original Tin Man.

Buddy Ebson was originally cast as the, I was not even the Tin Man, the Scarecrow. Oh. And Ray Bulger, who is the Scarecrow in the movie, was originally cast as the Tin Man. So like, Swippity Swoppity. So at some point they decided to switch roles. Because I think Ray came out and he said that he really felt, he was better suited for the role of Scarecrow. And he like, just really liked that part.

And he thought he'd played better. He does. He does a great scarecrow. And he is. And he wouldn't have worked, switched. No. So we have Buddy Ebsen, who is in the Beverly Hillbilly. He was a very well-known comedic actor.

All that good stuff. Everybody knew who he was at the time. He was cast as the Tin Man. So Ebsen started rehearsals in the wardrobe fittings for his new role, and everything was going fine with wardrobe, everything. He said, in fact, he said, quote, I was a guinea pig. They didn't know how to simulate the Tin Man's garments, so I found myself doing tests with clothes made of real tin and clothes made of silver paper and clothes made out of cardboard covered with silver cloth. The makeup was just as bad.

Try this, try that. In the end, they glued a cap on my head and covered it with glued on, and covered it, and glued on a rubber nose and a rubber chin, and then covered the whole thing with clown white makeup, and then powdered aluminum dust onto my face and head. Oh. So, yeah, everything's going fine. Everything's totally fine. I don't see anything in there that could go awry.

No. So everything was fine. He was covered with aluminum dust every day, and that was fine. He had recorded every line of the Tin Man songs and when they began filming. So he was already, he had all the songs recorded, everything was ready to go.

Things went well until October 13th, 1938, which was only nine days after they started filming. Ebson suddenly said, I'm feeling horrific. And he was having labored breathing, he was having chest pains, his arms and legs were cramping and like, just like, like completely cringing up. He could barely walk. He was like passing out. legs were cramping and just completely cringing up. He could barely walk, he was passing out. And he said, he was quoted as saying, quote, one night after dinner, I took a breath and nothing happened. They got an ambulance and had me go down

to Good Samaritan for a couple of weeks. My lungs were coated with that aluminum dust they had been powdering on my face. Oh my God. He was blue and barely breathing when he arrived. That's so scary. His lungs were coated with aluminum powder. Yes.

He was put in an iron lung. Oh. Dude, it wasn't an iron lung and spent weeks in the hospital recovering. Then after that, he had to spend more than a month recovering at the Coronado Hotel in San Diego. Wow. We had to lay in bed for weeks.

Oh, God. Now, this is what's nuts. Everyone at the MGM studio, producing the film was just pissed. MGM just pissed. I'm not pissed about like a lot of things. Back in the day that were actually their fault. Like, I'm sorry, what?

They were furious that he was missing filming and literally demanded him back on set. That's cute. He was literally dying of respiratory failure in an iron lung and they were calling the hospital saying he needs to be back on set. Yeah, well, he's in an iron lung right now. Yeah, and he can't come to the phone right now. He's in an iron lung.

Like, I'm sorry. Like Taylor Swift remix. It's wild and he was quoted as saying, it seemed they couldn't understand that an actor could get sick. They were furious. Mervyn Loroi kept, and he was like the head of the studio, kept calling the hospital and saying, he can't be in bed, he's due on set.

And Jack Don called me to tell me I couldn't possibly be sick because he had used aluminum dust, pure aluminum dust on my face. So they're saying, you can't, no, it's not, they're trying to cover their ass. Of course, they don't want to get sued. No, no, it can't be the aluminum dust because it's pure.

You're like, that's actually exactly why I'm so sick right now. Well, and that's, what's crazy is at the time, they did think a pure aluminum dust was pretty fine. Wow. Like they did, in fact, I found a paper published in the Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy. You know it, right? Yeah, I read that at night.

Yeah, it's really good to fall asleep. There was a period of time between about 1943 and 1979 where people who worked in mines, I almost just said miners, but I thought you guys would confuse that and be like, people under the age of what? Like, mine worker, miners. Yes, you get it now. What are they? They were literally forced, this is wild to me.

This is such a dark thing in history. They were literally forced to inhale aluminum dust as an experimental medical treatment and a preventative measure to stop a disease of the lungs called silicosis. So not only were they like breathing in the fumes from like you know mining, mining, but also they were like, hey, can you sniff some of this? It's it's an experiment. Oh wait until you hear how they did it. So silicosis is a

lung disease that's caused by long-term inhalation of crystalline silica dust or the particles. And these are found in a lot of environmental structures, like stone, rock, clay, things that miners are working with. Miners who were diagnosed with this would at first just find themselves having this like nasty cough all the time. Like someone's like blackloin. I was kind of thinking they would have shortness of breath. And it really isn't diagnosed for like years usually. All I'm thinking of right now is Zoolander. Right. When he says like black love. I was just thinking they would have shortness of breath And it really isn't diagnosed for like years usually all I'm thinking of right now is you lander right when he says like I think I've got the black love pop Like I'm even in the fucking hand It's so good it is the best I tried not to like it when I was younger.

But you can't. It's funny. But it would be found on chest X-rays, like years later. So what would happen was these employers would blow this finely powdered version of aluminum dust called Mac and Tire Powder into the changing rooms of the miners. And they did this through the fucking air systems.

So they would just be in their changing area, and there's aluminum dust particles being blown in through all the air ducts for experimental purposes. Now, in this paper in that journal, this paper is called Trading One Risk for another consequences of the unauthenticated treatment and prevention of silicosis and Ontario miners

in the Mac and Tire Powder aluminum inhalation program. And it's by Janice Martell and Lee L. You should dodi. Sorry, sorry T. But yeah, two really smart people. I'll link this paper so you can go look at it because I'm sure you want to. Yeah, I'm gonna read it.

In this, they talk about a guy named Jim Hobbs. They said he was 37 years old for the first time that he tasted aluminum dust. It was March 1978. Whoa. And it was his first day going underground at Rio Algon's Quirk to Uranium mine. Now, after changing from street clothes into his mining gear, Hobbs followed the other miners into a tunnel-like building that led to the cage that would transport them underground for their eight-hour shift of drilling, mucking, and blasting. The building, dubbed the gas chamber by those who entered it, was lined with benches, and Hobbs followed the routine of the others, taking a seat and waiting for the cage call. Before that call came, and after the last man entered the building, the doors shut at both ends,

the ventilation fans stop, and the supervisor yelled what would become a familiar phase to a surreal phrase in a surreal ritual that Hobbs would experience prior to every shift for the next year and a half. Oh my God. Breathe deep, boys. That's what they would yell. What? In 1978? Yep. The hiss of compressed airlines

was quickly followed by a cloud of black dust filling the room. Obscuring Hobbes' vision of all that surrounded him as he took his first breaths, a very finally ground aluminum powder, swirling rapidly from punctured canisters attached to the airlines. His chest felt heavy, his exposed skin enclosed were blackened, a metallic taste formed in his mouth, and he soon joined the choir of coughing and gasping arising from the others.

After 10 minutes, the doors opened, and Hobbs and his shift partners were hurted into the cage. His first industrial medical treatment was over. And he had to do that every day for a year and a half. What? Like why were they trying this? What were they trying to get us going to stop uh, silicosis? What? So yeah, that's how little concerned they were by aluminum partner, which is why they called the hospital and were like, no. No.

You need to get it back here. Nobody. You're fine. It was pure aluminum dust. We're not worried about it. Thank you. And the doctors were like, and the doctors were like,

and even the doctors were like, okay, we're not like vibing with that aluminum dust thing. Like all of us kind of feel like it's probably gonna become a problem in a few years. But yeah, if we're even ignoring that, We're not like vibing with that aluminum dust thing. Like all of us kind of feel like it's probably going to become a problem in a few years. But yeah, if we're even ignoring that, if he's not just being poisoned by it. Tylin and Iron Lungs.

He's still having an allergic reaction to it. So like, something's happening back here. And so, yeah, so they were like, yeah, no, he can't come back. Like, I'm sorry, that's not something that can happen. Now, Buddy Ebsen, because of course, you're like, uh, Sue the studio. Because that was absolutely my first thought happen. Now Buddy Ebsen, because of course you're like, uh, sue the studio. That was absolutely my first thought. Well Buddy Ebsen said he didn't sue the studio because it was a very different time and all of the

studio execs were in each other's pockets. Which, uh, I'm sure it's not that different than now. I was gonna say. But if he had sued MGM, he would have been blacklisted by all other studios. Yeah, because you're a difficult actor at that point. He said, quote, you didn't just sue lightly. You didn't just sue lightly sue MGM because it was a power. And there was a certain cohesion between the moguls. They all used to play poker together on Saturday nights and decide who were the good actors and who were the bad.

I mean, look at Jean Harlow. MGM showed up to her husband's like time, death scene, and was like, yeah, we don't need to call the police, we don't have. Yeah, that's fine, it's fine. We are the investigators here. Yeah, they were a power. Yeah, absolutely. After a few weeks of trying to get him back

from like the brink of death to then paint poison on him again and have him do it again, like that was their plan. Like, let's go back in the makeup. We're like, we're making a fucking movie guy. Yeah, so finally they gave up, because they were like, we can't wait any longer. And he was really, really sick. Yeah.

So they were like, we can't wait for you. So the head of the studio, Mervyn LaRoy, decided to just fire Ebsen, and he grabbed Jack, a Haley to take over as part of the Tin Man. Mm-hmm. Now, I wrote in my notes, now Jack Haley is a babe. Literally has nothing to do with anything else I'm saying. I literally just wrote it in my notes and I just realized that. I love to write myself little notes that I made.

That was for me. But like, I'm giving it to you guys. I do that sometimes too. And I wrote, I just need to clear that up for myself. I literally wrote dad X. So whatever. He also had the weirdest contract that wasn't very weird then, but sounds weird now. What is said? Basically, and this was something that like was like I said, wasn't weird then. A lot of actors and actresses had this. Basically, he could be forced to play any role in these studios because his contract basically put him on loan to them.

Oh. They could just call him and be like, we got a role for you get in here now. You have no say in it. Oh, wow. So they called him up and they didn't offer him the role. They called him and said, hey, you're the Tin Man get in here.

You have no choice. Okay. So he had to. And he said, quote, the type of contract I had, I had to respond to their commands. I had no choice. I was under contract and they could lend me to any studio. It was the most awful work, the most horrendous job in the world with those cumbersome uniforms and the hours of makeup, but I had no choice. Wow. Like you didn't know saying it. I love that he was like, I fucking hated it. Yeah, he was like this sucked. His costume was crazy heavy.

Part of it was like really metal. And probably it's so hot. Like he said. He couldn't sit so he would lean against this thing. Like it was like a board that was like specifically made for actresses and huge gowns and corsets. So lean again. When they couldn't sit down,

they would just lean against this to get any kind of relief. Oh my God. So you would, they had one there and they would just lean against this to get any kind of relief. Oh my gosh. They had one there and he would just lean on it. And actually, he would do this between shots a lot, just to get some relief, because he literally couldn't sit back. And it was funny because the guy who played the cowardly lion Burke, he said that it pissed him off, because his costume was so heavy, we'll get into his costume don't worry.

Because his costume has some dark shit too. But he said it used to piss him off because he also was like an insomniac in real life. So he said he would walk by Jack Haley just leaning against a board in full costume outcolds between shots. He was like, that dude could fall asleep in the board. And he's like, he used to piss me off. I was like, fuck that guy. Like, why can't he sleep like that? I can't sleep in my bed. That's hilarious.

I just like, I'll link the book I found on this. It's really interesting. There's a lot of like behind the scenes stuff. Yeah, I love that. But so he just stepped in. He wasn't told shit about why Buddy Ebsen was fired either. Yeah. Because you just like in those days you went went and people got fired all the time for like everything. So you were just, how does that fell matade? Exactly. So you go in and you didn't ask questions.

Right. You just, okay, this is mine. I guess luckily for him they did change the way they did the makeup. Which shows that they definitely knew it was a portion of the first place. They made it into an aluminum paste instead of a dust. So he wouldn't be inhaling the dust. But you're still inhaling aluminum to some degree. To some degree, I'm sure he never had any problems after it.

Afterwards, but what they did was they painted white grease paint on him, like clown makeup. Yeah. And then they used the paste that had aluminum dust in it to put that aluminum machine over him. So it wasn't dusted on. With a white ray, it was literally dusted on. So it was just like, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, and like all this.

It makes me think of like translucent powder. That's exactly what it is. Yeah, and you're just like, ugh, yeah, because it just gets like all over you. But unfortunately, this paste did get into his eye and it caused a bad infection in his right eye. And he was gone for four days while they had to save his sight. Oh my god. He was going to lose sight.

Did they like discard all aluminum based products after this? They didn't. So while all this is going on by the way, Ray Bulger as the scarecrow was also dealing with the horror of the makeup he had to wear every day too. Because we're not in like the, you know, you know, the Tom Savini kind of makeup here. Like we're not in like the 2000s, like we know what we're doing. We're in 1930s. They're doing what they can.

Exactly. And when you actually look at the scarecrow makeup and that, you're like, that's pretty good. And the 10 men makeup is like, 10 men looks great too. Like the scarecrow looks like a burlap sack. Yeah. It's his head, but it was gnarly.

It's not like now they have like, you know, the really like they have certain brushes and stuff that they're gonna use and like substances that can take the makeup off really nicely. Gently, gently. They would just tear that shit off. Oh. Yeah.

And what Ray Bulger the scarecrow said was, quote, I came home exhausted and had two bourbon old fashions, the drinks were therapeutic. I needed the alcohol to let me down. And they had enough sugar to kind of give me a lift so I could manage to eat my dinner and fall into bed. Oh, man. That's how they felt at the end of these days.

Now, he remembers nothing else about this, like these months, he said, but, quote, going to bed and getting up and going to work? And half the time, I don't even remember that. Well, they were just, like, they were just trucking through. And when you hear what they did to keep Dorothy on task, the filming days were insane. And they were in these, like, a lot of people, like, think that Dorothy, you know, or Dorothy in Judy Garland had it, it like easier in the costume sense, but she did, she did in this essence,

but she had it bad in a different way. Yeah, she had it like real fucking bad. Yeah, they had these gnarly costumes that they were spending like literally like 13 hour days in, they couldn't take them off. Right. Because they weren't willing to redo the makeup. So if you broke for lunch,

you either tried to eat lunch in that makeup if you couldn't too bad. Oh my God, the lion costume, I can't imagine being in that for like 13 hours a day. Oh yeah. And what both Ray and Jack Haley said was, quote, the mask wasn't porous. So you couldn't sweat.

You couldn't breathe through your skin. You don't realize how much you breathe through your skin until you can't do it. We felt like we were suffocating. Oh my God. Yeah. He also discovered after the last take of the film that the corners of his mouth and his chin were permanently lined from his makeup.

What? Yeah. Like, he said, it took months and months for them to even fade. Oh my God. The corners of his mouth were like, had like lines like a Joker makeup. Oh my God.

Yeah. And I know it's insane. And Jack Haley said that his costume was, quote, no less awful. They pulled my hair back as flat as they could and put some sort of rubber skin over my head and glued it down behind my ears. They covered my face with cold cream.

Then they took a white choc-like salve and painted my face white. The idea of the white stuff was to close my pores, so the silver paste that made me look like I was made of tin wouldn't damage my skin. They painted my face silver and glued on a silver nose. They glued a strip of rubber that was supposed to be tin under my chin and glued each individual rubber

ribbit onto my face. Then they painted my lips black because painting my face silver made my mouth look too red. Oh my god. Coloring my lips black made my gums and tongue duller. I couldn't breathe through my face. None of us could. And Bert Larr had it worst of all.

And then like think of... God only knows what they were using for glue. Like nowadays you use like liquid latex spirit gum. What was the thing that you used for a lake? Yeah, but this is probably just like glue. Like nowadays you use like liquid latex, spirit gum. What was the thing that you used for? Prozade. Prozade. Yeah. But this was like, literally just like glue on your skin. This fucking like gorilla glue. It probably is like, let me super go this to your face

and rip it off every day. Well, and when Hailey says that Bert Larr had it worst of all, Bert Larr played the cowardly lion. Yeah. That was real lion hide. Yeah, you told me that the other day and I'm still not over it. The cowardly lion's costume Was made of real lion skin real lion fur. That's real lion hide It was 90 pounds and it smelled they said you of course it did yeah, and they said it literally Smelt and they was so heavy to walk around in so heavy to move in they said that he would take it off at the end of the day and

Literally be dripping with sweat. Oh, like, um, yeah, I can't even, I just couldn't even talk. I'm like, yeah. And then his face, he had like a lot of prosthesis on his face. Like, he had a lot of, you know, the like mouth area of this supposed look like a cat. So if they made it so his mouth couldn't open that wide. So he couldn't eat. And for 13 hours a day, he was literally sitting there. Literally.

And they said he would literally have to eat, drink only like a milkshake or soup or something. He could suck through a straw, get him full too. And he said that, because if he tried to chew, he would break the prosthesis and they didn't want to be pissed. So he literally couldn't eat. And he would get pissed, I guess, like at Jack and Ray for like,

gnawing in between shots whenever they could because he literally couldn't. And every once in a while, he would just like get pissed and just like grab a sandwich and just like bust through his makeup. I don't blame him. But hangry is a real thing. Because these people, all of these actors, were literally like starved on set.

Like they were not given food. Like if they were given food, they were like told that they were fat and like, it's insane. Well then think about your lugging around in 90 pound costume all day. We literally like can't, your body can't even cool itself down. So you're sweating, you're super hot,

and then you can't eat. I wonder how much weight that guy lost. Oh yeah. Oh, I'm sure. And they said that they had to use a ton of arc lighting from different studios to get to be a fact of all of these sets. And so it is a billion degrees. And so they would literally between shots,

like run over to the doors and open the doors and just get fresh air and breathe. Like all of those, all the main four actors would literally, they said, would just be gasping for breath outside the door between shots, trying to get any kind of... What a grace. This is a little too much for a shirt. Yay! But yeah, so the cowardly lion had a tough, just only based on the fact that he's wearing

real lion fur. Yeah, fuck that. And then you can't eat. It's like insane. That's 90 pounds. Yeah, really wild. So 13 hours a day. Now let's get on to some of the other makeup issues

and some of the accidents that happened on this set. Yeah. So the Wicked Witch of the West was played by Margaret Hamilton. She's phenomenal. She loves her. We love her. We love her. Now let's talk about her makeup. Obviously, if you've seen the movie, she's green from head to toe. Yes. Green makeup back then was

made with copper oxide. It was made with copper, which is toxic. Yeah. So the makeup people said that they had to be completely thorough when removing her makeup every night before she left, because if they left any, it could literally be fatal, like it could poison her. How did it not poison her throughout the 13-hour day? Don't know. So they said, quote, every night when I was taking, this was like a makeup person.

Every night when I was taking off the witches' makeup, I would make sure that her face was thoroughly clean, spotlessly clean, because you don't take chances with green. So when she was burned, spoiler alert, I remember that I didn't want to take any chances. I knew that makeup had to be cleaned off. So we're going to talk about that burn situation right now. And how they just said even when she was burned, we had to clean the makeup off. Remember that. Oh no, I don't want to talk about that. So in the scene where the

wicked witch of the West leaves Munchkinland in like a puff of smoke in the beginning, and there's like fire and smoke, there was an accident. So it was December 23rd, 1938. They had put a false piece of yellow brick road where she had to exit. Okay. So she was to back up onto this, and it was rigged with an elevator to bring her down and out of the shot. While she was lowering down, the smoke and fire would come up and obscure her going down. Now, they practiced this a ton because she had to go backwards and hit the spot just right

because if the elevator went down and only one of her feet was on it, she could break her legs. Yeah. So I guess the opening of that elevator shaft there was really narrow too. So Margaret Hamilton was instructed and practiced a million times to bring her elbows in tight as soon as it started going down because if she didn't, she would literally break her arms and her shoulders. And they were literally they weren't like let's figure out a way

to make that not happen. They were just like do your your best. Hold your elbows in, because if not, you're gonna break both of your shoulders. They're like, wait bitch. Like what? And there was also two guys waiting below in case she broke her legs coming down. They could carry her. Awesome.

So those were the concerns. Things were so thoughtful, guys. And weirdly, those are the concerns. They're worried about her breaking her arms or like her legs. But we have like, whole last fire going on. But weirdly, nothing like that happened. She didn't break a leg or an arm or anything legs and arms are refined In fact the first time they did this whole shot it was perfect went off without a hitch

Victor Fleming the director was like psyched. He was like that was perfect But he said as always we're gonna do one more shot just to have it in the game Just in case. Oh, no that's when you know too. Yep, that's when you know. And this is when the shit hit the fan. So Margaret Hamilton actually recalled something that Billy Burke said, she's the one who plays Glenda. Billy Burke.

Okay. She actually said, quote, we were about 40 feet away from the fire and Miss Burke shook her head and said, oh, I'm not going to stand here. And I said, why not Miss Burke? And she said, oh, I'm not going to stand here. And I said, why not Miss Burke? And she said, oh, my dear, it's much too hot. And I thought, you're 40 feet away,

but I'm gonna be right in the middle of it. She was like, oh shit, look what? So they had taken a break. And when they came back to do this second shot, just the insurance shot, a bunch of mishaps happened. Nothing that got anybody heard at first, but it was like warning signs. You know, she wasn't hidden by the smoke, the fire happened too late, the fire didn't go off at all. It was just like everything was

fine. Science from the universe saying you already got your shot. You got the shot. We got the shot. Fleming, let's just let it go. Now, she said quote, and this is crazy, that this is how much Victor Fleming, the director, did not give a shit about these people. So she said quote, and then we got the full tilt of Mr. Fleming's impatience and anxiety. In no uncertain language, he told us to pull ourselves together and get the shot done.

He said, there's no excuse for this. The minute she gets her foot on, I want, and I said, Mr. Fleming, I want to get the shot done. He said, there's no excuse for this. The minute she gets her foot on, I want, and I said, Mr. Fleming, I want to get both feet on. And he said, yes, yes, of course, but I want the shot done right and right now. Well, it went wrong. The fire went way too early, while Margaret Hamilton was not under the stage yet.

So the broom got caught fire. The broom that she was holding, and it caught her face on fire. Oh! She said, quote, I felt warmth on my face, that's all. It's still unbelievable. There was a whole lot of running

and hula-bulu and shouting. Oh, hello. And my hat and my broom were on fire and I didn't even know it. She was literally in shock. Of course. She ended up with first-degree burns on her face. Mainly her chin, nose, cheek, and forehead.

Her eyebrows and lashes were completely burned off. Oh my God. She had seconds and almost third degree burns on her hands. That was the worst part. The skin on her right hand was completely gone. It was just raw flesh. Goodbye. Just raw flesh.

Oh my God. Now remember that makeup? The toxic green makeup thing? Did it not like burn into her skeleton at that point? Well, when the flesh on her hands literally peeled off from the burns, they still had to remove the makeup. And the only way to do that was alcohol.

No. Mm-hmm. So they had to use alcohol to scrub the toxic, hop, copper oxide-filled green makeup off the hands of Margaret Hamilton after she burned the flesh clean off of them. And her face. You know how like when older people are like, are you sure have to walk backwards up a hill?

To school and the smell. Everyone in the Wizard of Oz has the right to say. I did, they can. They're like, I had my hands cleaned with alcohol after suffering from your degree burns and like peeling my skin back. Mm-hmm. She said it was the most horrific pain

she's ever felt in her life. She was out for six weeks healing. And I bet they were pissed. Oh, they were on her ass. In fact, her doctor answered the phone once while they called her at home. And he was like, she's an idiot. If she doesn't sue your ass,

like you're not, she'll get back when she's good and ready, like flip that. Oh, good for him. I love that. And, no, probably like yeah Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham the host of Wondries podcast American scandal We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in US history, presidential lies, corruption and sports, corporate fraud. Our newest season looks at Aaron Hernandez, a rising pro football star who shocked the sports world when he was arrested for a brutal murder

in 2013. Fans, media, and Hernandez's own family couldn't understand how a beloved and respected player for the New England Patriots with a $40 million contract could commit such a heinous crime. But there had been warning signs all along the way, and they pointed to a much larger health crisis among current and former NFL players. Follow American Scandal on the Wonder App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge American Scandal, Aaron Hernandez, early and ad-free right now on Wondering Plus. She said the only reason she didn't sue is because she wanted to work again. She never would have if she was sued.

So did they have to pause filming that? They did. She did refuse to work with fire ever again in the movie. I don't think you're not. I'm not working with fire. Now in fact, when she got back to set, she was due to do that sky writing scene. That's a render Dorothy scene. I love that. There's a band called Surrender Dorothy. I remember from high school. Yeah. Great band name. Surrender Dorothy. So good. I want to call it. I can't. But good job guys. Yeah. She was doing

the close-ups because there's close-ups shots of her like on the broom like laughing and they're smoke behind her. Like yelling at Dorian. Yeah, just screaming and screeching. But it required her to sit on a steel saddle on her broom. Uh-huh. And it was raised up and then smoke would pour out of the back from a pipe under the saddle. Oh god. That's how they rig this whole thing. I feel like I don't want to do that. Now she was told by everyone, no, this is completely safe. Don't worry about it. You're good.

Like, when have we ever put you in danger before? You know, I feel like this is the kind of I've got to explode under my Amadanka Donk. But they mentioned, you know, if you'd like, we did make you a fireproof costume. And she was like, why? Why'd you make me a fireproof costume if this is completely safe?

And it's probably not even fire Like why would I I don't trust a single thing you say so she was like no So she said she wouldn't do it with the smoke in the fire. She's like no she said she would do the close-ups She was like do the close-ups of my face add shit and afterwards and she was like I don't know what to tell you with everything else So blammer her stunt double Betty Danko said she would do the rest No, she was a young girl at this point. And she was probably trying to be like an outfit coming actress, so she's like, I'll do any.

Oh yeah, and she's a stunt girl, so she's like, she's done a few things like this and she's like, oh yeah, I'll do anything. And you gotta be done for anything. But Margaret actually told her before she left set that day, she was like, I'm really worried for you, I don't want you to do it. Like I'm worried something's gonna happen,

and you're gonna get hurt. And she's like, no, I need the money. I don't want them to think I'm hard worried for you, I don't want you to do it. Like I'm worried something's gonna happen, you're gonna get hurt. And she's like, no, I need the money. I don't want them to think I'm hard to work with. Well, turns out they did two good takes on the broomstick and the third time, the pipe literally exploded under her. We were gonna say that. She said, quote, I felt as though my scalp was coming off.

I guess that's because my hat and my black wig were literally torn loose. They found them days later at the top of the stage. Oh my god. The explosion blew me off the broomstick. I managed to grab it with both hands and throw my leg over it. I hung upside down while the men handling the wires lowered the broomstick to the floor and put me face down on the stage. She was completely burned and her left leg had a giant hole in it, where her dress had become fused. Because it was burned into this giant hole in her leg.

What the fuck? I want to hear what's even better. I don't. Quote, while I lay there on the floor waiting for the ambulance, the wardrobe woman came running in and she said, what did you do with the hat? I have to turn it in, you know. I'd be like, there's a mother fucking hole in my leg. And I suggest you get the fuck away from me unless you'd like a matching one. I was just lit a flame. You what?

I'd be like, you can take the hat when you find it and shove it right up your neck. I am brooney the fire spirit from Frozen 2 right now. And you are asking me where that hat is? Can you, you're laying? First of all, face stars. Because I can't even have the nicety to put you on your back.

Like what? And then she's like, I need to hand in that hat. I need to turn that in, you know. It's like, well, you're gonna get in trouble today, okay? You're gonna have some explaining. You know what, you should cite explosion for why you didn't turn that in. The person was exploded in the hat.

I don't know. Had literally exploded. She had permanent scars on her legs from it, I guess. And I guess later at some like, some kind of Hollywood thing, I don't know if it was like, it was like years later, she ran into Victor Fleming and he tried to look under her skirt to see the scars because he said he felt so bad.

What? He tried to see her leg scars because he wanted to see how bad it was. I'd be like, well, my leg exploded, so that's how bad it was. That's how bad it was. The fuck, Victor? Yeah. I'd be like, Victor, get away from me.

You bad news. You bad news, okay? Now, Victor Fleming speaking of him, I'll skip ahead to something with him because Please do. So he actually wrote and admitted to this incident. He said, quote, When Judy Garland couldn't stop breaking into giggles at the pseudo menacing advance of Bert Larr's cowardly lion. So when they first meet the cowardly lion and he runs after Toto. Yeah. And then she waxed him on the nose. Yeah. I guess

she kept breaking into giggles. It's funny. And I guess Bert Larr was really funny because he was like, like just like coming at her. So she kept laughing. And she was like, I was gonna say she was literally young. And so he said, quote, he escorted her off the yellow brick road and said, now darling, this is serious. Slap turn the face, then ordered her to go in there and work. And she said it, yep, happened. And everyone around the set said, I saw it happen. He literally slapped a 17 year old girl in the face. It was like, get back to work and stop laughing. Wow.

They weren't kidding when they said things were different back then. And then he, I guess, immediately felt bad. So he started going around to the crew and asking people in the crew to punch him in the face. Good. And so they were all like, no. Because they're like, I'm going to lose my job.

I don't know what I can't. It's a really weird way to handle that situation instead of just like going to her and saying, I feel really bad. And also, how many of the crew, you know he hadn't met any of the crew. So he's literally walking up to them and they're like, hi, I'm Joe, Mr. Fleming nice to meet you.

Like, no, no, I won't punch you in the face. Like, please punch me. And I guess Judy like saw this happening because she immediately went back into the scene. Of course she did. The scene you see in the movie is exactly what happened right after she got slapped. The first take she did was the one in the movie.

Oh, wow. So when you see in the movie is right after she just got slapped in the face by Victor fucking Fleming. She was so abused. It's really sad. Oh, it's horrific. What they get to her. She actually heard all this, like that he was walking around,

like asking crew members to punch himself. And I guess she, like over her this, and she went over to him and said, cause he was like, you should just punch me in the face to her. To which I would say, oh, you do. And I guess she said,

I won't do that, but I'll kiss your nose. And she did. Oh, what a cutie. Like what did, what did, they did Judy so wrong. Yeah, they did her dirty. They did her so wrong. Yeah, I would punch Victor Fleming

straight because. Like that's your time, just kidding. But like what a, what a pure and wholesome human. What a strange way. Who was like led into such a shitty pass of life. Oh yeah, watching Judy and mother. Yeah, yeah, it's all on me. I mean, her real name is Frances Gung.

Huh, yeah. Now, speaking of Dorothy and the horrific thing, so we're done to her, Judy Garland had the status life. At 14, she was working on her first real movie called Pigskin Parade. It was about like a football coach. Sounds horrible. Sure does.

And the head of the studio, Louis B. Meyer, I don't know if it's Louis or Louis, but get ready for the Wies of Alzheimer's day. That's the same. But he's a piece of shit, so I literally don't care what his real name is. He would call her quote, fat little pig in pigtails. Wow.

So I don't care if it's Louis or Louis. Yeah, I don't care. No. Assles said that about a child. And let me tell you, Mr. Glass House should have kept his rocks to himself. Go ahead and Google what he looks like. Name again.

Excuse me, Glass House. Louis B. Mayor. I think it's Louis. But yeah, like, go away, Mr. Glass House. We're loaded. This is when she started in the fuck alley. Exactly. Like, I'm sorry.

Was there a mirror on set that, Dacer? Yeah. Like, please, turn. No, this is when she started being placed on these crazy diets of only like soup and cigarettes and all that shit, seriously. Now, for Oz, the studio execs focused heavily on her weight. And basically made her feel like shit

that she even had boobs. Because you was 17 at this point, she's like turning into like that time when you're getting to have boobs. And now Dorothy was supposed to be like a younger girl when she was supposed to be like, I think in the book she's supposed to be like 12. But I think in the movie they have her more around like 15. So cast a 15 year old if that's what you want. Well, and so they were like, we want you to look younger than 17. So obviously she's not. so they were literally documenting her food intake

for months leading up to shooting. Wow, that's so cool. Like the exact studio execs are documenting a young girl's food intake for months. And that is like, and obviously did, but will affect you for the rest of your life. Oh, 100%. If you start eating like that. This stuff was the reason she died the way she did. And like developing that 100% food is so dangerous.

Oh, it's so dangerous. It's so sad. They also kept her on a steady pill schedule at this point as well. They would force her to take what they called pet pills to stay awake and downers to sleep and chill out. So she would sleep for like four hours and then they would just like shake her awake

force some pet pills down her throat, and make her work for like day-street before she would crash again. Oh my god. Yeah. Now during filming of Oz, she was on a diet of soup, dozens of cigarettes a day, and black coffee. That's it. Can you imagine her stomach? And on top of it, they made her wear crazy corsets under that dress, and strapped down her chest as tight as they could to make it so she didn't look like she had a chest. Wow. So she was, and that's like against her will.

Like, and she's sitting there having to, like in its painful and she's having to like pretend to be this like peppy yay, like the youngest young girl. And yeah, like, I just can't imagine how like condition her stomach was in, with all those cigarettes, coffee on an empty stomach, and then pills?

Yeah. My God. Like, can you imagine how sick she felt all the time? No. Because I've had to go on medicine before. Where I broke my pelvis, and they had to put me on morphine. Yeah.

And you couldn't eat. And I was the sickest I have ever been. I can't imagine having to be in that state while doing a movie where I was also just being treated like she had a time. Like when I had whatever pain pill they gave me after, like my first C section, I took one of them. And I was like so ill.

So sick. I was like I'm never taking that, like what, wow. I could not handle that, because I'm just usually, I have like a pretty good pain tolerance, like a fairly good one. And so I usually can get, like, if something hurts, I'll take like an ad bill.

And it's like, I usually is fine for me. So, but this, I was like, oh, I just got cut open. Maybe I should take this. Yeah, and the apple, oh my god, never again. I was like, no, this is not worth the sickness I feel. We had to go back to the doctors when I was like that and we were like, yeah, like, I can't take this. I can handle it.

They had me take a half and even a half, I was still like horrible. I just see I was like, they just gave me motor and afterwards and I was like, that's all I can do. But on top of all of this with Judy Garland, some of the actors who played some of the characters in Munchkin land, they were like sexually assaulting her on set. Good. Yeah. In her husband, one of her

husband's later said quote, they would make Judy's life miserable on set by putting their hands under her dress. The men were more than 40 years old at that point. And she's 17. Yeah. She like is just turning 17. And she's like made to look like a child in that, like way younger. What the fuck, guys. Just really messed up. And I do, from what I read though,

I guess the three guys, like the lion, tin man, and scarecrow, were like super protective of her. Yeah, boss. And they were all like good dudes, and none of them did anything like that. And they were like really tight as like a little unit, like a squad. Yeah So that's nice to know at least she had like the comfort of that some kind of protection there, but

Another thing that's really crazy about this is if you've seen if you remember the poppy scene Yeah, where the wicked witch of the west causes them to fall asleep in the poppies poppies Well lucky for them Glinda casts a counter spell during that that causes snow to fall, and they all wake up. Unfortunately, Glinda was like, kind of, maybe she was the bad guy here, because the snow that fell was 100% asbestos. Oh, yeah. Now this was the 1930s, and asbestos was actually used in Christmas decorations, then like

fake snow. What the fuck? But still, this is wild to know now. Yes. Especially when you watch it, and you're just like, oh, that's the fuck? But still, this is wild to know now. Yes. Especially when you watch it and you're just like, oh, that's just straight up as best. And it's all over their faces, all over everything. They're literally like in their mouths.

Like, it's just like, oh, they're just like living in it. And it's funny because I read one of the articles I read was on Atlas Obscura. And they put it best by saying the words that a vase quote, literally douses its main characters and carcinogens. Correct.

Literally what it does. And when you watch the scene, you're just sitting there being like, poison. Yeah, all over your body. You're all being doused in poison. Wow. All of them. That's spashtos.

And a last little, well last big thing that I'll touch upon, which is like kind of the saddest thing to me. But I'll leave you on like, well, no, I'm gonna leave you on a sad note, I'm sorry. But I'll give you a couple things after this. But the woman who played on TM, who on TM and Uncle Henry, you're just like, I love you.

I love you so much. Her name was Clara Blandick, and she was famous. She was like, I'm Broadway and tons of movies. Yeah. This was actually one of her smallest roles roles, but like she took it because she just loved the movie and they loved having her name on it. Now she, after the Wizard of Oz was in like failing health, it was like through the 1950s and she was going blind. She was the victim of severely painful arthritis all over her body and they couldn't get it on control back then. Just real quick, too. This is like a suicide trigger.

So just this is gonna be a minute where I'm gonna talk about it. So April 15th, 1962, she returned to her home after church. She placed photos and letters and mementos from her career all around her. She surrounded herself with newspaper clippings of her career, her awards, movie credits. She got dressed in a royal blue gown, she did her hair, and she took sleeping pills. And she laid on the couch with a gold blanket over her

and placed a plastic bag over her head. Oh wow. She passed away that way, and she left a note that said, quote, I am now about to make the great adventure. I cannot endure this in agonizing pain any longer. It's all over my body. Neither can I face the impending blindness. I pray the Lord my soul to take aim in. Oh, apparently she's buried very close to Charlie Grapewin who played Uncle Henry, her husband. Oh my gosh, the way yards away. Right next to each other.

It's not just like a weird person. I don't know if it was like meant to, but it's like a nice little like, but how sad is that? Like she had this, and she had this beautiful, amazing career. Yeah. Can I say something weird?

It's like beautifully sad. Like the way that she did it, I'm like, I'm glad that she was able to like take control of the way she wanted to do it. Yeah, I mean, she was in control of it. That was what she wanted to do. But like, how sad that she had no other option. Like, it's such a bummer that like medical stuff has kind of gone far and it hadn't come that far to relieve her of any of that pain. That is really sad.

Because I can't imagine being in chronic pain and there's nothing. No, because nothing to help you. Our self-pain is like, just watching people go. I obviously have never really gone through that, but watching people go through that, I can't imagine. Yeah, I really can't. And to have it all over your body. Yeah, I hope she did have a great adventure.

Oh, excuse me, I hope she's having a great adventure. I hope she's sure. I don't have in that great adventure. Go off. She's over the rainbow, having a blast. All that one really, yeah. I know, thanks. I know, I'm sorry.

Do you have anything good in there? I guess this just shows you how close like the three main characters, like the Ray Bulger and Bert Larr and Jack Haley were. When I think Ray was the last one to pass away out of all of them. And when Jack Haley died, he gave a eulogy at his funeral. And he said, Jack, it's going to be a very lonesome on the Yellowbrook Road now. That's how close they were.

And just to leave you on like not the saddest of notes, but more like, wow Margaret Hamilton, get it. Okay. The Wicked Witch's lines, most of them were cut and a lot of her scenes were cut from the final film because execs

and focus groups said the performance was way too terrifying. They said kids literally couldn't handle it. Go off. It's just terrible to just scare the shit out of everybody. That's what I was hired for. So she's only on screen for like 15 minutes in the film, but she had tons more.

Oh, that sucks. And it was all like really scary. Like she was terrifying. I wish they had like, uh, dinner version like where they could have released that version. I know. I'm like, can we have her deleted scenes? Yeah.

I just think her scary scenes. For real. But I wonder if they could ever uncomfortable them someday. I know. I wonder. I think that there's something to do with that. Who knows, have they? I'm not even sure. I should look at it.

I know. Let's find out. But that is some of the dark secrets I found about the, uh, the, uh, the yellow, the yellow, the yellow, the yellow, the yellow, the yellow, the yellow, the yellow, the yellow, the yellow, but about the Wizard of Oz and how fucked up the filming was. Wow. That was really entertaining. It seemed quite sad. It definitely is, Kirsten, I feel.

I feel like I'm, it's a lot. I feel like I'm never gonna watch that movie the same with your children. You watch it and you're like, wow. You watch it with the different. You exploded. You had to go to the hospital. You almost went blind.

You did this. And for the second half of the film, I haven't looked to see this, but Margaret Hamilton's wearing green gloves instead of green makeup, because even when she came back, it hadn't healed enough that she could paint makeup on. So she had to wear gloves on her hand.

Oh, wow. And I want to look for it the next time I go to the hospital. Yeah. Because I guess she also said that like Victor Fleming grabbed her hand when she came back. and was like, it looks good. And she was like, no, that's like freshly healed skin. Like it's not. It looks pretty, but it has a feel to do anything.

And like, that's how nasty it was. Yeah, Victor Fleming sounds like the worst. And I just said everybody he had asked to punch him in the face, actually did punch him in the face. I know, that would have been nice. Yeah. That's the dark shit about the Wizard of Oz. Oh, and just like, because I, people might be wondering

because there's this big legend that one of the actors who played one of the munchkins, like hung themselves in a tree on the set. Oh, yeah, that's not true. They can see it in the original part of the film. Yeah. That was completely untrue. Just what people were seeing was a bird

that they had on set that puts its wings up and kind of looks like it. And people have photoshopped like an actual hanging person in there. It's not true. It didn't happen. Or is that what they want you to say? Yeah, there's no, I mean, there's absolutely no evidence

or no police reports. And I was gonna say, we know all the other horrific things about what went out. Yeah, I feel it would have leaked out. But it's still in a very enduring rumor because everything I was reading, every time I would like peek over at comments of it, like, yeah, like, you know, little movies about it

or books or anything, there was always a million people being like, well, someone hung themselves on the set. Like, that is an enduring rumor. People really believe that. And I did, I did for a while. When that rumor first came out, I was young, and I remember trying to see it.

I was like, what is, like, and you could see the bird, and I remember being like, is that, but it's not. It's a bit. Yeah, I remember definitely hearing that. I never looked for it though. Yeah, that didn't happen though. At least not that you can find anywhere. Well, that's settling that it didn't happen.

But yeah, but everything else happened in this, so... Thanks for that. Yeah, it's a fucked up movie, but I thought it might, you know, it's a holiday week. We're just gonna give you this weird, weird, off episode that's still spooky, but like in a different way. Yeah, humans are weird. They certainly are. You know, I really enjoyed that. That was a good episode. Yeah, I just wanted to do something a little different.

Yeah, I like that. Hope you guys dug it. It's your show, go off. Yeah, it's my show, man. Well, we hope that you keep listening. And we hope you keep it. Weeere! But not so many decided to direct a movie and do any of the things that were done on this movie

said, thank you and good night. Bye. Follow the Yellow Book Road. Follow the Yellow Book Road Road or don't! Hey, Prime members, you can listen to Morvid, Early, and Add Free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen ad-free with Wondery Plus and Apple podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondery.com slash survey.