Friends of Dorothy- Page 5

[nygrl232]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 5:53pm

Don't be all jealous of my brilliance, Diva.

Btw, that thing the witch is holding is the golden cap? I wondered what the hell that was. It looked like some kind of small pillow or a needlepoint project. Updated On: 11/23/08 at 05:53 PM

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 5:55pm

Nygrl, why do you think they have me?

[nygrl232]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 6:01pm

To be the tap-dancing, french maid outfit-wearing, cigarette selling girl?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 6:06pm

And what was the ad at the bottom of the page?!

WOO RING TONES!!!

[HellsBells2]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 6:54pm

Best and Diva, I whole-heartedly agree with you on the W.C. Fields thing. I think he would have limited the character drastically. Frank Morgan was outstanding in my opinion. It's sort of on the same line as Johnny Depp always being Tim Burton's leading man - boring, predictable, limited. While I simply adore Johnny Depp - hang your hat somewhere else, darling.........like on my bedpost.
Updated On: 11/24/08 at 06:54 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 12:11am

HellsBells2---You know I always thought it was funny, after learning about W.C. Fields for the Wizard, I think they tried (in a way) to make Frank Morgan look a bit like Fields when he plays the Wizard for those final scenes in Oz. They gave him a round, bulbous nose and round, high, pink cheeks, and a fake, round chin piece too.

Frank Morgan, as the Wizard, has almost as much makeup and prosthetic features glued on as the Scarecrow, Tinman or Lion.

And even though he's not remotely doing a Fields imitation as the Wizard, I think there is a likeness there. Perhaps Jack Dawn who created all the character makeup designs for Oz (and should have received a special Oscar, IMO) was inspired by W.C. Fields for his work.

A lot of makeup:



His real face:






And of course, my favorite makeup job on Morgan:

Updated On: 11/24/08 at 12:11 AM

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 12:24am

Besty, on MY top-ten movies of all time is a film called THE GOOD FAIRY. Have you seen it? Frank Morgan is in it (pre-WOO) and you can see the makings of the Wizard in his wonderful performance here. (I just realized that 2 of my top 10 movies have Frank Morgan in them. Hmmm.)

I would have wanted NO ONE else in that role. When I think of it, EVERYONE in the WOO is perfectly cast. PERFECTLY. I'm sorry about what happened to Buddy Ebsen, but Jack Haley's Tin Man is one of my favorite characterizations in all of filmdom! I mean, that voice of his alone! I know this is stating the obvious, but it wouldn't have been a completely different movie with Buddy Ebsen.

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 12:36am

Frank Morgan looks like Walt Disney in that photo!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 4:43am

Should I even mention that I'm also friends with Fairuza Balk (Return To Oz)? That just popped into my head...


Insomnia.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 8:38am

I love The Good Fairy--and all Lubitsch films, especially those starring Margaret Sullavan.

Updated On: 11/24/08 at 08:38 AM

[Craig]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 11:56am

Not to mention (the obvious) that the movie would have been incredibly different if Shirley Temple was Dorothy..

In fact.. I just don't see it!

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 12:14pm

Besty-that last image of the wizard looking scary-don't you think they were aware that this could scare kids? Here's a question I've never heard before, I want to know what you think-Do you think that the film was originally made for an adult audience?

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 1:05pm

Yes it was intended to scare kids! Yes it was aimed at a child audience. All films including many of the early Disney Films had terrifying images. Kids like to be frightened. The scarier the witches, demons and wizards the more empathy you feel for the hero/heroine. It is only recently we feel that kids don't like to be scared in entertainment and should be protected from it.

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 4:53pm

"Should I even mention that I'm also friends with Fairuza Balk (Return To Oz)? That just popped into my head..."

I suppose you could. I love her!


So the Wizard's big green head was Frank Morgan, too?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 5:50pm

He's, like, all over the place!

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 8:31pm

Of course they wanted it to scare kids!

They originally hired Gail Sondergaard for the Wicked Witch, and she wanted to play it glamorous. They did some makeup tests and decided she wasn't "frightening" enough as the witch. So they put some ugly makeup on her and tried to "hag her up." It didn't work. She was too pretty and too unhappy, looking that repulsive.



So, they cast Margaret Hamilton, because they knew she could give them a scary witch.

To say they were right would be an understatement.

Updated On: 11/24/08 at 08:31 PM

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 9:48pm

She (Sondergaard) looks too much like the Queen in Snow White.

I like the sequined hat though.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 1:22pm

That's who they were modeling her after, although, better heads prevailed.

[lildogs]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 2:10pm

It's Gale, besty...the first Best Supporting Actress (which I know you know)

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 2:13pm

I've always wondered if, after the success of WOO, Gale took the role of the cat in "The Blue Bird", opposite Shirley Temple, which was supposed to be a big film...but wasn't.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 4:15pm

Besty,

How many minutes is Maggie on screen in WOO? (Is it something like 12 minutes?)

It's hard to believe she's in it for such a short time because she created such a magnificent, imposing character!

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 7:54pm

Yes, "Gale" not "Gail." Thanks, lildogs.

Yes, Miss P., she's on screen approximately 12 minutes as the witch (I'm not sure if that includes Miss Gulch or not, but even that Kansas scene is only a couple of minutes tops, so it might). Most of her "witch time" is in the castle. Munchkinland is less than 2 minutes. Her other appearances are usually around 30 seconds or even less.

If you map it out roughly:

Kansas - roughly 2 minutes

Miss Gulch/Witch of the East (tornado sequence) - 30 seconds at most

Munchkinland - 2 minutes (maybe less)

Behind the apple tree - 10 seconds mabye

On top of the Tinman's cottage - less than a minute

Creating the Poppy Field - less than a minute

As they leave the Poppy Field - 30 seconds

Sky writing - 10 seconds

Sending the flying monkeys - 1 minute

In the castle with Dorothy and the others - 5 or 6 minutes total, if that.

Hell, that 12 minutes probably does include Miss Gulch.

[HellsBells2]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 7:58pm

Yes, but how many hours of makeup did that 12 minutes of film take? lol

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 8:05pm

And heck, most of the skywriting scene was a minature!

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 8:09pm

A lot more than 12!

I think she was on the film for something like 12 weeks. She was also out six weeks with her burns from the Munchkinland injury. And I'm sure those weeks she worked included all the Richard Thorpe footage that was scrapped entirely. Much of that was the Witch's castle stuff. It all had to be redone when they changed directors, changed the Tinman, changed Dorothy from a blonde to brunette and changed Maggie's makeup (significantly) and costume (slightly).