When it comes to movies that are universally adored, there is probably none more beloved than The Wizard of Oz. This classic adaptation of the Frank L. Baum book is undoubtedly one of the greatest movies ever made, and its place in film history is absolutely cemented forever.
Although every aspect of The Wizard of Oz is recognizable and memorable in some way, there are few elements that will be more familiar to the average film audience than the costumes in this film. Whether it's Dorothy's dress or the Cowardly Lion's costume, everyone can immediately recognize these iconic outfits. However, a lot of work went into creating these pieces, and there is so much detail that it's impossible to notice every little bit that goes into these outfits. Here are 10 details about the costumes that you definitely never noticed.
Professor Marvel Wore L. Frank Baum's Coat
The Wizard of Oz makes a brief appearance in Dorothy Gale's real world when she runs into Professor Marvel. Although this mystical charlatan only shares a few moments with Dorothy, he obviously needs to make an impression, so the costume department wanted his clothing to look like very fine but worn out duds.
Someone in the costume department went through second hand stores and found a coat that looked perfect, and the filmmakers were astounded to discover a label inside of the coat saying that it had been made for Frank L. Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz.
Judy Garland Wore A Corset To Look Younger
Dorothy Gale is clearly a teenager in The Wizard of Oz, but her character in the book was a bit younger than Judy Garland was. The studio was initially interested in possibly hiring an actual child actress for the role, with Shirley Temple actually being one of the main contenders.
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Obviously Garland won the role in the end, but to make her look younger the filmmakers actually had Judy wear an extremely tight and constricting corset in order to make her look like a pre-teen or a child instead of the teenager that she was.
The Cowardly Lion's Costume Was Made Of Real Lion
Most people wouldn't look at the Cowardly Lion's costume in The Wizard of Oz and say that it's a particularly realistic or believable. However, the costume designers for the film were apparently more committed to realism than anyone might have suspected.
The costume for the Cowardly Lion was made out of a variety of materials, but there were actually real lion pelts used in the creation of the outfit. And as you may have been able to guess already, the real lion furs made the costume pretty unbearably hot to wear for 12 hours at a time.
The Lion Costume Weighed 90 Pounds
In addition to being partially made of real lion fur and skins, the costume for the Cowardly Lion was actually astoundingly heavy. All together the lion costume weighed about 90 pounds.
The weight, the natural heat and insulation of the lion fur, the physical activity required for the role, and the intense heat of the set on a day to day basis meant that the lion costume was pretty much unbearable for actor Bert Lahr. Often times after a long day of shooting the Cowardly Lion costume would be literally soaked in the actor's sweat.
Dorothy's Dress Was Blue And Pink
The Wizard of Oz is an iconic film, and it's so well known that all of its costumes are just as well known. Dorothy's blue and white gingham is one of the most recognizable costumes in the film, however everything is not as it seems.
Although it looks blue and white on screen, the real-life dress was actually blue and pink. The coloring techniques of the time were by no means perfect, so it was easier to get the results they wanted in the end product by starting off with a blue and pink dress instead of blue and white.
The Ruby Slippers Weren't Originally Ruby
Nearly everyone on the planet has seen The Wizard of Oz, or will at least recognize and be familiar with key elements. Although so many parts of the movie are now universally known, certainly the most recognizable object are the fabled ruby slippers.
However, anyone who had read Frank L. Baum's book would know that the ruby slippers were originally silver. When the studio was making the film, they knew that they were going to be doing it in color and they thought that making the slippers red instead of silver would have a much more striking visual impact.
Some Of The Cast Had To Eat Lunch Alone
Everyone on earth is familiar with that humiliating, cringe inducing feeling where no one wants to sit with them at lunch. But the actors in The Wizard of Oz didn't find themselves isolated because the cool kids just didn't want to sit with them.
Apparently a lot of the cast and crew members who were working on other productions at the time were frightened and disturbed by some of the costumes in The Wizard of Oz, so those cast members would eat by themselves outside of the cafeteria so as to not disturb everyone else.
The Tin Man's Costume Barely Moved
This is an ironic piece of Wizard of Oz trivia since the Tin Man's need for an oil can is one of the most important aspects of his story, but apparently the real Tin Man costume could barely move.
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When the cast and crew were waiting in between scenes or takes, Jack Haley (the actor who played the part of the Tin Man) would have to just find someplace to lean up against in order to rest, because the costume was too inflexible to actually sit down in or move around in much at all.
It Took A While To Decide On The Style Of Slipper
The ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz are undoubtedly the most well known prop in the history of film, and they play a crucial role in the story itself. So it comes as no surprise that it actually took the studio quite a while to decide on the exact style of slipper they wanted to use.
A wide variety of styles were considered and some even got to the phase where prop masters and costume designers made models of them for the studio to look at, but ultimately the low pumps with bows were the winning style.
The Cowardly Lion's Costume Is Worth Over $3 Million Dollars
Well, when it comes to what something is actually "worth" it's really only worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. But apparently when it comes to movie costumes, those worn in The Wizard of Oz are worth quite a lot to some people.
Something like the ruby slippers are probably near priceless now, but when one of the Cowardly Lion costumes came up for auction in November of 2014, a film memorabilia collector purchased the costume for a mind blowing $3,100,000. Here's hoping it was worth it to the mystery buyer.