It would have been next to impossible except that Technicolor had just introduced its new, "faster" film, which today would have an ASA rating of about 50. WebCurtis "The Pimp" Bennett (Prisoner #01B624) is an African American inmate featured in Oz. "Our goal was simple," Feiner says. Release Date: Tuesday, August 15 1939 83 years ago . Another was built, and this time it was reinforced throughout with piano wire. Luft recalled one event in particular, saying, "The next day, on the set, hungover, they would make Judy's life miserable by putting their hands under her dress. One day, Dorothy's dog, Toto, bites the vicious Miss Gulch, who obtains an order for the pet's destruction. The actor, who stayed active in show business long after Dorothy had returned to her home in Kansas, died May 24 at an assisted-care facility in the San Billy Curtis. One of his early roles was uncredited as a Munchkin city father in The Wizard of Oz (1939). He had a featured role as part of the circus troupe in Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur (1942). He also appeared in Superman and the Mole Men (1951), a B-Picture intended as the pilot for the Adventures of Superman TV series. Gillespie, a long-time pilot, decided that a tornado funnel was shaped something like the wind socks seen at airports. Diminutive American actor Billy Curtis avoided the usual onus of freak-show employment as a youth, opting for a mainstream job as a shoe clerk. Act now to receive 12 issues of the award-winning AC magazine the worlds finest cinematography resource. Munchkin Father. Our thanks to Fred Detmers, Buddy Ebsen, Lois January, and the late George Cukor, Billy Curtis, Marcel Delgado, Harold Rosson, ASC and Harry Wolf, ASC. There's no magic bullet with digital technology you can only scan in the image quality on the source material. I would guess that the original negative was probably used to make more than 10 and perhaps as many as 200 release prints. The Beverly Hillbillies was initially cast as the Scarecrow, but he swapped roles with Ray Bolger. Filming & Production ", Sidney Luft also wrote in his memoir that the older male Munchkin actors apparently "thought they could get away with anything because they were so small." Her performance as the Wicked Witch would frighten generations of children, who routinely, The Wizard of Oz | Victor Fleming consults with his actors. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! at the Wyndham's Theatre. Interesting, isn't it? The Wizard of Oz They were printed in the MGM laboratory's beautiful but long-extinct Sepia Platinum process, which not only gave the images a sepia tone, but lent an iridescent quality to the highlights. A silver ball floats like a giant bubble into the scene, looming larger and larger as it moves into the foreground of the set. Diminutive American actor Billy Curtis avoided the usual onus of freak-show employment as a youth, opting for a mainstream job as a shoe clerk. And then I said, 'I'm going to have to scream. In this MGM classic, who we see playing the Tin Man is Jack Haley, but he was not the original Tin Man. Dorothy flees with Toto but runs for home after talking to Professor Marvel, a fortune-teller and balloonist. Just 4 feet 11.5 inches, she could be underweight and still appear heavy or out of proportion on screen.. "We're proud of our history," Feiner says, "which includes a large amount of the optical restoration work on the Star Wars trilogy. The Wizard of Oz | Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Phil Feiner, president of the optical division of Pacific Title/Mirage, reminds us that the first two reels of Oz, as well as the last, are black-and-white. Billy Curtis retired in the 1980s, except for the occasional interview or Wizard of Oz cast reunion. Model monkeys in various scales, of sizes down to six inches, flying on wires hanging from the tornado gantry, were used in the backgrounds and miniature landscapes. The story exerts warmth and thrills, making it a masterpiece and a must-see film for the young and the old. It included cornfields, the house, the barn, and fences. Maren sang, We represent the Lollipop Guild/And we welcome you to Munchkinland, and presented a oversized lollipop to Dorothy (Judy Garland). The mass of wires more than 1,000 altogether necessitated numerous retakes due to breaks. Each model required two wires for the bodies and two for flapping the wings. The heat was enormous and was especially torturous for the actors in their heavy costumes. Studios also tried using cornflakes that were painted white to look like snow, but this method was too noisy because of the crunching sound it made whenever actors walked during scenes. Note: This article includes stories about suicide and assault. Toto escapes and brings Dorothy's friends to rescue her, but they are also captured. The Wizard of Oz 1939 movie based on the book by L. Frank Baum Billy Curtis; Heritage designation: Memory of the World (2007) Publication date: 25 August "We now use wet-gate technology to protect the film when it is contact-printed or duplicated with an optical printer," Feiner explains. All of the original three-strip Technicolor film from that period was recorded on a potentially flammable nitrate-based emulsion. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content. Seldom accepting a role which demeaned or patronized little people, Curtis played an obnoxious vaudeville performer compelled to sit on Gary Cooper's lap in Meet John Doe (1941), a suspicious circus star willing to turn Robert Cummings over to the cops in Saboteur (1942), and one of the many fair-weather friends of The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). creative tips and more. The Wizard of Oz | The men who were hired to play the winged monkeys were attached to ''bat wings'' and a small motor suited to power windshield-wipers. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. In his palace, Toto pulls aside a curtain, revealing a man operating levers that create the illusion of the Wizard. The actual ball was about 8" in diameter and was not moved while being photographed. "We assembled and trained a staff with the appropriate skills and film sensibilities, plus the dedication needed to do the job properly," Feiner says. The expensive gantry and its perambulating car saw further service in getting the witch's flying monkeys airborne. Victor Fleming consults with his actors. Actor Age Check - How old was Billie Burke in The Movie studios used asbestos because it was fireproof, unlike cotton, which they previously used. Ebsen was hospitalized and forced out of The Wizard of Oz's production because of the costuming and makeup. The makeup used on the sets of the Wizard of Oz circles many claims. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Did you know that it took more than a year for deep grooves to leave Ray Bolger's face from the prosthetics? Young was always extra careful when taking off Hamilton's makeup "because you don't take chances with green." We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. They tried using food coloring, "but the colors were not subtle enough." A patented imbibition process was used to transfer the image information onto release prints for theaters. One of our people [Vince Roth] had worked in the MGM Labs optical department for 27 years, and he remembered an optical camera operator who had worked on those conversions. The Wizard of Oz | Margaret Hamilton was a character actress who played a lot of housemaids. To those of you who have been faithful to it in return and to the Young in Heart we dedicate this picture.". Additionally, The production company was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. Impulse Pictures is proud to present APHRODISIAC! Bert Lahr was a vaudeville star famous for playing anxious and neurotic comic characters. The movie rights were fought over between several studios, but MGM ultimately got the rights. --Billy Curtis, Lord High Mayor of Munchkinland Judy Garland starred in The Wizard of Oz when she was 16. TMZ first reported the news of his death. The Wizard of Oz was highly successful in its New York run at the Capitol most of the New York critics hated it, but who cared? Warren Newcombe headed the matte painting section, where he and his assistants produced what the studio called "Newcombe Shots.". WebHeck, even midget Billy Curtis (THE WIZARD OF OZ, HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER) shows up to give his thoughts on pot. Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice was first considered for the Good Witch, but the final choice was Billie Burke, Ziegfeld's widow. The bottom of the funnel was anchored in a hidden slot that ran the length of the stage. LeRoy wanted Ed Wynn, who felt that the part was too small. The actors and people on set had to endure several hardships while shooting for the film. 1957. Spotlessly clean. Feiner notes that advances in digital film conversion and image-processing technologies provides a powerful toolkit for restoration projects. Later, Hamilton's stunt double, Betty Danko, was badly injured while riding (on wires) the witch's smoke-spitting broomstick. The result was that there were scratches, embedded dirt and other anomalies copied onto the fine-grain master in 1960. But the costumes were so unhandy. The cigars just for show.. The script was based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which sold over a million copies and launched a long series of Oz books. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. Finally, they can now see it in a cinema the way it is meant to be seen. That would equate to almost $2,300 per week in 2019. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, makeup artist: Margaret Hamilton (uncredited), executive in charge of production (uncredited), supervising re-recording mixer (uncredited), senior special effects technician (uncredited), stereoscopic production manager (3D version 2013), managing director: stereoscopic conversion (3D version 2013), stereoscopic compositor (3D version 2013), stereo conversion producer: Prime Focus (as Scott Farrar) (3D Version 2013), stereo conversion supervisor (3D version 2013), technical support (1998 release, credited on theatrical prints only), director of global development: Prime Focus (3D version 2013), lead digital film restoration artist (2009 restoration), digital paint artist (1998 restoration) (uncredited), digital compositor (1998 restoration) (uncredited), digital paint artist: 1998 restoration (uncredited), camera operator: digital restoration (uncredited), digital production coordinator (1998 restoration) (uncredited), director of photography: visual effects unit (uncredited) / special photographic effects (uncredited), visual effects supervisor (1998 restoration) (uncredited), assistant visual effects supervisor (uncredited), lead digital compositor (1998 restoration) (uncredited), director of matte painting staff (uncredited), director of global development at prime focus (uncredited), senior stereoscopic supervisor: Prime Focus (uncredited), camera operator: visual effects unit (uncredited), roto supervisor: 3D version 2013 (uncredited), stunt double: Margaret Hamilton (uncredited), associate: Technicolor photography (as Allen Davey), still photographer: Kodachrome stills (uncredited), camera technician: Technicolor (uncredited), assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited), orchestrator: Munchkinland musical sequence (uncredited), music pre-recording supervisor (uncredited), singing voice: Lollipop Guild (uncredited), composer: original incidental music (uncredited) / conductor (uncredited), orchestral and vocal arrangments (uncredited), choreographer: scarecrow's dance (scenes deleted) (uncredited), dance stand-in: Judy Garland (uncredited), agent: Leo Feist Music Publishing (uncredited), assistant choreographer (uncredited) / assistant: Mr. Connolly (uncredited), handler: Cowardly Lion's tail (uncredited), dog owner and trainer: Terry (uncredited).
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