The costume for the Cowardly Lion is something to behold. If a man and a lion had a baby, odds are, it would look something like Bert Lahr did in The Wizard of Oz. This makes even more sense when you realize that a large portion of Lahr’s costume is in fact made from the pelts of real lions. The look was great but, like the saga of the Tin Man, there were struggles involved. The costume, and its real lion pelts, weighed almost 50 pounds.
Early on there were rumors the MGM actually wanted to use a real lion, their famous mascot Jackie, from their logo, to play at least a small part of the role, but in the end, other than the pelts, the part was all human. Bert Lahr’s humor and warmth would not have been a part of the character, or even possible, had an actual lion been cast in his place.
Who Really Came Up With Dorothy's "Look"?
Before Victor Fleming came onto the project, but after Richard Thorpe had departed, George Cukor was at the project's helm. At the time Cukor was angling to be hired as director for "Gone with the Wind," and never intended to finish the Wizard of Oz. In the end Cukor lost both The Wizard of Oz and the Gone with the Wind jobs to the same man, Victor Fleming.
However, it was during Cukor's time on the picture that Dorothy's iconic look came to be. He rid the production of any thought of blonde wigs or dye and insisted on a "natural" look for the Kansas farm girl. He wanted her looks to contrast the fantastical Technicolor style of the rest of Oz.
Playing The Tin Man Was Quite The Hassle
No one had any luck, it seems, when it came to being cast as the Tin Man. Jack Haley was not poisoned as his predecessor, Buddy Ebsen, but it was not an easy assignment. While Haley did not have breathing problems, or have to spend two weeks in a hospital, he did contract an eye infection from all the makeup he was forced to use.
The Tin Man costume itself was very stiff and awkward to move around in. It was impossible for Jack Haley to rest or relax while dressed for his part; there was no way to sit down while in character. If Haley decided to lay down on the ground, it was then impossible for him to stand up again without assistance from the cast and crew. The only relief he was able to find was by leaning up against walls or pillars to take some of the weight off his feet. Otherwise, he was standing the entire time he was in costume.
Toto Had A Nice Salary For A Dog Actor
Toto was played by a female Cairn terrier named Terry. Terry made appearances in 16 films throughout her career, her most impressive performance being The Wizard of Oz. Before being cast as Toto, Terry starred alongside Shirley Temple in "Bright Eyes."
Her experience led to the canine earning more than some of the human actors cast in the film – all of the munchkins included. Terry earned $125 a week on the film, which would be over $1,500 a week today. Actors cast to play the munchkins made only between $50 and $100 a week. It was good money at the time, but still not the movie star money Terry was making as Toto.
The Transformation Of The Wicked Witch
Not everyone judges a book by its cover, and it's no different with characters. While the Wicked Witch of the West today is an icon with her black hat and green complexion today, that wasn't always her signature style. Originally the concept for the Wicked Witch gave her a much more sleek and sexy style. Producers however, concerned with making her appear convincingly evil and cruel changed her look before filming. They needed her to contrast much more sharply with the look of Glinda the Good Witch.
The look wasn't the only thing that changed but, like the Tin Man, the Wicked Witch also had to be recast. Gale Sondergaard was originally hired to play the Wicked Witch but, upon learning of the change to the look and makeup, stepped away from the project. Margaret Hamilton stepped in to take Sondergaard's place.