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How Did The Original Wicked Witch Of The West Actress From The 1939 Wizard of Oz Get Into Terrible Accident On Set? Find Out
The original Wicked Witch of Oz, Margaret Hamilton, sustained burn injuries on the sets of the Wizard of Oz movie of 1939. The Oz expert John Frike revealed the details of the incident.
Margaret Hamilton, who originally played the role of Wicked Witch of Oz in 1939, struggled hard to portray the character, as it was much more than just having green skin.
In conversation with People Magazine, the Oz expert revealed the behind-the-scenes stories from the set of the Wizard of Oz film. The expert shared that Hamilton sustained burn injuries and suffered from green tints on the skin after being painted in the color for months.
While sitting down for an interview with the media portal, Frike stated that the actress was in severe pain after surviving an accident on the sets. The late actress was filming a scene with Judy Garland, and for the exit of her character, Hamilton was supposed to disappear into the smoke and fire.
The expert-author further mentioned that the actress was instructed to stand near the elevator. Because no CGI was used back in the day, real fire was ignited by the crew members.
He further added, “They rehearsed it and rehearsed it all one morning, and they got it on the first take. Maggie said the line, she whirled around, she got to the elevator, the smoke came up, they dropped her through the floor, she cleared the floor, the fire came up perfect, and there was much exultation on the set.”
ALSO READ: ‘There’s Color All Over It’: Wicked Director John M. Chu Defends ‘Desaturated’ Aesthetic Of The Film
Frike went on to explain, “But then it was lunchtime, and they all went off. And as Maggie used to say, when everybody came back after lunch, they were all a little bit less attentive, less kind of on-the-money than they were first thing in the morning. And there were misfires every time they tried to get a second take.”
To get the perfect exit shot, the director in the day got impatient and asked the crew to ignite fire, who did it without realising that the actress was still on the platform. The fire was caught on the hat and the broom that Hamilton was holding.
The incident caused the actress to suffer from second-degree burns and third-degree burns on her arms, where the green color had been painted.
Frike recalled the actress telling him about the tragic accident, and the expert revealed, “And they took the rubbing alcohol and cleared her face off and cleared her hand off. And I've heard her tell this story many times. She said, ‘I'm going to have to scream.’ She said, ‘I will never, as long as I live, forget that pain of them rubbing alcohol on those two burns.’”
Despite the accidents and pain, the actress went on to work in the films and overcame her fear.
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