How many directors worked on ‘The Wizard of Oz’?
Every Christmas, The Wizard of Oz, with its surreal sequences and nightmarish talking trees, can usually be found playing in the living room, casting a technicolour hue over discarded wrapping paper and plates of leftover turkey. It’s one of the few movies that can unite whole families as they gather to celebrate, with its timeless and monumental appeal making it a failsafe option for such a chaotic time of year, even though it’s not remotely Christmassy.
In fact, The Wizard of Oz has a much greater fear factor than you’d expect from a musical supposedly suitable for all ages, with the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West inciting terror in the hearts of young children across the world for decades. Since it was released in 1939, the film has endured like few others, even spawning one of 2024’s biggest features, Wicked.
It seems as though people will forever be fascinated by the characters from The Wizard of Oz, whether that be the determined and loving Dorothy with her ruby slippers or Glinda the Good Witch, whose life is further explored in Wicked.
The Wizard of Oz is a movie that appears to be pure fantasy, but it is strongly rooted in reality, with the film dissecting themes such as the fight between good and evil and the importance of companionship and community. It’s a hopeful film that suggests that if you persevere and harness a sense of bravery as best as you can, you’ll be able to succeed in the face of adversity, which is why it is such a universally-loved tale.
Despite the colourful world of Oz appearing larger than life and simply magical, behind the scenes, there were a lot of issues and controversy which marred production. Not only was Judy Garland forced to take pills to keep her slim and slapped by Victor Fleming, but the makeup used on characters like the Tin Man and the Wicked Witch caused severe rashes and infections. Margaret Hamilton, who played the evil villain, even suffered second and third-degree burns on her face and body during shooting.
Then there came the issue of directors, with multiple filmmakers stepping in to help direct the movie over a rather chaotic shoot.
So, how many directors worked on ‘The Wizard of Oz’?
The first director to be hired was Richard Thorpe, but producer Mervyn LeRoy fired him after two weeks of filming. Thorpe’s ideas simply didn’t align with LeRoy’s, and his directorial approach was seen as too rushed for the producer’s liking.
While a new director was in the process of being hired, George Cukor came in to assist production, and while he didn’t actually direct any of the scenes in the film, he made some key creative decisions, such as Dorothy’s appearance, that dramatically influenced the course of the film.
However, Cukor had other commitments, so he was not hired to direct The Wizard of Oz. Interestingly, he was eventually dismissed from his other commitment, Gone with the Wind, with direction taken over by Victor Fleming, who was, at this time, the main director of The Wizard of Oz. Fleming directed most of the classic Technicolor tale, but when he was asked to go and complete production on Gone with the Wind, LeRoy was yet again left to find a new director to finish The Wizard of Oz.
Thus, King Vidor stepped onboard and was responsible for many of the sepia tone scenes, including the iconic moment when Garland sings ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. He only worked on the movie for around two weeks, while LeRoy also directed some minor scenes, helping the vehicle to finally come together after months of difficulties.
It seems as though The Wizard of Oz endured one of the most complex and drama-filled shoots in cinema history (although it doesn’t quite top Fitzcarraldo), and yet still ended up becoming a huge success, now standing as one of the most influential movies ever made.
