Why ‘Over the Rainbow’ was almost cut from ‘The Wizard of Oz’: “The song stays or I go”
There are many unforgettable moments in The Wizard of Oz – and that’s what makes it one of the most iconic pieces of cinema ever made – but when Judy Garland sings ‘Over the Rainbow’, time stops.
It’s a properly beautiful scene that ties the film to its emotional core, with Garland’s Dorothy Gale dreaming of a better place, and one totally removed from the colourless world in which she sings the song. Garland delivers the line “somewhere over the rainbow/ Skies are blue/ And the dreams that you dare to dream/ Really do come true” with hopefulness. It’s actually the song’s message of wishing for something more that makes it such a vital part of the film.
But crazily, there was once a moment in time when ‘Over the Rainbow’ almost didn’t make the final cut. It’s like editing out Gene Kelly swinging on lampposts and splashing in puddles as he performs the title track in Singin’ in the Rain or the shower sequence in Psycho. You just can’t imagine these films without them.
But why was The Wizard of Oz almost stripped of the classic track? The performance appears really early in the movie after Dorothy finds herself feeling alone and disregarded. Ignored by her aunt and uncle, she retreats to a world of song, joined by her little dog Toto as her only audience member. The image of a rainbow comes to encapsulate Dorothy’s desire for a life full of colour and excitement, where every emotion is felt and expressed and endless opportunities can be found.
Written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, the song is undeniably beautiful, but this wasn’t enough for MGM to be convinced of its importance in the film. The thing was, having a slow ballad appear as early as five minutes into the movie seemed like a huge risk. Would audiences find it boring? Would momentum quickly be lost?
These were the kinds of practical questions that the heads of MGM had to consider, because at the end of the day, it all comes down to securing an audience – and subsequently, profit – and having a moment as introspective as Garland singing ‘Over the Rainbow’ seemed like a risk. You can see their point, but at the same time, it’s difficult to wrap your head around the fact that these film moguls didn’t think that this would become an iconic sequence in cinema history. How could it not?
The song was ultimately left in because Arthur Freed, an associate producer, was adamant that it had to be part of the film. He took matters into his own hands and threatened to quit if the song wasn’t kept in. “The song stays—or I go,” he reportedly told Louis B Mayer. This led Mayer to reconsider. “Let the boys have the damn song. Put it back in the picture. It can’t hurt,” he replied.
So there you have it, history was made when it was all said and done. The song won an Academy Award, and even those of us who aren’t big into musicals can admit that Garland’s performance is perfect, and the film would feel a lot less emotionally-charged without it.
