The Making of The Wizard of Oz was a Sh*t Show

Creating the Land of Oz is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Wizard of Oz, from the dozen of on set injuries to the infamously poor treatment of Judy Garland.

In the entertainment world, there are millions of dollars on the line and troubled productions are bound to happen. Whether it's big egos, bigger budgets, or just plain bad luck, we are going behind-the-scenes on these disastrous, never ending, and sometimes dangerous productions. From the creators of WTF Happened To This Movie?, It Was A Sh*t Show is a video essay/documentary/podcast series looking at some of your favorite films and tv shows, and why they were such a nightmare to make.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:27 - L. Frank Baum’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz
01:38 - Early Attempts at Adapting
03:13 - Producer Mervyn LeRoy’s Vision
04:30 - Directors Norman Taurog & Richard Thorpe
05:18 - The Many, Many, Many Writers on Oz
08:13 - Casting and Make-up Challenges
09:36 - Judy Garland for Dorothy Gale
10:38 - Garland’s Troublesome Early Years
11:41 - Garland’s Torturous Time on Oz
12:59 - The Lasting Legacy of Judy Garland
14:55 - Myths & Thorpe’s Abandoned Version
16:23 - George Cukor Revamps Oz
17:15 - Director Victor Fleming’s Gauntlet
19:26 - The Wicked Witch’s Woes
21:20 - King Vidor Replaces Victor Fleming
22:35 - Cutting Oz Down
23:37 - The Wizard of Oz Releases in August 1939
24:33 - Oz’s Revival on Television
25:42 - The Wizard of Oz’s Stamp on History

Sources:

Featured Footage:
Alice in Wonderland (1933)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Wicked (2024)
The Wizard of Oz (1925)
The Wizard of Oz (1939) and special features
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910)

The Making of 'the Wizard of Oz' (1979)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic (1990)

Music:
Jonathan Larson - 30/90
Diana Ross & Michael Jackson - Ease on Down the Road
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Herbert Stothart, Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg - The Wizard of Oz OST
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole - Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World
The Piano Guys - Over the Rainbow / Simple Gifts
Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme
Stephen Schwartz - Defying Gravity
Yo-Yo Ma, Kathryn Stott - Over the Rainbow

#itwasashtshow #wizardofoz #judygarland

[ItWasAShtShow]

Yeah yeah, I say East when I meant West. A very stupid oversight on my part. Apologies.

[Qwazin]

That final montage of all the references to Wizard of Oz in popular culture was awesome.

[wotan]

I once met Margaret Hamilton when I was working in midtown NYC. She lived in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan. She was a tiny woman, but amazingly pleasant and kind. I admitted that she had scared the hell out of me when I was a kid! She was genuinely concerned, and said, “I’m so sorry. She scared me a bit too, and I was the one who played her!”

[stellamcwick]

How you handled Judy Garland, with a separate a distinct narrative line, was a class act.

[SlippinLaudna]

dude i didn't expect to cry over a wizard of oz pop culture montage yet here we are incredibly done

[csigamer]

Without question, this is the single best YouTube documentary on the making of the Wizard of Oz I've ever seen. Perfectly edited, scripted, with insight, laughs, heart, and tearjerking moments a-plenty. So much care and dedication put into it, and I just can't applaud you enough for your craft, Ian. I think you've created something that will be shared and talked about and praised for many years to come when people talk about this film. This is *your* masterpiece, man. Take a well-deserved bow.

[donkylefernandez]

Having your skin burnt and scrubbed like you just got water poured on you yet not screaming because "it'd be impolite" is badass.

[roderick]

RIP to Judy Garland, she did not deserve the horrors that MGM and her own mother put her through 🙏🕊️

[whatsitya]

Growing up in the 60s and 70s without films on demand, when wizard of Oz came on TV once a year it was like a holiday, especially with the advent of color television!
RIP Oz cast and crew, especially little Judy who was put through hell 🙏❤️

[daelen.cclark]

29:27. This ending is one of the best things I’ve ever seen you do.
Here’s to you, Ike!

[awkwarddrawings]

Rip Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton, hearing the fondness of their relationship never fails to make me smile

[TheCommandoSnail]

Wow I genuinely got choked up at the end, beautiful stuff on this one

[Hurculydia]

Seeing the smile come over Judy's face at 30:00 while hearing her own voice had me smiling, laughing, crying and laughing at myself. Thank you for this. 💖

[fourkneeyay]

A simple click of a 'Like' icon isn't enough for this one. AMAZING video, y'all. I very often wish that the video episodes were instead longer-form podcast episodes, but this one is perfect.

[janiceschroeder]

My father-law was a grip on the Wizard of Oz and he told me a lot about some of the scenes he worked on. One of them was how they created the apple trees with the men inside throwing the apples at the group as they continued down the brick road to Oz. He shared a lot of stories with me back then!

[yoshiI]

I just wish Judy Garland could have seen the impact not only this but her whole filmography had, what a absolute legend

[Chuckles..]

The Wizard of Oz is a work of genius. Glad the people who suffered through making it got to see how huge it eventually became. Fantastic documentary, thanks!.

[WalkmanWillWalkAllOverYou]

Judy Garland deserved so much better.
Edit: HOW ARE THERE PEOPLE IN THE REPLIES TRYNG TO DOWNPLAY WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?!

[teresaharris-travelbybooks]

My Mother saw The Wizard Of Oz in the theater. It was a yearly event in our house, when we were children. We anticipated the movie, and excitedly gathered in front of the tv. The movie was so immersive, when it was over, it was a kind of a shock to return to the real world. I continued the tradition with my own children. It did give me a lifelong fear of tornados. Rest in Peace, Ike. ❤

[Cartoonizando]

This made me cry a little. Too many good and bad emotions. 😭😭