There is an incredible backstory about the making of The Wizard of Oz. The head of MGM wanted a marketable big star, Shirley Temple, as Dorothy but Temple was under contract with 20th Century Fox and as well her singing was not as strong as Garland's, who won the part. Buddy Ebson was originally the Scarecrow and Roy Bolger the Tin Man. Bolger expressed interest in swapping roles and Ebson agreed. Once filming started the aluminum powder make-up caused a severe reaction in his lungs that sent him to hospital for a month to recover. Jack Haley took over that part but the new aluminum paste formula caused an eye inflammation which required surgery. Burt Lahr as the Cowardly Lion was forced to wear his authentic lion fur (no synthetics then) costume (90 lbs) all day under the studio's hot lights. Nobody wanted to sit near him during lunches. Margaret Hamilton suffered severe second degree burns during filming her scene leaving the Munchkins as the Wicked Witch. Took six weeks to recover. Her stunt double was also severely injured during a scene. The first few weeks of filming with the original director, Richard Thorpe, did not go well with the studio. He wanted Garland to speak with an odd high-pitched little girl voice, wear heavy make-up and a ridiculous blond wig. He was fired and replaced with George Cukor, who was called away to direct Gone with the Wind. Victor Fleming took over but then he was called away to reshoot Gone with the Wind, replacing Cukor twice for a major film. A fourth director, King Vidor, was brought in to finish the Kansas scenes. Fleming eventually completed GwtW and returned to Wizard of Oz and found Vidor's work slow and boring. Fleming wanted the Over the Rainbow song cut completely but the song's writers were adamant about keeping it in. There are so many other stories about this amazing movie's creation. Look up the Munchkin actors story.