They say you should suffer for your art, but Judy Garland suffered more
on the set of "The Wizard of Oz" than any actor should ever be expected to.
"The Wizard of Oz," which first hit theaters in 1939, remains one of the most popular,
influential, and beloved films of all time. Lead actress Judy Garland was only 16 years
old at the time of production, and she mesmerized audiences with her incredible
acting and singing talent. As Dorothy, Garland found herself swept away to the
magical land of Oz — home to all sorts of magical creatures and characters.
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
Despite facing plenty of challenges along the way,
Dorothy concludes her adventure relatively unscathed. Sadly, though, Garland's experience
prior to and during production of the film was far from magical — and the misery she
endured would leave a negative impression on the young woman for the rest of her life.
MGM studio executives were impressed with Garland's singing, but they noted several
so-called "flaws" in her appearance that they sought to change or obscure during filming.
One of the biggest issues was the fact that Dorothy was supposed to be eight years old.
In an effort to make Garland look younger,
her breasts were taped down, and she was made to wear a tight corset. The film's
costume designers also made a wig with pigtails to further obscure her chest.
Producer Mervyn LeRoy hired a personal fitness trainer to make sure Garland maintained a
regular exercise regime, and ordered her to go on a restrictive diet to keep her weight
low. Garland was reluctant to follow the strict diet and would often binge on her
favorite foods when she had the opportunity — and her bosses didn't respond well. Studio
executives reportedly began referring to the teen as a "fat little pig with pigtails."
In an attempt to further suppress her appetite, Garland was prescribed controversial diet pills.
Dexedrine was a newer medication at the time, used to treat issues including depression,
narcolepsy, and obesity. However, as a stimulant, Dexedrine was known to be
addictive — and it had a number of adverse side effects, including insomnia. After
finding herself unable to sleep, Garland was prescribed sleeping pills soon afterwards.
Pills weren't the only thing that Garland was forced to consume. The teenage actress was
encouraged to smoke as many as 80 cigarettes per day, a further attempt to curb her appetite and
help her lose even more weight — and her diet was restricted even more, to black coffee and
chicken soup. Garland was closely watched, and she would be punished for disobeying.
MGM was also concerned about the appearance of Garland's teeth and nose. Therefore,
she was allegedly forced to wear caps on her teeth to hide the fact that they were
misaligned. She also had to wear rubber discs in her nose to change its shape while filming.
Although the attention Garland received was not entirely positive, it was attention
nonetheless — and it led to animosity between her and her co-stars. Ray Bolger,
Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, and Frank Morgan — who played the scarecrow, lion, tin man,
and wizard, respectively — all shunned her while the movie was being filmed.
That wasn't all: the director also seemed to resent her. During the filming of a
scene with Lahr, Garland started giggling and could not stop, so Victor Fleming apparently
became so frustrated with Garland that he actually struck her in the face.
"My goodness, what a fuss you're making! Well, naturally when you go around picking
on things weaker than you are… why, you're nothing but a great big coward."
Garland was also allegedly assaulted by the actors who played the "munchkins" in
"The Wizard of Oz." In his memoir, Garland's former husband Sidney Luft said of the men,
who were much older than the teenager —
"[They] thought they could get away with anything because they were so small. They
would make Judy's life miserable on set by putting their hands under her dress."
Despite the cruel treatment she received, Garland's performance in "The Wizard of Oz" gained
widespread critical acclaim and helped secure the film's legendary status. It's also been cited as
the best performance of Garland's career — as well as the beginning of her eventual downfall.
In addition to fueling her addiction to drugs and alcohol, Garland's time filming
"The Wizard of Oz" negatively impacted her already low self-esteem and was a detriment
to her mental health. Garland was heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol before she
reached the age of 30, and it negatively impacted her acting ability. In 1949,
she was cast as the lead in "Annie Get Your Gun," but she was fired after one
month of filming for repeated tardiness and for showing up to work visibly intoxicated.
Garland sought treatment at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital — and following her release,
she was cast in films like "Summer Stock" and "Royal Wedding," but she continued
to struggle. Citing excessive absenteeism and tardiness, Garland was ultimately fired by MGM.
Although Garland continued performing for the remainder of her life,
she had a number of health concerns related to her drug and alcohol use.
She died of a barbiturate overdose on June 22, 1969, at the age of 47.