Judy Garland wasn’t the first choice for Dorothy
MGM reached for the stars when trying to cast Dorothy as they reached out to Shirley Temple and Deanna Durbin. Online colleges that specialize in film history can wonder how cinema would be different if a famous face like Temple had taken over!
W.C. Fields turned down the role of the Wizard
In order to play the role of the Wizard a comedian by the name of W.C. Fields demanded $100,000 — huge money back in the ’30s. MGM countered at $75,000 and Fields walked his way out of the film and out of history.