34 Wonderfully Weird Facts About 'The Wizard of Oz'

Dorothy's blue-and-white gingham dress was blue and light pink, which was easier to shoot in Technicolor. (This 3-strip film process was truly expensive — and innovative — at the time.)

"Fly, my pretties, fly." That's what the Wicked Witch of the West says to her evil monkeys, right? Not quite. She actually never utters that oft-quoted line; what she actually says is "Fly, fly, fly." Mandela Effect much?

The famous sequined shoes were originally silver, like they are in the Oz books. But MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer wanted to show off Technicolor, so he changed the hue.

The ruby red slippers that Judy Garland wore in the film were anonymously donated to the museum in 1979. The attraction is so popular that the carpet surrounding the shoes in the museum has been replaced multiple times due to visitors' wear and tear.

Judy Garland actually wore several pairs of shoes during filming. Another pair was on display in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, at a museum honoring the actress. In 2005, a thief broke in, smashed the plexiglass case, and stole the famous red slippers.

After a 13-year manhunt, officers finally recovered the stolen shoes during an undercover operation in Minneapolis. However, there have been no arrests made and the law enforcement agency is still "seeking information about the 2005 theft."

Buddy Ebsen, who would later on be known for hits like The Beverly Hillbillies, was originally cast as the Scarecrow, but he swapped roles with Ray Bolger.

Of course, he's supposed to shed machine oil, but that didn't photograph well. The solution? Chocolate syrup is what's really streaming down Jack Haley's silver face.

Terry, the little female Cairn terrier that plays Toto, was paid $125 a week, though the dog's trainer always bemoaned not asking for more since the producers were desperate to cast Terry.

The Munchkins took home less than half of Toto's salary at $50 a week. And Toto didn't have to sing and dance.

Many little people who played munchkins found life-long friendships on set of The Wizard of Oz. The gathering of little people on the set led to the formation of the Midgets of America advocacy group (now known as Little People of America), according to activist Billy Barty.

Apparently, the studio didn't like "Over The Rainbow" — they thought that it went on for too long. Thankfully, they left it in.

One of the most pervasive urban legends is that one of the 124 little people hired hung himself during filming. Conspiracy theorists point to a dark shadow on the ground during one scene in the film.

That dark spot in the background as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man skip down the yellow brick road? It was a bird — MGM had a bunch of exotic birds around the set to make the background look interesting.

But it wasn't from the sparks that shot off the ruby slippers (those jolts were merely apple juice). Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch, was badly burned making her smoky exit from Munchkinland — her dress, hat, and broom caught on fire and severely burned her face and hand. She had to recuperate for six weeks before resuming filming.

Hamilton's green face paint was so toxic that she (and several other actors) couldn't eat once it was applied and had to subsist on a liquid diet via straw during the day. Plus, her face stayed green for weeks after ­shooting because of the copper-based ingredients.

On top of the physical torture, most of the Wicked Witch's scenes had to be edited or cut completely after being deemed to terrifying for children. (So what's left is the un-scary version?!)

Sure, you probably know that the fortune-telling Kansas professor and the Great and Powerful Oz are both actor Frank Morgan ...

Morgan was also the Emerald City cabbie driving the Horse-of-a-Different-Color, a guard at the Wizard's palace, and the doorkeeper there.