Ozzy Menu
PHOTO GALLERIES
Here are some Ozzy galleries that include studio portraits, photos taken during production, outtakes, and more. Of course, there are many other photos throughout all of the pages so be sure to check those out, too.
The first photos to appear in the newspapers are these two which appeared within days of each other in mid-February 1939. The production was just finishing principal filming, and these photos were the first given exclusively to columnists to give the public a peek at how the characters looked.
The second photo ended up being an outtake. It shows the Tin Man upset over hurting one of the bees that the Wicked Witch created when she made him a beehive. It was planned to have animated bees added in post-production. The scene ended up with just the fireball thrown at the Scarecrow.
Rare photos from The Wizard of Oz are quite collectible and sometimes sell for high prices in the collector’s market.
In 2022, the ultra-rate photo shown below left was was shared with The Judy Room by Carol H. We shared it on social media and it spread like wildfire. That’s not surprising. It’s one of very few really good photos of Judy on the set while Dorothy was still a blonde, wearing a different dress and different Ruby Slippers.
Below right: A great example of a perfectly wonderful photo that for some reason is hard to find in 8×10 format, even though it was used in the MGM Records gatefold edition of the soundtrack album in the 1960s & 70s. For unknown reasons, MGM simply didn’t send out many copies of it.
The fact that such excitement is generated for things like this is a great example of the enduring popularity of the film and the enduring love that people still have for it. Hopefully more selfless collectors will come forward and share what they have for everyone to enjoy.
The Story of The Wizard of Oz as Told With MGM Promotional Photos
Not every scene in the film has a matching MGM promotional photo(s). The studio usually took promotional photos during dress rehearsals, and many times from angles not seen in the film. It’s unknown why certain scenes have many corresponding promotional photos while others have just a few or none at all.
The following gallery is not complete. Maybe one day it will be. There are some promotional photos that are very rare and little if ever seen, while others are simply hard to find in high quality versions. I’ll keep adding to this gallery as I obtain more.
Note that the color photos here are not colorized, they’re true color Kodachrome photos. The Kodachrome process (first available in 1935), was not used often, due to the expense and difficulty of use, but it was the best color format for stills and was also used for some cinematography.
Enjoy!
