I love the movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” and I’ve heard rumors that a munchkin hangs himself in one scene of the movie. Is this true? -Marla Davis, freshman in Hebrew
This rumor has been around for years, and it’s false.
The scene targeted for debate is in the Tin Woodman’s forest. Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman are marching down the yellow brick road together when a shadowy figure can be seen fluttering in the background. From a distance, people confuse this object with a human being, but it’s really a large bird.
The Los Angeles Zoo rented several birds to be used in the movie. People have debated about what kind of bird it was, but the most accepted decision is a crowned crane.
People continue telling the hanging urban legend simply because they don’t know any better. When this movie first premiered people saw it on a theater screen, now people watch it on small TV screens and the crane is blurry.
The possibility of suicide unintentionally seeping into the greatest movie of its time is slim. The movie was produced by the prestigious MGM, this would never let the tragic scene make it past editing. Also, most of the set was fake; those weren’t real trees, they were painted scenery, incapable of holding the weight of a human being. Additionally, this film was being watched by plenty of people off set. A gory suicide stunt would’ve stopped the trio dead in their tracks, forget Emerald City.
There are many other swirling rumors to the hanging. Some believe one of the crew members accidentally caught his neck in the tangled cords. Others said it was the director’s son, upset he wasn’t included in the movie (the director didn’t have a son until after the film). Finally, critics said the bird was digitally added to cover up the hanging – then why not just remove it completely?
This rumor is false, but it will continue to catch peoples’ thoughts and conquer middle school sleepovers. For the slow-mo of this scene, check out YouTube.
I can confidently state, however, that the rumor about Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” matching the mood of the movie is authentic, so try that one.
Compiled from www.eskimo.com.
