YouTube - Wizard of Oz (CASTING THE WICKED WITCH)

YouTube ^ | April 8, 2008 | CliffmountPictures

[EveningStar]

This video is the story on how they chose Margaret Hamilton to play The Wicked Witch of the West in the classic film The Wizard Of Oz (1939) directed by Victor Fleming.

Originally the role was offered to Oscar Winner Gale Sondergaard.

This is taken from the documentary Wizard Of Oz: The Making of a Movie classic.

Narrated by Angela Lansbury

[EveningStar]

ping

[dfwgator]

Nancy Pelosi would have been better.

[Varmint Al]

Pelosi will be needing a real job soon. No costume or makeup needed.

Good Hunting... from Varmint Al

[mware]

I kid you not, when I walked into my first grade classroom back in 1959, my teacher was the spitting image of Margaret Hamilton. Scared the dickens out of me for weeks.

[GOP Poet]

thanks for the post

[Roscoe Karns]

Nice story Margaret Hamilton told at the end.

[mikrofon]

Of course, when she told you- “I’ll get you, my pretty!”, that didn’t help either...

[mware]

As seat work we have to write our numbers. I was so scared of her that it took me until Oct to get the courage to ask her what came after the number 99.

[The Comedian]

Nancy Pelosi would have been better.

Too old, even in 1939.

And not believable as a human witch.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[6SJ7]

I kid you not, when I walked into my first grade classroom back in 1959, my teacher was the spitting image of Margaret Hamilton.

Interesting mention in the clip that Margaret Hamilton was a school teacher! How about that!

[Mr. Wright]

My vote is for Helen Thomas!!

[mware]

Yeah, and a kindergarden teacher to boot.

[tflabo]

Margaret Hamilton was tailor made for that part. Her voice was perfect for the witch role. What an amazing movie overall.
Compare that to the crapola that oozes from Hollyweird these days.

[Paved Paradise]

Nobody could have played a better witch than Hamilton. How well I remember the fear the engendered in five year old me. Of course, years later, I just remember her hawking coffee. I love hearing these stories. Thanks for the link.

[Paved Paradise]

Yeah, that was interesting. I never knew it either.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Drank that coffee for years just because she said to do so. I wasn’t going to disobey the Wicked Witch.

[I still care]

Remember when you would anxiously wait weeks for a movie to come on TV, and everyone would sit down and watch as a family because it only came on once a year?

I do recall, because I saw it so young, being convinced that Margaret Hamilton was really a wicked witch.

[Publius6961]

After seeing that clip, I can't help feeling cheated at not being able to hear Margaret Hamilton relate the positive results of her accepting the role (if any.)

Gale who?

[LouAvul]

And not believable as a human witch.

No, but if there's ever a role for a drunken slut who gets botoxed into a stuper she'll be super.