Judy Garland
The head honchos at MGM wanted Shirley Temple for the role, but Daryl F. Zanuck refused to loan her out while she was under contract to 20th Century Fox. Other actresses considered for the role included Deanne Durbin and Bonita Granville, but Garland had always been the choice of the movie’s songwriters and composers, who deemed Garland’s talent the best suited for the arrangements they had in mind. Garland rose to prominence with her role as Dorothy, becoming one of the greatest and best-loved singers and performers in movie history. Other films include Meet Me in St. Louis, A Star is Born, Easter Parade, and Summer Stock. She was also a beloved concert performer and recording artist. After years of struggling with mental illness and drug addiction, Garland died in 1969 of an overdose.
Margaret Hamilton
Dorothy was certainly not the only role in the film that was considered up for grabs in Hollywood. In fact, the brooding Gale Sondergaard was initially cast in the role of the Wicked Witch, but Margaret Hamilton ultimately fit the image of the haggard old witch far better Sondergaard and became the replacement. After working as a schoolteacher, Hamilton became a prominent character actress. Her role in The Wizard of Oz is her best-known one.
Jack Haley
Buddy Ebsen had already been on the set with director Richard Thorpe for a few weeks when he suddenly developed a very serious allergy to something in the makeup being used to given him a metallic sheen. Jack Haley was quickly chosen to replace Ebsen. Haley was a vaudevillian, radio host, comedian, singer, and dancer, and brought a special magic to the role. Other films include Poor Little Rich Girl, Higher and Higher, Alexander's Ragtime Band, and Pigskin Parade.
Ray Bolger
As if the casting of the Tin Man isn’t confusing enough, consider that Ray Bolger—who now seems positively born to play the Scarecrow—was originally cast as the Tin Man. Bolger was another vaudevillian who found many opportunities in film. Besides playing the Scarecrow, he is known for his television show The Ray Bolger Show and his many Broadway credits, including Where's Charley?, which earned him a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a musical.
Frank Morgan
Morgan plays many characters in the film, transforming in each part. W.C. Fields is said to have desperately wanted to play the title character, but Morgan won the role ultimately. A character actor, Morgan was a lifetime contract player by MGM. His other films include The Shop Around the Corner, The Human Comedy, The Great Morgan.
Bert Lahr
Bert Lahr was a beloved comedian of stage and screen when he was cast as the ultimate ham, the Cowardly Lion. A vaudeville veteran, Lahr got his start in stage musicals before transitioning into film. He is iconic for having coined the phrase "Heavens to Murgatroyd" in the 1944 film Meet the People. As the Cowardly Lion, Lahr ad-libbed many of his lines, and often had his co-stars in hysterical fits of laughter while filming. Later in life, he co-starred in the American premiere of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.
Billie Burke
Billie Burke had an established film career on Broadway and in early silent films before playing her most famous role, Glinda the Good Witch. For her work in Merrily We Live, Burke was nominated for an Academy Award. She was known for her high-pitched and exceedingly proper speaking voice.
