# Obscure WIZARD OF OZ urban legend **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854 "2016-08-14T23:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_Burstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Steve\_Burstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Burstein)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/1 "2016-08-14T23:26:12Z")
A co-director of a play I was in told me that when the Munchkins in WIZARD OF OZ(of course the MGM one)first met each other, they were SO excited to meet other midgets that they whooped and hollered, and in response were sprayed by water from firehoses! My co-director pointed out “This was before Screen Actors Guild!” OK, maybe it was, but it didn’t sound right to me. She insisted she’d seen it in a documentary, but it sounds more like UNDER THE RAINBOW with Chevy Chase(which I haven’t seen). ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/2 "2016-08-14T23:56:39Z")
> [@Steve\_Burstein](#): > > A co-director of a play I was in told me that when the Munchkins in WIZARD OF OZ(of course the MGM one)first met each other, they were SO excited to meet other midgets that they whooped and hollered, and in response were **sprayed by water** from firehoses! My co-director pointed out “This was before Screen Actors Guild!” OK, maybe it was, but it didn’t sound right to me. She insisted she’d seen it in a documentary, but it sounds more like UNDER THE RAINBOW with Chevy Chase(which I haven’t seen). Oh, they liquidated them, eh? Very resourceful! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/3 "2016-08-15T00:58:05Z")
Here’s a 1967[interview with Judy Garland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5qDVDIoA8w) that was probably the beginning of every Munchkin rumor ever. Of course, she seemed to be drunk, so her memories might have been a little distorted. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/4 "2016-08-15T07:04:14Z")
Yes, it’s true. Everyone knows midgets can’t be reasoned with so MGM had fire hoses on set for just such an eventuality. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/5 "2016-08-15T08:38:19Z")
I thought you had to pour some salt on the floor - it forces them to stop whatever they’re doing and count the grains. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/6 "2016-08-15T08:40:41Z")
> [@Steve\_Burstein](#): > > My co-director pointed out “This was before Screen Actors Guild!” … Which was predated by the Lollipop Guild! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/7 "2016-08-15T12:50:45Z")
> [@Steve\_Burstein](#): > > My co-director pointed out “This was before Screen Actors Guild!” I don’t know about the rest of the story (seems fishy to me), but this isn’t true. The Screen Actors Guild was founded in 1933–in fact, some of the pivotal early meetings took place at the home of Frank Morgan, the Wizard himself, and Frank’s brother Ralph Morgan was the Guild’s first president. Most of the major Hollywood production companies had agreed to negotiate with SAG by 1937. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/8 "2016-08-15T12:52:55Z")
> [@Steve\_Burstein](#): > > A co-director of a play I was in told me that when the Munchkins in WIZARD OF OZ(of course the MGM one)first met each other, they were SO excited to meet other midgets that they whooped and hollered, and in response were sprayed by water from firehoses! My co-director pointed out “This was before Screen Actors Guild!” OK, maybe it was, but it didn’t sound right to me. She insisted she’d seen it in a documentary, but it sounds more like UNDER THE RAINBOW with Chevy Chase(which I haven’t seen). Given that most of them were hired as a troupe from [Singer’s Midgets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Singer), and so were already well acquainted (and the others were recruited all over the US by existing troupers), this sounds like pure bullshit ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/9 "2016-08-15T12:56:57Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Given that most of them were hired as a troupe from [Singer’s Midgets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Singer), and so were already well acquainted, this sounds like pure bullshit Many of the munchkins in the film were hired by Singer for the first time and were not part of his troupe (IIRC, some were hired directly by MGM, but Singer contractually got credit). So it’s certainly possible that they didn’t all know each other. But the rest of the story seems dubious. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/10 "2016-08-15T12:58:01Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > Yes, it’s true. Everyone knows midgets can’t be reasoned with so MGM had fire hoses on set for just such an eventuality. Listen, and understand! Little People are out there! They can’t be bargained with. They can’t be reasoned with. They don’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/11 "2016-08-15T17:10:59Z")
> [@Randolph](#): > > Listen, and understand! Little People are out there! They can’t be bargained with. They can’t be reasoned with. They don’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead. They got little hands and little eyes, and they walk around telling great big lies! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/12 "2016-08-16T12:22:46Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Many of the munchkins in the film were hired by Singer for the first time and were not part of his troupe (IIRC, some were hired directly by MGM, but Singer contractually got credit). So it’s certainly possible that they didn’t all know each other. The ones that were first-timers with Singer were scouted for by his own troupe members, so wouldn’t be surprised at seeing other little people on set. They may not all have been pals, but they certainly wouldn’t have been surprised to see others like themselves. My understanding is that the direct non-Singer hires were mostly kids, not little people. But it’s been ages since I read _Munchkins of Oz_ ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/13 "2018-07-29T01:29:37Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/14 "2018-07-29T01:49:48Z")
I hear that the studio hired “companions” for the Munchkins to keep them in line. It is in several books. (What’s with the three Wizard of Oz zombie bumps?) ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/15 "2018-07-29T02:33:03Z")
And Little People know when Little People fight, we may look easy pickings but we’ve got some bite! ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/16 "2018-07-29T02:34:10Z")
I don’t know about the wild hijinks, but I have heard some Munchkins telling stories about being surprised to see other little people for the first time. I can’t cite, as I’ve absorbed WAAAY too much about this movie over my lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/17 "2018-07-29T08:14:19Z")
If you look at some of the stills you can see some of the munchkins were kids. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/18 "2018-07-29T12:47:14Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > (What’s with the three Wizard of Oz zombie bumps?) There’s a _Wizard of Oz_ column on the front page and several related threads about it are listed under it. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/19 "2018-07-29T18:22:59Z")
They must have had a lot of fun when they wrapped for the day. I would have liked to have been there for the midget toss in the evening! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854/20 "2018-07-30T20:53:49Z")
Quoting from _The Making of The Wizard of Oz_, by Aljean Harmetz (1977), p.188: > [@](#): > > “We had a hell of a time with those little guys” says Mervyn LeRoy. “The got into sex orgies at the hotel. We had to have police on every floor.” > > “Very raunchy people,” remembers screenwriter Noel Langley. “They raided the lot. The showgirls had to be escorted in bunches by armed guards.” There are more quotes by a couple of other people, but they follow the same vein. I have no opinion as to whether these people’s recollections are accurate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-wizard-of-oz-urban-legend/762854.md?page=2)