Who Played Who in 'The Wizard of Oz'? Quiz

Answer: Judy Garland

Dorothy, of course, is the central character of the movie, as was the case in the original book and several of the sequels written by L. Frank Baum. She lives in Kansas, with her Auntie Em and her Uncle Henry, until she is transported to the magical land of Oz, and spends the rest of the film trying to get home to her loved ones. Or was it a dream?

Judy Garland (1922-1969) was born Frances Ethel Gumm, and performed as a youngster with her older sisters as the Gumm Sisters, with a change of name to Garland Sisters in 1934; Fances became Judy shortly afterwards. In 1935 the group broke up, and Judy signed with MGM Studios - at the awkward age of 13, too old for child star roles, too young for adult roles. In 1937 she made the first of a string of movies with Mickey Rooney, and became a star. Not as big a star as Shirley Temple or Deanna Durbin, the first two choices of studio executives for the role of Dorothy. It is hard to imagine anyone else singing 'Over the Rainbow' once Judy Garland made the song her own. She received an Academy Juvenile Award for multiple 1939 film roles, including both 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Babes in Arms' (with Mickey Rooney).

Answer: Clara Blandick

While the book did not make it clear whether it is Auntie Em or Uncle Henry who is Dorothy's blood relative, the movie has the farmhands refer to Dorothy's aunt as Mrs Gale, suggesting that her husband is the one who is actually related to Dorothy. She has little time for sentiment, but loves both Henry and Dorothy dearly. When Miss Gulch comes to the farm to collect Toto, it is Auntie Em who gives her a dressing down, although she is powerless to stop the dognapping.

Clara Blanchard Dickey (1876-1962), performing as Clara Blandick, was a character actress who specialised in eccentric elderly women. Before 'The Wizard of Oz', her biggest film role had been Aunt Polly, in both 'Tom Sawyer' (1930) and 'Huckleberry Finn' (1931). As a character actor, she had numerous small roles - in those two years, she was in over 20 films, many uncredited. Technically, Auntie Em was also a bit part - she was only required for a single week of filming - but the repeated mention of her as Dorothy's motivation for returning home gave her a significant presence in the film.

Answer: Charley Grapewin

Uncle Henry, like Auntie Em, only appears in the Kansas portions of the film. He has a much smaller role in the movie than he had in the series of books, in one of which he was a main character as he and Dorothy travelled to Oz while on their way to visit relatives in Australia.

Charles Ellsworth Grapewin (1869-1956) ran away to join the circus (truly) and performed as a trapezist with P.T. Barnum before turning to Vaudeville. By the turn of the century, he had started a lengthy career on stage (including being a member of a 1903 musical adaptation of 'The Wizard of Oz' that bore even less resemblance to the book than did the movie) and in films. He appeared in over 100 films, including 'Broadway Melody of 1938', with Judy Garland and Buddy Ebsen.

Answer: Terry

Toto may not have had many lines, but he is definitely a major character. Toto is Dorothy's beloved dog, whose run-in with Miss Gulch leads to Dorothy running away to keep him from being removed; they return home just in time to be swept up in the tornado and travel together to Oz. Toto is a central actor at many stages of the movie - see my quiz "'The Wizard of Oz' - Starring Toto" to see just how important a dog can be!

Terry (1933-1945) was a female Cairn Terrier with at least 23 film appearances, although this was her only credited role. 'Ready for Love' (1934) was her first film, released about a month before 'Bright Eyes', in which she played Rags, a dog belonging to Loop, the godfather of the character played by Shirley Temple. Terry did all her own stunts (which should really go without saying for a dog, but she was being paid a weekly wage above the American average at the time, and far more than the actors portraying the Munchkins). Later films included 'Tortilla Flat' (1942), which saw her reunited with Frank Morgan, and 'Easy to Look At', released weeks before her death.

Answer: Margaret Hamilton

Miss Gulch and Toto do not get along. Full stop. So when Toto bites the influential neighbour, she obtains a warrant to have him euthanized, which triggers the events that climax in Dorothy and Toto being transported to Oz.

Margaret Brainard Hamilton (1902-1985) was a teacher before she started to act, and continued to support public education, along with other causes to aid children and animals - a far cry from the persona she portrayed here! She often found it took some effort to convince children she met that she was not anything like the screen character.

Answer: Frank Morgan

Professor Marvell, who convinces Dorothy to return home after she attempted to run away to save Toto, is only the first of the numerous characters portrayed by Frank Morgan. While the character did not appear in the original book, the fact that the Wizard (also portrayed here by Frank Morgan) is a self-confessed humbug, a man the Midwest who just happened to arrive in Oz, makes it a nice choice of character to increase the Kansas-Oz links in the film. He may be a sham, but he convinces Dorothy to return home after she ran away to save Toto from Miss Gulch.

Francis Phillip Wuppermann (1890-1949) was known as Frank Wupperman and Francis Morgan before settling on Frank Morgan for his professional name. He started in silent films in 1916 and moved on to sound films for a career that lasted for over 35 years, mostly under contract to MGM. While he was a well-established performer, the studio's first choice for the multiple roles which he undertook in 'The Wizard of Oz' was W. C. Fields, who negotiated conditions for too long and wore out the studio's patience. As a versatile character actor, he appeared in numerous films, as well as a number of radio shows, more often than not portraying a kind-hearted middle-aged man.

Answer: Billie Burke

Glinda is the first character Dorothy meets in Oz, and the first one in the movie with no Kansas counterpart. In the book, she was the Witch of the South, and only encountered after the Wizard had failed to meet Dorothy's expectations; the film character amalgamated the two Good Witches into a single character. It is Glinda who sets Dorothy and Toto on their quest to see the Wizard, a job performed in the book by the Queen of the Fieldmice.

Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (1884-1970) started her life touring with her father, Billy Burke, in the Barnum & Bailey Circus before starting a London stage career in 1903. Following her return to the United States, she experienced Broadway success, a career path made easier by her 1914 marriage to the impresario Florenz Zeigfeld. Her film debut was in 1915, and she soon became one of the biggest stars of silent films, but chose to work on stage during the 1920s. Following her husband's death in 1932 she moved to Los Angeles and resumed her film career. Following her disappointment at not being allowed to portray herself in 1936's 'The Great Zeigfeld', and her successful portrayal of Clara Topper in the Cary Grant film 'Topper' (1937), she garnered her only Academy Award nomination for 'Merrily We Live' in 1938.

Answer: Margaret Hamilton

In the book, the Wicked Witch of the West has one (very powerful and all-seeing) eye, but there is no mention of the green skin that appears in this film, and subsequently became intrinsically associated with the character. She plays a much higher role in the film than in the book, fighting against Dorothy from the moment that Dorothy's house kills the Wicked Witch of the East, and Dorothy acquires her slippers (silver in the book, ruby in the movie).

Margaret Hamilton was lucky that Gale Sondergaard turned down the dual role of Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West when it was decided to change from a glamorous witch (like Glinda, only evil) to a stereotypical hag. Actually, some consider it was a triple role, as the witch seen flying past during the twister may well have been the Wicked Witch of the East (which would explain how she came to be in the vicinity of the house as it landed). Her favorite line from the film is said (by her son) to have been, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!".

Answer: Charlie Becker

None of the Munchkins in the film got individual credits - Leo Singer provided around 120 members of his troupe, Singer's Midgets, to be both Munchkins and flying monkeys. Their numbers were augmented by some child actors. In the book, everything in the Munchkin Country is blue; in the film, the change from drab Kansas to glorious Technicolor Oz is emphasized with a range of bright colours in the buildings and clothing.

Most of the Munchkins worked as an ensemble, and not even their contract identified them all by name, but Charlis Becker is one of those who is definitely known, despite not being named in the film's credits. Born Karl Becker in Germany in 1887, he joined the Singer Midgets around the turn of the century, while they were still based in Austria and touring Europe. During World War I the troupe moved to the United States, where they became successful on the Vaudeville circuit. Becker was chosen to play the mayor for his appearance - but his thick German accent meant that his voice had to be dubbed. Actually, most of the Munchkin voices were dubbed, using studio recording tricks to get the desired high-pitched tones. 'The Wizard of Oz' was the high point of his movie career; he and his wife (who he met on the set) later did some stunt work for child actors before settling down in California where he returned to the trade of his youth, running a sausage business. He died in 1968.

Answer: Ray Bolger

To be honest, I can never remember which farmhand was which, so always remember Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, the first companion Dorothy meets as she is following the Yellow Brick Road on her way to the Emerald City. She is surprised when he starts conversing with her, after she thought she had just been discussing her indecision about the best path with Toto. He joins her, hoping that the Wizard will be able to give him some brains.

Like many of the actors in this film, Raymond Wallace Bolger (1904-1987) was a dancer, singer, vaudevillian, and performer in musical theater, as well as a film actor. His two most famous movie roles were the Scarecrow, and the evil Barnaby in 'Babes in Toyland' (1961). In the 1952 film version of 'Where's Charley?', he reprised the role which had earned him a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical in 1948.

Answer: Candy Candido

When Dorothy gets hungry, she finds some roadside apple trees to have enticing fruit; she is appalled to realise that the trees are sentient, and resent having their fruit picked. Maybe she should have been alerted by the talking scarecrow!

Jonathan Joseph 'Candy' Candido (1913-1999) had a long career in radio where he was known for having a four-octave range in his speaking voice. His rendition of the line "I'm feeling mighty low", on Jimmy Durante's weekly show, gave him a national profile. His later voice work included being the voice of the bear on the television series 'Gentle Ben' (1967-1969), the Indian Chief in Disney's 'Peter Pan' (1953), and the voice of a prisoner in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

Answer: Jack Haley

Dorothy's next encounter on her way to the Emerald City is a rusted Tin Man. She uses his oil can to free up his joints, much to his relief - that axe got heavy! The film does not go into the backstory of how a human became a tin man, but does maintain his heartless character, in the literal rather than the figurative sense of the word.

Jack Haley was the third actor cast for the role. First was Ray Bolger, who managed to trade places with Buddy Ebsen because he really had wanted to be the Scarecrow; when Buddy Ebsen proved to be allergic to the powdered metallic face makeup, he had to relinquish the role and it was given to Jack Haley. The makeup was changed from a powder to a paste, but still caused some problems, and left the actor with memories of a film that was hard work.

John Joseph Haley Jr. (1897-1979) was a star in Vaudeville before moving to film and television. His film debut was in 1927's 'Broadway Madness', and he was in another twenty or so films before 'The Wizard of Oz', but the Tin Man is the role that earned him a place in film history.

Answer: Bert Lahr

The third companion to join Dorothy and Toto is a large lion, scared witless by a barking terrier. The cowardly Lion, who feels that his lack of self-confident bravado makes him inferior, decides to ask the Wizard for courage. As is the case for the other Oz-based companions, the Wizard actually only makes him aware that he already possessed the characteristic he sought, as true courage means struggling on even through awareness of danger.

In the opening Kansas scenes, Zeke is the farmhand who is most clearly linked in character to the actor's Oz counterpart. When Dorothy falls into the pig pen, Zeke leaps in and pulls her out, despite being clearly frightened as he contemplates what he has just done. Hunk and Hickory laugh at him, although the Scarecrow and Tin Man will be much more understanding of their Oz companion.

Irving Lahrheim (1895-1967) was known professionally as Bert Lahr in burlesque and Vaudeville, reaching top billing before a Broadway debut in 1927, followed by a film debut in 1931. Despite being burdened by the heavy costume he wore as the Cowardly Lion, he couldn't resist the urge to ad lib during filming - and a number of scenes had to be shot over because the rest of the cast couldn't stop laughing at him!

Answer: Frank Morgan

As explained in the book, Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs is a balloonist who has the letters OZ on his balloon as a form of self-advertisement, using his first two initials (and ignoring the rest, which spelled pinhead). His wizardry is mostly illusion, as is also the case in the film.

Frank Morgan had more roles than anyone else in the movie. As well as Professor Marvel and the Wizard, he was the Gatekeeper who Dorothy and her friends had to persuade to let them enter the Emerald City, the driver of the carriage pulled by the Horse of a different Color that carried them through the city, and the guard who they confronted when they got to the Wizard's door.

Answer: Pat Walshe

The Wicked Witch of the West controls the flying monkeys because she possesses the Golden Cap (of which the film makes little mention). Their leader is seen interacting with the witch several times: he hands her the Golden Cap as she is angrily watching Glinda break the poppy field spell that had enchanted Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion; she orders him to take the basket in which Toto has been confined and throw it in the river (which he fails to do, foiled by Dorothy just as she had foiled Miss Gulch's evil designs on Toto); he is at her side when she is accidentally melted.

Patrick Walshe (1900-1991) was a character actor and circus performer who specialized in animal characters - primarily monkeys and apes. He not only studied them, he also worked with them on stage, and developed his own meticulously accurate costumes and makeup. He was not in many films, because his audience lay mainly onstage and in circuses, including both Barnum & Bailey and Ringling Brothers.