The Wizard of Oz (1939): The Lost Scenes You Never Saw

In 1939, MGM spent weeks and about eighty thousand dollars on a musical number called "The Jitterbug." Then they cut all of it. Even "Over the Rainbow" was cut after a preview, and nearly never made it back. This is the true, documented story of the Wizard of Oz you never got to see: the lost first two weeks with a blonde Dorothy, Buddy Ebsen's Tin Man (whose voice is still in the film), the Jitterbug and the home movie that saved it, the Scarecrow's full dance, the heartbreaking "Over the Rainbow" reprise, and the Triumphal Return to the Emerald City. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - The Wizard of Oz You Never Saw 0:34 - Two Hours Down to One Hour Forty 0:55 - The Lost Dorothy: A Blonde Wig 1:36 - George Cukor's One Change 1:59 - Buddy Ebsen, the First Tin Man 2:33 - His Voice Is Still in the Film 3:04 - The Jitterbug 4:01 - The Home Movie That Saved It 4:44 - The Scarecrow's Full Dance 5:27 - "Over the Rainbow" Is Cut 6:12 - The Oscar, and the Greatest Movie Song 6:35 - The Lost Reprise 7:08 - The Triumphal Return 7:32 - What Survives Today 📚 SOURCES AFI Catalog, The Wizard of Oz (1939): https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/movie... Musical selections in The Wizard of Oz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical... Harold Arlen's home movies (Internet Archive): https://archive.org/details/the-wizar... The Lost Media Wiki, deleted scenes of The Wizard of Oz: https://lostmediawiki.com/The_Wizard_...) Buddy Ebsen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_E... Richard Thorpe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard... International Wizard of Oz Club timeline: https://ozclub.org/oz/oz-timeline/193... SlashFilm, the $80,000 scene: https://www.slashfilm.com/777570/the-... 🎞️ IMAGE CREDITS Most photos via Wikimedia Commons, public domain (MGM publicity stills, 1939 trailer frames, period press photos, Carl Van Vechten's portrait of Harold Arlen, U.S. Coast Guard photo of Buddy Ebsen). Arthur Freed: Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0. Other photos via Pexels. 🔔 Subscribe for more real stories from the golden age of classic film:    / @goldenreelmemories   ⚠️ DISCLAIMER: Golden Reel Memories is an AI narrated storytelling channel. This content is entertainment and general interest history, not professional or expert advice of any kind. Historical claims are researched and sourced above. #WizardOfOz #JudyGarland #OverTheRainbow #ClassicHollywood #ClassicFilm #OldHollywood #GoldenAgeHollywood #DeletedScenes #LostFootage #FilmHistory