Wizard of Oz vocal cast (2024)

Regarding the vocal cast of the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz

The principals in the cast generally sang and spoke for themselves. A partial exception is Billie Burke's Glinda: Burke spoke her dialogue in her distinctive voice, but her singing was dubbed by Lorraine Bridges (who also contributed to the Lullabye League's performance in the Munchkinland sequence).

The Munchkins' voices, both in singing and spoken dialogue, were all dubbed by professional singers.

Vocal arranger Ken Darby worked closely with supervising sound recorder Douglas Shearer to create the distinctive sound of the Munchkins. His own choral group, the Ken Darby Singers, contributed to the Munchkins' sound. Members of the quartet the King's Men - John Dodson, Bud Linn, and Rad Robinson - provided the voices for the Lollipop Guild. (Darby was a former member of the quartet.) Pinto Colvig, who for many years was the voice of Disney's Goofy, also contributed to the Munchkins' sound. Darby provided the voice of the mayor of Munchkinland, portrayed onscreen by Charley Becker. Rad Robinson was the voice of the Munchkin coroner, portrayed onscreen by Meinhardt Raabe.

See Also
Annie Gale

Abe Dinovitch provided Munchkin vocals, as well as the voices of the apple trees that confront Dorothy and the Scarecrow.

The Debutantes, a female vocal trio, provided voices for the Lullabye League and contributed to the song "Optimistic Voices."

The Rhythmettes also contributed to "Optimistic Voices."

Mitchell Lewis and the other Winkie guards at the Wicked Witch's castle spoke their limited dialogue themselves; but their singing was dubbed and then slowed down to give it a profound bass effect.

Andriana Caselotti, the voice of Snow White in the Walt Disney animated film, sang one line, "Wherefore art thou, Romeo?," in the Tin Woodman's song.

References[]

  • John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, William Stillman. The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History. Warner Books, 1989.
  • Aljean Harmetz. The Making of the Wizard of Oz. New York, Knopf, 1977.
Wizard of Oz vocal cast (2024)

FAQs

Who was the voice of the apple tree in The Wizard of Oz? ›

Darby provided the voice of the mayor of Munchkinland, portrayed onscreen by Charley Becker. Rad Robinson was the voice of the Munchkin coroner, portrayed onscreen by Meinhardt Raabe. Abe Dinovitch provided Munchkin vocals, as well as the voices of the apple trees that confront Dorothy and the Scarecrow.

Who voiced the Munchkins in Wizard of Oz? ›

Pinto Colvig

What was Dorothy's vocal range in The Wizard of Oz? ›

DOROTHY GALE

Female, 16-18 (Vocal Range: G3-C5 (opt.

Were all the Munchkins in Wizard of Oz dwarfs? ›

Most of the Munchkins were in fact dwarfs. They came from a group directed by Leo Singer and his Singer Midgets. There were 124 of them that came from that group and about a dozen or so child actors filled in the crowd.

What happened to the dog that played Toto? ›

Due to the popularity of the movie, and because that role was the one she was most remembered for, her owner and trainer changed her official name to Toto. She actually appeared in 13 films. She died at age 11. Willard Carroll wrote her "autobiography," I, Toto (2001).

How old was Judy Garland when she made The Wizard of Oz? ›

Of the film's 10 main cast members, 16-year-old star Judy Garland got the second-lowest salary—making more than only her canine companion, Terry, who played Toto. And myriad injuries and miseries were suffered on set that sound, frankly, horrifying in light of modern technology and H.R.

Who did Ariana Grande play in The Wizard of Oz? ›

The Wizard of Oz is a musical version of the L. Frank Baum book and 1939 film starring Judy Garland. Ariana Grande played the role of Dorothy in the Little Palm Family Theatre's production of The Wizard of Oz at Crest Theatre from June 1st to July 26th, 2003.

Why did Shirley Temple not play Dorothy? ›

of Dorothy in a film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, but in 1937, Shirley Temple was under contract at 20th Century Fox. Legend has it that a deal was almost made between MGM. and 20th century. to loan out Shirley Temple for the role of Dorothy, but in 1937. MGM had not yet acquired the rights to The Wizard of Oz.

How many actors played the Munchkins? ›

A Daily Variety news story from 17 August 1938, stated 124 dwarves had been signed to play Munchkins; modern sources place the number either at 122 or 124. An additional dozen or so child actors were hired to make up for the shortage of dwarves.

Who doesn't sing in The Wizard of Oz? ›

AUNT EM: female, 30-60. Aunt Em is demanding, but loves her niece. Non-singing.

Did The Wizard of Oz the movie had any singing in it? ›

The singing in the Wizard of Oz was pre recorded. Before filming. in late September and early October of 1938, Judy Garland Raebolger, Bert Lahr and original Tin Man Buddy Ebsen. recorded the songs featured in the movie.

Who played the most parts in The Wizard of Oz? ›

"The Wizard of Oz" is the only film ever to get a 100 percent approval rate on rottentomatoes.com. 13. Frank Morgan is the only actor to play more than one role in the film.

Did Toto get paid more than Dorothy? ›

Terry the dog, who played Toto in The Wizard of Oz, was paid $125 a week, more than some human actors on set. While Terry's earnings surpassed some actors, Judy Garland, who played Dorothy, made more at $500 a week. The Munchkin actors, despite singing, dancing, and taking on multiple roles, earned less than Toto.

How many of the Munchkins were children? ›

The Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz. weren't as mischievous as some people think. 115 little people and 9 children. were hired to play Munchkins in 1939 the Wizard of Oz.

How much did the midgets get paid for Wizard of Oz? ›

Stephen Cox, author of The Munchkins of Oz, wrote in his 1989 book that in 1938, the Munchkins were paid US$50 per week, about US$900 in 2016. Meanwhile, Toto and her trainer earned US$125 per week, which would now equate to about US$2,100 per week. The Munchkin cast never even saw their names in the credits.

Who is Apple Jack's voice? ›

Applejack, the sweet apple-farming pony, and thrill-seeker Rainbow Dash are voiced by actress and rock singer Ashleigh Ball.

Who played Angry Apple Tree? ›

Candy Candido: Angry Apple Tree.

Who is the voice of apples? ›

Susan Bennett weighs in on A.I. actors, cloning voices and the iPhone's original audio assistant on 'The Claman Countdown.

Who wrote the apple tree musical? ›

The Apple Tree is a series of three musical playlets with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Bock and Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith.

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