Uncle Jed

[fgadmin]

Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Wizard of Oz

---

dlynch843 — 9 years ago(August 29, 2016 11:58 AM)

I've always wondered how Buddy Ebsen would've been as The Scarecrow. I've seen film of him as a song and dance man (including a scene with Judy Garland) and he had a special qualitya lankiness in the way he dancedI understand why the producers first picked him to play the Scarecrow. Bolger was greatbut I think we all (especially Ebsen) missed something by not seeing Ebsen in Oz.
The background: When Ebsen got sick from the Tin Man's make-up and ended up in the hospital, the producers thought he might be faking it, after being given the shorter role of the Tin Man. But the sickness was real. Jack Haley was hired, they used different make up and the rest is cinematic history. I felt sorry for
Jed Clampett.

[fgadmin]

rorysa — 9 years ago(August 30, 2016 06:34 AM)

I don't think they believed he was faking ithe was in an iron lung at the hospital. But they didn't want to wait for him to recuperate to continue shooting the film.

[fgadmin]

dlynch843 — 9 years ago(August 30, 2016 06:52 AM)

I read in 'The Making of The Wizard of Oz' that the producers really were suspicious of the whole sickness story, even with the iron lungI guess they thought that could be faked, too.

[fgadmin]

jimjackfunk — 9 years ago(September 10, 2016 08:48 PM)

I have watched this movie over and over since I was a kid. I could swear Buddy is in the movie as one of the witch's guards.

[fgadmin]

IMDb User

This message has been deleted.

[fgadmin]

djrosenblatt — 9 years ago(November 19, 2016 07:22 AM)

Funny I just watched the film and happened to make the same observation. The guard who speaks up at the end ("All hail Dorothy") does look like Ebsen.
Have to think it's a coincidence, though: that really isn't much of a consolation prize to have offered him.
Badgers? We don't need no stinkin' badgers! But if you could show us something in a nice possum

[fgadmin]

Jinx to ennien — 6 years ago(November 29, 2019 08:36 PM)

Mitchell Lewis played the guard. For years I thought it was Buddy Ebsen too.

[fgadmin]

peeaecee — 9 years ago(September 12, 2016 10:25 AM)

Would you have this movie any different?
That said, I've seen the makeup tests for Ebsen's Tin Man, and it's
creepy
. He probably would have played the role well, though. Not exactly sorry that he didn't though, if you get my meaning.

[fgadmin]

dlynch843 — 9 years ago(September 12, 2016 12:08 PM)

But the way Ebsen looked and danced, I would've liked to see how he was as the Scarecrow, since he was picked to play that role originally. I always liked Bolgerno complaints there, but Bolger was picked to play the Tin Man. Ebsen had the same fluidity as Bolger.

[fgadmin]

peeaecee — 9 years ago(September 13, 2016 12:05 PM)

True. What eventually turned out was classic and all, but it's interesting to see what could have been. If Ebsen had played the role, he would have been the longest surviving main cast member of the film.

[fgadmin]

rorysa — 9 years ago(September 16, 2016 12:37 AM)

Ebsen is still in the filmat least his voice iswhenever the group sings "We're Off to See the Wizard."

[fgadmin]

djrosenblatt — 9 years ago(November 19, 2016 07:30 AM)

He did have a unique, flexible style of dance "lankiness", as you put it. I always find myself coming back to this clip of Ebsen with Shirley Temple in "Codfish Ball":
. Just can't get enough of it.
Badgers? We don't need no stinkin' badgers! But if you could show us something in a nice possum

[fgadmin]

dlynch843 — 9 years ago(November 21, 2016 07:34 AM)

Thanks for this clip. There's another one with Judy Garland where they ride a prop limo across a stage. I think Ebsen wears a tux.

[fgadmin]

wwkentucky — 9 years ago(December 20, 2016 06:23 AM)

Buddy Ebsen did not leave this film due to illness . . . he was FIRED!
They fired him because in every scene, he kept looking down at Toto and saying, "Wellllll, doggie."

[fgadmin]

bobbiekaye69 — 9 years ago(December 20, 2016 08:58 AM)

If that was supposed to be a joke, I don't get it.
The silver makeup made him ill, and he couldn't do the film. He was replaced, but he wasn't fired.
I intend to live forever.
So far, so good.

[fgadmin]

jad1986 — 9 years ago(December 20, 2016 01:39 PM)

As someone with respiratory issues, that's really not funny.
What we see and what we seem are but a dream. A dream within a dream.

[fgadmin]

pointer165 — 9 years ago(December 27, 2016 07:57 PM)

Buddy was super talented and a great dancer.. that's why he got the role to begin with.. that makeup being Toxic is interesting to me because they had test filmings.. maybe the sweating and the makeup did not mix well