Wizard of Oz Trivia from a Custom Scavenger Hunt
One of the all-time classic films recently tuned 83 years young. The Wizard of Oz hit theaters on August 25th, 1939, introducing the world to Judy Garland’s Kansas farm girl, the Emerald City of Oz, and the villainous wrath of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Knowing that we can design special custom scavenger hunts on any topic, a group recently commissioned a game all about The Wizard of Oz trivia. It turned out so fun, the Wizard himself would have given it an award! For a taste of that game, try your hand at these 10 questions featuring amazing The Wizard of Oz trivia.
1. Not in Kansas Anymore
What is the word for the vibrant film technique that first appears when Dorothy opens her front door, post-tornado?
Technicolor gave us the bright yellow of the Yellow Brick Road and the brilliant red of the Ruby Slippers.
Speaking of which, the white in Judy Garland’s white-and-blue dress is actually a light pink. That evidently looked better in Technicolor than a true white would have.
2. The Forest for the Trees
What fruit gets hurled at Dorothy and the Scarecrow?
Apples! A couple of mean ol’ trees hurl their own apples at Dorothy and the Scarecrow. Fortunately, Dorothy follows one rolling apple to find the Tin Man stuck in a forest clearing.
3. On the Go
Which ONE of the following is NOT a mode of transportation that appears in the film?
A. bicycle
B. hot air balloon
C. tornado
D. horse-drawn cart
E. flying monkey
F. flying broom
G. automobile
G. automobile, of course. Hey, being carried around by flying monkeys counts as transportation!
4. Fond Farewells
When Dorothy says goodbye to her traveling companions, which one does she say she will miss most of all?
The Scarecrow. If it seems weird that she would single him out like that, there’s a good reason. An earlier version of the script saw Dorothy and the Scarecrow falling in love. The romance angle got cut, but that line made it into the final film.
5. Such Sweet Sorrow
What character cries tears of chocolate syrup? (It’s not the Cowardly Lion. We just liked the picture!)
The Tin Man: The effects department used chocolate syrup to simulate tears of machine oil. Movie magic!
6. Ballad, Schmallad
One song in the film was written last (on a notepad in a drugstore), cut from the film, added back in only after producers fought over it, and then won an Academy Award. What is that song?
“Over the Rainbow.” Now synonymous with The Wizard of Oz, this song almost didn’t see the light of day. The head of MGM thought it was dull and that no one would want to watch a girl sing a ballad on a farm.
7. Workplace Hazard
In one scene in the film, Dorothy and friends fall asleep in a poppy field and get covered in fake snow. What really toxic stuff was that snow made of?
A. cigar ash
B. carbon monoxide
C. asbestos
D. uranium
C. asbestos. Yikes! Too bad OSHA wasn’t around in the ’30s.
8. File Under “A” for Amazing
When L. Frank Baum wrote the original book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, what got its name from a filing cabinet?
The land of Oz is so named because Baum owned two file cabinets. One was sorted A-N, and the other was O-Z.
9. That Doesn’t Seem Right
What character earned $125 a week during filming—wayyy more than the $50 each Munchkin earned?
Toto! After filming, Judy Garland wanted to adopt Terry, the terrier who played Toto. But Terry’s owners wouldn’t give her up.
10. They Belong in a Museum
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History displays a set of something from the film. The display is so popular, the museum has had to replace the section of carpet in front of it quite a few times, because of wear and tear. What are on display?
Dorothy’s ruby slippers. Judy Garland wore at least four sets of slippers during filming. One pair was stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005. The FBI recovered them in a sting operation 13 years later.
Find More Fun
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Image credits: All images via Wikimedia Commons, in the public domain