5. Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Scarecrow, with Ray Bolger as the Tin Man
Buddy Ebsen, later to gain fame as Jed Clampett of The Beverly Hillbillies, was the first choice to play the Scarecrow. Ebsen was a dancer, famous for his loose-limbed moves on the dance floor. To play the Tin Man, Ray Bolger was selected, but after being awarded the part Bolger objected. He told producers that he was better suited to play the Scarecrow, and balked at wearing the proposed costume for the Tin Man, which he said would restrict his movements, making him appear stiff in his dancing sequences. Bolger had seen the 1902 play on Broadway, and the part of the Scarecrow was what inspired him to start his own career as a vaudeville performer.
The producers approached Ebsen about switching roles, and though the part of the Tin Man was somewhat smaller, Ebsen didn’t object. He went through script readings and rehearsals in the role of the Tin Man. He also taught Bolger the shambling walk he had already developed for the Scarecrow. Ebsen also recorded the songs for the Tin Man which were scheduled to be used in the final film. In the end, they were not used, because by switching roles with Bolger he unwittingly entered into a chain of events which left him out of the production entirely and nearly cost him his life.