7. Margaret Hamilton almost missed the role of the Wicked Witch of the West
Margaret Hamilton’s portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West created one of America’s truly iconic characters. From her maniacal laugh, to her commands to her Winged Monkeys, to her final melting sequence in the haunted castle, Hamilton was the classic witch, all in black, on her flying broomstick. But she wasn’t the first pick to play the role. The role went initially to Gale Sondergaard. The witch was to have been an attractive counterpart to Glinda the Good Witch, slinky and sexy in clinging black costume, similar to the Evil Queen in Disney’s animated Snow White.
Sondergaard was costumed both as the slinky witch and in costume similar to what Hamilton eventually wore in the film, and the decision was made to use the ugly and evil costume and makeup. When Sondergaard saw how she looked in the makeup she withdrew from the film, and MGM once again turned to its stock of character actors and pulled up Margaret Hamilton, who readily agreed to the role. Hamilton played the character along the lines of the witch described in the novel, becoming truly frightening to some young children.