by The moment Dorothy emerges from her house after the tornado in MGM’s The Wizard of Oz is one of the most memorable scenes in film history, but have you ever wondered how it came about? Dorothy seems to be stepping from a black and white world into a color world, but that was in 1939, before today’s AI-powered tricks didn’t exist.
A video on TikTok has become a huge hit after analyzing the scene and breaking down how the effect was achieved. And it shows how ingenious filmmakers had to be before the advent of CGI and deepfake technology, and how the results could be just as stunning for audiences.
@femmenadia (opens in new tab)
♬ Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland (opens in new tab)
Judy Garland’s Dorothy utters the immortal phrase “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” after stepping into the colorful magical world she was also transported to after her house was knocked off the ground by a tornado was lifted. The moment is made all the more memorable for the transition from black and white to color as Dorothy steps outside.
Although Technicolor was already being used in film in 1939, it was a completely different technology from filming in black and white. There was no way to combine the two types of film in the same frame. After receiving a question on the topic, Tiktokker @femmenadia (opens in new tab) made a video explaining how it was done.
The TikTok video shows that the transition to color film is actually happening sooner than it appears. The moment is camouflaged through the use of a sepia set and subdued lighting to make it appear as if the film is still in black and white. The door is actually opened by Judy Garland’s double wearing a sepia colored outfit to complete the illusion. After retiring, Garland herself steps forward in her blue plaid dress. Here is the full sequence of Dorothy’s arrival in Oz.
People on TikTok are suitably impressed. “I love that! I had no idea. I also love that you have a *spoiler alert* for an 85-year-old movie,” is one of the 2,000+ comments. “My heart still wants to burst at that first sight of Technicolor outside,” wrote another. Others commented that knowing how the scene was done makes it even more magical.
The Wizard of Oz wasn’t the first film to be shot in Technicolor (that was Pioneer/RKO’s 1935 Becky Sharp), but the use of color was still novel enough to make the mid-scene transition airy in contemporaries should snap audience. The way the effect was achieved is a wonderfully nifty little movie history secret and a beautiful piece of editing. To up your own game, check out our guides to the best video editing software and our top video editing tips and tricks, and for more little secrets like this, check out Disney’s animation hack.
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