Behind The Scenes Secrets: The Wizard Of Oz

Frank Morgan: The Wizard

Frank Morgan was a contract actor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The production company was apparently so impressed with Frank that they actually gave him a lifetime contract. He played a variety of roles in a multitude of films from comedy to more dramatic roles. In 1945, he had one of the strangest roles of his career when he played himself in a film where the premise is he is attempting to make his own film. It is considered to be one of the strangest movies produced by MGM at the time. Allegedly, Frank Morgan also suffered from alcoholism which was purported by his Wicked Witch co-star, Margaret Hamilton. He died of a heart attack in 1949 and never got to see the television release of the film which brought much of the cast fame.