When The Wizard of Oz hit theaters on August 25, 1939, it was a critical and commercial success. The film has become one of the most beloved movies in cinematic history. One of the most iconic scenes of The Wizard of Oz is when teenage starlet Judy Garland’s character, the Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale, sings of her desire to explore the world in the song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” This song and the film are forever linked, however “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was almost cut from The Wizard of Oz. Here’s why.
The screenplay for The Wizard of Oz was penned by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf. It was adapted from the 1900 L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but the screenplay is quite different from the original work. Plus, the studio wanted the movie to be a musical, since musical films were quite popular at that time. Besides, the studio wanted to show off the talent of their newest teen star, Judy Garland.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was written by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It has widely been named as one of the greatest movie songs of all time. But before Arlen and Harburg wrote their version of the ballad, another composer drafted a different tune for Dorothy to sing in this scene … an upbeat, jaunty melody. The lyrics of this version were much different that the longing we hear in “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Dorothy sings about the pleasures and values of remaining at home. This song was scraped … and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” very nearly was, too.
After filming on The Wizard of Oz wrapped up, Louis B. Mayer, the head of the studio, thought that it was unbecoming of a starlet like Judy Garland to sing in a barnyard. The movie’s director, Victor Fleming, also questioned having “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in the film. He thought that the ballad slowed down the pace of the movie and that it was too long.
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” had plenty of supporters. Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg advocated for the song to remain in the movie. They argued that it was an important part of Dorothy’s character arc and that it helped to establish the film’s fantastical, dreamlike tone. The Wizard of Oz’s associate producer, Arthur Freed, who was an instrumental member of the film’s staff, stood up to Louis B. Mayer and explained, “’Rainbow’ stays or I go!” He was certain that the song made the movie better … and he was right. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” became Judy Garland’s signature song and the greatest cinematic song in the Golden Age of Hollywood.