The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When the Witch melts, the broom is laying several inches from her dress. In the next shot, the broom is practically touching her dress. (01:26:20)

brantlee

Continuity mistake: Immediately after Dorothy throws the water onto the witch, there is a long shot of the group as they observe the Wicked Witch beginning to melt. In this shot you can see that the Scarecrow's arm is still on fire, yet nothing is done about it as they all focus on the Witch. In the next full shot of the Scarecrow the fire is completely out. (01:26:20)

Continuity mistake: Dorothy throws water at the Wicked Witch not knowing it will melt her. If you look closely the witch is drenched when it hits her but in the next close up shot she doesn't have a drop of water on her. (01:26:20)

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The Wizard of Oz mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: While Dorothy and the other characters are cornered in the Wicked Witch's castle, when Dorothy grabs the bucket of water and tosses it at Scarecrow's arm, the water hits the Witch. In the closeup of the Witch's face, you can see a crew member's hand (a long sleeve can be seen at the wrist) in the upper left side of the shot. (01:26:20)

Continuity mistake: If you look at Dorothy's dress, it's wet before she throws the water on the Wicked Witch. In the next shot the water spot (on Dorothy's dress) disappears only to return later when she gets the broomstick. (01:26:20)

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Continuity mistake: As Dorothy throws the water on the Wicked Witch the Tin Man goes from holding his ax in front of him to holding it close to his chest with the ax head sideways between shots. (01:26:20)

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Continuity mistake: After the Wicked Witch of the West lights her broomstick and the scarecrow on fire, and Dorothy throws the water on her, in the next shot after the water hits her, you see the broomstick laying next to her burnt out but not smoking. (01:26:20)

Continuity mistake: As the Wicked Witch is melting the peak of her hat stays intact. In the very next shot it has been flattened. (01:26:45)

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Continuity mistake: After she watches the Wicked Witch "melt", Dorothy holds the pail in her hands. She never walks away but if you look closely the pail just disappears from the scene, never to return or be seen again. (01:26:45)

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Continuity mistake: If you look at the cracks in the floor, the Wicked Witch's cape moves between shots after she is "melted". (01:26:45)

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Continuity mistake: As she watches the Wicked Witch "melt", Dorothy and the others stand about five feet to the left of the Wicked Witch. They never move but when she asks for the broomstick she's standing right above her "melted" remains. (01:26:50)

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Continuity mistake: As she watches the Wicked Witch "melt", Dorothy holds the pail around the front with her arms. In the next shot she's holding it with her hands. (01:26:50)

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Audio problem: After the Wicked Witch of the West is liquidated, the soldiers hail Dorothy. After Dorothy asks for the broom, they are heard hailing her again, but none of their mouths move. As the scene fades into the next one, the soldiers' mouths can be seen beginning to move to say the line. (01:27:20)

Continuity mistake: When they return to the Wizard with the Witch's broomstick they're standing in front of him in the dark. In the next shot they're in the light. (01:27:30)

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Visible crew/equipment: When the Wizard says, "Do you presume to criticize the great Oz?" look closely at the curtain as a crew member behind the curtain attaches it onto Toto so he can pull it open. (01:28:20)

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Continuity mistake: When the Wizard says, "Think yourselves lucky because I'm giving you an audience tomorrow instead of 20 years from now" his hand is on the silver lever on the floor. In the next shot they are above his head. (01:28:25)

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Continuity mistake: When the Wizard says, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" he pulls the curtain closed and Toto's not there. In the next shot Toto's tied to the curtain again. (01:28:35)

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Other mistake: As the Wizard is pulling his curtain closed, he says the famous, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain," in a loud, booming voice. But he's turned 180 degrees away from his microphone, which we see a second later needs to be right in front of his mouth to make the booming voice effect. (01:28:40)

Krista

Dorothy: There's no place like home.

More quotes from The Wizard of Oz

Trivia: "Over the Rainbow", which the American Film Institute recently named the greatest movie song of all time, was nearly cut from the film.

More trivia for The Wizard of Oz

Question: It is implied strongly in this movie that water makes witches melt, and this is spoofed in other media. I've only ever seen this referenced to wicked witches. Does water make good witches, such as Glinda, melt too?

Answer: In all likelihood, probably not. Water is often depicted and represents purity, and cleansing. It flows smoothly, is beautiful, clear, and responsible for life on Earth. Everything the Wicked Witch is not. Where as the good Witch is pure and of a true heart. So it makes sense that something so evil and impure as the evil witch would be effected by the purest substance there is, yet not harm the good witch because she is good.

Quantom X

Answer: In the original book, water caused the wicked witches to melt away because they were so old and shriveled that all the fluid in their bodies had long since dried away. Meanwhile, the film Oz: The Great and Powerful instead implies that the Wicked Witch of the West is weak against water due to being a fire-elemental witch, which could also be the case for this incarnation, meaning it wouldn't apply to other witches like Glinda (whose element in both films appears to be ice) or even the Wicked Witch of the East (whose powers are never shown in this film, but were electricity-based in Oz the Great and Powerful).

More questions & answers from The Wizard of Oz

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