A Song That Almost Was Not
In California, in the year nineteen thirty-nine,
at Culver City, a movie studio was fine.
Metro Goldwyn Mayer was the largest company.
They produced the best motion pictures people could see.
Early in the year, they would make a large announcement.
A musical would be their next big accomplishment.
Based after L. Frank Baum’s turn-of-the-century tale,
president Louis B. Mayer hoped it would not fail.
Victor Fleming accepted the role as director.
Many problems on the set made him a corrector.
He would soon tell Mr. Mayer what was up ahead.
This is what he said to MGM’s studio head:
“Well Mr. Mayer, we have to tote a heavy load,
if we’re to start them following the yellow brick road.
Every day, it seems we always have a new hold up.
We ran into some problems with that silver makeup.
Tin man Buddy Ebsen almost died the other day.
We had to get him to the hospital right away.
We are way behind schedule. Get somebody new.
Find that actor Jack Haley; it looks like he will do!”
There was still much work to do to accomplish it all.
They still had to find more people less than four feet tall.
Actress Shirley Temple was number one choice to call.
In getting her to play the lead, there was soon a stall.
Louis B. Mayer made this summation of it all:
“Fox Studios will not let her out of her contract.
The men in charge there do not want us making contact.
So as long as those bums will not let us have Shirley,
we will need a girl to play this part of Dorothy.”
To be continued
Copyright © Robert Pettit | Year Posted 2012
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