Stunt mayhem

Long before CGI, movie stunts had to be performed entirely for real, a reality that often put actors in harm’s way.

The Wizard of Oz was no exception, as Margaret Hamilton learned firsthand.

In the scene where the Wicked Witch of the West confronts Dorothy and Glinda before vanishing in a burst of flames, the effect required Hamilton to drop through a trap door the moment the fire ignited.

But during filming, the trap door malfunctioned and failed to open in time.

Hamilton was caught in the flames, suffering second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hand.

She was forced to take six weeks off to recover.

Recalling the ordeal, she said: “I know how this business works, and I would never work again. I will return to work on one condition - no more fireworks!”