The Curse Behind The Wizard of Oz: Unfortunate Tales from the Set

During a trial for one of the Wicked Witch’s special effects sequences, a hidden smoke device inside Margaret Hamilton’s broom malfunctioned. Instead of releasing a controlled plume, the mechanism exploded, sending sparks and debris flying. Thankfully, Hamilton wasn’t holding the broom at the moment, but the blast still startled everyone on set.

The broom had to be rebuilt, and the incident added to the growing list of dangerous effects surrounding the Witch’s character. Crew members became increasingly cautious whenever pyrotechnics were involved. Even simple props carried unpredictable risks, making the Witch’s scenes some of the most hazardous to film.