The Original ‘Tin Man’…Buddy Ebsen
On May 25, 2013
- TV History
The Original ‘Tin Man’…Buddy Ebsen
In the classic 1939 movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’, the Tin Man was played by actor Jack Haley after Buddy Ebsen got sick from the makeup. The Tin Man’s makeup originally contained aluminum powder which got into Ebsen’s lungs, bringing him to the edge of death. A safer paste was devised for his replacement and they all lived happily ever after.
Buddy Ebsen appears near the end of the movie with one line, as I recall, right after Dorothy melts the Wicked Witch of the West with the bucket of water. According to a radio interview I heard about 30 years ago with Nancy Kulp (Miss Hathaway on the BH), he usually had bourbon on his breath while filming the show. So, I guess, in a way, alcohol can be a preservative.
Preston -you are definitely not the scarecrow! Your brain is working early this morning!
Perhaps he got the Hillbilly role idea when putting on this costume and the wardrobe guy said; “You have to CLAMPIT!”
…and he lived to be 95 years old! Truly a national treasure..
..imagine — a world without Jed Clampett or Barnaby Jones .. that would have been sad indeed