Wizard Of Oz (CASTING GLINDA)

[dirths]

54 amazes me! I always thought she was 35! Not because I read that anywhere, but just by looking at her. As a child, you didin't know or care about the behind the scenes aspects, you were just enthralled by all the scenes. Then as a young adult, in my 20's, I really started to notice wrinkles on Glinda, and thought, wow, she was old doing this! I thought, I bet she has to 35 when doing this role!

[gnikcohs]

She was so great, and they did not even mention her incredible Mrs Topper in the movies and in the tv series too (I think).

[delideliver]

I had no idea that Billie and Judy were in another movie together,that's cool

[ammu1295]

54?? YOU MUST BE JOKING!

[kayladowstamand]

@ammu1295 I nooooooooo

[dodaTiffany]

...she was 54 during filming of Wizard of Oz?! Wow, she looks so much younger, I never would have guessed that.

[rosabaca21]

The good o days....

[hsmqueen1013]

Every time I watch something about The Wizard of Oz, all I can think of is Wicked. Dammit.

[jillianbradshaw]

i just realized that the woman speaking in these videos is Angela Lansbury :) 

[TheQueendott]

When I was a little girl, we did a play in school and everyone thought I should be Dorothy, because my name is Dorothy, but I wanted to be Glinda, so I was, lol!

[Perid0tStar]

what an amazing life she led...

[CaylaA1]

@tyryryrrr No, it is Glinda.

[elimarwar]

@CaylaA1 I think that @tyryryrrr is talking about a joke from the Broadway musical Wicked, which is about the witches of Oz. Glinda's original name in this show is Galinda and another character always mispronounced it as Glinda. She corrected him by saying "It's Galinda with a GA!". When that character dies, she shortens it to Glinda.

[CaylaA1]

@elimarwar Oh,sorry.

[tyryryrrr]

its galinda...with a GA!

[IrishFriendsFan]

@tyryryrrr lol

i saw wicked for the 1st time in july and LOVED it

[tb12fan]

@tyryryrrr HAHAHA I GET THE JOKE!!

[Discoboy504]

She always had such style and class. That voice was just incredible. A very elegant lady.

[davedetrick]

Looks are only one aspect of her, listen to her voice.

Even without singing her voice sounds so musical.

Talk about some magical vocal chords.

[cranie4]

54? Holy S. NEVER would have guess that.



[morgannxxxmonster]

She was so beautiful.....wow...people back then were so beautiful..

[cannonball251]

She sure was beautiful in oz for being 54 tears old at that time. I would have never guessed that old.

[XBreezyBooX]

She was beautiful

[UsagiDelights]

Gahh! 54 and looking like that? Damn her looks.

[Kamikaze923Gamer]

Glinda was a MILF!

[emmadilemmasings]

Billie Burke and Kristin Chenoweth are the two Glindas in my opinion.

[TVBProductions]

@emmadilemmasings Agreed.

[TomJohnson10111]

how sad Mary William Ethelbert is now R.I.P

[DanEddyCinema]

54...dayum...she was STILL beautiful O_o

[IdLie32]

I would've wanted to keep that dress. I love it. I love the blue one from Wicked too, but the pink one was epic.

[0BustyStClaire0]

Except that she was batshit crazy and wanted to keep the dress afterwards because she believed that she actually was a Good Witch after the movie wrapped.

[Dopestarslove]

SO beautiful!

[jmrleroy]

I remember as a child I so wanted to be like her. She was radiantly beautiful, her voice sounded like lovely bells and gorgeous hair.

[waynegabi]

I read somewhere that Glinda's dress was also worn preiously by Jeanette MacDonald in a film.

[heidio84]

I have tears in my eyes :) How cute

[TakeAShowerStinky]

I had the biggest crush on her when I was five!

[nickmandl]

JESUS CHRIST

54 years old

unbelievable

[herbrampe]

Glinda was beautiful and Mrs Topper was great. One of my all time favorite stars.

[runly1]

WOW... how gorgeous is SHE?!!!

[me323]

Billie Burke was 54 here and yet looks younger here then Judy Garland did when she died at 47! Just shows the effects those pills had

[MieKaylaful]

billie burke was a pretty good-looking glinda the good witch. One year, i thought she was played by billie holiday. But, i was wrong because billie holiday is black.

[malgly58]

1885!!! wht the hell!

[WOZ24601]

would anyone else call her the meryl streep of her area?

[billydeeuk]

I love the urban legand that, when Burke first developed Alzheimer's, she would dress up as Glinda and become convinced that she WAS Glinda and so would only respond to that name

[protectorofillinois2]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!! She doesn't look 54 at all!!! I hope I look that good when I'm in my 50s!!!! Thank you so much for this upload!!!

[auntbecky]

As much as I like this movie i would have changed the casting. The "ugly" witch would have been the good witch and "pretty" witch would have been wicked.

[sweetiegrl41]

the only reason she looks young is because the filmmakers want people to think that they will meet a hot chick in their dreams!

[stephy7475]

40 years since she passed away!rip sweet lady!

[stephy7475]

i do appreciate this lady!elegant,sweet and now an ageless angel!kisses from a guy from brazil!

[MyTwoCentsAreFree]

Her voice is so heavenly :-)

[RaysonPaulTancasis]

At 1:38, I just love Judy talking that fast! That's kind of cute.

[longdali82]

omgoodness... she is AGELESS!

[Zoeysvideos]

Wow...I hope I look like that when I'm 54

[biggerdb]

Im that age now I could only hope I though half that good!

[tazzywazzy1989]

She does look really young and I bet botox wasn't even used back then! I love her accent. She has an unusual voice. I quite like it!

[staticfax]

my great grandmother did her hair in the wizard of oz, was her one great claim to fame. She pin curled it. was how she said it to my mother.

[KyoNingyo]

Wonderful comment staticfax

[pointblizzy]

SHe looks like something from a Renaissance painting

[british123able]

i hope heaven is real and i hope it to be like oz and the emerald city

[TheOwainglyndwr]

I thought she was a dyke

[dreamboatman]

beautiful lady,

[1203kitkat]

Wow she's 103 years older than me!

[hookuspookus529]

one of the most beautiful women ever

[moneyfreak1231]

Jeese she looks like 25

[gtlfb]

Burke was introduced to Ziegfeld by Somerset Maugham. Ziegfeld left a mountain of debt at his death. His many friends in show business helped Billie by getting her as much work as possible.

[xtinaandravenfan]

Jeez she looks like shes in her 30's lol.

[iAsian92]

She's so pretty!

[PianoMan53100]

too bad Kristin Chenoweth wasn't alive back then..she should've gotten the role! Heehee jk if she was alive back then she wouldn't be Glinda in Wicked!

[bobbyb826]

i thought she gave the only shitty performance in the entire huge cast. in fact, i think she was unbearable.

[miggleschick]

Yay Angela!!

[blueblue1994]

she was 54 boy she looked bout 36 XD

[AmbiencePhotography]

thank you cliffmountpictures for these uploads.

[TudorRose85]

Billie Burke 54 she looks 34 when she did the part.

[PeaceNdLovee]

"Not so motherly mother" sounds like Judy's real mother heh

[paulj0557]

She was Topper's wife too. She finally wore the girdle for him. Hollywood knew she would always be a babe.

[dcbandnerd]

Billie Burk: Washingtonian! :-D

[MatrixOutsider]

That is a trans-atlantic accent that was popular in that time. It is a combination of British and American accents.

[Totaly14]

She was so beautiful, i can't believe she was 54!!!

[matrox]

What kind of accent is that she is supposed to have? It is definatly not a Washington DC accent.

[andeaver1937]

@matrox I always used to think she was british by that accent.

It is certainly a mousy-type voice, similar but lighter than that of Myrna Loy.

anyways,

Burke was a great gal. She was terrific in Dinner at Eight. Love that film!

[greennice]

@matrox

She spent time in England in her younger days. That probably influenced her accent.

[AAMLfan]

The picture of her at 0:31 is gorgeous...like one of those old Master paintings.

[ragemanchoo82]

Always been an Oz fan. I mean, who isn't, to one degree or another? I remember I was in high school when I learned Burke had been 54 when she played Glinda. My friends were amazed when I told them, because even though it'd been 10 or more years since some of us had seen the movie, Burke's looks are unforgetable.

[BAMitsLAURS]

omg, she was only 54, no way! :O

[OreeoShowproductions]

The voice of these casting things is the main old lady in Bed knobs and Broomsticks! :D

[gusthetheatrecat123]

angela lansbury

[NintendoMage]

@OreeoShowproductions No way! :o

[Moviestar20]

when was this documentary reccorded?

[gummie1066]

cant beleive she was 54 when makeing this movie she aged very well she looked mid 30s in the film wizard of oz i hope i will look good when i am 54 like she did

[mundymanor]

Yeah, and Margaret Hamilton (wicked witch) was only 36. Seems a little backward, eh?

[gomamon100]

@mundymanor Yes,but margaret hamilston used alot of make up,as i remember.

[redroses160]

There was a 50th anniversary edition, that included her daughters rare appearance. perhaps someone has that , and can download that version

[Hunterunc]

If any of you have never seen the dazzling Miss Burke in Dinner at Eight, rent it. It is a classic for a number of reasons, and she is fabulous in it, playing a very different character from Oz.

[everyonesapostolic]

54 she looks like she would be a first time mother she was such a beauty

[MelanieLouM]

She was 54??? WOW!! What a beauty!! O_O

[deanaugust]

@MelanieLouM

I AGREE, growing up watching Wizard of Oz, i was spellbound by billie burke, Glenda The Good Witch of the North..

[UglySean]

@MelanieLouM Billie Burke was such a babe. Mmm mmm. I wish I could have met her.... etc. etc. etc. etc.

[WickedWitch0fTheWest]

Billie Burke is amazing. An ageless beauty. Which really fits Glinda, I dont remember where I heard this but somewhere I read that Glinda is ageless because she uses her magic to keep time from affecting her.

[DestinedStar7]

you probably read that in the book :)

[MostIngenious]

We should all look that great in our Fifties!

[spotdathief]

omg, ahe was 54 years old in the movie? she looks like 30 in there!

[NintendoMage]

@spotdathief That shocked me too I was like"...say what?" lol.

[phlizmo]

@spotdathief know many 30 year olds?

[hcmontessori]

@spotdathief - I think it has to do with a good diet, before pesticides, genetically modified foods, high-fructose corn syrup, MSG, aspartame, artificial sweeteners... These are the things that age us now. They age our internal organs, our skin & our minds. These are the things our ancestors didn't have access to. They had grass-fed beef & poultry, high in Omega-3's & made food from scratch. This is why they looked so good at older ages back then... & also, stayed relatively thin.

[Serena2009ification]

@spotdathief

No kidding, right?  And this was before Botox!

[Potterpuppetpals98]

@spotdathief totally

[BearBoi69]

@spotdathief

The miracle of whale oil based makeup enriched with uranium!

[DarkMetalOmega]

@spotdathief I know! What the hell? I thought she was waaaay younger when I saw her in The Wizard of Oz.

[JoanCollins2009]

@spotdathief

so true pure class she was

[danngazz]

@spotdathief It was said that she was so pleased with the way her and and makeup was done for that role she had chistmass cards made out with her photo on and sent them out .

[zoyclem]

Billie Burke was in a class by herself. Thanks for posting this.

[evkeys]

Hahaha jbartz lol

[jbartz]

She was born Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Farlenshmargle Rosemary-Winterbud Bridlebergen McMuffintop Burke Jr.

[DestinedStar7]

lol XD

[celinishlove]

@jbartz lmao

[PiratePuppi]

Hahaha.

After seeing Wicked I don't think I could EVER take Glinda seiously again ;)

[78timothy]

Billie Burke's last appearance on Screen, was as a ditzy Dowager Aunt to a rich playboy (Robert Vaughn) accused of murdering his Uncle,in the movie "The Young Philadelphins" starring Paul Newman and Barbra Rush in 1962; She also had pet Chihuahuah named "Carlos" inthe Movie. She reprises her Dinner at Eight Role for RKO in 1934 in "Now We're Rich" w/Leon Erroll, and Buster Crabbe. Gold Medalist in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

[nateboytwo]

i can't believe she was in her 50's while doing the wizard of oz...she looked amazing.....rest in peace....

[slapmyfunkybass]

always thought her name was belinda... not glinda

[kiya46107]

Yay! Glinda!

[slappy09]

MILF

[GreenApplesAlli]

I'm her niece

if you don't believe me ask my doctor and grandpa hes her great great nephew

not lying i swear to god <3

i wish i could've met her

[slapmyfunkybass]

i asked your doctor and he said you're a liar, and probs with this take it up with him, i 'm just the middle man

[ILuvEdwardCullen2day]

HEY!! Bad witches aren't ugly... have you seen how gorgeous Idina Menzel is?? And also, she isn't a bad witch, just a misunderstood green girl!

[Kelaiah01]

Heh, you said bad witches aren't ugly, using Idina as an example, only then you said Idina WASN'T a bad witch - and we all know that Morrible was a bad witch, and VERY ugly. So would that mean that its true, bad witches ARE ugly?

[rebecca1918420]

if you knew a woman who... refused to love her own son, was found at a very young age being cradled by a mythical evil beast while saying her first word "horrors", had to have her mouth bound and bottle fed cuz her mother couldnt feed her, and she was MEAN to glinda in school. not to mention that she refused to give dorothy forgiveness... but on top of everything she refused to acknowlege her own son, thats true wickedness

[Breezy1113]

She didnt acknowledge her son because she wasnt sure he was even HER son. She was in a coma for an entire year after Fiyero died. And its not entirely true that she refuses to love him. After she realizes its possible he's her son, she tries to comfort him, and he pulls away because he's not used to it, which discourages her. But she does care enough about him to get upset when he hangs around soldiers, who she considers to be dangerous. And I fail to see how SHE was mean to Glinda in school...

[rickalth]

54??? No way!

[jeff38de]

I know! the actress who played the wicked witch was only 36

[perfume1965]

Billie was perfect for the role. She captured us with this heartwarming classic :)

[lamgamboa]

Only bad witches are ugly!  ha ha ha I will have to remember that.

[MessedUpBetch]

54? Wow...shes so pretty

[sieuss06]

Oh, jeez. You're so nasty.

[boffinme80]

Billie is so beautiful. She was the perfect person to play Glinda. They couldn't have found anyone better!

Wixard of Oz ia  true popular classic and it's no wonder it's her favourite :)

[WhatsAYak]

Indeed...although this clip doesn't mention it, they also looked @ Beatrice Lillie and Fanny Brice for the role before deciding on Burke...a wise decision, I'd say!

[ciroalb3]

she had such perfect, elegant diction, likewise the tin man

[MelissaTicky]

so many lack that now in films. She was perfect for the role

[scriptum60]

Billie has also had bit parts in TONS of movies, just like in Father of the Bride as mentioned. Recognizable immediately, always. :p

[agbff4ever]

In fourth grade, i played Glinda, and since than, She has been my hero.

[ranilover1414]

really? elphaba is my dream role.you can play galinda.

[Treemeadow]

Elphaba is from a different story...

Wicked and Wizard of Oz are two different things. Both brilliant! Superb, but to play one is not to play the other.

[rebecca1918420]

i agree, it's like reading a fanfic where the entire harry potter story is told from voldemort's point of view... it would be great, but not the same story

[MrRadaikon]

not to mention it was an American fairytale, rewritten by a British author. Alot of the historical context was dramatically changed

[agbff4ever]

I Really Wanted to play the wicked witch, But I Wasent good enough

[NaruhinaXSasusaku]

Fifty four? She looked like she was in her mid/late twenties or early thirties!

Wow..

[xXCelineDionXx]

OMG! I always thought she was about 35 years old! She looks so young in that movie.

[creaturebotman]

54...

[mookindahouse]

Billie was a class act. MGM originally wanted Fanny Brice (imagine that) for the role of Glinda but she was committed to her radio show.

[OrmEmber]

Did anyone else want to bang Glinda the Good witch, or was it just me? :P

[TheMikester307]

As a Kansan, I love Glinda, but check Billie's fantastic performance in "Topper."

[83survivor]

It shows that women back then took care of themselves. There was no plastic surgery or enhanced boobs to defy gravity to appeal. It shows even at 54, you could still appealing without all the necessary gunk in your system. Sadly, the Hollywood of old is gone and the new Hollywood demands fake boobs, facelifts, dress like a slut, etc. Sad, really.

[CreatorOfCaledonia]

Amen to that! Don't even try to compare Angelina Jolie, Pamela Anderson with Billy Burke, Vivien Leigh (the actress who played Scarlet in Gone with the Wind).

[jacques18]

R.I.P

[SiloliWolfeden]

My mom's playing Glinda for our community choir! Her dress is white, though.

[Mahhbadd]

Her accent is so cute! I love the slur.

[Lionstar16]

She was 54 years old when she played Glinda?! You wouldn't believe it, she looks so young in the Wizard of Oz

[hotpink910]

ya when i found that out i was shocked too! she's so beautiful

i hope i can look that good when im 54!

[crpsaiyan]

Wow! In the "Dinner At Eight" clip, she sounds just like Bernadette Peters. I wonder...

[JCMarra]

Lovely lady, always one of my favorite Oz portrayals and actresses.