If you do not have this unedited version you can watch it over and over and you will still see the same thing. It is merely a large bird that lifts his head, puts his head down again and then brings it back up. To prevent death, it was important to leave a small part of your body unpainted. Several years after the release of the movie, word got around that a munchkin could be seen hanging from a branch of one of the trees in the background of the scene. The Tale of the Hookerman. The International Wizard of Oz Club has probably got it right with its statement. In Baum's The Land of Oz book, a similar sawhorse is brought magically to life and becomes a permanent resident of the Emerald City thereafter.
BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | What's the myth of the hanging Munchkin?
You may have heard this story from a friend or parent. The scene in question takes place at the very end of the Tin Woodsman's introduction, as the trio dances down the road towards the Emerald City. However, it's because the image in the background is so small when you see it on TV that it looks like someone's hanging. Pardon us for calling shenanigans on this one. No one, munchkin or otherwise, died on-set during the filming of this cinematic classic, much less in a cut that was used in the finished version of the movie.
It wasn't a munchkin, it was a stagehand. My mom and I watched a documentary of the behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz. One Munchkin tried to kill his wife, while another tried to knife his assistant. There were greensmen, in charge of the trees and plants that were components of the scenery. Maybe they threw it in there and never released that it was fake so years later people like us would still be sitting around talking about it. He immediately climbs back up and jumps again, successfully hanging himself. Even though they may seem content on the outside, they may be struggling with something internally.
Great vid...love her eyes and her persistence...hope to see more of her!