A seven-year-old recently told me that they loved Wicked so much, that they thought watching The Wizard of Oz would be fun. It was the child’s first time watching the 1939 classic—and the child had to turn off the movie because the Wicked Witch of the West was actually scary!

I tried to reassure the kid that the lady who played the witch in The Wizard of Oz was apparently a super nice lady, and the girl who played Dorothy had a hard time acting sacred of her. Not sure if that helped, but the Wicked Witch actress, Margaret Hamilton, who died in 1985, wouldn’t have been surprised.

Biographer Don Billie, who wrote Margaret Hamilton: From Cleveland, Ohio to the Land of Oz said in an interview with Woman’s World that though Margaret liked the role of the Wicked Witch, it was ironic that as former kindergarten teacher who loved children she was “arguably the person who scared the most children of all time.”

Something Else

The author, Dikkon Eberhart, was a kid when his mother promised him he would meet the Wicked Witch. He was so excited that when the time came, his excitement turned to angry disappointment only to see “just a woman” at the door.

He marched to his room. His mother came in, told him to be kinder to their guest, and when she understood how he was let down, apologized and cleared up the situation by explaining this woman was a friend of hers and was a nice woman. So he and his mother went downstairs. Still having doubts, his mother’s friend did the terrifying cackle. Okay, so his mom’s friend sort of sounded like the Wicked Witch, but where was the black hat?

Margaret Hamilton would visit him mother from time to time. He grew to understand that people whom the world thought they knew were “something else” to him and his family.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Audiences were spellbound when a friendly, old lady came on to Mr. Rogers show saying that she was the person who pretended to be the Wicked Witch.

This television appearance with our favorite neighbor is a comforting experience.

Margaret gave insight to those who thought the Wicked Witch is very mean. She pointed out how the Wicked Witch “enjoys everything she does” but is “frustrated” and “unhappy because she never gets what she wants.”

She also went through the parts of her costumes—saying it was just like a Halloween costume. No need to be scared.

The way the show was able to have Margaret Hamilton is a sweet story too.

My Favorite Witch

While filming The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland formed a strong bond with Margaret. Judy Garland’s daughter, Lorna Luft, has gone on the record saying it was challenge for her mom to pretend to be scared of Margaret Hamilton.

Margaret and Judy remained friends well after the filming. While Judy was a guest on the Merv Griffin show in 1968, Margaret stopped by. She was on a way to see a show starring their mutual friend, Ray Bolger—a.k.a. The Scarecrow.

Oh, the irony! But I find the friendship between the two actresses a sweet comedy.

If I showed a child this clip— one who was freaked out by Margaret Hamilton’s portrayal of the Wicked Witch—I suspect the laugh would still scare the child.

But hopefully with time, the child—or even a freaked-out adult—would at least know that the original girl really wasn’t that bad.