Question 1

Why did Gale Sondergaard choose the role of Tylette the Cat in The Blue Bird?

Accepted Answer

Gale Sondergaard was originally cast as the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz (1939), but she instead chose the role of Tylette the Cat in this film.

Question 2

What was unusual about the blue bird's payment and fate after filming?

Accepted Answer

The blue bird of the title was paid $50 a day, and flew away from a Los Angeles aviary soon after the movie was finished.

Question 3

How many children were used in the production, and what was the supervision arrangement?

Accepted Answer

The production utilized 300 children between the ages of 4 and 10. Twentieth Century-Fox hired 30 nurses and 30 studio teachers to look after them, all under the supervision of assistant director Henry Weinberger.

Question 4

What real-life incident occurred during a radio adaptation of the play just before the film premiered?

Accepted Answer

On 24 December 1939, a month before the film premiered, Shirley Temple and Nelson Eddy performed a 30-minute radio adaptation. During the program, a deranged woman who had been stalking Temple managed to get within three feet of the stage with a loaded gun before being stopped and disarmed.

Question 5

What led Darryl F. Zanuck to make The Blue Bird?

Accepted Answer

Shirley Temple's producer, Darryl F. Zanuck, decided to make this film after he mistakenly took the success of The Wizard of Oz (1939) as a sign that children's fantasy films were popular.

The Blue Bird

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