Ray Bolger was born Raymond Wallace Bolger on January 10th, 1904 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He worked in the broadway and film industries from 1922-1985, but he is best known for one role, Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.
This clip is from an episode of “The Judy Garland Show” that aired on March 1st, 1964 and featured Ray Bolger as a guest. Ray and Judy looked back on the film, and their memories of making it together. Everyone is always remembering the negative aspects about the production of Oz, but when I see clips like this, I remember how much love there was amongst the cast, despite the challenges on set. They loved the film and the story then, as much as we do today. I’ll leave you with this quote from Ray Bolger to start your day, as it’s one of my favorites…
“I was brought up on the books of The Wizard of Oz and my mother told me that these were great philosophies. It was a very simple philosophy, that everybody had a heart, that everybody had a brain, that everybody had courage. These were the gifts that are given to you when you come on this earth, and if you use them properly, you reach the pot at the end of the rainbow. And that pot of gold was a home. And home isn’t just a house or an abode, its people, people who love you and that you love. That’s a home.” – Ray Bolger, 1964