When my kids were small, I would make up nonsensical lyrics to the “If I only had a brain” song from the Wizard of Oz.
My kids, in their 30s, can still sing them.
What a wonderful casting job they did in that film. Interestingly enough, Ray Bolger was originally cast as the Tin Man and Buddy Ebsen (he of "The Beverly Hillbillies" fame) was to be the Scarecrow. But Bolger longed to play the Scarecrow, just like his longtime idol Fred Stone did on stage in 1902.
The two actors and the show's producer agreed to the switch. Here's an early photo of Ebsen as the Tin Man:
Unfortunately, 10 days after shooting began, Ebsen suffered a reaction to the aluminum powder used on the Tin Man makeup; he'd breathed it in, and it got into his lungs. That's how Jack Haley got the part.
There's a really interesting "Wizard of Oz" museum in Wamego, Kansas (
ozmuseum.com). My family visited there back when my daughter and Son-in-Law were stationed at Fort Riley.
