In The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West cries, “I’m melting!” after Dorothy throws a bucket of water on her. The water causes the witch to dissolve, ending her threat to Dorothy and her companions.
The scene is a major turning point because the witch had pursued Dorothy for the ruby slippers. Water is established as fatal to this witch, although the film does not present the same vulnerability for every magical character in Oz.
The 1939 film stars Judy Garland as Dorothy and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West. It adapts L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but the movie combines and changes elements from the book. The film’s famous use of Technicolor is especially associated with Dorothy’s arrival in the colorful land of Oz.