Which actress played Dorothy in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz?

Judy Garland played Dorothy Gale in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

Garland was sixteen when she was cast as the Kansas farm girl who travels to Oz. Her performance made her an international star, and her recording of “Over the Rainbow” became the signature song of her career. The role remains one of the most recognizable performances in American film history.

MGM considered other young performers for Dorothy, including Shirley Temple and Deanna Durbin. Garland was ultimately selected after those possibilities did not work out, and the studio adjusted her appearance and wardrobe to emphasize Dorothy’s youth and innocence.

Margaret Hamilton played the Wicked Witch of the West, not Dorothy. Shirley Temple was a major child star but did not appear in the film, while Deanna Durbin was considered rather than cast. Garland later received an Academy Juvenile Award recognizing her work in 1939.