West Point uniforms in 'Wizard of Oz'

[snopes]

Comment: I have heard that the film makers of the Wizard of Oz used the
formal dress uniform coats from the cadets of The U.S. Military Academy at
West Point in the movie. Some say that they were worn by the witches'
guards and some say by the flying monkeys.

I have also heard that the witches' castle scenes were actually filmed
using buildings on the West Point campus.

[RCIAG]

In all of the "making of" things I've seen, they've never mentioned anything about the uniforms of the guards, not that I recall anyway, but they do show a lot of filming & it all looks like sets on a soundstage at MGM.

I've never heard any mention of West Point at all, in relation to uniforms or sets, in the 70 years this movie has been in existence though there's similarities in the Guard's costumes. The buttons & the grey but that's all I can see. If they were black they wouldn't look as similar.

For the record, the guards are called Winkies, though I've no clue why.

Guard & monkey uniforms.




West Point uniforms

[MegansMom]

Originally Posted by RCIAG

For the record, the guards are called Winkies, though I've no clue why.

Please see the map of Oz below. As Oz is an inverted world, east and west are opposite our world. The wicked witch of the west lived in Winkie county (right on the map) while the wicked witch of the east (squashed by Dorothy's house) lived in Munchkin county (left on the map). So the guards were Winkies because they lived in Winkie county.

[RCIAG]

That sounds & looks vaguely familiar now that you've posted it.

[Banrion]

Originally Posted by MegansMom

Please see the map of Oz below. As Oz is an inverted world, east and west are opposite our world.

Why is the compass on the map then labelled traditionally?

[musicgeek]

Originally Posted by Banrion

Why is the compass on the map then labelled traditionally?

Probably because Prof. Wogglebug, T.E. (that's "Thoroughly Educated") was a bit of an idiot. (Even if he was "Highly Magnified" as well.)