Jimmie Walker of “Good Times” was the first choice of Sidney Lumet to play the Scarecrow in “The Wiz” (1978).
But producer Rob Cohen wanted a singer and dancer, so he convinced Lumet to cast Michael Jackson.
By the start of development on “The Wiz” in 1977, Michael and his brothers The Jacksons, had left Motown for Epic Records after the release of their tenth album “Moving Violation,” though Jackson had yet to make a solo album since his fourth album “Forever.” Cohen, head of Motown Productions, thought Jackson would be perfect for the role of the Scarecrow, and approached Berry Gordy with the idea, who agreed, though Lumet was harder to convince, telling Cohen “Michael Jackson’s a Vegas act. The Jackson 5’s a Vegas act.
Music supervisor Quincy Jones was also skeptical of Jackson, but after Cohen arranged a meeting, flying 19-year-old Jackson to New York, Lumet and Jones saw the qualities that Cohen saw.
Jackson’s father, Joseph Jackson, was wary of the project and saw it as a threat to the Jacksons group cohesion.
Cohen moved Michael and his sister La Toya Jackson into a Manhattan apartment, allowing him to be on his own for the first time.
During the production, he became a frequent visitor to New York’s famous Studio 54.
Jackson was dedicated to the Scarecrow role, and watched videotapes of gazelles, cheetahs and panthers in order to learn graceful movements for his part.
The long hours of uncomfortable prosthetic makeup by Stan Winston did not bother him.
During the production of the film, Jackson asked Jones who he would recommend as a producer on a yet unrecorded solo album project. Jones, impressed by Jackson’s professionalism, talent and work ethic on the film, offered to be producer of what became “Off The Wall”, then later on the hugely successful albums “Thriller” and “Bad.”
The first song that Jackson sings, “You Can’t Win,” was originally written for the stage version for the Winkies to sing to Dorothy about the futility of escaping from Evillene.
The song was cut from the stage version of the musical during previews but was included in the film as the Scarecrow’s song.
Original director John Badham was fired when he objected to Diana Ross, then 33 years old, being cast as the 14-year-old Dorothy.
Though in the movie, her character was changed to a 24-year-old kindergarten school teacher. (IMDb/Wikipedia)
Happy Birthday, Michael Jackson!