1. Buddy Ebsen As The Tin Man - The Wizard Of Oz
There might be no story in Hollywood history sadder than this one: actor Buddy Ebsen, cast as one of the most iconic characters of all-time in one of the most iconic movies of all-time, was eventually unable to play the role thanks a strange and unexpected "injury" that rendered him useless.... that of an allergic reaction. Yes, Ebsen was hired to play the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, went through the entire rehearsal process, and recorded all of his songs, and then... disaster. Yes, when it came time to fit Ebsen with the appropriate costume, they opted to use a substance called aluminium dust. In what can only be described as a "cruel twist of fate," it turned out that Ebsen was allergic to the stuff and it had infected his lungs. He spent two weeks in hospital in the worst pain ever, presumably confident that he would eventually get back to work. Nope: producer Mervyn LeRoy hired Jack Haley to replace the poor guy, and the rest - as they say - is history.
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