grw@fortune.UUCP (Glenn Wichman) (07/10/84)
bip.
It is not the case that Buddy Ebsen was alergic to the makeup
and (whoever replaced him) was not.
Originally, the makeup for the Tin Man was just powdered aluminum.
This dust got into the air, and B.E. inhaled a lot of it. This put
him in the hospital (as it would have done to anybody). When (whoever
replaced him) came in, someone figured out that it would be wiser to
mix the aluminum dust with cold cream, so that it would stick better
and would not be inhaled.
This was said by Buddy Ebsen to Johnny Carson, so I'm pretty sure
it's true.
-Glenn