The Wizard of Oz

This article is about the 1939 film. For the book, seeThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz.For other uses, seeThe Wizard of Oz (disambiguation).

The Wizard of Oz
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Victor Fleming
Screenplay by	Noel Langley Florence Ryerson Edgar Allan Woolf
Based on	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz(1900 children's novel) byL. Frank Baum
Produced by	Mervyn LeRoy
Starring	Judy Garland Frank Morgan Ray Bolger Bert Lahr Jack Haley Billie Burke Margaret Hamilton Charley Grapewin The Munchkins
Cinematography	Harold Rosson
Edited by	Blanche Sewell
Music by	Herbert Stothart
Production company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	Loew's, Inc.
Release dates	August 10, 1939(1939-08-10)(Green Bay) August 25, 1939(1939-08-25)(United States)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2.8 million
Box office	$29.7 million

The Wizard of Ozis a 1939 Americanmusicalfantasy filmproduced byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer(MGM). An adaptation ofL. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy novelThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz,it was primarily directed byVictor Fleming,who left production to take over the troubledGone with the Wind.It starsJudy Garland,Frank Morgan,Ray Bolger,Bert Lahr,Jack Haley,Billie BurkeandMargaret Hamilton.Noel Langley,Florence RyersonandEdgar Allan Woolfreceived credit for the screenplay, while others made uncredited contributions. The music was composed byHarold Arlenand adapted byHerbert Stothart,with lyrics byEdgar "Yip" Harburg.

The Wizard of Ozis celebrated for its use ofTechnicolor,fantasy storytelling, musical score, and memorable characters. It was a critical success and was nominated for fiveAcademy Awards,includingBest Picture,winningBest Original Songfor "Over the Rainbow"andBest Original Scorefor Stothart; anAcademy Juvenile Awardwas presented to Judy Garland. While the film was sufficiently popular at the box office, it failed to make a profit for MGM until its 1949 re-release, earning only $3 million on a $2.7 million budget, making it MGM's most expensive production at the time.

The1956 television broadcast premiere of the filmonCBSreintroduced the film to the public. According to the U.S.Library of Congress,it is the most seen film in movie history.In 1989, it was selected by the Library of Congress as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registryfor being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant";it is also one of the few films onUNESCO'sMemory of the World Register.The film was ranked second inVariety's inaugural 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list published in 2022.It was among the top ten in the 2005 BFI (British Film Institute) list of "50 films to be seen by the age of 14" and is on the BFI's updated list of "50 films to be seen by the age of 15" released in May 2020.The Wizard of Ozhas become the source of many quotes referenced in contemporary popular culture. The film frequently ranks on critics' lists of thegreatest films of all timeand is the most commercially successful adaptation of Baum's work.

Plot

Judy Garlandas Dorothy Gale andTerryasToto

In ruralKansas,Dorothy Galelives on a farm owned by her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. Dorothy's neighbor, Almira Gulch, who had been bitten by Dorothy's dog, Toto, obtains a sheriff's order authorizing her to seize Toto. Toto escapes and returns to Dorothy, who runs away to protect him. Professor Marvel, a charlatan fortune-teller, persuades Dorothy to go home because Aunt Em is heartbroken. She returns just as a tornado approaches the farm. Unable to get into the locked storm cellar, Dorothy takes cover in the farmhouse and is knocked unconscious as the tornado lifts the house and drops it intact onto an unknown land.

Dorothy awakens and is greeted by a good witch namedGlinda,who floats down in a bubble and explains that Dorothy has landed in Munchkinland in theLand of Oz,and that the Munchkins are celebrating because the house landed on theWicked Witch of the East.Her sister, theWicked Witch of the West,suddenly appears. Before she can seize her deceased sister'sruby slippers,Glinda magically transports them onto Dorothy's feet and tells her to keep them on. Because the Wicked Witch has no power in Munchkinland, she leaves, but swears vengeance upon Dorothy and Toto. Glinda tells Dorothy to follow theyellow brick roadto the Emerald City, the home of theWizard of Oz,as he might know how to help her return home as the bubble makes her vanish and float away.

Along the way, Dorothy meets theScarecrow,who wants a brain; theTin Man,who wants a heart; and theCowardly Lion,who wants courage. The group reaches the Emerald City, despite the efforts of the Wicked Witch. Dorothy is initially denied an audience with the Wizard by his guard, but the guard relents due to Dorothy's grief, and the four are led into the Wizard's chambers. The Wizard appears as a giant ghostly head and tells them he will grant their wishes if they bring him the Wicked Witch's broomstick.

During their quest, Dorothy and Toto are captured byflying monkeysand taken to the Wicked Witch, but the ruby slippers protect her and Toto manages to escape, leading the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion to the castle. They free Dorothy, but are pursued and finally cornered by the Witch and her guards. The Witch taunts them and sets fire to the Scarecrow's arm. When Dorothy throws a bucket of water onto the Scarecrow, she inadvertently splashes the Witch, causing her to melt away.

The Witch's guards gratefully give Dorothy her broomstick, and the four return to the Wizard, but he tells them to return tomorrow. When Toto pulls back a curtain, the "Wizard" is revealed to be an ordinary man operating machinery that projects a ghostly image of his face. The four travelers confront the Wizard, who insists he is a good man at heart, but confesses to being a humbug. He then "grants" the wishes of Dorothy's three friends by giving them tokens to confirm that they have the qualities they sought.

The Wizard reveals that he, like Dorothy, is from Kansas and accidentally arrived in Oz in a hot air balloon. When he offers to take Dorothy back to Kansas with him aboard his balloon, she accepts, but Toto jumps off and Dorothy goes after him, and the balloon accidentally lifts off with just the Wizard aboard. Glinda reappears and tells Dorothy she always had the power to return to Kansas using the ruby slippers, but had to find that out for herself. After sharing a tearful farewell with her friends, Dorothy heeds Glinda's instructions by tapping her heels three times and repeating, "There's no place like home."

Dorothy is transported back to Kansas, where she awakens in her own bed. Aunt Em attends to her while Uncle Henry and the farm hands stand by. Professor Marvel stops in as Dorothy describes Oz, telling the farm hands and the Professor they were there too, and they smile, humoring her. As Dorothy hugs Toto, she gratefully exclaims, "Oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home!"

Cast

In the film's end credits, whenever a Kansas character has a counterpart in Oz, only the Kansas character is listed. For example, Frank Morgan is listed as playing Professor Marvel, but not the Wizard of Oz. The only Oz characters listed in the credits are Glinda and the Munchkins.

Left to right: The Cowardly Lion, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man

• Judy GarlandasDorothy Gale
• Frank Morganas Professor Marvel andthe Wizard of Oz,the Gatekeeper, the Carriage Driver, and the Guard at the Wizard's door
• Ray Bolgeras "Hunk", a farmhand, and theScarecrow
• Bert Lahras "Zeke", a farmhand, and theCowardly Lion
• Jack Haleyas "Hickory", a farmhand, and theTin Man
• Billie BurkeasGlinda,the Good Witch of the North
• Margaret Hamiltonas Almira Gulch and theWicked Witch of the West
• Charley GrapewinasUncle Henry
• Pat Walsheas Nikko
• Clara BlandickasAunt Em
• TerryasToto
• TheSingerMidgets as The Munchkins (SeeMunchkin § Actors and actresses)

Uncredited

• Mitchell Lewisas the Winkie Guard Captain
• Adriana Caselottias the voice ofJulietin the Tin Man's song "If I Only Had a Heart"
• Candy Candidoas the voice of the angry apple tree

Production

Development

Production on the film began whenWalt Disney'sSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs(1937) showed that films adapted from popular children's stories and fairytales could be successful.In January 1938,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayerbought the rights to L. Frank Baum's popular novelThe Wonderful Wizard of OzfromSamuel Goldwyn.Goldwyn had considered making the film as a vehicle forEddie Cantor,who was under contract toSamuel Goldwyn Productionsand whom Goldwyn wanted to cast as the Scarecrow.

The script went through several writers and revisions.Mervyn LeRoy's assistant,William H. Cannon,had submitted a brief four-page outline.Because recent fantasy films had not fared well, he recommended toning down or removing the magical elements. In his outline, the Scarecrow was a man so stupid that the only employment open to him was scaring crows from cornfields, and the Tin Woodman was a criminal so heartless that he was sentenced to be placed in a tin suit for eternity. This torture softened him into somebody gentler and kinder.Cannon's vision was similar toLarry Semon's1925 film adaptation,in which the magical elements are absent.

Afterward, LeRoy hired screenwriterHerman J. Mankiewicz,who delivered a 17-page draft of the Kansas scenes. A few weeks later, Mankiewicz delivered a further 56 pages. LeRoy also hiredNoel Langleyand poetOgden Nashto write separate versions of the story. None of these three knew about the others, and this was not an uncommon procedure. Nash delivered a four-page outline; Langley turned in a 43-page treatment and a full film script. Langley then turned in three more scripts, this time incorporating the songs written byHarold ArlenandYip Harburg.Florence RyersonandEdgar Allan Woolfsubmitted a script and were brought on board to touch up the writing. They were asked to ensure that the story stayed true to Baum's book. However, producerArthur Freedwas unhappy with their work and reassigned it to Langley.During filming,Victor FlemingandJohn Lee Mahinrevised the script further, adding and cutting some scenes. Haley and Lahr are also known to have written some of their dialogue for the Kansas sequence.

They completed the final draft of the script on October 8, 1938, following numerous rewrites.Others who contributed to the adaptation without credit includeIrving Brecher,Herbert Fields,Arthur Freed, Yip Harburg,Samuel Hoffenstein,Jack Mintz, Sid Silvers,Richard Thorpe,George CukorandKing Vidor.Only Langley, Ryerson, and Woolf were credited for the script.

In addition, songwriter Harburg's son (and biographer) Ernie Harburg reported:

So anyhow, Yip also wrote all the dialogue in that time and the setup to the songs and he also wrote the part where they give out the heart, the brains, and the nerve, because he was the final script editor. And he – there was eleven screenwriters on that – and he pulled the whole thing together, wrote his own lines and gave the thing a coherence and unity which made it a work of art. But he doesn't get credit for that. He gets lyrics by E. Y. Harburg, you see. But nevertheless, he put his influence on the thing.

The original producers thought that a 1939 audience was too sophisticated to accept Oz as a straight-ahead fantasy; therefore, it was reconceived as a lengthy, elaboratedream sequence.Because they perceived a need to attract a youthful audience by appealing to modern fads and styles, the score had featured a song called "The Jitterbug", and the script had featured a scene with a series of musical contests. A spoiled, selfish princess in Oz had outlawed all forms of music except classical music andoperetta.The princess challenged Dorothy to a singing contest, in which Dorothy'sswingstyle enchanted listeners and won the grand prize. This part was initially written forBetty Jaynes,but was later dropped.

Another scene, which was removed before final script approval and never filmed, was an epilogue scene in Kansas after Dorothy's return. Hunk (the Kansan counterpart to the Scarecrow) is leaving for an agricultural college, and extracts a promise from Dorothy to write to him. The scene implies that romance will eventually develop between the two, which also may have been intended as an explanation for Dorothy's partiality for the Scarecrow over her other two companions. This plot idea was never totally dropped, and is especially noticeable in the final script when Dorothy, just before she is to leave Oz, tells the Scarecrow, "I think I'll miss you most of all."

Much attention was given to the use of color in the production, with the MGM production crew favoring some hues over others. It took the studio's art department almost a week to settle on the shade of yellow used for theYellow Brick Road.

Casting

See also:Munchkin § 1939 film

Judy Garland as Dorothy

Several actresses were reportedly considered for the part of Dorothy, includingShirley Templefrom20th Century Fox,at the time, the most prominent child star;Deanna Durbin,a relative newcomer, with a recognized operatic voice; andJudy Garland,the most experienced of the three. Officially, the decision to cast Garland was attributed to contractual issues.

Ebsen's costume test as the Tin Man

Ray Bolgerwas originally cast as the Tin Man andBuddy Ebsenwas to play the Scarecrow.Bolger, however, longed to play the Scarecrow, as his childhood idolFred Stonehad doneon stage in 1902;with that very performance, Stone had inspired him to become a vaudevillian in the first place. Now unhappy with his role as the Tin Man (reportedly claiming, "I'm not a tin performer; I'm fluid" ), Bolger convinced producer Mervyn LeRoy to recast him in the part he so desired.Ebsen did not object; after going over the basics of the Scarecrow's distinctive gait with Bolger (as a professional dancer, Ebsen had been cast because the studio was confident he would be up to the task of replicating the famous "wobbly-walk" of Stone's Scarecrow), he recorded all of his songs, went through all the rehearsals as the Tin Man and began filming with the rest of the cast.

W. C. Fieldswas originally chosen for the title role of the Wizard (afterEd Wynnturned it down, considering the part "too small" ), but the studio could not meet Fields' fee.Wallace Beerylobbied for the role, but the studio refused to spare him during the long shooting schedule. Instead, another contract player,Frank Morgan,was cast on September 22.

VeteranvaudevilleperformerPat Walshewas best known for his performance as various monkeys in many theater productions and circus shows. He was cast as Nikko, the headWinged Monkey,on September 28, traveling to MGM studios on October 3.

An extensive talent search produced over a hundredlittle peopleto play Munchkins; this meant that most of the film's Oz sequences would have to be shot before work on the Munchkinland sequence could begin. According to Munchkin actorJerry Maren,the little people were each paid over $125 a week (equivalent to $2,700 today).Meinhardt Raabe,who played the coroner, revealed in the 1990 documentaryThe Making of the Wizard of Ozthat the MGM costume and wardrobe department, under the direction of designerAdrian,had to design over 100 costumes for the Munchkin sequences. They photographed and cataloged each Munchkin in their costume so they could consistently apply the same costume and makeup each day of production.

Gale Sondergaardwas originally cast as the Wicked Witch of the West, but withdrew from the role when the witch's persona shifted from sly and glamorous (thought to emulate theEvil Queenin Disney'sSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs) to the familiar "ugly hag".She was replaced on October 10, 1938, just three days before filming started, by MGM contract playerMargaret Hamilton.Sondergaard said in an interview for a bonus feature on the DVD that she had no regrets about turning down the part. Sondergaard would go on to play a glamorous feline villainess inFox's version ofMaurice Maeterlinck'sThe Blue Birdin 1940.Hamilton played a role remarkably similar to the Wicked Witch in the Judy Garland filmBabes in Arms(1939).

According to Aljean Harmetz, the "gone-to-seed" coat worn by Morgan as the Wizard was selected from a rack of coats purchased from a second-hand shop. According to legend, Morgan later discovered a label in the coat indicating it had once belonged to Baum, that Baum's widow confirmed this, and that the coat was eventually presented to her. But Baum biographerMichael Patrick Hearnsays the Baum family denies ever seeing the coat or knowing of the story; Hamilton considered it a rumor concocted by the studio.

Filming

Ebsen replaced by Haley

The production faced the challenge of creating the Tin Man's costume. Several tests were done to find the right makeup and clothes for Ebsen.Ten days into the shoot, Ebsen suffered a toxic reaction after repeatedly inhaling the aluminum dust (which his daughter, Kiki Ebsen, has said the studio misrepresented as an "allergic reaction" ) in the aluminum powder makeup he wore, though he did recall taking a breath one night without suffering any immediate effects. He was hospitalized in critical condition and was subsequently forced to leave the project. In a later interview (included on the 2005 DVD release ofThe Wizard of Oz), he recalled that the studio heads appreciated the seriousness of his illness only after he was hospitalized. Filming halted while a replacement for him was sought.

No footage of Ebsen as the Tin Man has ever been released – only photos taken during filming and makeup tests. His replacement,Jack Haley,assumed Ebsen had been fired.The makeup used for Haley was quietly changed to an aluminum paste, with a layer of clown white greasepaint underneath, in order to protect his skin. Although it did not have the same dire effect on Haley, he did at one point suffer an eye infection from it. To keep down on production costs, Haley only rerecorded "If I Only Had a Heart" and solo lines during "If I Only Had the Nerve" and the scrapped song "The Jitterbug"; as such, Ebsen's voice can still be heard in the remaining songs featuring the Tin Man in group vocals.

George Cukor's brief stint

LeRoy, after reviewing the footage and feeling Thorpe was rushing the production, adversely affecting the actors' performances, had Thorpe replaced. During reorganization on the production,George Cukortemporarily took over under LeRoy's guidance. Initially, the studio had made Garland wear a blonde wig and heavy "baby-doll" makeup, and she played Dorothy in an exaggerated fashion. Cukor changed Garland's and Hamilton's makeup and costumes, and told Garland to "be herself". This meant that all the scenes Garland and Hamilton had already completed had to be reshot. Cukor also suggested the studio cast Jack Haley, on loan from Fox, as the Tin Man.

Victor Fleming, the main director

Cukor did not shoot any scenes for the film, but acted merely as a creative advisor to the troubled production. His prior commitment to directGone with the Windrequired him to leave on November 3, 1938, whenVictor Flemingassumed directorial responsibility. As director, Fleming chose not to shift the film from Cukor's creative realignment, as producer LeRoy had already expressed his satisfaction with the film's new course.

Production on the bulk of the Technicolor sequences was a long and exhausting process that ran for over six months, from October 1938 to March 1939. Most of the cast worked six days a week and had to arrive as early as 4 a.m. to be fitted with makeup and costumes, and often did not leave until 7 pm or later. Cumbersome makeup and costumes were made even more uncomfortable by the daylight-bright lighting the early Technicolor process required, which could heat the set to over 100 °F (38 °C), which also had the side effect of bringing the production's electricity bill to a staggering estimate of $225,000 (equivalent to $4,928,469 in 2023).Bolger later said that the frightening nature of the costumes prevented most of the Oz principals from eating in the studio commissary;and the toxicity of Hamilton's copper-based makeup forced her to eat a liquid diet on shoot days.It took as many as twelve takes to have Toto run alongside the actors as they skipped down the Yellow Brick Road.

All the Oz sequences were filmed inthree-strip Technicolor,with while theopeningandclosing credits,and the Kansas sequences, were filmed in black and white and colored in asepia-toneprocess.Sepia-tone film was also used in the scene where Aunt Em appears in the Wicked Witch's crystal ball. The film was not the first to use Technicolor, which was introduced inThe Gulf Between(1917) as atwo-coloradditive process, nor the first to use the three-color subtractiveTechnicolor Process 4,which made its live-action debut during a sequence inThe Cat and the Fiddle(1934).

In Hamilton's exit from Munchkinland, a concealedelevatorwas installed to lower her below stage level, as fire andsmokeerupted to dramatize and conceal her exit. The first take ran well, but on the second take, the burst of fire came too soon. The flames set fire to her green, copper-based face paint, causing third-degree burns to her hands and face. She spent three months recuperating before returning to work.Her green makeup had usually been removed withacetonedue to itstoxiccopper content. Because of Hamilton's burns, makeup artist Jack Young removed the makeup with alcohol to prevent infection.

On-set treatment and abuse allegations

Since the film has been released, credible stories have come out indicating that Judy Garland endured extensive abuse during and before filming from various parties involved.The studio went to extreme lengths to change her appearance, including binding her chest and giving herBenzedrinetablets to keep her weight down, along with uppers and downers that caused giggling fits. There were claims that various members of the cast pointed out her breasts and made other lewd comments. Victor Fleming slapped her during the Cowardly Lion's introduction scene when Garland could not stop laughing at Lahr's performance. Once the scene was done, Fleming, reportedly ashamed of himself, ordered the crew to punch him in the face. Garland, however, kissed him instead.She was also forced to wear a cap on her teeth due to the fact some of her teeth were misaligned and also had to wear rubber discs on her nose to change its shape during filming.Claims have been made in memoirs that the frequently drunk actors portraying the Munchkins propositioned and pinched her.Garland said that she was groped byLouis B. Mayer.

Special effects, makeup and costumes

Arnold Gillespie,the film'sspecial effectsdirector, employed several techniques.Developing thetornadoscene was especially costly. Gillespie usedmuslincloth to make the tornado flexible, after a previous attempt with rubber failed. He hung the 35 ft (11 m) of muslin from a steelgantryand connected the bottom to a rod. By moving the gantry and rod, he was able to create the illusion of a tornado moving across the stage.Fuller's earthwas sprayed from both the top and bottom using compressed air hoses to complete the effect. Dorothy's house was recreated using amodel.Stock footage of this tornado was later recycled for a climactic scene in the 1943 musical filmCabin in the Sky,directed by Judy Garland's eventual second husbandVincente Minnelli.

The Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow masks were made offoam latexmakeup created by makeup artistJack Dawn.Dawn was one of the first to use this technique.It took an hour each day to slowly peel Bolger's glued-on mask from his face, a process that eventually left permanent lines around his mouth and chin.

The Tin Man's costume was made of leather-coveredbuckram,and the oil used to grease his joints was made fromchocolate syrup.The Cowardly Lion's costume was made from real lion skin and fur.Due to the heavy makeup, Bert Lahr could only consume soup and milkshakes on break, which eventually made him sick. After a few months, Lahr put his foot down and requested normal meals along with makeup redos after lunch.For the "horse of a different color" scene,Jell-Opowder was used to color the white horses.Asbestoswas used to achieve some of the special effects, such as the witch's burning broomstick and the fake snow that covers Dorothy as she sleeps in the field of poppies.

Music

Main article:Musical selections in The Wizard of Oz

Herbert Stothart conducting the MGM Studio Orchestra forThe Wizard of Oz,which was recorded at the MGM studios

The Wizard of Ozis famous for its musical selections and soundtrack. Its songs were composed byHarold Arlen,with lyrics byE. Y. "Yip" Harburg.They won theAcademy Award for Best Original Songfor "Over the Rainbow". The song ranks first in theAFI's 100 Years...100 Songsand theRecording Industry Association of America's "365 Songs of the Century".

MGM composerHerbert Stothart,a well-known Hollywood composer and songwriter, won theAcademy Award for Best Original Score.

Georgie Stollwas associate conductor, and screen credit was given toGeorge Bassman,Murray Cutter,Ken Darbyand Paul Marquardt for orchestral and vocal arrangements. (As usual,Roger Edenswas also heavily involved as an unbilled musical associate to Freed.)

The songs were recorded in the studio's scoring stage before filming. Several of the recordings were completed while Ebsen was still with the cast. Although he had to be dropped from the cast because of a dangerous reaction to his aluminum powder makeup, his singing voice remained on the soundtrack (as mentioned in the notes for the CD Deluxe Edition). He can be heard in the group vocals of "We're Off to See the Wizard".

Bolger's original recording of "If I Only Had a Brain"was far more sedate than the version in the film. During filming, Cukor and LeRoy decided a more energetic rendition better suited Dorothy's initial meeting with the Scarecrow, and it was rerecorded. The original version was considered lost until a copy was discovered in 2009.

Songs

All lyrics are written by E. Y. Yip Harburg; all music is composed by Harold Arlen

No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"Over the Rainbow"	Judy Garland
2.	"Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are"	Billie Burke&The Munchkins Chorus
3.	"It Really was No Miracle"	Judy Garland&The Munchkins Chorus
4.	"We Thank You Very Sweetly"	The Munchkins Chorus
5.	"Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead"	The Munchkins Chorus
6.	"As Mayor of the Munchkin City"	Billy Bletcher&Pinto Colvig
7.	"As Coroner I Must Aver"	Meinhardt Raabe
8.	"The Lullaby League"	Lorraine Bridges,Betty Rome & Carol Tevis
9.	"The Lollipop Guild"	Billy Bletcher,Pinto Colvig&Jerry Maren
10.	"We Welcome You to Munchkinland"	The Munchkins Chorus
11.	"You're Off to See the Wizard"	Judy Garland&The Munchkins Chorus
12.	"If I Only Had a Brain"	Ray Bolger&Judy Garland
13.	"We're Off to See the Wizard"	Judy Garland&Ray Bolger
14.	"If I Only had a Heart"	Jack Haley&Adriana Caselotti
15.	"We're Off to See the Wizard (Reprise)"	Judy Garland,Ray Bolger& Buddy Ebsen
16.	"If I Only had the Nerve"	Bert Lahr
17.	"We're Off to See the Wizard (Reprise 2)"	Judy Garland,Ray Bolger,Buddy Ebsen &Bert Lahr
18.	"Optimistic Voices"	MGM Studio Chorus
19.	"The Merry Old Land of Oz"	Frank Morgan,Judy Garland,Ray Bolger,Jack Haley,Bert Lahr& Chorus
20.	"If I Were King of the Forest"	Bert Lahr,Judy Garland,Ray Bolger&Jack Haley
21.	"The Jitterbug"	Judy Garland,Ray Bolger,Jack Haley&Bert Lahr

Deleted songs

Lobby card with still of deleted musical number "Hail! Hail! The Witch Is Dead!", sung upon the return to the Emerald City

Some musical pieces were filmed and deleted later, in the editing process.

The song "The Jitterbug", written in a swing style, was intended for a sequence where the group journeys to the Witch's castle. Owing to time constraints, it was cut from the final theatrical version. The film footage of the song has been lost, although silent home-film footage of rehearsals has survived. The audio recording of the song was preserved, and was included in the two-CDRhino Recordsdeluxe edition of the soundtrack, as well as on the film's VHS and DVD editions. A reference to "The Jitterbug" remains in the film: The Witch tells her flying monkeys that they should have no trouble apprehending Dorothy and her friends because "I've sent a little insect on ahead to take the fight out of them."

Another musical number cut before release came right after the Wicked Witch of the West was melted and before Dorothy and her friends returned to the Wizard. This was a reprise of "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" (blended with "We're Off to See the Wizard"and" The Merry Old Land of Oz ") with the lyrics altered to" Hail! Hail! The witch is dead! "This started with the Witch's guard saying" Hail to Dorothy! The Wicked Witch is dead! "and dissolved to a huge celebration by the citizens of the Emerald City, who sang the song as they accompanied Dorothy and her friends to the Wizard. Today, the film of this scene is also lost, and only a few stills survive, along with a few seconds of footage used on several reissue trailers. The entire audio track was preserved and is included on the two-CD Rhino Record" deluxe "soundtrack edition.

Garland was to sing a brief reprise of "Over the Rainbow" while Dorothy was trapped in the Witch's castle, but it was cut because it was considered too emotionally intense. Because Garland sung the reprise live on set, only the underscoring from the final edit survives. However, the on-set audio of the scene when it was originally filmed under Richard Thorpe still exists and was included as an extra in all home media releases from 1993 onward. The Deluxe Edition soundtrack marries the singing from the Thorpe take to the underscoring from the Fleming version to approximate what this would have sounded like.

Underscoring

Extensive edits in the film's final cut removed vocals from the last portion of the film. However, the film was fullyunderscored,with instrumental snippets from the film's variousleitmotifsthroughout. There was also some recognizable classical and popular music, including:

• Excerpts fromSchumann's "The Happy Farmer",at several points early in the film, including the opening scene when Dorothy and Toto hurry home after their encounter with Miss Gulch; when Toto escapes from her; and when the house" rides "the tornado.
• An excerpt ofMendelssohn's Scherzo in E minor, Op. 16, No. 2, when Toto escapes from the Witch's castle.
• An excerpt ofMussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain",when Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion try to escape from the Witch's castle.
• "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree",when Dorothy and the Scarecrow discover the anthropomorphic apple trees.
• "Gaudeamus Igitur",as the Wizard presents awards to the group.
• "Home! Sweet Home!",in part of the closing scene, at Dorothy's house in Kansas.

(This list is excerpted from the liner notes of the Rhino Records collection.)

Post-production

Principal photographyconcluded with the Kansas sequences on March 16, 1939. Reshoots and pickup shots were done through April and May and into June, under the direction of producer LeRoy. When the "Over the Rainbow" reprise was removed after subsequent test screenings in early June, Garland had to be brought back to reshoot the "Auntie Em, I'm frightened!" scene without the song. The footage of Blandick's Aunt Em, as shot by Vidor, had already been set aside for rear-projection work, and was reused.

After Hamilton's severe injuries with the Munchkinland elevator, she refused to do the pickups for the scene where she flies on a broomstick that billows smoke, so LeRoy hadstunt doubleBetty Dankoperform instead. Danko was severely injured when the smoke mechanism malfunctioned.

At this point, the film began a long, arduous post-production.Herbert Stothartcomposed the film's background score, whileA. Arnold Gillespieperfected the special effects, including many of the rear-projection shots. The MGM art department createdmatte paintingsfor many scene backgrounds.

A significant innovation planned for the film was the use of stencil printing for the transition to Technicolor. Each frame was to be hand-tinted to maintain the sepia tone. However, it was abandoned because it was too expensive and labor-intensive, and MGM used a simpler, less expensive technique: During the May reshoots, the inside of the farmhouse was painted sepia, and when Dorothy opens the door, it is not Garland, but her stand-in, Bobbie Koshay, wearing a sepiagingham dress,who then backs out of frame. Once the camera moves through the door, Garland steps back into frame in her bright blue gingham dress (as noted in DVD extras), and the sepia-painted door briefly tints her with the same color before she emerges from the house's shadow, into the bright glare of the Technicolor lighting. This also meant that the reshoots provided the first proper shot of Munchkinland. If one looks carefully, the brief cut to Dorothy looking around outside the house bisects a single long shot, from the inside of the doorway to the pan-around that finally ends in a reverse-angle as the ruins of the house are seen behind Dorothy and she comes to a stop at the foot of the small bridge.

Test screeningsof the film began on June 5, 1939.Ozinitially ran nearly two hours long. In 1939, the average film ran for about 90 minutes. LeRoy and Fleming knew they needed to cut at least 15 minutes to get the film down to a manageable running time. Three sneak previews inSan Bernardino,PomonaandSan Luis Obispo, California,guided LeRoy and Fleming in the cutting. Among the many cuts were "The Jitterbug" number, the Scarecrow's elaborate dance sequence following "If I Only Had a Brain", reprises of "Over the Rainbow" and "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead",and a number of smaller dialogue sequences. This left the final, mostly serious portion of the film with no songs, only the dramatic underscoring.

"Over the Rainbow" was almost deleted. MGM felt that it made the Kansas sequence too long, as well as being far over the heads of the target audience of children. The studio also thought that it was degrading for Garland to sing in a barnyard. LeRoy, uncredited associate producer Arthur Freed and director Fleming fought to keep it in, and they eventually won. The song went on to win theAcademy Award for Best Original Song,and came to be identified so strongly with Garland herself that she made it her signature song.

After the preview in San Luis Obispo in early July, the film was officially released in August 1939 at its current 101-minute running time.

Release

Original theatrical run

A memorial commemorating the film's world premiere at the Strand Theatre inOconomowoc, Wisconsin,on August 12, 1939

The film premiered at the Orpheum Theatre inGreen Bay, Wisconsin,on August 10, 1939.The first sneak preview was held inSan Bernardino, California.The film was previewed in threetest markets:Kenosha, Wisconsin,on August 11, 1939;Dennis, Massachusetts,also on August 11;and the Strand Theatre inOconomowoc, Wisconsin,on August 12.

The Hollywood premiere was on August 16, 1939,following a preview the night before atGrauman's Chinese Theatre.The New York City premiere, held atLoew's Capitol Theatreon August 17, 1939, was followed by a live performance with Garland and her frequent film co-starMickey Rooney.They continued to perform there after each screening for a week. Garland extended her appearance for two more weeks, partnered with Rooney for a second week and withOzco-stars Ray Bolger and Bert Lahr for the third and final week. The film opened nationwide on August 25, 1939.

Television

Main article:The Wizard of Ozon television

MGM soldCBSthe rights to televise the film for $225,000 (equivalent to $1.93 million in 2023) per broadcast.It was first shown on television on November 3, 1956, as the last installment of theFord Star Jubilee.It was a ratings success, with aNielsen ratingof 33.9 and an audience share of 53%.

It was repeated on December 13, 1959, and gained an even larger television audience, with a Nielsen rating of 36.5 and an audience share of 58%.It became an annual television tradition.

The UK television premiere was on December 25, 1975, on BBC-1. The estimated UK television audience was 20 million.

Home media

On October 25, 1980, the film was released on videocassette (in bothVHSandBetamaxformat) byMGM/CBS Home Video.All current home video releases are byWarner Home Video(via current rights holderTurner Entertainment).

The film's firstLaserDiscrelease was in 1983. In 1989, there were two releases for the 50th anniversary, one from Turner and one fromThe Criterion Collection,with a commentary track. LaserDiscs came out in 1991 and 1993, and the final LaserDisc was released September 11, 1996.

The film was released on theCEDformat once, in 1982, by MGM/UA Home Video.It has also been released multiple times outside of the North American and European markets, in Asia, in theVideo CDformat.

The first DVD release was on March 26, 1997, by MGM/Turner. It contained no special features or supplements. On October 19, 1999,The Wizard of Ozwas re-released by Warner Bros. to celebrate the film's 60th anniversary, with its soundtrack presented in a new5.1surround soundmix. The DVD also contained a behind-the-scenes documentary,The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic,produced in 1990 and hosted byAngela Lansbury,which was originally shown on television immediately following the 1990 telecast of the film. It had been featured in the 1993 "Ultimate Oz" LaserDisc release. Outtakes, the deleted "Jitterbug" musical number, clips of pre-1939Ozadaptations, trailers, newsreels, and a portrait gallery were also included, as well as two radio programs of the era publicizing the film.

In 2005, two DVD editions were released, both featuring a newly restored version of the film with anaudio commentaryand an isolated music and effects track. One of the two DVD releases was a "Two-Disc Special Edition", featuring production documentaries, trailers, outtakes, newsreels, radio shows and still galleries. The other set, a "Three-Disc Collector's Edition", included these features, as well as the digitally restored 80th-anniversary edition of the 1925 feature-length silent film version ofThe Wizard of Oz,other silentOzadaptations and a 1933 animated short version.

The film was released onBlu-rayon September 29, 2009, for its 70th anniversary, in a four-disc "Ultimate Collector's Edition", including all the bonus features from the 2005 Collector's Edition DVD, new bonus features about Victor Fleming and the surviving Munchkins, the telefilmThe Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story,and the miniseriesMGM: When the Lion Roars.For this edition, Warner Bros. commissioned a new transfer from the original negatives at8K resolution.The restoration job was given to Prime Focus World.This restored version also features alossless5.1Dolby TrueHDaudio track.

On December 1, 2009,three Blu-ray discs of the Ultimate Collector's Edition were repackaged as a less expensive "Emerald Edition". An Emerald Edition four-disc DVD arrived the following week. A single-disc Blu-ray, containing the restored movie and all the extra features of the two-disc Special Edition DVD, became available on March 16, 2010.

In 2013, the film was re-released on DVD,Blu-ray,Blu-ray 3DandUltraVioletfor the 90th anniversary ofWarner Bros.and the 75th anniversary of the film.

Many special editions were released in 2013 in celebration of the film's 75th anniversary, including one exclusively byBest Buy(a SteelBook of the 3D Blu-ray) and another byTargetstores that came with a keepsake lunch bag.

The film was issued on 4KUltra HD Blu-rayon October 29, 2019, featuring both aDolby Visionand anHDR10+grading from an 8K transfer.Another 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release, including collective replica items from the film's Hollywood premiere, is set for November 5, 2024, to celebrate the film's 85th anniversary.

Re-releases

This lobby card for the 1955 re-release carried a contemporary image of Garland.

Although the 1949 re-issue used sepia tone, the 1955 re-issue showed the Kansas sequences in black and white instead, a practice that continued on television broadcasts and home releases until the 50th anniversaryVHSrelease in 1989.

The MGM "Children's Matinees" seriesre-released the film twice, in both 1970 and 1971.It was for this release that the film received a G rating from the MPAA.

For the film's 60th anniversary, Warner Bros. released a "Special Edition" on November 6, 1998, digitally restored with remastered audio.

In 2002, the film had avery limited re-releasein U.S. theaters, earning only $139,905.

On September 23, 2009, the film was re-released in select theaters for a one-night-only event in honor of its 70th anniversary and as a promotion for various new disc releases later in the month. An encore of this event took place in theaters on November 17, 2009.

Poster for the 2013IMAX 3Dre-release, as part of the film's 75th anniversary

AnIMAX 3Dtheatrical re-release played at 300 theaters in North America for one week only beginning September 20, 2013, as part of the film's 75th anniversary.Warner Bros. spent $25 million on advertising. The studio hosted a premiere of the film's first IMAX 3D release on September 15, 2013, in Hollywood at the newly remodeledTCL Chinese Theatre(formerly Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the site of the film's Hollywood premiere). It was the first motion picture to play at the new theater and served as the grand opening of Hollywood's first 3D IMAX screen. It was also shown as a special presentation at the2013 Toronto International Film Festival.This re-release grossed $5.6 million at the North American box office.

In 2013, in preparation for its IMAX 3D release, the film was submitted to the MPAA for re-classification. According to MPAA rules, a film that has been altered in any way from its original version must be submitted for re-classification, and the 3-D conversion fell within that guideline. The 3D version received a PG rating for "Some scary moments", although no change was made to the film's original story content. The 2D version still retains its G rating.

The film was re-released on January 11 and 14, 2015, as part of the "TCM Presents" series byTurner Classic Movies.

The film was re-released byFathom Eventsthrough "TCM Big Screen Classics" on January 27, 29, 30, 2019, and February 3 and 5, 2019, as part of its 80th anniversary. It also had a one-week theatrical engagement inDolby Cinemaon October 25, 2019, to commemorate the anniversary.

The film returned to theaters on June 5 and 6, 2022, to celebrate Judy Garland's 100th birthday.

To celebrate the 85th anniversary, "Fathom Big Screen Classics" (now taken over from TCM) released the film January 28, 29 and 31, 2024, with a special introduction by Leonard Maltin and a preshow trivia game hosted by "Oz Vlog" host Victoria Calamito.

Reception

Critical response

The Wizard of Ozreceived widespread acclaim upon its release. Writing forThe New York Times,Frank Nugentconsidered the film a "delightful piece of wonder-working which had the youngsters' eyes shining and brought a quietly amused gleam to the wiser ones of the oldsters. Not since Disney'sSnow White and the Seven Dwarfshas anything quite so fantastic succeeded half so well. "Nugent had issues with some of the film's special effects:

with the best of will and ingenuity, they cannot make a Munchkin or a Flying Monkey that will not still suggest, however vaguely, a Singer's Midget in aJack Dawnmasquerade. Nor can they, without a few betraying jolts and split-screen overlappings, bring down from the sky the great soap bubble in which Glinda rides and roll it smoothly into place.

According to Nugent, "Judy Garland's Dorothy is a pert and fresh-faced miss with the wonder-lit eyes of a believer in fairy tales, but the Baum fantasy is at its best when the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion are on the move."

Writing inVariety,John C. Flinn predicted that the film was "likely to perform some record-breaking feats of box-office magic," noting, "Some of the scenic passages are so beautiful in design and composition as to stir audiences by their sheer unfoldment." He also called Garland "an appealing figure" and the musical numbers "gay and bright".

Harrison's Reportswrote, "Even though some persons are not interested in pictures of this type, it is possible that they will be eager to see this picture just for its technical treatment. The performances are good, and the incidental music is of considerable aid. Pictures of this caliber bring credit to the industry."

Film Dailywrote:

Leo the Lionis privileged to herald this one with his deepest roar—the one that comes from way down—for seldom if indeed ever has the screen been so successful in its approach to fantasy and extravaganza through flesh-and-blood... handsomely mounted fairy story in Technicolor, with its wealth of humor and homespun philosophy, its stimulus to the imagination, its procession of unforgettable settings, its studding of merry tunes should click solidly at the box-office.

Some reviews were less positive. Some moviegoers felt that the 16-year-old Garland was slightly too old to play the little girl who Baum intended his Dorothy to be. Russell Maloney ofThe New Yorkerwrote that the film displayed "no trace of imagination, good taste, or ingenuity" and declared it "a stinkeroo",while Otis Ferguson ofThe New Republicwrote: "It has dwarfs, music, Technicolor, freak characters, and Judy Garland. It can't be expected to have a sense of humor, as well – and as for the light touch of fantasy, it weighs like a pound of fruitcake soaking wet."Still, the film placed seventh onFilm Daily'syear-end nationwide poll of 542 critics naming the best films of 1939.

Box office

According to MGM records, during the film's initial release, it earned $2,048,000 in the U.S. and $969,000 in other countries throughout the world, for total earnings of $3,017,000. However, its high production cost, plus the costs of marketing, distribution, and other services, resulted in a loss of $1,145,000 for the studio.It did not show what MGM considered a profit until a 1949 re-release earned an additional $1.5 million (about $15 million in 2023). Christopher Finch, author of the Judy Garland biographyRainbow: The Stormy Life of Judy Garland,wrote: "Fantasy is always a risk at the box office. The film had been enormously successful as a book, and it had also been a major stage hit, but previous attempts to bring it to the screen had been dismal failures." He also wrote that after the film's success, Garland signed a new contract with MGM giving her a substantial increase in salary, making her one of the top ten box-office stars in the United States.

The film was also re-released domestically in 1955. Subsequent re-releases between 1989 and 2019 have grossed $25,173,032 worldwide,for a total worldwide gross of$29,690,032.

Legacy

Roger Ebertchose it as one of his Great Films, writing that "The Wizard of Ozhas a wonderful surface of comedy and music, special effects and excitement, but we still watch it six decades later because its underlying story penetrates straight to the deepest insecurities of childhood, stirs them and then reassures them. "

Dorothy in Munchkinland

In his 1992 critique of the film for the British Film Institute, authorSalman Rushdieacknowledged its effect on him, noting "The Wizard of Ozwas my very first literary influence ".In "Step Across This Line", he wrote: "When I first sawThe Wizard of Oz,it made a writer of me. "His first short story, written at the age of 10, was titled "Over the Rainbow".

In a 2009 retrospective article about the film,San Francisco Chroniclefilm critic and authorMick LaSalledeclared:

...the entireMunchkinlandsequence, from Dorothy's arrival in Oz to her departure on the yellow brick road, has to be one of the greatest in cinema history – a masterpiece of set design, costuming, choreography, music, lyrics, storytelling, and sheer imagination.

In 2018, it was named the "most influential film of all time" as the result of a study conducted by theUniversity of Turinto measure the success and significance of 47,000 films from around the world using data from readers and audience polls, as well as internet sources such asIMDb.It would top the list in their study, followed by theStar Warsfranchise,Psycho(1960),King Kong(1933) and2001: A Space Odyssey(1968) rounding out the top 5.

On the film review aggregator siteRotten Tomatoes,The Wizard of Ozhas a 98% rating based on 169 reviews, with an average score of 9.4/10. Its critical consensus reads, "An absolute masterpiece whose groundbreaking visuals and deft storytelling are still every bit as resonant,The Wizard of Ozis a must-see film for young and old. "AtMetacritic,which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film received a score of 92 out of 100, based on 30 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Awards and honors

Academy Awards

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
Academy Awards	February 29, 1940	Outstanding Production	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer	Nominated
		Best Art Direction	Cedric GibbonsandWilliam A. Horning	Nominated
		Best Original Score	Herbert Stothart	Won
		Best Original Song	"Over the Rainbow" Music byHarold Arlen,lyrics byE. Y. Harburg	Won
		Best Special Effects	A. Arnold GillespieandDouglas Shearer	Nominated
		Academy Juvenile Award	Judy Garland For her outstanding performance as a screen juvenile during the past year. (She was jointly awarded for her performances inBabes in ArmsandThe Wizard of Oz).	Honorary

American Film Institute lists

TheAmerican Film Institute(AFI) has compiled various lists which include this film or its elements.

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies– No. 6
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills– No. 43
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains:
  • Wicked Witch of the West– No. 4 Villain
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
  • "Over the Rainbow"– No. 1
  • "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead"– No. 82
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
  • "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." (Dorothy Gale) – No. 4
  • "There's no place like home." (Dorothy) – No. 23
  • "I'll get you, my pretty – and your little dog, too!" (Wicked Witch of the West) – No. 99
• AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals– No. 3
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers– No. 26
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)– No. 10
• AFI's 10 Top 10– No. 1Fantasy film

Other honors

• 1989: The film was one of the inaugural group of 25 films added to theNational Film Registrylist.
• 1999:Rolling Stone's 100 Maverick Movies – No. 20.
• 1999:Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Films – No. 32.
• 2000:The Village Voice's 100 Best Films of the 20th Century – No. 14.
• 2002: Nominated - 1939Palme d'Or
• 2002:Sight & Sound's Greatest Film Poll of Directors – No. 41.
• 2005:Total Film's 100 Greatest Films – No. 83
• 2005: TheBritish Film Instituteranked it second on its list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14, afterSpirited Away.
• 2006: The film placed 86th onBravo's100 Scariest Movie Moments.
• 2007: It toppedTotal Film's 23 Weirdest Films.
• 2007: The film was listed on UNESCO'sMemory of the World Register.
• 2007:The Observerranked the film's songs and music at the top of its list of 50 greatest film soundtracks.
• 2020: TheBritish Film Institutechanged its list to "50 films to see by age 15 – Updated"callingOz"The most wonderful of musicals"
• 2022: The film was ranked 2nd inVariety's inaugural list of The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.
• 2023: The film was ranked 5th inParade's list of The 100 Best Movies of All Time.
• 2023: The film was ranked 4th inComic Book Resources'list of The Best Movies of All Time.
• 2024: The film was ranked 7th onIndieWire's list of The 63 Best Movie Musicals of All Time.

Sequels and reinterpretations

Main article:Adaptations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

An official 1972 sequel, the animatedJourney Back to Oz,featuring the voice of Judy Garland's daughterLiza Minnelliwas produced to commemorate the original film's 35th anniversary.

The Wiz,a musical based on the novel, opened in 1974 inBaltimoreand in 1975 with a new cast on Broadway. It went on to win sevenTony Awards,includingBest Musical.

In 1975, a comic book adaptation of the film titledMGM's Marvelous Wizard of Ozwas released. It was the first co-production betweenDC ComicsandMarvel Comics.Marvel planned a series of sequels based on the subsequent novels. The first,The Marvelous Land of Oz,was published later that year. The next,The Marvelous Ozma of Ozwas expected to be released the following year but never came to be.

In 1985,Walt Disney Productionsreleased the live-action fantasy filmReturn to Oz,starringFairuza Balkin her film debut as a young Dorothy Galeand based onThe Marvelous Land of Oz(1904) andOzma of Oz(1907). With a darker story, it fared poorly with critics unfamiliar with theOzbooks and was not successful at the box office, although it has since become a popularcult film,with many considering it a more loyal and faithful adaptation of what L. Frank Baum envisioned.

The Broadway musicalWickedpremiered in 2003, and is based on the film and original novel. It has since gone on to become the second-highest grossing Broadway musical of all time, and won threeTony Awards,sevenDrama Desk Awards,and aGrammy Award.Atwo-part film adaptationof the musical, directed byJon M. Chu,has been in development atUniversal Picturessince 2004, withPart OneandPart Twoscheduled to be released in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

Andrew Lloyd WebberandTim Riceproduced astage musical of the same name,which opened in 2011 at theWest End'sLondon Palladium.

An animated film calledTom and Jerry and the Wizard of Ozwas released in 2011 by Warner Home Video, incorporatingTom and Jerryinto the story as Dorothy's "protectors".A sequel titledTom and Jerry: Back to Ozwas released on DVD on June 21, 2016.

In 2013,Walt Disney Picturesreleased a "spiritual prequel"titledOz the Great and Powerful.It was directed bySam Raimiand starredJames Franco,Mila Kunis,Rachel WeiszandMichelle Williams.It was the second film based on Baum'sOzseries to be produced by Disney, afterReturn to Oz.It was a commercial success but received a mixed reception from critics.

In 2014, independent film company Clarius Entertainment released a big-budget animated musical film,Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return,which follows Dorothy's second trip to Oz. The film fared poorly at the box office and was received negatively by critics, largely for its plot and unmemorable musical numbers.

In February 2021,New Line Cinema,Temple Hill EntertainmentandWickedproducerMarc Plattannounced that a new film version of the original book is in the works withWatchmen'sNicole Kassellslated to direct the reimagining, which will have the option to include elements from the 1939 film.

In August 2022, it was announced thatKenya Barriswould write and direct a modern remake.In January 2024, Barris confirmed that he finished penning the script and remarked "The originalWizard of Oztook place during theGreat Depressionand it was about self-reliance and what people were going through, I think this is the perfect time to switch the characters and talk about what someone imagines their life could be. It's ultimately ahero's journey,someone thinks something's better than where they're at, and they go and realize that where they're at is where they should be. I want people to be proud and happy about where they're from. But I want the world to take a look at it and I hope that will come through. "This involved changing the time period to the present day and changing Dorothy's home from Kansas to the Bottoms ofInglewood, California.

The 2024 marketing campaign forseason 22ofAmerican Idolis directly themed after this film, complete with a commercial featuringRyan Seacrestand the judgesKaty Perry,Lionel RichieandLuke Bryandressed as Tin Man, Dorothy, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow following the "Golden Ticket Road" toHollywood.This was to reflect the show's plans to visit the judges' hometowns throughout the season.

Cultural impact

According to the US Library of Congress exhibitionThe Wizard of Oz: an American Fairy Tale(2010):

The Wonderful Wizard of Ozis America's greatest and best-loved home-grown fairytale. The first totally American fantasy for children, it is one of the most-read children's books... Despite its many particularly American attributes, including a wizard from Omaha, [the 1939 film adaptation] has universal appeal...Because of its many television showings between 1956 and 1974, it has been seen by more viewers than any other movie ".

In 1977,Aljean HarmetzwroteThe Making of The Wizard of Oz,a detailed description of the creation of the film based on interviews and research; it was updated in 1989.

Ruby slippers

An original pair of the ruby slippers on display at theSmithsonian Institution

Because of their iconic stature,theruby slippersworn by Judy Garland in the film are now among the most treasured and valuablefilm memorabiliain movie history.Dorothy actually woreSilver Shoesin the book series, but the color was changed to ruby to take advantage of the new Technicolor process.Adrian,MGM's chief costume designer, was responsible for the final design. Five known pairs of the slippers exist.Another, differently styled pair, not used in the film, was sold at auction by actressDebbie Reynoldsfor $510,000 (not including the buyer's premium) in June 2011.One pair of Judy Garland's ruby slippers are located in Washington D.C. at theSmithsonian National Museum of American History.

In 2005, one of the pairs of the ruby slippers was stolen while on loan to the Judy Garland Museum in Garland's hometown. They were recovered in an FBI sting operation in 2018. At the time they were stolen, the slippers were insured for $1 million. As of 2023, the market value for them is about $3.5 million.In 2023, the slipper thief was indicted with one count of a major artwork theft. The shoes are one of four authentic pairs that are still intact.

Dorothy's dress and other costumes

In July 2021,Catholic University of Americareported that a dress worn by Dorothy, believed to have been given to Rev.Gilbert HartkebyMercedes McCambridgeas a gift in 1973, was found in the university's Hartke Building after being missing for many years. The university said an expert on the movie's memorabilia at theSmithsonian'sNational Museum of American Historysaid five other dresses apparently worn by Judy Garland were "probably authentic". The dress found at the university had characteristics shared by the other five, including a "secret pocket" for Dorothy's handkerchief, and Garland's name written in a specific style. The university said the dress would be stored in Special Collections.

Another of the dresses sold at auction in 2015 for nearly $1.6 million.Many other costumes have fetched six-figure prices as memorabilia. SeeList of film memorabilia.

Theme park attractions

The Wizard of Ozhas a presence at theDisney Parks and Resorts.The film had its own scene atThe Great Movie RideatDisney Hollywood StudiosatWalt Disney World Resort,and is also represented in miniature atDisneylandand atDisneyland Parisas part of theStorybook Land Canal Boatsattraction inFantasyland.The Great Movie Ride was shut down in 2017.

On July 20, 2022, it was announced thatWarner Bros. Movie Worldwould be adding a new precinct based on the 1939 filmThe Wizard Of Oz.It is to feature 2 coasters manufactured byVekomaand will open in 2024.

See also

• The Dark Side of the Rainbow
• Friend of Dorothy
• Political interpretations ofThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz
• Wizard of Oz festival
• The Wiz(musical)
• The Wiz(film)

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Bernier, Michelle (2010)Did these stories really happen?.CreatespaceISBN1-4505-8536-1
• Cox, Stephen (1996)The Munchkins of Oz.Cumberland HouseISBN1-58182-269-3,978-1-58182-269-4
• Green, Stanley (1999)Hollywood Musicals Year by Year(2nd ed.) Hal Leonard CorporationISBN0-634-00765-3pages 88–89.
• Raabe, Meinhardtand Kinske, Daniel (2005)Memories of a Munchkin: An Illustrated Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road.Back Stage BooksISBN0-8230-9193-7\
• Scarfone, Jay and Stillman, William (2004)The Wizardry of Oz: The Artistry And Magic of the 1939 MGM Classic – Revised and Expanded.Applause BooksISBN0-517-20333-2,978-0-517-20333-0
• Thomas, Rhys (1989)The Ruby Slippers of Oz.Tale WeaverISBN0-942139-09-7,978-0-942139-09-9

Further reading

• Burger, Alissa (November 29, 2022). "The Wizard of Oz".Cinema and Media Studies.Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/OBO/9780199791286-0360.ISBN978-0-19-979128-6.

External links

• Official website
• The Wizard of Ozat theAFI Catalog of Feature Films
• The Wizard of OzatIMDb
• The Wizard of OzatAllMovie
• The Wizard of Ozat theTCM Movie Database
• The Wizard of OzatBox Office Mojo
• The Wizard of OzatRotten Tomatoes
• The Wizard of Ozessayby Peter Keough atNational Film Registry
• The Wizard of Ozessay by Daniel Eagan inAmerica's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry,A&C Black, 2010ISBN0826429777,pp. 292–293America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry
• Finding aid author: John N. Gillespie (2013). "The Wizard of Oz recordings and recording logs".Prepared for the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Provo, UT.
• The Wizard of OzonLux Radio Theater:December 25, 1950
• Character drawings forThe Wizard of Oz,Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences