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The Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). An adaptation of L. Frank Baum 's 1900 children's fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left production to take over the troubled Gone with the Wind.
- Overview
- Production notes and credits
- Cast
- Academy Award nominations (* denotes win)
The Wizard of Oz, American musical film, released in 1939, that was based on the book of the same name by L. Frank Baum. Though not an immediate financial or critical success, it became one of the most enduring family films of all time. Deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” to America’s film heritage, it was among the first films selected in 1989 for inclusion in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.
(Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.)
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Dorothy Gale (played by Judy Garland), a young girl from Kansas, decides to run away from her aunt and uncle’s farmhouse with her dog, Toto, who is in danger of being put down for biting a neighbour. After an encounter on the road with fortune-teller Professor Marvel, a well-meaning charlatan, Dorothy is persuaded to return home to her family. Before they can be reunited, however, she is knocked unconscious during a tornado. When she awakens, she and her farmhouse, along with Toto, are being transported to the Land of Oz, a magical place inhabited by strange characters, including munchkins, talking trees, and witches. Dorothy’s house lands in the midst of Oz’s Munchkinland, and she soon realizes it has fallen on and killed the Wicked Witch of the East, whose powerful ruby slippers are magically transported onto Dorothy’s own feet. Though the munchkins celebrate Dorothy for her inadvertent act, the evil witch’s sister, the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), vows to kill Dorothy in order to avenge her sister and retrieve the powerful ruby slippers. Glinda the Good Witch (Billie Burke) instructs Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road that runs to the Emerald City, where it is said that a powerful wizard will be able to grant her wish to return home.
On her way Dorothy befriends a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) in search of a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) looking for a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) in need of some courage. They are tormented by the witch on their journey but manage to reach the Emerald City. Before the Wizard of Oz will grant their wishes, however, he demands that they bring him the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick. After battling flying monkeys, they infiltrate her castle, where Dorothy drenches the witch with a bucket of water, causing her to melt into a harmless puddle. Dorothy and her friends return to the Emerald City with the witch’s broomstick only to discover that the Wizard is a fraud, possessing no real powers. With the help of her magical ruby slippers and Glinda, however, Dorothy is able to return to Kansas, where she is reminded that “there’s no place like home.” In a departure from Baum’s book, her trip to Oz is portrayed as an elaborate dream sequence.
•Studio: MGM
•Directors: Victor Fleming and King Vidor
•Writers: Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf
•Music: Harold Arlen
•Judy Garland (Dorothy Gale)
•Frank Morgan (Professor Marvel/Wizard of Oz)
•Ray Bolger (Hunk/Scarecrow)
•Bert Lahr (Zeke/Cowardly Lion)
•Jack Haley (Hickory/Tin Man)
•Billie Burke (Glinda)
•Picture
•Cinematography (colour)
•Special effects
•Art direction
•Score*
•Song* (“Over the Rainbow”)
- Lee Pfeiffer
The Wizard of Oz: Directed by Victor Fleming, King Vidor. With Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr. Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.
- (430K)
- Adventure, Family, Fantasy
- Victor Fleming, King Vidor
- 1939-08-25
Nov 13, 2009 · On August 25, 1939, the classic film based on L. Frank Baum's novel premiered in theaters across the country. The Wizard of Oz was a modest box-office success, but became a cultural phenomenon after its first TV broadcast in 1956.
Joseph C Loved The Wizard of OZ!!! Perfect movie! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/01/24 Full Review Chuck D. Great to see this beloved classic on the big screen for its 85th ...
- (167)
- Victor Fleming
- G
- Judy Garland
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Dec 22, 1996 · A classic movie review by Roger Ebert that explores the universal appeal and mythic power of "The Wizard of Oz". Learn about the production history, the cast, the special effects and the themes of this beloved film.
Synopsis. Dorothy Gale ( Judy Garland) is an orphaned teenage farm-girl who lives with her Auntie Emily Gale ( Clara Blandick) and Uncle Henry Gale ( Charley Grapewin) on a Kansas farm in the early 1900s. She daydreams about going "over the rainbow" after Miss Gulch ( Margaret Hamilton ), an aggressive neighbour, hits Dorothy's dog Toto ( Terry ...
