The Wizard of Oz (1939 movie)
| The Wizard of Oz | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Victor Fleming |
| Produced by | Mervin LeRoy |
| Written by | L. Frank Baum (original book) Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf (screenplay) |
| Music by | Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg (songs) George Bassman (uncredited) George E. Stoll (uncredited) Robert W. Stringer (uncredited) |
| Cinematography | Harold Rosson |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Pictures (theatrical) Warner Bros. (DVD) |
| Release date(s) | August 25, 1939 (USA) |
| Running time | 101 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.7 million (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 movie from 20th Century Fox, based on L. Frank Baum's novel of the same name.
Contents |
[change] Success
The movie has been considered, among many others, to be one of the greatest ever made. In 1998, it was sixth on the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movies list.
[change] Sequels
- An animated movie, Journey Back to Oz, came out in 1974 as Oz's official sequel. This effort from the Filmation studio starred Liza Minnelli (Judy Garland's daughter) as the main character, Dorothy.
- An informal sequel, Disney's Return to Oz (1985), starred Fairuza Balk as Dorothy. The movie was a failure at the box office, and left critics and audiences (especially fans of the 1939 movie) divided.
[change] Remake
- Universal Pictures' The Wiz (1978), based on the 1975 stage musical, had R&B and soul legend Diana Ross playing the main character. Also appearing in this African-American version were Nipsey Russell, Richard Pryor, Mabel King, and the future "King of Pop", Michael Jackson.
[change] Plot
Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), a girl who lives in Kansas, and her dog Toto, are caught in a tornado that takes her to a fantastic land called Oz. The house that she is in kills the Wicked Witch of the East, she finds out from Glinda (the Good Witch of the North).
As the Good Witch and the Munchkins (a group of small people who live in Oz) help her, Dorothy follows the Yellow Brick Road, the only way to get back to her home. On the way, she meets:
- The Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), who has no brain;
- the Tin Man (Jack Haley), who has no heart;
- the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), who lacks courage.
Arriving at the Emerald City, their villain, the Wicked Witch of the West, flies over them, writing out "SURRENDER DOROTHY" in the sky. When Dorothy and the others go to see the title Wizard himself, he says that he will only help them if they can get the Witch's broomstick. Then flying monkeys capture the group and send them to the Witch's castle.
The Witch asks for Dorothy's ruby slippers, but, since they cannot be taken off, she orders one of her monkeys to kill Toto. The dog escapes, and finding Dorothy's friends, leads them to the castle.
Dorothy is now inside a chamber with an hourglass and crystal ball. She will die if the hourglass runs out of sand.
Meanwhile, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion try to save their friend, dressed up as the Witch's guards. As the three are about to rescue her, the Witch stops them, but Dorothy grabs a bucket of water and throws its contents on her. In doing so, the Witch melts down to nothing.
When the four travellers return to the Wizard (with the broomstick), he tells them to come back tomorrow. Yet Toto discovers that the "Wizard" is no more than just an ordinary "humbug", who entered Oz after a balloon accident. This leaves them surprised.
However, he gives, using magic instead of psychology, a diploma to the Scarecrow; a clock in the shape of a heart to the Tin Man; and a badge of courage to the Lion.
Soon after, the Wizard gives Dorothy a chance to return to Kansas on his balloon. But, just as he is about to leave, Toto gets off the balloon to chase a cat. When Dorothy gets him, the Wizard takes off without both of them.
Now, her only chance to go back home is found in Glinda. She tells Dorothy to click her heels three times, and say "There's no place like home" over and over again.
When she and her dog finally return, she finds out it was all a dream, and tells her family and friends about her adventures. Dorothy hugs Toto, and says to her Aunt Em that there is truly no place like home, thus ending the movie.
