The story of a teenage girl whisked away from her home in rural Kansas to the Land of Oz is one of the most beloved motion pictures of all time. “The Wizard of Oz” was a troubled production from the start, with Victory Fleming replacing Norman Taureg and Richard Thorpe as the third director. Fleming performed the lion’s share of the directorial duties when, towards the end of the project, he was reassigned by MGM management to replace George Cukor at the helm of “Gone With the Wind.” Fleming completed most of the directorial job at “GWTW” as he had done at “Oz.” King Vidor finished up the last few scenes of “Oz” in an uncredited capacity.
The good vs. evil storyline and the high-quality production values on “The Wizard of Oz” helped to make it the enduring classic it is today. The colorful sets, the imaginative costumes, marvelous special effects, great music, classic performances, etc., garnered the picture two Academy Award wins: Best Original Song (“Over the Rainbow,” music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Yip Harburg) and Best Musical Score (Herbert Stothar). A special Academy Juvenile Award went to Judy Garland. Three non-winners were for Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Special Effects.
The cast is headed by Judy Garland, in the lead role of Dorothy Gale, a career-defining movie appearance for her. “Over the Rainbow” became her life-long “theme song.” Co-stars include Frank Morgan as the Wizard, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Billie Burke as Glinda, Margaret Hamilton as the wicked witch, and Charley Grapewin and Clara Blandick as Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, respectively.
“The Wizard of Oz” was not a box office success in 1939 for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer due to high production costs. It did make more money in re-release in 1949, and with an annual television broadcast from 1959 to 1991, it is estimated that the very watchable “The Wizard of Oz” is one of the most viewed motion picture of all time. It is based on the 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum. The screenplay was penned by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
cinema
My Review
The story of a teenage girl whisked away from her home in rural Kansas to the Land of Oz is one of the most beloved motion pictures of all time. “The Wizard of Oz” was a troubled production from the start, with Victory Fleming replacing Norman Taureg and Richard Thorpe as the third director. Fleming performed the lion’s share of the directorial duties when, towards the end of the project, he was reassigned by MGM management to replace George Cukor at the helm of “Gone With the Wind.” Fleming completed most of the directorial job at “GWTW” as he had done at “Oz.” King Vidor finished up the last few scenes of “Oz” in an uncredited capacity.
The good vs. evil storyline and the high-quality production values on “The Wizard of Oz” helped to make it the enduring classic it is today. The colorful sets, the imaginative costumes, marvelous special effects, great music, classic performances, etc., garnered the picture two Academy Award wins: Best Original Song (“Over the Rainbow,” music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Yip Harburg) and Best Musical Score (Herbert Stothar). A special Academy Juvenile Award went to Judy Garland. Three non-winners were for Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Special Effects.
The cast is headed by Judy Garland, in the lead role of Dorothy Gale, a career-defining movie appearance for her. “Over the Rainbow” became her life-long “theme song.” Co-stars include Frank Morgan as the Wizard, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Billie Burke as Glinda, Margaret Hamilton as the wicked witch, and Charley Grapewin and Clara Blandick as Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, respectively.
“The Wizard of Oz” was not a box office success in 1939 for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer due to high production costs. It did make more money in re-release in 1949, and with an annual television broadcast from 1959 to 1991, it is estimated that the very watchable “The Wizard of Oz” is one of the most viewed motion picture of all time. It is based on the 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum. The screenplay was penned by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf.