The Wizard of Oz (1925)

My Review

The first full-length silent feature film version of “The Wizard of Oz” was released in 1925, adapted from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Producer-director-screenwriter Larry Semon did a fair job at the helm of the movie, casting himself as the Scarecrow. The film from the start was plagued with a small budget and the resulting poor production values, which undermined the film’s chances for success.

The cast includes Dorothy Dwan as Dorothy, Oliver Hardy as the Tin Man, Curtis McHenry as the Cowardly Lion, Larry Semon as the Scarecrow, Charles Murray as the Wizard of Oz, Mary Carr as Aunt Em, Frank Alexander as Uncle Henry, Otto Lederer as the Ambassador, Virginia Pearson as Lady Vishus, Bryant Washburn as Prince Kynd, and Josef Swickard as the prime minister. The mostly unwatchable “The Wizard of Oz” was a flop at the box office for Chadwick Pictures, which ceased production in 1933. It was filmed entirey in the Los Angeles area.