A review of the 1939 classic movie “The Wizard Of Oz”
Rarely can a movie have been so troubled in production but so successful in outcome. The work had 14 writers and four directors; casting was a problem and there were on-set accidents and drunkenness; it was over schedule and over budget. And yet “Oz” was a huge success and, according to the US Library of Congress, this beloved musical is the most viewed film in cinematic history.
The source material was the 1900 book by L. Frank Baum. In the novel, the main character of Dorothy was a 10 year old girl with blonde curls but, in the film, the role finally went to 16 year old redhead Judy Garland who is a delight. The colourful cast includes Dorothy’s loveable travel companions along the Yellow Brick Road, The Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), The Tin Woodman (Jack Haley), and The Cowardly Lion (Bert Lehr), and together they eventually encounter The Wizard (Frank Morgan). We have a good witch, a bad witch, 120 ‘munchkins’ (played by an entertainment troupe called Singer’s Midgets), and Toto the male dog played by Terry a female terrier,
The movie begins in sepia black and white but, 20 minutes into the story, a door opens to a dreamland of luscious Technicolour. My favourite line – a version of which I often use when something unexpected happens – is “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.”. I once saw Dorothy’s magic ruby slippers in the Museum of American History in Washington DC.