Production Year: 1939, 1925 - Music / Performing Arts, Family - Director: Victor Fleming, King Vidor, Larry Semon - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Jack Haley Jr., Clara Blandick, Pat Walshe, Charley Grapewin, Margaret Hamilton, Billie Burke, Frank Morgan, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, Judy Garland, Jack Haley, Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon more
Follow wide-eyed Dorothy (Judy Garland)and her ragtag friends Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as they head down the Yellow Brick Road in search of Emerald City and the... more
others. The enduring charms ofThe Wizard of Ozhave easily weathered the vicissitudes of changing fashions making the film one of the world's best-loved, most-quoted an...
as anything like the perennial classic it has since become. The film did respectable business, but it wasn't until its debut on television that this family favou...
Wizard of Oz 2010 Calendar
Wizard of Oz 2010 Calendar. This delightful Wizard of Oz 2010 Calendar features characters ... more
and scenes from the hit film. This musical-fantasy film directed by Victor Fleming and based on the 1900 childrens novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum features the characters Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Wicked Witch of the West, and the Wizard. This Wizard of Oz 2010 Calendar captures the pure magic of the original story, the characters and the magical fantasy adventure and is sure to delight anyone who loves the story both young and old!
Keep the dream alive by waking up to this classic 2 bell alarm clock with official imagery from the famous 1939 film of The Wizard of Oz! Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion!
keepsakes/lipstick/jewellery/drugs/boys' phone numbers/whatever in! With official Wizard of Oz photos and logo - Dorothy - queen of the yellow brick! Approx 5.5cm diameter
Production Year: 1935 - Music / Performing Arts - Director: Mark Sandrich - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Helen Broderick, Eric Rhodes, Eric Blore
A review by arnoldhenryrufus on The Wizard Of Oz (DVD) March 29th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Characters / Performances
Outstanding
Soundtrack
Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?
Outstanding
Advantages:
A wonderful fantasy adventure for all ages a family favourite
Disadvantages:
only a disadvantage to those that don't like musicals
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
~~ The Wizard of Oz ~~
Still going through my collection of musicals and I have quite a few more yet to review; I came across one of my all time favourites The Wizard of Oz. So here goes as I share my thoughts, trivia and description of a timeless classic which is nearly 70 yrs old and still enjoyed by young and old today.
~~ The Film ~~
The film opens in Sepia and we see Dorothy and Toto running down the dirt track under starry skies to her Aunty Em and Uncle Henry's farm. Dorothy tries hard to gain her Aunt and Uncles attention, but gets shooed off out of the way as they are busy. As Dorothy reflects she slips easily into song with Somewhere Over the Rainbow, we move on and get introduced to the three farmhands Hunk, Zeke and Hickory, you also get to see in them the characters that we later grow to love throughout the film.
Miss Gulch arrives at the farm and takes Toto off to be destroyed for nearly biting her; well can you blame him the evil woman, Dorothy runs off to her room devastated at the thought of loosing her beloved dog. Miss Gulch rides off along the lane with Toto safely in a basket on the back of her bike, she definitely under-estimated that little dog, as the loveable mischievous cute bundle of fluff manages to make the great escape and runs home to Dorothy without the evil Mrs Gulch even noticing that he has gone.
Dorothy is ecstatic to have Toto back with her, but she is also very frightened in case the nasty evil witch Mrs Gulch will come back for him, so what can a girl do but runaway. So off they go and not far into her journey she meets up with Professor Marvel a travelling magician who cleverly persuades Dorothy that her Aunty Em is suffering because she has run off and is really worried about where she might be, he manages to convince Dorothy to make her way back home.
On the way home the storm clouds turn into a tornado, Dorothy and Toto get caught up in it, she manages to make it back to the house, but everyone have already taken cover and gone underground. Dorothy and Toto take shelter in her bedroom, but Dorothy gets knocked out cold by the window as it explodes with the force of the Tornado. With this we are launched into wonderful Technicolor and a big fantasy adventure where we see a good witch and a really bad witch (will you recognise her).
We get to meet the delightful munchkins and follow Dorothy and Toto's big adventure as they follow the Yellow Brick Road, meeting Scarecrow, The Lion and The Tin Man along the way. They all head off to see the wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Watch there adventures along the yellow brick road to Oz and also after they arrive at the Emerald City, when they learn to face their fears and dreams as well as the terrible wicked witch. Will there wishes be granted? Will Scarecrow get a Brain, the Tin Man get his heart, the Lion his courage and will Dorothy get home? Watch and sing a long, live the fantasy for a short while, sit aback and enjoy.
~~ Songs ~~
Overture- runs through the starting credits taking us through to the beginning of the movie.
Over the Rainbow - The Oscar winning song, which hit the hearts of everyone sung by Judy Garland; even though it has been covered by many over the years I feel it will always be remembered as her song.
Munchkinland Medley - After Dorothy was swallowed up by the tornado, she ended up house and all landing in Munchkinland and killing one of the bad witches. This medley consists of five songs which were spliced into one; they used singers with a normal vocal range to do the songs and then altered the pitch and speeded up. I actually thought that they had used helium, but after my research found that I was wrong.
We're off to see the Wizard - Dorothy starts this song as the Good Witch has directed her to the yellow brick road. We start with Dorothy and the Munchkins singing, and then it goes to Dorothy and the Scarecrow, joined shortly after by the Tin Man and The Lion as she follows the yellow brick road. This is a fun song and you will find yourself singing it long after the film has finished.
If I Only Had A Brain - This is the scarecrows song and again this is a catchy number that gets you smiling and tapping your feet to as scarecrow tells us what he would love to have a brain. This also included The Tin Man asking for a heart and The Lion asking for some courage.
Optimistic Voices - This is a chorus of heavenly voices that greet the four travellers as they arrive at the Emerald City and leads us straight into the next song.
The Merry Old Land of Oz - This is sung by the whole entourage as they get Dorothy and her companions cleaned up to address the wizard.
All the folk are dressed in green, and there is a horse drawn carriage, where the horse changes colour with each camera cut. It is a laughing song that lightens the mood before the dramatic visit to the wizard.
If I Were King of the Forest - The last song of the show and our four friends have all been cleaned up and are waiting to see the wizard, Lion wraps himself up with a green rug, they crown him with a broken flower pot and he sings about what he would do with some courage.
~~ The Cast ~~
Judy Garland - Plays the little girl Dorothy Gale who travels with us throughout this fantastic journey. Out of all the films Judy Garland has acted in, this has to be the one she is mainly remembered for.
Frank Morgan - Played a few characters in the movie, these being the Wizard of Oz, Professor Marvel, The gate keeper at the Emerald City and another couple of parts whilst in the Emerald City.
Ray Bolger - Was originally picked to play the Tin Man, but he finally managed to convince MGM that his famous 'rubber-limbed' style of dancing would be better suited for the part of the Scarecrow. In the 70's he played Grandpa in Partridge Family (remember the series with David Cassidy). Sadly he passed away in 1987 at the age of 57 yrs.
Bert Lahr - Played the Cowardly Lion, when you see him in the extras on the DVD you can see why he was picked and how well suited he was to the part.
Jack Haley - Was bought in to play the Tin Man after their first choice Buddy Ebsen was rushed to hospital after the Aluminium Dust they used got into his lungs. They replaced the powder with a paste and also replaced the actor. They had also originally asked Jack to play the scarecrow, but swapped him over with Ray.
Billie Burke - Played Glinda, the good witch of the north Margaret Hamilton as the wicked witch of the west and Mrs Gulch, she also had an industrial accident where the paint on her face caught fire in one of the scenes.
Charley Grapewin was Uncle Henry and Clara Blandrick was Aunty Em, and not to forget our very cleaver dog Toto.
Director - The film went through a few directors starting off with Richard Thorpe; his footage was viewed by Mervyn LeRoy (Producer) who hated what he saw and fired him. George Cukor was bought in and changed Judy's appearance by making her look more natural, he was only bought in as a stop gap and was soon replaced by Victor Fleming. Although Victor ended up doing the majority of the film he was pulled off towards the end to work on Gone with the Wind and King Vidor was bought in to finish it off. He can take credit for the Kansas sequences where he bought sensitivity and realism to the scenes.
Music by Harold Arlen and Lyrics by E.Y.Harburg.
~~ Trivia ~~
Over the Rainbow very nearly got cut, because the studio worried that the opening Kansas scene was too long, and thankfully they didn't.
In 2004 Over the Rainbow was ranked No 1 in the American Film Institutes list of the top 100 greatest songs in American Movies.
Although the credit for the screenwriting goes to Florence Ryerson, Noel Langley and Edgar Allan Woolfe there was at least a dozen other writers that contributed to the script.
It was announced in the Daily Variety on 24th Feb 1938 that MGM had purchased the rights to L. Franks Baurn's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for $75,000, an exorbitant amount for the time; well I think it an awful lot even today.
They originally thought of using Shirley Temple to play Dorothy, but then went for Judy Garland instead.
The Wizard of Oz opened on 17th August 1939 in New York with 10, 000 people lining the streets to watch it.
It is estimated that The Wizard of Oz has been watched by more people than any other movie ever made.
~~ Focus On Judy Garland ~~
Judy was born to ex-vaudeville performers on 10th June 1922 in Minnesota. They named her Francis Ethel Gumm and by the time she was 3 yrs old she was known as Baby Gumm and performing on stage with her two sisters.
Judy did her first screen debut in a film called Starlet Revue at the age of seven. At the Chicago World fair in 1934 the girls name caused some hilarity and comedian George Jessel came up with the name Garland, shortly after Francis also changed her name to Judy.
At the age of 13 Judy auditioned for Louis B Mayer of MGM and got signed for a seven year contract, she went on to make 31 movies with MGM between 1935 and 1950. For her part in the Wizard of Oz she won a Special Juvenile Oscar at the 1940 awards, which she later dubbed as her 'Munchkin Award'.
It was gruelling times and hard work for actors of the day as the studio's owned you and to get the most out of you making money for them, they had there young stars taking pills to keep them going and then pills to bring them down and sleep. It is not surprising that like many young actor/actresses of this era, that she became reliant on the pills, which eventually affected her ability to work, and in 1950 she was fired off the set of Annie Get Your Gun and left MGM. This was not the end of her career she went on to make A Star is Born, plus an international singing career.
She had a rocky road within her relationships marrying 4 times and having 3 children, Lisa Minnelli, Lorna and Joey Luft. Sadly Judy's life and dependency on drugs got the better of her when she was found dead in London from an overdose of barbiturates. On 22nd June 1969 the day Judy died, strangely enough Kansas had a tornado, let's hope she reached over that Rainbow.
~~ DVD Extras ~~
Go Home To Kansas - 1-55 Scene Selections
Languages - soundtracks in English, French and Italian
Subtitles - 12 in various languages
Follow the Yellow Brick Road - Special Features Menu - this is like a Russian Doll, going from title to title until you get to the final one The Making of the Movie - this is narrated by Angela Lansbury and lasts around 50 minutes but you do get an enormous amount of facts from this footage as well as getting to see interviews with various people involved in the making of the movie. You get to see footage of the 50th Anniversary celebrations across America; you even get to see the tap dancing record in the Guinness Book of Records and the most expensive pair of Real Ruby Slippers that was made for the Golden Anniversary celebrations. Interviews with her children and you get to see some rare deleted scenes.
You also get to see some of the old tricks of the trade when they reveal how they managed some of those special effects and did you know that the Lions outfit weighed 90lbs; I bet that was hard work acting in that all day.
Out-takes and Deleted Scenes - this is split into five as detailed below
1. If I only had a Brain - this is the deleted scarecrow dance and you get text to read explaining why and then you get to see the scene. 2. If I only had a Heart - this is the original scene done with the original actor Buddy Ebsen. 3. Triumphant Return to Emerald City - this is a written explanation followed by a series of scenes from the film. 4. Over the Rainbow - Judy singing to Piano only accompanied by stills when she is captured by the witch and crying. 5. The Jitterbug - this took 5 weeks to rehearse and was cut after the first preview of it, after seeing it I can see why.
Oz History - Excerpt from the 1914 silent version of Oz film. And His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz - lasts about 50 seconds.
Excerpt from 1925 Silent Oz feature - The Wizard of Oz 1925 - only a minute of short clips including a very young Oliver Hardy.
Excerpt from Ted Eshbaugh's 1933 Oz cartoon - First Oz Book - this lasts a couple of mins there abouts.
~~ Oz Afterlife ~~
1979 Interviews with Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger and Jack Haley - this is slightly unusual as you presented with a screen with all three of them in their own little boxes all with their mouths working like they are talking, but it is only the name that you have picked that you can here. What was even stranger, if you chose say Jack Haley who only talks for just over a minute, when he has finished talking you watch the screen in silence with the others still talking (without sound) until the last one has finished.
Stills - this is split into 5 sub categories all showing stills to the related topics which are original publicity, New York Premiere, Hollywood Premiere, 1939/40 Oscar ceremonies and Oz Abroad.
Off to see the Wizard - this again is split into sub categories but they all show snippets of the cartoon series.
Excerpt from 1939 Cavalcade of Academy Awards - this is just a short 2 minute film that shows Judy Garland receiving her award.
~~ Finally My Thoughts ~~
Well if you haven't guessed by now from what you have read, then I will tell you that I loved every minute of it. As a child I would watch it and be fascinated by the colour, the witches, the munchkins and the characters like the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. As an adult I notice the similarities right from the beginning of the movie, to the characters that they became later on in the film. Judy Garland has a powerful and glorious voice as she sings Over the Rainbow, bringing true emotion into it, making the song her own. The film gives children a message to look within themselves and there is no place like home. It is a film that gives you everything to feed your imagination and touch your heart.
I really truly highly recommend seeing it, if only once.
Advantages: Timeless classic to be enjoyed by all, great story, beautiful sets, rousing musical sequences Disadvantages: The moral seems to be (in addition to "There's no place like home") that Dorothy should kill Miss Almira Gulch
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Somewhere over the rainbow
way up high,
there's a land that I heard of
once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
skies are blue,
and the dreams that you dare to dream
really do come true.
A wicked and loveless old woman, Miss Almira Gulch, is determined to have Dorothy's beloved dog, Toto, destroyed and due to her high standing in the community she manages to obtain a Sheriff's warrant permitting her to take poor ... ...no option but to honour the order. Dorothy is utterly distraught and running to her bedroom she collapses onto her bed, sobbing uncontrollably.
Toto, however, has ideas of his own as he stealthily escapes from the wicked women and returns to his beloved owner and friend. Dorothy is tremendously relieved but, she realises that it is not safe for Toto if they stay and so she decides that their only option is to run away.
Before getting very far they ...
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Advantages: Wonderful classic family film, great to sing along to, magical and bubbly Disadvantages: May be a little too old fashioned for some
After seeing the musical Wicked on Broadway in New York, and asking my husband if he enjoyed it, he replied that it was good but he didn't have a clue what the hell was going on. I frowned and asked him if he'd seen The Wizard of Oz to which he replied 'er, no'. I could not believe it! As soon as we got home I pulled out the old and dusty video of the film and we began to watch it. The Wizard of Oz begins in black and white picture with Dorothy, ... ...and their house, up in the midst of a tornado, it takes her and lands in the town of Oz. The screen is suddenly filled with bright colours that match the bubbly and happy atmosphere of Oz. The small and shrieky munchkins quickly surround Dorothy telling her that her house landed on top of the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her, and celebrations are now in full flow. But all Dorothy wants is to get back to her little home in Kansas and the Good ...
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Advantages: Happy childhood memories rekindled Disadvantages: You may have seen this one before
...a sleepless night weighing up the pros and cons between two major box office hits, ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Sad but true. Had I been a gambling man I think I would have come down on the side of ‘The Sound of Music’, that is until I purchased ‘The Wizard of Oz’ on DVD.
This timeless masterpiece of cinematography has enraptured generations of young and old children (plus those who ... ...didn’t realise how old.
The story, which I sure you all know, revolves around a young girl Dorothy (played excellently by Judy Garland), who in an attempt to save her little dog Toto gets caught up in a freak storm and is transported to the mystical and magical land of Oz.
In her attempts to find her way back to Kansas she meets a myriad of colourful characters, some who assist and others who attempt to relieve her of the magical ruby slippers.
...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: A Timeless Classic Disadvantages: A Few Scary Characters For Young Children
...had just invaded Poland and the Second War World had begun, it was an event that would change the World, as we knew it forever. Yet across the other side of the Globe, a different kind of change was taking place. This was a much more peaceful event of the cinematic kind. I am talking about the launch of a film called the Wizard of Oz.
This film has stood the test of time and it has established itself as a timeless classic. It is a film that I have ... ...would just have not been the same without it on TV.
During a recent dash around my local Sainsbury's imagine my surprise when I spotted a DVD of the very same film in a bargain bin for just £6. I could hardly contain my excitement as I exchanged the Chicken I was planning to have for my meal, and swapped it for the aforementioned masterpiece. Well OK, I may be exaggerating a little bit here, but suffice to say I did add the DVD to my trolley.
THE ...
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Advantages: Magical, watchable, straight from the heart, Judy Garland... Disadvantages: None whatsoever
The Christmas before last, my daughter was in the local Musical Society’s production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Appearing as both a ‘Principal Dancer’ and ‘speaking Munchkin number 1’, she of course stole the show from my point of view and her three lines will forever be etched on my memory. It was a wonderful production, which ran for 12 nights to mostly packed audiences in a tiny provincial 120 seat theatre. ... ...well being as they left the theatre. I was of course familiar with The Wizard of Oz story before my daughter appeared in the show but surprisingly enough, perhaps the only person in the western world, I had never actually seen the film. All my knowledge of it seemed to be gleaned second hand, from excerpts on the TV or radio, or familiar phrases or songs frequently being aired, so as my daughter’s rehearsals were about to start, we bought the ...
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Advantages: A great classic given a good treatment Disadvantages: None really
...are still enjoyable in context to the film. "The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz" is the number most prominent throughout the film, performed no less than 4 times, but you never tire of hearing it, and its great to hear the kids join in and sing along with it.
The transfer of the film for this latest dvd release is a sharp clear effective one, capturing all the glorious original colour on the screen and marking the film every bit as magical as its opening title text suggests. The script leaves off the dregs of the original book and makes the story, for what it is, a swifter tale. Conveying a message about the merits of home will hit the spot with its younger audience, but still holds appeal to the adult audience who have grown up with it.
The production company behind this release have really gone to town on the DVD extra's as well, and its...
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Advantages: A Brilliant All Time Classic Disadvantages: None!!
...Watch the Wizard of Oz as youve never seen it before now that this film has been digitally transfered from the restored film onto DVD you can watch it in all its glory.
The DVD features 2 discs including 'the Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook' and documentries on the movies creation and impact. Also watch outakes and deleted scenes. The other features on the discs include new commentary by historian John Fricke, prettier than ever: the restoration of oz, we havent really met properly...supporting cast profile gallery, a tribute to oz because of the wonderful things he does, the legacy of oz, Harold Arlen's home movies, the tornado tests, off to see the wizard, extensive stills gallery, trailer gallery and over 6 hours of audio only treasures including a jukebox of recording session materials and radio shows and promos.
This amazing...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: The adorable performance of the unforgetable Judy Garland Disadvantages: Absolutely none!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...The Wizard Of Oz (1939) is now well over sixty years old, yet the classic film still stands extraordinarily well, reaching generation after generation (and has also become a firm T.V favourite at Christmas).
Its transistion to the DVD format is thoroughly impeccable making the whole land of Oz look even more enduringly beautiful, colourful and extravagant, even for its film age.
Theres no doubt that the sole ingredients of this timeless classic was from the all-round excellent playing from the cast, the spectacular, eye-catching sets such as the dazzling Emerald City at the end of the yellow brick road to the wonderful dancing and fun, jolly, infectious songs. That yearning vulnreability that exists in us all somewhere is what the film so heavily and heartwarmingly draws upon.
Judy Garland is totally adorable as the wide...
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Plot: A man who works the land is in love with a girl called Dorothy. Dorothy is unaware that she is a princess and the true ruler of Oz.
Country Of Origin: United States of America
DVD Description
Follow wide-eyed Dorothy (Judy Garland)and her ragtag friends Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as they head down the Yellow Brick Road in search of Emerald City and the all-powerful Wizard of Oz. Shot partly in black and white, partly in Technicolor, THE WIZARD OF OZ is a perfect juxtaposition of reality and fantasy.
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): WARNER HOME VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS, ELSTREE HILL ENTERTAINMENT; PICKWICK, Pinnacle Vision
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English Dolby Digital 1.0 French Italian, Dolby Digital Stereo English
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 1.0, Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital Stereo, Mono, Dolby Digital
Special Features: Documentary - 1. THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ: Making of a Movie Classic, Additional Footage - 1. Behind-the-Scenes, 2. Outtakes, 3. Deleted Scenes, Featurette - 1. OZ HISTORY, 2. OZ AFTERLIFE, Audio Supplements, Trailer - 1. Original Theatrical, Interactive Menus, Scene Access, 17 Chapter Points, DVD Book Set, 16 page booklet, Carry case
Aspect Ratio: 2.35 Wide Screen, 4:3, 4:3 Full Frame
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