The Wizard of Oz ( 1925 film ) - wikipedia The Wizard of Oz ( 1925 film ) The Wizard of Oz Directed by Larry Semon Produced by Larry Semon Written by Larry Semon L. Frank Baum, Jr. Based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Starring Larry Semon Bryant Washburn Dorothy Dwan Virginia Pearson Oliver Hardy Charles Murray Cinematography Frank B. Good H.F. Koenekamp Leonard Smith Edited by Sam S. Zimbalist Distributed by Chadwick Pictures Corporation Release date April 13, 1925 ( 1925 - 04 - 13 ) Running time 93 minutes 85 min ( cut edition ) Country United States Language Silent film English intertitles The Wizard of Oz is a 1925 American silent film directed by Larry Semon, who also appears in a lead role -- that of a farmhand disguised as a Scarecrow. The only completed 1920s adaptation of L. Frank Baum 's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, this film features Oliver Hardy as the Tin Woodman. Dorothy is portrayed by Dorothy Dwan. `` L. Frank Baum, Jr. '' is top - billed with the writing of the script. This is Frank Joslyn Baum, Baum 's eldest son, and although his actual contribution to the screenplay is doubted by Baum scholar Michael Patrick Hearn, he was certainly involved in the business angle of the production. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Reception 5 Television 6 Home media 7 Music 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Plot Play media The complete movie A toymaker ( Semon ) reads L. Frank Baum 's book to his granddaughter. The Land of Oz is ruled by Prime Minister Kruel ( Josef Swickard ), aided by Ambassador Wikked ( Otto Lederer ), Lady Vishuss ( Virginia Pearson ), and the Wizard ( Charles Murray ), a `` medicine - show hokum hustler ''. When the discontented people, led by Prince Kynd ( Bryant Washburn ), demand the return of the princess, who disappeared while a baby many years before, so she can be crowned their rightful ruler, Kruel has the Wizard distract them with a parlor trick : making a female impersonator ( Frederick Ko Vert ) appear out of a seemingly empty basket. Kruel sends Wikked on a mission. Meanwhile, in Kansas, Dorothy ( Dorothy Dwan ) lives on a farm with her relatives. While Aunt Em ( Mary Carr ) is a kind and caring woman, Uncle Henry ( Frank Alexander ) is an obese man with a short temper who shows little love for his niece. He also abuses his farmhands : Snowball ( credited to G. Howe Black, a stage name for Spencer Bell, who frequently appeared in Semon 's films ) and Hardy 's and Semon 's unnamed characters. The latter two are both in love with Dorothy, who favors Hardy 's character. Aunt Em reveals to Dorothy that she was placed on their doorstep as a baby, along with an envelope and instructions that it be opened only when she turned 18. On her 18th birthday, however, Wikked and his minions arrive at the farm by biplane and demand the envelope. When Uncle Henry refuses to hand it over, Wikked suborns Hardy 's character by promising him wealth and Dorothy. Wikked then has Dorothy tied to a rope and raised high up a tower ; his men start a fire underneath the rope. Hardy 's character finds the note, but Semon 's character takes it and saves Dorothy, only to have Wikked and his men capture them all at gunpoint. Then a tornado suddenly strikes. Dorothy, the two rivals for her affections and Uncle Henry take shelter in a shed. It ( and Snowball ) are carried aloft and land in Oz. Dorothy finally reads the contents of the envelope ; it declares that she, Princess Dorothea, is the rightful ruler of Oz. Thwarted, Kruel blames the farmhands for kidnapping her and orders the Wizard to transform them into something else, such as monkeys, which he is of course unable to do. Chased by Kruel 's soldiers, Semon 's character disguises himself as a scarecrow, while Hardy 's improvises a costume from the pile of tin in which he is hiding. They are still eventually taken captive. During their trial, the Tin Man accuses his fellow farmhands of kidnapping Dorothy. Kynd has the Scarecrow and Snowball put in the dungeon. Kruel makes the Tin Man `` Knight of the Garter '' and Uncle Henry the `` Prince of Whales ''. Wikked suggests he retain his power by marrying Dorothy. The Wizard helps the two prisoners escape by giving Snowball a lion costume, which he uses to scare away the guards. Though the Scarecrow manages to reach Dorothy to warn her against Kruel, he is chased back down into the dungeon by the Tin Man, and ends up getting trapped inside a lion cage ( with real lions ) for a while. He and Snowball finally escape. When Kynd finds Kruel trying to force Dorothy to marry him, they engage in a sword fight. When Kruel 's henchmen intervene and help disarm Kynd, the Scarecrow saves Dorothy and Kynd. Defeated, Kruel claims that he took Dorothy to Kansas in order to protect her from court factions out to harm her, but she orders that he be taken away. The Scarecrow is heartbroken to discover that Dorothy has fallen for Prince Kynd. He then flees up a tower from the Tin Man, who tries to blast him with a cannon. Snowball flies a biplane overhead, and the Scarecrow manages to grab a rope ladder dangling underneath it. However, the ladder breaks, and he falls. The scene shifts abruptly back to the little girl, who had fallen asleep. She wakes up and leaves. The grandfather reads from the book that Dorothy marries Prince Kynd and they live happily ever after. Cast Dorothy Dwan as Dorothy Larry Semon as a farmhand / the Scarecrow Oliver Hardy as another farmhand / the Tin Man Spencer Bell as Snowball / the Cowardly Lion. In the credits he is listed as G. Howe Black. Charles Murray as the Wizard Bryant Washburn as Prince Kynd Josef Swickard as Prime Minister Kruel Mary Carr as Aunt Em Frank Alexander as Uncle Henry Virginia Pearson as Lady Vishuss, Otto Lederer as Ambassador Wikked Frederick Ko Vert as the Phantom of the Basket The names of William Hauber and William Dinus appear in the cast list at the beginning of the film, but the characters they play are not given. It is also thought that Chester Conklin and Wanda Hawley made minor appearances in the film, but their names do not appear in the credits. Production The film departs radically from the novel upon which it is based, introducing new characters and exploits. Along with a completely different plot, the film is all set in a world that is only barely recognizable as the Land of Oz from the books. The film focuses mainly upon Semon 's character, who is analogous to Ray Bolger 's Scarecrow character in the 1939 version. The major departure from the book and film is that the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion are not actually characters, but are in fact disguises donned by three farm hands who find themselves swept into Oz by a tornado. Dorothy is here played by Dorothy Dwan -- Semon 's wife - as a young woman. In a drastic departure from the original book, the Tin Man is a villain. Some elements of the narrative have their roots in earlier adaptations of The Wizard of Oz. For example, Prime Minister Kruel has a predecessor in King Krewl, the antagonist of His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz. The note explaining Princess Dorothea 's true heritage is signed `` Pastoria '', a name used for the exiled King of Oz in the 1902 stage version of The Wizard of Oz and for the father of Princess Ozma in The Marvelous Land of Oz and later Oz books. Reception According to Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies, the film was poorly received by critics and audiences. However, Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times gave it a favorable review, writing `` ' The Wizard of Oz ' can boast of being the type of rough and tumble farce that sends bright faces from the theatre. '' Chadwick Pictures went bankrupt during its run, and many theaters did not even receive a print to show. Semon did not fully recover from the financial debacle, and died only a few years later in 1928. Television The film was first broadcast in 1931 by television station W2XCD of Passaic, New Jersey, owned by the DeForest Radio Company, serialized over the nights of June 8, 9, and 10. Home media The film is in the public domain, and many home media releases of the film, including Betamax, VHS, Laserdisc, CED, DVD, HD DVD and Blu - ray Disc, are available. It is also available in Amazon Video The film is also included in many of the home media releases of The Wizard of Oz along with earlier silent films based on the Oz stories, beginning with the 2005 3 - disc Collector 's Edition of the film. Music The film 's premiere in 1925 featured original music orchestrated by Louis La Rondelle, conducted by Harry F. Silverman, featuring Julius K. Johnson at the piano. Many home video releases of the film completely lacked a score, as with many early releases of public domain silent films. The version with an organ score performed by Rosa Rio was made in 1986, and was included in the Video Yesteryear edition. In 1996, a new version was made. This version was included in all of the home media releases of the film, beginning with the `` L. Frank Baum Silent Film Collection of Oz '', released by American Home Entertainment on November 26, 1996, and features a score performed by Mark Glassman and Steffen Presley, and a narration performed by Jacqueline Lovell. In 2005, another version was made. This version features original music composed and arranged by Robert Israel and performed by the Robert Israel Orchestra ( Europe ), and is included in all of the home media releases of the 1939 film, beginning with the 2005 3 - Disc Collector 's Edition DVD of the film. See also Adaptations of The Wizard of Oz References Jump up ^ Hall, Mordaunt ( April 14, 1925 ). `` Movie Review : The Wizard of Oz ''. The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2015. Jump up ^ Swartz, Mark Evan ( 2002 ). Oz Before the Rainbow : L. Frank Baum 's the Wonderful Wizard of Oz on Stage and Screen to 1939. Baltimore, Maryland : JHU Press. p. 237. ISBN 978 - 0801870927. Retrieved 2015 - 07 - 20. Jump up ^ Fitzpatrick, Eileen ( December 14, 1996 ). `` For Oz Fans, There 's No Place Like American Home ''. Billboard. p. 62. Jump up ^ from the cable television broadcast of `` Wizard of Oz, '' Turner Movie Classics, Monday, December 1, 2008, 12 : 15 AM EST -- 2 : 00 AM EST, with Introduction by Robert Osborne External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Wizard of Oz ( 1925 film ). The Wizard of Oz is available for free download at the Internet Archive The Wizard of Oz on IMDb The Wizard of Oz at AllMovie The Bad Movie Report -- Oz Silent Films The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Canonical books L. Frank Baum The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ( 1900 ) The Marvelous Land of Oz ( 1904 ) Ozma of Oz ( 1907 ) Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz ( 1908 ) The Road to Oz ( 1909 ) The Emerald City of Oz ( 1910 ) The Patchwork Girl of Oz ( 1913 ) Tik - Tok of Oz ( 1914 ) The Scarecrow of Oz ( 1915 ) Rinkitink in Oz ( 1916 ) The Lost Princess of Oz ( 1917 ) The Tin Woodman of Oz ( 1918 ) The Magic of Oz ( 1919 ) Glinda of Oz ( 1920 ) Ruth Plumly Thompson The Royal Book of Oz ( 1921 ) Kabumpo in Oz ( 1922 ) The Cowardly Lion of Oz ( 1923 ) Grampa in Oz ( 1924 ) The Lost King of Oz ( 1925 ) The Hungry Tiger of Oz ( 1926 ) The Gnome King of Oz ( 1927 ) The Giant Horse of Oz ( 1928 ) Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz ( 1929 ) The Yellow Knight of Oz ( 1930 ) Pirates in Oz ( 1931 ) The Purple Prince of Oz ( 1932 ) Ojo in Oz ( 1933 ) Speedy in Oz ( 1934 ) The Wishing Horse of Oz ( 1935 ) Captain Salt in Oz ( 1936 ) Handy Mandy in Oz ( 1937 ) The Silver Princess in Oz ( 1938 ) Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz ( 1939 ) Others The Wonder City of Oz ( 1940 ) The Scalawagons of Oz ( 1941 ) Lucky Bucky in Oz ( 1942 ) The Magical Mimics in Oz ( 1946 ) The Shaggy Man of Oz ( 1949 ) The Hidden Valley of Oz ( 1951 ) Merry Go Round in Oz ( 1963 ) Yankee in Oz ( 1972 ) The Enchanted Island of Oz ( 1976 ) The Forbidden Fountain of Oz ( 1980 ) The Ozmapolitan of Oz ( 1986 ) The Wicked Witch of Oz ( 1993 ) The Giant Garden of Oz ( 1993 ) The Runaway in Oz ( 1995 ) The Rundelstone of Oz ( 2000 ) The Emerald Wand of Oz ( 2005 ) Trouble Under Oz ( 2006 ) Alternate Dorothy of Oz ( 1989 ) Locations and elements Land of Oz Emerald City Munchkin Country Gillikin Country Winkie Country Quadling Country Yellow brick road Oogaboo Deadly Desert Nonestica Forest of Burzee Land of Ev Merryland Mo Ix Nome Kingdom Noland Ruby slippers Silver Shoes Apocrypha The Oz Film Manufacturing Company Characters Dorothy Gale Toto Princess Ozma The Wizard of Oz Scarecrow Tin Woodman Cowardly Lion Jack Pumpkinhead Tik - Tok Sawhorse Trot Hungry Tiger Good Witch of the North Glinda, the Good Witch of the South Wicked Witch of the West Wicked Witch of the East Aunt Em Uncle Henry Betsy Bobbin Billina Boq Button - Bright Cap'n Bill Eureka Herby Jellia Jamb Jenny Jump Jinjur Jinnicky the Red Jinn John Dough Kabumpo Mombi Munchkins Nome King Ojo the Lucky Pastoria Patchwork Girl Peter Brown Pigasus Polychrome Queen Lurline Shaggy Man Soldier with the Green Whiskers Winged monkeys Woggle - Bug Other writers Authors John R. Neill Jack Snow Rachel Cosgrove Payes Eloise Jarvis McGraw Dick Martin Alexander Volkov Gregory Maguire Sherwood Smith Roger S. Baum Illustrators William Wallace Denslow Frank Kramer Dirk Gringhuis Dick Martin Eric Shanower William Stout Adaptations and other derivative works Films The Fairylogue and Radio - Plays ( 1908 ) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ( 1910 ) Dorothy and the Scarecrow in Oz ( 1910 ) The Land of Oz ( 1910 ) John Dough and the Cherub ( 1910 ) The Patchwork Girl of Oz ( 1914 ) The Magic Cloak of Oz ( 1914 ) His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz ( 1914 ) The Wizard of Oz ( 1925 ) The Wizard of Oz ( 1933 ) The Wizard of Oz ( 1939 ) Return to Oz ( 1964 ) The Wonderful Land of Oz ( 1969 ) Ayşecik ve Sihirli Cüceler Rüyalar Ülkesinde ( 1971 ) Journey Back to Oz ( 1974 ) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ( 1975 ) The Wiz ( 1978 ) The Wizard of Oz ( 1982 ) Return to Oz ( 1985 ) Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz ( 1987 ) The Dreamer of Oz : The L. Frank Baum Story ( 1990 ) Lion of Oz ( 2000 ) The Muppets ' Wizard of Oz ( 2005 ) Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz ( 2011 ) Dorothy and the Witches of Oz ( 2011 ) After the Wizard ( 2011 ) Oz the Great and Powerful ( 2013 ) Legends of Oz : Dorothy 's Return ( 2014 ) Ozland ( 2014 ) Guardians of Oz ( 2015 ) Tom and Jerry : Back to Oz ( 2016 ) Stage The Wizard of Oz ( 1902 ) The Woggle - Bug ( 1905 ) The Tik - Tok Man of Oz ( 1913 ) The Wizard of Oz ( 1942 ) The Wiz ( 1974 ) The Marvelous Land of Oz ( 1981 ) The Wizard of Oz ( 1987 ) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ( 2000 ) The Wizard of Oz ( 2011 ) The Woodsman ( 2012 ) Television Tales of the Wizard of Oz ( 1961 ) Off to See the Wizard ( 1967 ) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ( 1986 ) The Wizard of Oz ( 1990 ) The Oz Kids ( 1996 ) Lost in Oz ( 2002 ) Once Upon a Time ( since 2011 ) The Wiz Live ! ( 2015 ) Lost In Oz ( 2015 ) Emerald City ( 2017 ) Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz ( 2017 ) Comics Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz ( 1904 -- 05 ) Adventures in Oz ( 1986 -- 92 ) The Enchanted Apples of Oz ( 1986 ) Oz Squad ( 1991 ) Lost Girls ( 1991 -- 92 ) Oz ( 1994 ) Dorothy of Oz ( 2006 ) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ( 2009 ) Video games The Wizard of Oz ( 1993 ) The Wizard of Oz : Beyond the Yellow Brick Road ( 2008 ) Emerald City Confidential ( 2009 ) Parodies The Wozard of Iz Os Trapalhões eo Mágico de Oróz The Wonderful Wizard of Ha 's Wizard of Odd Reimagining The Wizard of Mars ( 1965 ) Hunter ( 1973 ) Zardoz ( 1974 ) Oz ( 1976 ) The Number of the Beast ( 1980 ) A Barnstormer in Oz ( 1982 ) The Wizard of A.I.D.S. ( 1987 ) The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz ( 1990 ) Twister ( 1994 ) The Dark Tower IV : Wizard and Glass ( 1997 ) Tin Man ( 2007 ) Dorothy Must Die ( 2014 ) The Wicked Will Rise ( 2015 ) The Wicked Years Wicked Son of a Witch A Lion Among Men Out of Oz Wicked ( musical ) Characters Others Rainbow Road to Oz MÄR The Wizard of Oz ( pinball ) The Wizard of Oz ( arcade game ) Related The International Wizard of Oz Club The Baum Bugle Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1925_film)&oldid=790333083 '' Categories : 1925 films 1920s adventure films 1920s comedy films 1920s fantasy films American black - and - white films American films American coming - of - age films American silent feature films Children 's fantasy films Fantasy - comedy films Fantasy adventure films Films based on The Wizard of Oz Films directed by Larry Semon Films set in Kansas Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2014 Articles with Internet Archive links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch فارسی Français Italiano 日本 語 Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Edit links This page was last edited on 13 July 2017, at 01 : 52. 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Question: who portrayed dorothy in 1925's the wizard of oz
Answer: Dorothy Dwan