Masterpieces Of Technicolor: The Wizard Of Oz

Rating: 10/10 (12 May 2006)

The Wizard Of Oz (1939): Starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton, Billie Burke, Frank Morgan, Clara Blandick, Charlie Grapewin, Pat Walsh, Charles Becker...Director Victor Fleming, Screenplay Noel Langley Released in 1939, "The Wizard Of Oz" was not the only film of that time to be presented in the new cinematic Technicolor. "Gone With The Wind", which swept the Oscars that year, was also a masterpiece of Technicolor, and like this film, a classic of America cinema. There is much to admire in "Wizard Of Oz", which has taken its place in cinematic history as America's most beloved family classic. Drawn from the novel by L. Frank Baum, this was not the first version to appear in film. Dramatic silent film renditions were made between 1910-1914 "The Wizard Of Oz" and "His Majesty, The Scarecrow Of Oz" based on the Baum novels. But this was a phenomenal musical version, starring Judy Garland in a signature role. She portrays Dorothy Gayle, a girl from Kansas who lives with her Aut Em and Uncle Henry and seems to have a difficult time fitting in. Before long, a tornado whisks her away to an enchanted world of elfin creatures called Munchkins and a beautiful enchantress Glinda (Billie Burke) who tell her that the only way out is through an audience with the mysterious Wizard of the Emerald City. Dorothy and her dog Toto start down the Yellow Brick Road and encounter a trio of characters which have become household names - The Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), The Tin Man (Jack Haley) and The Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr). The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton in a terrific performance) is after Dorothy, hell-bent on killing her and retrieving the powerful ruby slippers. The unforgettable songs like Follow The Yellow Brick Road, Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Harold Arlen became top American songs of the 20th century. This film is pure magic, unlike anything of its time. When Dorothy leaves behind the dull, black-and-white world of Kansas, audiences are literally transported from the earlier black-and-white films of the 20's and 30's to the new and vibrant world of Technicolor, which is Oz. This film not only represents the Golden Age of early Technicolor cinema, but it is a story that has a powerful theme of returning to one's home, of finding one's identity. Dorothy, far from being a flat character, journeys from awkward, flighty girl to courageous, mature young woman who has acquired a sense of self and, whether we believe she dreamed Oz or lived it, she can now live her life with a renewed sense of confidence. This movie can never go out of style. It remains a classic of American cinema. Enjoy!