I finally got to watch The Wizard of Oz on the big screen after years of only seeing it on TV!

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2019)

Like I'm sure many of you reading this, I first watched this classic movie when it aired on CBS during the '70s when that network still had annual showings of it. Last month or so, I saw it in a theatre for the first time with my movie theatre-working friend as it celebrated it's 80th anniversary. When Professor Marvel mentioned Isis, we both cracked how that word now inspires dread and when the Scarecrow mentioned some jokes about brains, I mentioned a certain President. I also mentioned to my friend how the only part I didn't like about the movie was the Lion's singing about being the King of the Forest as it really stopped the movie and not in a good way. The role of Dorothy was perfect for then 16-year-old Judy Garland even though the girl in the book was originally a pre-teen. And Thank Goodness calmer heads prevailed and her signature song, "Over the Rainbow", was not cut out! It won that deserved Oscar as did Judy for that special miniature Academy Award she got (though I hope she later replaced that with the more standard size!) It was such a treat seeing it on the big screen after years of watching it on TV. Only wish we weren't the only ones in the seats that day, though....