# The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 musical film about a young Kansas girl cast into a fantasy world. Her efforts to return home are aided by three unusual companions, each with a quest of his own.
    Directed by Victor Fleming. Written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf, based on the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Music by Harold Arlen, Lyrics by Yip Harburg.

## Dorothy

* Someplace where there isn't any trouble... [tossing a piece of her cruller to Toto] ...do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or train. It's far, far away... behind the moon... beyond the rain. [singing] 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.
* Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the rainbow!
** [Note: This line is ranked #4 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema].
* Well, I... I think that it... that it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em... and it's that if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard; because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with.
* There's no place like home; there's no place like home; there's no place like home...
** [Note: This line is ranked #23 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema].
* [last lines] Oh, but anyway, Toto, we're home – home! And this is my room – and you're all here – and I'm not going to leave here ever, ever again, because I love you all! And... oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home!

## Scarecrow

* Why, if I had a brain I could... [singing] I could while away the hours, Conferrin' with the flowers, Consultin' with the rain. And my head I'd be scratchin' While my thoughts were busy hatchin' If I only had a brain.

## Tin Man

* [singing] When a man's an empty kettle, He should be on his mettle, And yet I'm torn apart. Just because I'm presumin' That I could be kinda human If I only had a heart.

## Cowardly Lion

* Put 'em up, put 'em up! Which one of ya first?
* [singing] Yeah, it's sad, believe me, Missy, When you're born to be a sissy, Without the vim and verve. But I could show my prowess, Be a lion, not a "mowess," If I only had the nerve.
* Courage! What makes a King out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the Sphinx the Seventh Wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the ape in ape-ricot? What have they got that I ain't got? (Others: Courage!) You can say that again!
* Read what my medal says. Courage! Ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth!

## Wicked Witch of the West

* [to Glinda] Very well – I'll bide my time. [to Dorothy] And as for you, my fine lady, it's true I can't attend to you here and now as I'd like; but just try to stay out of my way – just try! I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too! [With a burst of laughter, she whirls around and vanishes in a burst of smoke and fire and a clap of thunder.]
** [Note: Bolded line is ranked #99 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema].
* Take your army to the Haunted Forest and bring me that girl and her dog. Do what you like with the others, but I want her alive and unharmed. They'll give you no trouble, I promise you that. I've sent a little insect on ahead to take the fight out of them. [cackles] Take special care of those ruby slippers. I want those most of all. Now, fly! Fly! [The winged monkeys fly out of the castle] Fly, fly, fly!
* [cackling] Going so soon? I wouldn't hear of it. Why, my little party is just beginning.
* [last words; screams shrilly] You cursed brat! Look what you've done! [melts] I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?! Ohhh! Look out! Look out! I'm going! Ohhhh – Ohhhhhhhhhh!

## The Wizard

* I AM OZ.... the Great and Powerful! Who are you?
* Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! The Great Oz has spoken!
* Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma.
* [to the Tin Man] Back where I come from, there are men who do nothing all day but good deeds. And their hearts are no bigger than yours is! But they have one thing you haven't got: a testimonial. […] A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.
* [to the Lion] You, my friend, are a victim of disorganized thinking. You are under the unfortunate impression that just because you run away you have no courage; you're confusing courage with wisdom. Back where I come from, there are men called Heroes, and they have no more courage than you do! But they have one thing you haven't got: a medal.

## Glinda

* [to Dorothy] Are you a good witch or a bad witch?
* Only bad witches are ugly.
* [to the Wicked Witch of the West] Rubbish! You have no power here! Begone, before somebody drops a house on you too!
* You always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.

## The Munchkins

* Ding Dong, the witch is dead, Which old witch? The wicked witch. Ding Dong, the wicked witch is dead!
* You're off to see the Wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. You'll find he is a whiz of a Wiz If ever a Wiz there was. If ever, oh ever, a Wiz there was The Wizard of Oz is one because Because, because, because, because, because... Because of the wonderful things he does.

## Aunt Em

* [about Toto] He's really gentle... with gentle people, that is.
* Almira Gulch! Just because you own half the county doesn't mean that you have the power to run the rest of us. For 23 years, I've been dying to tell you what I thought of you, and now... well, being a Christian woman, I can't say it!

## Dialogue

    Miss Gulch: Mr. Gale?
    Uncle Henry: Howdy, Miss Gulch.
    Miss Gulch: I want to see you and your wife right away about Dorothy.
    Uncle Henry: Dorothy? Well, what has Dorothy done?
    Miss Gulch: What she's done? I'm all but lame from the bite on my leg!
    Uncle Henry: You mean she bit you?
    Miss Gulch: No, her dog.
    Uncle Henry: Oh. She bit her dog, eh?
    Miss Gulch: ...NO!
    Glinda: Keep tight inside of them. Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn't want them so badly.
    Wicked Witch: You stay out of this, Glinda, or I'll fix you as well!
    Glinda: [laughs] Rubbish! you have no power here. Be gone, before someone drops a house on you!
    Dorothy: Did you do that on purpose, or can't you make up your mind?
    Scarecrow: That's the trouble! I can't make up my mind. I haven't got a brain... only straw.
    Dorothy: How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
    Scarecrow: I don't know... but some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they?
    Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.
    Wicked Witch: Here, Scarecrow; wanna play Ball? [throws a fireball. The Scarecrow retreats; the Tin Man smothers the flames. Exit Wicked Witch].
    Scarecrow: I'm not afraid of her. I'll get you to see the Great Oz, whether I get a brain or not! "Stuff a mattress with me", pah!
    Tin Man: I'll get you to Oz, whether I get a heart or not! "Beehive", bah! Let her try and make a bee-hive out of me!
    Dorothy: Do – do you suppose we'll meet any wild animals?
    Tin Man: We might.
    Dorothy: Oh!
    Scarecrow: Animals that – that eat straw?
    Tin Man: Uh, some. But mostly lions and tigers and bears.
    Dorothy: Lions?
    Scarecrow: And tigers?
    Tin Man: [nodding] And bears.
    Dorothy: Oh! Lions and tigers and bears. Oh my!
    Dorothy: [noticing the horse drawing their carriage is changing colors] What kind of a horse is that? I've never seen a horse like that before!
    Coachman: No, and never will again, I fancy! There's only one of him, and he's it. He's the Horse of a Different Color you've heard tell about!
    Guard: The Wizard says, Go away! [Goes back to the Wizard's palace]
    Dorothy, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man: [shocked together] Go away?
    Scarecrow: [sadly] Looks like we came a long way for nothing.
    Dorothy: [sobs and sits down] And I was so happy. I thought I was on my way home.
    Tin Man: [comforting Dorothy] Don't cry, Dorothy. We're gonna get you to the Wizard.
    Scarecrow: [agreeing] We certainly are.
    [The guard opens the door's window]
    Dorothy: [crying] Auntie Em was so good to me, and I never appreciated it, running away and hurting her feelings. Professor Marvel said she was sick. She may be dying and it's all my fault.
    [The guard starts crying]
    Dorothy: I'll never forgive myself. Never, never, never. [Scarecrow and Tin Man continue to comfort Dorothy]
    Guard: [sobbing] Please, don't cry anymore. I'll get you to the Wizard somehow. Come on. I had an Aunt Em myself once. [Sobs and opens the door for Dorothy and her friends]
    Wizard of Oz: I AM OZ! The Great and Powerful. Who are you? [no answer] Who are you?
    Dorothy: If you please, I am Dorothy, the small and meek. We've come to ask you...
    Wizard of Oz: Silence! The great and powerful Oz knows why you have come. Step forward, Tin Man.
    [Tin Man slowly and shakily steps forward]
    Wizard of Oz: You dare to come to me for a heart, do you? You clinking, clanking, collection of collision-ous junk!
    Tin Man: [whimpers] Y-yes, sir. Y-yes, Your Honor. You see, a while back, we were walking down the yellow brick road and--
    The Wizard of Oz: QUIET!
    [Tin Man runs back]
    The Wizard of Oz: And you, Scarecrow, have the effrontery to ask for a brain! you billowing bale of bovine fodder!
    Scarecrow: Yes, Your Honor. I mean, Your Excellency. I mean, Y-Your Wizardry.
    The Wizard of Oz: Enough. And you, Lion…
    [The Cowardly Lion walks forward, still afraid]
    The Wizard of Oz: Well?!
    [The Cowardly Lion faints, and Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man try to get him to wake up]
    Dorothy: [angrily, to the Wizard] You oughta be ashamed of yourself! frightening him like that when he came to you for help.
    The Wizard of Oz: Silence, whippersnapper! The beneficent Oz has every intention of granting your requests.
    Cowardly Lion: [comes to] What's that? What'd he say? What'd he say?
    The Wizard of Oz: But first, you must prove yourselves worthy by performing a very small task. Bring me the broomstick of the Witch of the West.
    Tin Man: But we'd have to kill her altogether!
    The Wizard of Oz: Bring me her broomstick, and I'll grant your requests. Now, go.
    Cowardly Lion: But what if she kills us first?
    The Wizard of Oz: I said, Go!
    [The Cowardly Lion runs out of the Wizard's throne room and jumps through the window]
    Cowardly Lion: What's that? What's that?
    Scarecrow: That's the castle of the Wicked Witch! Dorothy's in that awful place!
    Tin Man: Oh, I hate to think of her in there! We've got to get her out!
    Scarecrow: Don't cry now! We haven't got the oil-can with us and you've been squeaking enough as it is!
    Cowardly Lion: Who's them? Who's them?
    [The Winkie Guards enter, marching in formation to the tune of an ominous chant]
    Winkies: Oh-we-um; io-on!
    Scarecrow: I've got a plan to get in there…
    Cowardly Lion: He's got a plan!
    Scarecrow: An' you're gonna lead us!
    Cowardly Lion: M-m-me?
    Scarecrow: Yes, you!
    Cowardly Lion: I gotta get in there?
    [Scarecrow and Tin Man nod].
    Cowardly Lion: [hesitates]. All right; I'll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch. Guards or no guards; I'll tear 'em apart. I may not come out alive, but I'm goin' in there! There's only one thing I want you fellas to do.
    Scarecrow and Tin Man: What's that?
    Cowardly Lion: Talk me out of it.
    [He backs down; the others prop him up, and all three go nearer to the gate. Toto barks; the Scarecrow quiets him. Three Winkie guards attack from behind. They fight; the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion re-enter, dressed in the Winkies' uniforms].
    Scarecrow: Come on, I've got another plan!
    Cowardly Lion: Do you think it'll be polite, dropping in like this?
    [They join the formation entering the castle].
    Tin Man: Where do we go now?
    Cowardly Lion: Yeah!
    [Toto barks and leads the way upstairs]
    Scarecrow: There!
    Captain of the Winkie Guard: [After looking at the remains of the Wicked Witch of the West] She's dead! You killed her!
    Dorothy: I didn't mean to. It's just the Scarecrow was on fire.
    Captain of the Winkie Guard: HAIL TO DOROTHY, THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD!!!
    Winkie Guards: HAIL TO DOROTHY, THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD!!!
    Dorothy: The broom! May we have it?
    Dorothy: Here's the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West. We melted her.
    Wizard of Oz: Oh, you liquidated her, eh?
    Dorothy: Who are you?
    Wizard of Oz: [thunderously] I am, the Great and Powerful [softly] Wizard of Oz.
    Dorothy: You are?! I don't believe it!
    Scarecrow: You;–– humbug!
    Wizard of Oz: Exactly so. I'm… a humbug.
    Dorothy: I think you are a very bad man.
    Wizard of Oz: No, my dear, I'm a very good man! I'm just a very… bad wizard.
    Scarecrow: What about the heart you promised Tin Man?! And the courage you promised Cowardly Lion?!
    Tin Man and Cowardly Lion: And Scarecrow's brain?!
    Wizard of Oz: Why, anyone can have a brain…
    Wizard of Oz: As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.
    Tin Man: But I still want one.
    Dorothy: Goodbye, Tin Man. Oh, don't cry! You'll rust so dreadfully. Here's your oil can.
    Tin Man: Oh, thank you. Now I know I've got a heart, 'cause it's breaking... And it's saying Thank you, Dorothy.
    Dorothy: Goodbye, Lion. I know it isn't right, but I'm going to miss the way you used to holler for help before you found your courage.
    Cowardly Lion: Oh, thank you. I never would've found it if it hadn't been for you...
    Dorothy: [to Scarecrow] I think I'm going to miss you most of all.

## Taglines

* The Greatest Picture In The History Of Entertainment!
* Gaiety! Glory! Glamour!
* Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Technicolor Triumph!
* Biggest Screen Sensation Since "Snow White"!
* The Mighty Miracle Show That Is The Talk Of America!
* Amazing Sights To See ! The Tornado . . . Munchkinland . . . Horse Of A Different Color . . . Startling Balloon Ascent . . . Flying Monkeys . . . Trees That Talk And Throw Apples.
* Mighty Miracle Show Of 1000 Delights!

## Quotes about The Wizard of Oz

* It's a wonderful universal story. I mean you look at the Wizard of Oz — it takes a reality which is the beginning of the movie, and turns it into a mythology. … You know all great story telling is a form of myth.
** Caleb Deschanel, These Amazing Shadows (2011)
* I would watch Wizard of Oz, like every day, when I was two. I had a hard time understanding that I couldn't go into the film, because it felt so real to me.
** Zooey Deschanel, These Amazing Shadows (2011)

## Cast

* Judy Garland – Dorothy Gale
* Frank Morgan – Professor Marvel/Emerald City Doorman/Coachman/The Wizard's Guard/The Wizard
* Ray Bolger – Hunk/The Scarecrow
* Bert Lahr – Zeke/The Cowardly Lion
* Jack Haley – Hickory/The Tin Man
* Billie Burke – Glinda
* Margaret Hamilton – Miss Almira Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the West
* Charley Grapewin – Uncle Henry
* Pat Walshe – Nikko, the Wicked Witch's Head Winged Monkey
* Clara Blandick – Aunt Em
* Terry (credited as Toto) – Toto the Dog

## External links

* The Wizard of Oz quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* The Wizard of Oz at Filmsite.org