The Wizard of Oz
Tags: fantasy, allegory, cute, good versus evil, entertaining, queer

Plot synopsis:
The film begins in Kansas, which is depicted in a sepia tone. Dorothy Gale lives with her dog Toto on the farm of her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Dorothy's dog gets in trouble with a mean neighbor, Miss Almira Gulch, when Toto bites her. However, Dorothy's family and the farmhands are all too busy to pay her any attention. Miss Gulch arrives with permission from the sheriff to have Toto put down. She takes him away, but he escapes and returns to Dorothy, who then decides to run away from home, fearing that Miss Gulch will return.
They meet Professor Marvel, a phony but kindly fortune teller, who realizes Dorothy has run away and uses his crystal ball to dupe her into believing that Aunt Em is ill so that she must return home. She races home just as a powerful tornado strikes. Unable to get into her family's storm cellar, she seeks safety in her bedroom. A wind-blown window sash hits her in the head, knocking her out. Dorothy then awakens to find the house has apparently been picked up and sent spinning up into the air by the twister. She looks outside the window and sees an elderly lady (not Aunt Em as some thought) in a chair, several farm animals, two men rowing a boat, and Miss Gulch (still pedaling her bicycle), who transforms into a cackling Wicked Witch of the East flying on a broomstick.
The farmhouse crashes in Munchkinland in the Land of Oz, and just as Dorothy opens the door of her house the film changes to Technicolor. Glinda the Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins welcome her as their heroine, singing "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" - the house has landed on and killed the Wicked Witch of the East, leaving only her feet poking out from under the house. In the middle of the celebration, the Wicked Witch of the West arrives in a ball of smoke and fire to claim her sister's ruby slippers, but Glinda transports the shoes onto Dorothy's feet before the witch can get them. The Wicked Witch of the West swears revenge on Dorothy for her sister's death. Glinda tells Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, where the Wizard of Oz might be able to help her get back home.
On her way, Dorothy meets and befriends the Scarecrow, who wants a brain, and is invited by Dorothy to join her on her journey. Eventually Dorothy and Scarecrow come to an apple tree orchard where Dorothy picks an apple off a tree and the trees come to life and scold her for it. But Scarecrow taunts and provokes the trees, causing them to become angry and throw apples at him. As Dorothy picks up the thrown apples, she and Scarecrow find and befriend the Tin Woodman, who desires a heart. After they invite the Tin Man to come along, the Witch appears and makes threats to the three of them. Then deep in the woods, they meet the Cowardly Lion, who is in need of courage and he too is invited to come along as well. After the Witch attempts to stop them several times, they finally reach the Emerald City. Inside, after being initially rejected, they are permitted to see the Wizard (who appears as a large disembodied head surrounded by fire). He agrees to grant their wishes when they bring him the Witch of the West's broomstick (which implies they must kill her to get it).
On their journey to the Witch's castle, the group passes through the Haunted Forest, while the Witch views their progress through a crystal ball. She sends her winged monkeys to attack the group; they capture Dorothy and Toto. At the castle, the Witch receives a magical shock when she tries to get the slippers off Dorothy, then remembers that Dorothy must be dead first. Toto escapes and leads her friends to the castle. After ambushing three Winkie guards, they march inside wearing the stolen guards' uniforms and free her, but the Witch discovers them and traps them. However, the Scarecrow uses the Tin Man's axe to cut a rope nearby and send a gigantic chandelier, swinging overhead, down onto the Witch's soldiers, knocking them to the floor and the quartet attempt to escape. The Witch and her guards chase them through the castle, across battlements and finally surround them. When the Witch sets fire to the Scarecrow, Dorothy puts out the flames with a bucket of water which splashes on the Witch and it causes her to melt away. The guards rejoice that she is dead and give Dorothy the charred broomstick in gratitude.
Back at the Emerald City, the Wizard delays granting their requests. Then Toto pulls back a curtain and exposes the "Wizard" as a normal middle-aged man who has been projecting the fearsome image; he denies Dorothy's accusation that he is a bad man, but admits to being a humbug. He then gives the Scarecrow a diploma, the Lion a medal, and the Tin Man a ticking heart-shaped watch, making them realize that they had what they wanted all along, they just did not know it yet. He then prepares to launch his hot air balloon to take Dorothy home, but Toto chases a cat, Dorothy follows, and the balloon leaves without them. Suddenly, Glinda returns and tells her that she can still return home by using the Ruby Slippers. Dorothy then shares a tearful farewell with her friends. Following Glinda's instructions, Dorothy taps her heels together three times and repeats, "There's no place like home". Dorothy wakes up in bed at her home in Kansas, surrounded by her family, the farmhands, Professor Marvel and Toto. Though her family and friends dismiss her adventure as a dream, Dorothy insists that it was all real, and that there is no place like home.

Review: While it has become oddly fashionable in recent years to deride this kind of classic, innocent fantasy, the movie itself has aged very well, and it is likely to retain an appreciative audience for some time to come.There's no doubt that part of the appeal of the story and the characters comes from them being such old friends to so many cinema fans, but there are also good reasons why they have endured for so long, and have been able to hold up even after becoming so familiar.
Who does not feel that he or she could use at least one of the things that Dorothy's friends want?The adaptation from the original story is done quite well, making fine choices for the characters and episodes that would work on film.
The settings and visual effects may not impress the devotees of today's computer imagery, but in their time they certainly demonstrated a great deal of skill and planning, and even now, in their own way they are more believable than are most of the computer tricks that have become so overused.The popular story has also been used for a number of more recent adaptations, and some of them have had some good points of their own.
Frank Baum's 1900 fantasy classic THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ not only became an institution among itself (and practically defined the concept of modern popular culture), but is reported to be the most viewed film ever made.
When Dorothy stepped out into Technicolor, I'll bet my eyes just popped.This is the Movie of All Time, folks--a status achieved during its long run as a huge annual TV event during that classic era whose programs now show up on TV Land network.
I mean look, we have Frank Morgan as the Emerald City gatekeeper, then seconds later as the cabbie with the Horse of a Different Color, then the Wizard's palace guard, and then the voice of fire-and-smoke Wizard of Oz who bellows, "Step forward, Tin Man!"  What other film could put an actor go through 4 quick-changes within 10 minutes to such an endearing result?
The reason this movie remains the most beloved of Hollywood films even after six decades is because 'The Wizard of Oz' is unique among motion pictures in that it mirrors our longings and imaginations as children.
We have to believe that she will become frightened and that her life will be in danger because if she doesn't that we sense that the character can work her way out of the situation herself and our interest wanes.If movies are a time capsule than 'The Wizard of Oz' wonderfully captures a brief moment of happiness in Garland's life.
I have tried to imagine that famous dance down the Yellow Brick Road with a 4 foot child and it just doesn't fit.If Garland gives the film its center than I think the production design, awe-inspiring in 1939, is the perfect backdrop.
There was a little art house in Lansing Michigan USA that ran it back then, on the popular premise that there's nothing like TWoO on "the big screen." That's the last time I'd seen it, 'til today.I guess the part that "gets" me about the movie is how the writers made it pretty plain that the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion really already had what they thought they were missing; that their respective problems were in misapprehending their own complete natures.
I found myself most touched in scenes where the Scarecrow was showing wisdom, the Tin Man feeling deeply ("...when I think of Dorothy in that awful place..."), and the Lion...well, maybe accomplishing this effect was harder in his case...what *is* true courage?Anyway, if you're reading this here, you must be a movie weenie, and you've no doubt already seen the movie, so I'm not going to recite the usual "go see this movie" mantra.I was just very touching to see this movie again, at this phase in my life.I will mention a few more things about how I now see this movie as a "growed up" (I'm almost 50): It's interesting how you can see the production values of the time; the lot sets and special effects and so forth.
Dorothy is a young girl living on a Kansas farm, during a tornado, she, along with her dog Toto, is swept up and plonked down in a magical and mysterious land known as Oz. Desperate to get back home and under threat from a wicked witch, she is advised to seek out a great wizard who should be able to help her get back home.
At times it's a wee bit creaky and when scrutinised, some of the performances in the piece are far from an excellent standard, but crucially any misgivings are quickly erased due to the wonder of it all, this is because the film has an ability to transport everybody who is watching into OZ alongside Dorothy.The Wizard Of Oz appeals (and caters) to every demographic and pretty much any age group, we have adventure, the meeting of new friends, fears and trepidations, booming colour, songs to singalong with, and of course the total point of homely values.
The Wizard Of Oz stands up well 70 years later because it taps into all the emotions available to the human being, be it a young child spellbound on a first viewing, or an octogenarian couple of grandparents wistfully humming along to the tunes, it's a film that shouldn't be dissected looking for faults and hidden meanings, it's a film that should be loved and praised for the ode to fantastical whimsy that it so obviously is.The film of course will forever be associated with its darling star, Judy Garland.
Well it makes for a great read, for sure, but what remains to this day is one of the most beloved pictures to have ever been made, for once in the pantheon of great cinema we have a film that is termed a classic, that actually deserves to have that tag!One of the great things about the advent of technology is that it can benefit old classic movies to make them better, for now we can view remastered editions of The Wizard Of Oz and appreciate even more what a great job the makers did.
Marvelous tale in which Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland , she had to wear a painful corset-style device around her torso so that she would appear younger and flat-chested) is swept away to a magical location in a tornado and being transported on the land of Oz she embarks on a quest to see the Wizard (Frank Morgan , he plays various characters) who can help her return home .
There appears Dorothy and her dog when she is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz. She's helped by the Good Witch of the North (Billie Burke) , but she's also in trouble with the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton, many of her scenes were either trimmed or deleted entirely, her performance was thought too frightening for audiences) .
On her way she meets the Munchkins (they are portrayed by the Singer Midgets, named not for their musical abilities ,the troupe came from Europe to immigrate and escape the Nazis) , a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger , face makeup wore consisted, in part, of a rubber prosthetic with a woven pattern to suggest cloth) who needs a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley who wrote additional dialogue) who wants a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bet Lahr , he wrote additional dialogue , too) who desperately needs courage .
A recent study claimed that this is the most watched movie in film history, largely due to the number of television screenings each year as well as video which has enabled children of every generation to see it.
This story about OZ has been adapted several times such as : An old and mute version (1925) , this classic and the best rendition , the MGM release ¨The wizard of Oz¨ (1939) by Victor Fleming with Judy Garland , remade in 1978 as ¨The Wiz¨ by Sidney Lumet with Diana Ross , Richard Pryor and Michael Jackson and ¨Return to Oz¨ (1985) by Walter Murch with Fauriza Falk ,Nicol Williamson, Matt Clark and Piper Laurie .
It's a great example of where the movie-making industry was at the time.Judy Garland blows you away with her stunning portrayal of Dorothy but my favourite performance is definitely that of Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West.
Judy Garland is a beautiful Dorothy, Ray Bolger is a terrific Scarecrow, Jack Haley is a wonderful Tin Man, Bert Lahr is a hilarious and cowardly Lion, and Margaret Hamilton is a scary Wicked Witch of the West.The pacing moves along very nicely, but the best part would have to go to the musical numbers written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Yip Harbug including "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", "Ding!
"The Wizard of Oz" is a classical masterpiece in which breathtaking design, performance and a heart-warming storyline combine to create a movie in its very own category.In Kansas, a twister hits Dorothy's home and she is hit by a window, falling into her dreamland of Oz. We follow Dorothy (Judy Garland) on her quest for the Wizard of Oz, in the land of munchkins, evil and good witches, and many more interesting characters.
Despite the seemingly unrealistic storyline of wizards, a land of munchkins, flying monkeys, and bad witches flying on broomsticks, viewers can't help but fall into the fantasy of it all and imagine there really is such a place "somewhere over the rainbow." The characters are all believable and you seem able to relate to them and know at least one person in your life like them.
During the movie the ever present yellow brick road takes the viewer through a journey of colorful and unique places, like the charming Munchkin Land and eerily spooky Haunted Forest.This film is one that's timeless for a good reason.
Putty-limbed Ray Bolger ("Some people without brains do and AWFUL lot of talking, don't they?"), over-the-top Bert Lahr (I haven't any courage at all, I even scare myself!"), and boyishly charming Jack Haley ("Now I know I have a heart, 'cause it's breaking.") are pitch-perfect in their respective roles as the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man. All three were vaudeville vets, and they infuse their roles with both theatrical shtick and warmth.
To think all these people in one film got their career roles.For their time the special effects were breathtaking, from the tornado that took Dorothy Gale and her house over the rainbow to the mystical land of Oz. The camera work of Hal Rosson and the imagination of Buddy Gillespie in the MGM special effects department hold our rapt attention to this day.Back when she was starting the terrible twos, my niece Tara got to see The Wizard Of Oz for the first time.
Dorothy, Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man along with a great supporting cast made this the most memorable and cherished classic.Dorothy is just a young girl in Kansas with her dog, Toto, and she lives with her Aunt and Uncle on the farm.
Together they are on a journey to get what they want, but it won't be easy with an evil witch on their tale.This movie has practically every memorable line that you can imagine, memorable songs, just all in all, I know in some way or another if you haven't seen this film, you just know about it.
It's about a girl Dorothy from Kansas(played by the immortal Judy Garland) having struggles at home being noticed(in black & white), then a tornado comes, she goes into a fantasy world(in color) where a lot of her family is portrayed behind the Oz characters.
After reading the novel "Wicked" (which I was thoroughly bored/disappointed with) and then picking up the book "The Making of Oz" (which I enjoyed immensely), the natural progression led me to sit down and watch the original "Wizard of Oz" film for the first time in 10 years or so.
As people have likely been saying for 70 years now, I was transformed into a small child once again, inwardly dreading the exact second the Wicked Witch first comes on the screen in a big puff of smoke and singing along to each and every song/dance number.Everyone knows the story...Dorothy Gale from Kansas "travels" to the magical city of Oz, where she meets such characters as the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, while trying all the while just to get home.
Just think of all the children's movies (e.g. Disney, Pixar, High School Musical) and television programs (e.g. Cartoons, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel) that have came and went over the years, yet children (like the younger sister I recently watched the film with) still watch with wonder as Dorothy opens that door into the wonderful world of Oz.Thus, there really isn't anything bad that can be said about The Wizard of Oz. It is the consummate children's film, filled with incredible color, silly acting, and plenty of singing and dancing, while it still holds its appeal to all but the most crotchety of older folks, as the filmmaking was so well-constructed that it stands the test of time.It is a long-held tradition that the film is shown once a year on network television, and I would recommend adhering to that "regime", even if you go the DVD route.
Sure it has a rather simple story, but it's a resonant film that features groundbreaking visuals (that famous twister scene, anyone?), themes that can relate to anyone (courage, having a heart, etc), famous music that became a part of pop culture lore, and just a simple fantasy story that is fun to watch and is suitable for all ages.
Together with the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow, they must follow the yellow brick road to find the Wizard of Oz while being hounded by the Wicked Witch of the West.The colorful visual Technicolor is the best of the day.
"THE WIZARD OF OZ" fun, looks with delight, one falls in love with his characters, unrestricted travel by that fantasy world that never grows old, and Judy Garland singing "Over the Rainbow", carved bear it in your memory forever.
By placing Dorothy's final confrontations with the Wicked Witch and the Wizard near the end of the story rather than the middle, the film draws greater attention to their significance.Most important, the movie creates a whole new storyline for the Kansas section.
These stories, which have been part of Hollywood lore for many decades, make the filming of "Wizard of Oz" sound more like a comedy routine than the creation of a classic.As an expensive, high-tech production for its time, the movie could easily have lost sight of its spirit, as so many big-budget spectacles today do.
I have always loved the movie and grown with it over the years, going from being terrified of the Wicked Witch of The West and her flying monkeys, and being happily entertained by the Cowardly Lion's slapstick, to being enchanted as I got older by Judy Garland's voice and the main story, which, in reference to the book, is extremely flawed and shortened by one third of what is actually done, but that is okay for it was based on a stage production of the show, which today it still runs as school programs, and I saw one that gave a spectacle, treating audience members to the dated, but extremely infectious " The Jitterbug" a deleted song, to the heartstring pulling reprise of " Over The Rainbow" when Dorthy is captured within the confines of the witches castle, but is unable to finish and burst into tears, but nevertheless, the movie is a standard and is something that I will never tie of, and until a remake that can honor the glory of such a wonderful movie, I can't think of a movie that can match it's magic!.
The simple story of a young Kansas girl landing in the land of Oz with it's favourable characters like Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Tinman with Dorothy of to Emerald City to meet the great Oz himself.For a film this old, the Wizard Of Oz is stunning.
Judy Garland, gave her signature performance as Dorothy, Jack Haley for Tinman and Bert Lahr for Lion.The story is simple, the film is quite childish and the movie is dated; all the ingredients of such an enjoyable and memorable classic from the pen of L.
Judy Garland was the perfect Dorothy and I loved the character and how they chose to express her.The switch from black and white to color and then back was a very smooth one and I think brought a nice touch to the film.
The music, the story, the characters, everything, its a cherish beloved movie loved by kids and adults and still has a large following for over 70 years.The story is about a girl named Dorothy who runs away from home when her aunty was forced to get rid of her dog toto from the evil old lady who has a heart of a witch.
its up to Dorothy, the scarecrow, tin man and cowardly lion to find a way to mee the Oz and fulfill their wishes while defeating a wicked witch who after Dorothy and her red slippers.this movie has memorable characters, amazing quality of its time, great effects and songs that everyone can enjoy.
Frank Baum's 1900 fantasy classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has become a beloved movie standard which is reported to be the most viewed film ever made.
The Wizard of Oz is a musical fantasy movie that provides far more than munchkins, witches, and a tornado that propels a Kansas farm setting into the Land of Oz, it's a life's lessons for children of all ages..