The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is an American musical movie. It was produced by MGM and released by RKO in 1939. The movie is based on the children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. This book was first published in May 1900. The book and movie are about a little girl's adventures in the land called Oz. This is still watched from 1939 to 2017.
The song "Over the Rainbow" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The movie was first televised in 1956. It became an annual Thanksgiving television special for many years. The movie was named the most-watched motion picture in history by the Library of Congress.
In 1998, the movie was sixth on the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movies list. The movie has been chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Story
Dorothy (Judy Garland) lives on a drab Kansas farm with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry (Clara Blandick and Charlie Grapewin). A powerful storm sweeps her and her house away to the Land of Oz. Upon arriving, she arrives in a town of people called "munchkins". She soon realises that her house has crushed a witch and now the witch's magical ruby slippers belong to her. The good witch, Glinda (Billie Burke), tells her that only the Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan) can send her back home.
She must go to the Emerald City to see him. She sets off on the Yellow Brick Road wearing the witch's ruby slippers. She makes three friends on the road: a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion (Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr).
On the way to Emerald City, the friends are tormented by The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton). She is the sister of the witch Dorothy killed. She wants the ruby slippers. Dorothy won't give the slippers to the witch. The friends arrive in Emerald City. The Wizard refuses to help them unless they defeat the Wicked Witch. The friends go to the Witch's castle and are captured. The Witch tries to torture the scarecrow with fire so Dorothy throws a bucket of water over the Witch, causing her to melt.
In the Emerald City, the four friends are welcomed as heroes. It is revealed that the Wizard is not actually magic and is instead just an ordinary scientist. The Wizard prepares his hot air balloon to take Dorothy back to Kansas. But the balloon takes off without her. The good witch called Glinda (Billie Burke) tells Dorothy she can go home by just clicking the heels of the ruby slippers together and thinking about home. She does this. She wakes up in her bed. Her adventures have been a dream.
Main cast
Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale
Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow
Jack Haley as the Tin Man
Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion
Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch
Billie Burke as Glinda, the Good Witch
Frank Morgan as the Wizard of Oz
Clara Blandick as Aunt Em
Charlie Grapewin as Uncle Henry
References
Other websites
Official DVD Website
Greatest Films
RaveCentral
The Wizard of Oz tornado - on the set
Moria.co.nz Review
1939 movies
1930s family movies
1930s fantasy movies
American family movies
American fantasy movies
1930s American musical movies
English-language movies
Movies based on books
Movies set in Kansas
United States National Film Registry movies
Movies that won the Best Original Song Academy Award
MGM movies
Movies directed by Victor Fleming
Movies directed by King Vidor
Movies directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Movies about dreams
Movies about witchcraft
Movies about wizards