Even though there are some movies out there that don't necessarily age well on this level, The Wizard of Oz does. Children and adults alike can take away from this movie by learning how to use their brains, heart, and to have the courage to go through life's challenges. There hasn't been a better life lesson that's clear for all ages, and that's why the storyline will always be relevant.
While each and every main character was a pivotal and memorable key to the movie, it doesn't mask the fact that the characters were a little scary for the younger audience, as well as diners around the MGM cafeteria. These days, it seems like production companies are more aware of crafting their characters so as to look innocent to children. For example, The Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and The Tin Man often ate in their dressing room breaks instead of the dining hall to avoid scaring the public.
To top it off, a lot of viewers at the time deemed the Wicked Witch to be too scary for young eyes because of the hard facial makeup the actress received for her role. The Wizard of Oz wasn't the first or the last movie to use scary characters in kids' movies, but today, characters from the reboot were much less terrifying.
From the soundtrack to the iconic scenes of the foursome skipping to Emerald City, every moment of The Wizard of Oz could be pure nostalgic fuel.
There are plenty of movies from the 19th century that have created nostalgia , but not like this one. It doesn't matter if a viewer is in their 80s or a young child, this film will stay with them for their entire lives. The sense of wonder and innocence children and adults feel when they watch this movie will bring them into the present and the past, which is what everyone craves when they're feeling nostalgic. To really put the chunk of time that has passed since into perspective, of all the Munchkins in the movie, the last actor, Jerry Maren, passed away in There are other cast members such as Judy Garland, who played Dorothy, that has also passed away, so realizing that a lot of the cast isn't around anymore is a true testament of how much time has passed since the classic has been released.
There isn't any doubt that The Wizard of Oz cast and crew were risk-takers and privy to technological advances. While they used Technicolor extensively throughout the film, a lot of the special effects were relatively advanced for the s as well.
Perhaps they had the same idea as other films ahead of their own era, when they predicted the popularity of technological advancements as well. From the processes used for the Wicked Witch's schemes to the Wizard himself as a projection, people will always remember how beautiful this film was for its use of the relatively new three-strip Technicolor process. Even though The Wizard of Oz wasn't the first movie to use the Phase 4 process, the special effects and technology will forever be cherished, which will make it a timeless memory forever.
By Kendra Ackerman Published Dec 05, These were factories, and their products were moving pictures. Of these behemoths, MGM was the gold standard. They had the brightest stars, the highest production values, the biggest sets, and the clearest brand as the epitome of filmmaking. It was because of this environment — where a film belonged to a studio, not an individual writer, director or star — that The Wizard of Oz was such a good film.
But it also became one of the biggest and most troubled productions in Hollywood at the time. Though the rumor that a Munchkin committed suicide on the set is a just an urban myth, it was a grueling and painful shoot.
The three-strip technicolor shooting process meant the lighting had to be incredibly bright, and temperatures in the studio soared to degrees. Heavy costumes and uncomfortable make up were a bane for everyone. Buddy Ebsen was initially cast as the Tin Man before the make up sent him to the hospital for weeks, and Margaret Hamilton was seriously burned by pyrotechnics during the Wicked Witch of the West's fiery exit from Munchkinland.
Add in a cast of little people that liked to party and a young star already being pushed past her limits, and the land of Oz was hardly magical. Judy Garland would regale audiences with tales of the shoot for years, but the shadow of Oz was something Garland was never able to shake. The Wizard of Oz went through four directors, starting with Richard Thorpe, who left a month into filming.
George Cukor subbed in for a week, long enough to get Judy Garland out of a blonde wig. The final scenes were shot by King Vidor, including the iconic "Over the Rainbow" number Fleming wanted to cut it, thinking that it slowed down the pacing early in the film. The song was saved by Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM, and the rest, you'd assume, is history.
Not quite. Oz was marketed hard, with studio press building buzz for months before its release. The film had a big debut, with huge crowds lining up at theaters early in the run. It won two Oscars and made Judy Garland an even bigger star, but it wasn't a runaway hit. So how did it become so iconic?
Starting in , The Wizard of Oz began to air on the relatively new medium, and became an annual tradition for families around the country. They also identify very closely with Dorothy, and by extension with Judy Garland, who had a very difficult life and died well before her time. In solidarity with her and it resolute defiance of wicked witches of all varieties, members of the LGBT community, particularly those still in the closet, sometimes referred to themselves as "friends of Dorothy.
Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, worried that her character was too scary for children.
So she went on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" to reassure children that witches were just make-believe and that there was no reason to be afraid. She came on the program in her own clothes, then changed into the witch costume to make her point.
What a sweet lady! Frank Baum Any discussion of this movie starts with the fact that L. Frank Baum wrote the original book in , along with a ton of others that remain classics in the literary field. The good people at Biography. Pop-Culture References There are so many pop-culture references for this film, we can't keep up with them all!
Luckily, IMDB is there for the save. Toto And these guys, who actually named their band after the dog! Sort of. The Oz Books L. Frank Baum wrote 15 Oz books to kick off this whole love-fest. Amazon has a massive collection of all of them, for those in need. Shmoop U has all the info! Wicked: The Musical Maguire's book begat a smash hit musical, which in turn begat another movie.
It's the great circle of life, Simba! The Wizard of Oz Hollywood got into the Oz game very quickly, starting with this silent short from It's common domain, so you can look at the whole thing right here! The Wizard of Oz Remember those creepy cartoons from the s?
One of them is a version of Oz. Fairly warned thee be, says we. It only lasted one year, but it produced over episodes. They Just. The Wiz became a huge hit on Broadway… as well as an overly long and rather turgid movie adaption in We love the play, though, so if you can find it live, take a look.
And we confess that Michael Jackson's version of the Scarecrow is kind of awesome. Under the Rainbow A comedy starring Chevy Chase and Carrie Fisher, about the behind-the-scenes mayhem caused by the munchkins.
Haven't heard of it? We're not surprised: it stinks. It got crucified when first released, but has aged exceptionally well and really captures the spirit of Baum's books. Still freaky as heck though, and perhaps a bit too much for the wee ones. You know, this whole Oz thing is actually a lot harder than it looks….
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz We try not to think about this dreadful TV adaptation, featuring passing teen singing sensation Ashanti as Dorothy and a chatty king prawn as Toto. Oh Kermit, how could you? It's loud and clunky, but not bad if you give it a chance. Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Wait, this was actually a thing? We had no idea. Good lord, it looks awful!
She dishes on Munchkin shenanigans among other things. Judy and Babs Barbara Walters interviews Garland. Roger Ebert's Take The late legendary film critic gives us his take on the movie. Spoiler Alert: the thumb goes up.
The Jitterbug A famous deleted scene from the movie, comprising a snazzy musical number called "The Jitterbug.
How about this one from the biggest superhero movie of all time. Here's one performance in a TV special.
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