The story of a teenage girl whisked away from her home in rural Kansas to the Land of Oz is told in one of the most beloved motion pictures of all time. “The Wizard of Oz” was a troubled production from the start, with Victor Fleming replacing Normal Taureg and Richard Thorpe as the third director. Fleming performed the lion’s share of the directional duties of “Oz” when, towards the end of the picture, he was reassigned by MGM management to replace George Cukor at the helm of “Gone With the Wind.” Fleming also completed most of the directorial job at ”GWTW” as he had done at “Oz.” King Vidor finished up the last few scenes at “Oz” in an uncredited capacity.
The good vs. evil storyline and the high-quality production values on “Oz” helped to make it the enduring classic it is today. The colorful sets, the imaginative costumes, marvelous special effects, great music, classic performances, etc., garnered the picture two Oscar wins (Best Original Song, “Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arlen and E.Y.Harburg, and Best Musical Score, writen by Herbert Stothar) and three nominations (Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Special Effects), and a special Academy Juvenile Award to Judy Garland.
The cast headed by Garland was indeed a talented one. Judy Garland’s performance as Dorothy Gale was a role of a lifetime defining her career for the remainder of her life, with “Over the Rainbow” becoming her “theme song.” Her co-stars include Frank Morgan as the Wizard, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly lion, Billie Burke as Glinda, Margaret Hamilton as the wicked witch, and Charley Grapewin and Clara Blandick as Uncle Henry and Auntie Em, respectively.
“The Wizard of Oz” was not a box office success in 1939 for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, due to the high production costs. It did make more money in re-lease in 1949, and with an annual television airing from 1959 to 1991, it is estimated that the very watchable “Wizard of Oz” is the most-viewed motion picture of all time.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
cinema
My Review
The story of a teenage girl whisked away from her home in rural Kansas to the Land of Oz is told in one of the most beloved motion pictures of all time. “The Wizard of Oz” was a troubled production from the start, with Victor Fleming replacing Normal Taureg and Richard Thorpe as the third director. Fleming performed the lion’s share of the directional duties of “Oz” when, towards the end of the picture, he was reassigned by MGM management to replace George Cukor at the helm of “Gone With the Wind.” Fleming also completed most of the directorial job at ”GWTW” as he had done at “Oz.” King Vidor finished up the last few scenes at “Oz” in an uncredited capacity.
The good vs. evil storyline and the high-quality production values on “Oz” helped to make it the enduring classic it is today. The colorful sets, the imaginative costumes, marvelous special effects, great music, classic performances, etc., garnered the picture two Oscar wins (Best Original Song, “Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arlen and E.Y.Harburg, and Best Musical Score, writen by Herbert Stothar) and three nominations (Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Special Effects), and a special Academy Juvenile Award to Judy Garland.
The cast headed by Garland was indeed a talented one. Judy Garland’s performance as Dorothy Gale was a role of a lifetime defining her career for the remainder of her life, with “Over the Rainbow” becoming her “theme song.” Her co-stars include Frank Morgan as the Wizard, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly lion, Billie Burke as Glinda, Margaret Hamilton as the wicked witch, and Charley Grapewin and Clara Blandick as Uncle Henry and Auntie Em, respectively.
“The Wizard of Oz” was not a box office success in 1939 for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, due to the high production costs. It did make more money in re-lease in 1949, and with an annual television airing from 1959 to 1991, it is estimated that the very watchable “Wizard of Oz” is the most-viewed motion picture of all time.