The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Dorothy Gale is swept away to a magical land in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the Wizard who can help her return home.

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Noel Langley (screenplay), Florence Ryerson (screenplay),

Stars:

Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger

Top 250 #149 | Won 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Judy Garland	...	Dorothy
Frank Morgan	...	Professor Marvel / The Wizard of Oz / The Gatekeeper / The Carriage Driver / The Guard
Ray Bolger	...	'Hunk' / The Scarecrow
Bert Lahr	...	'Zeke' / The Cowardly Lion
Jack Haley	...	'Hickory' / The Tin Man
Billie Burke	...	Glinda
Margaret Hamilton	...	Miss Gulch / The Wicked Witch of the West
Charley Grapewin	...	Uncle Henry
Pat Walshe	...	Nikko
Clara Blandick	...	Auntie Em
Terry	...	Toto (as Toto)
The Singer Midgets	...	The Munchkins (as The Munchkins)

Storyline

In this charming film based on the popular L. Frank Baum stories, Dorothy and her dog Toto are caught in a tornado's path and somehow end up in the land of Oz. Here she meets some memorable friends and foes in her journey to meet the Wizard of Oz who everyone says can help her return home and possibly grant her new friends their goals of a brain, heart and courage.

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Plot Keywords:

witch | dog | wizard | home | heart | 

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Taglines:

The Mighty Miracle Show That Is the Talk of America!

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. (1998 rerelease)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 August 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

El mago de Oz

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,777,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,354,311 (USA) (6 November 1998)

Gross:

$14,792,232 (USA) (1 January 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Loew's

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System: The Voice of Action) Dolby Digital (2005 re-issue)

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60-minute CBS Radio adaptation of the movie on December 25, 1950 with Judy Garland reprising her film role as Dorothy.

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Goofs

When the house finally lands, the furniture and floors are level, indicating that it landed flat and intact. Yet when we see the exterior after Dorothy has entered Munchkinland, the right end of the house's foundation has nearly broken in half over The Wicked Witch of the East, and the siding has sustained major damage.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dorothy: She isn't coming yet, Toto. Did she hurt you? She tried to, didn't she? Come on. We'll go tell Uncle Henry and Auntie Em.

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, The Singer Midgets, who portray the Munchkins, are not billed under their real name, but as simply The Munchkins. In the cast list at the end, they are billed as The Singer Midgets. None of the actors who play Munchkins are given an individual credit. In the posters and advertising publicity for the film, the group was billed as The Munchkins.

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Connections

Spoofed in Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)

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Soundtracks

"We're Off To See The Wizard"
(1939) (uncredited)
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Music by Harold Arlen
Sung by Judy Garland, Ray Bolger and the off-screen voice of Buddy Ebsen as the Tin Man

User Reviews

I wish I could have followed the yellow brick road.

I remember watching this movie when they would air it once a year on CBS a few years back. Now it is shown on a couple of different networks quite frequently. This is a wonderful film for the whole family. Who wouldn't want to take a journey to the magical land of Oz?

I think that it is terrific how well this movie has held up over the years. It's going on sixty-two years since it was first released and yet, it is timeless. It is great to look back on a film that was made in the thirties, and compare it to the movies made in this day and age. This is a film that will just be something that stays around forever.

The Wizard of Oz is enjoyable for people of all ages. Everything about it brings a smile to my face. Wouldn't it be wonderful to just magically be transported to a land of talking trees and little munchkins? Of course it would be. The flying monkeys, a talking lion, the astounding ruby slippers, and everything else adds a special kind of magic to the screen.

The atmosphere and setting is magnificent. This is one of the things that makes the film so stunning. Anyway, the forest, the witch's castle, and even the farm is really well laid out.

I don't think that the casting could have been done any better. Judy Garland shines as the innocent Kansas girl. Her dancing and singing just brightens the whole story up. The lion, tin man, and scarecrow perform amazingly also. Everyone involved down to the littlest munchkin acts so well.

Even though this is a movie for everyone, it is categorized as a children's flick. The writing is good with very simple lines and problems, but slightly complex so we're not falling asleep of boredom.

What's left to say? Other things like the wardrobe, special effects, musical talents, and even the famous yellow brick road, are so well put together. Oz gives us an idea of what an almost perfect world would be like. No matter how old this movie becomes and we still look back on it, we'll still be able to enjoy at least one thoughtful movie. Classics never die. (Hence the name.)