The Wiz (1978)

An adaption of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African American experience.

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

L. Frank Baum (novel), William F. Brown (book),

Stars:

Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diana Ross	...	Dorothy
Michael Jackson	...	Scarecrow
Nipsey Russell	...	Tinman
Ted Ross	...	Lion / Fleetwood Coupe de Ville
Mabel King	...	Evillene
Theresa Merritt	...	Aunt Em
Thelma Carpenter	...	Miss One
Lena Horne	...	Glinda the Good
Richard Pryor	...	The Wiz (Herman Smith)
Stanley Greene	...	Uncle Henry
Clyde J. Barrett	...	Subway Peddler
Derrick Bell	...	The Four Crows
Roderick-Spencer Sibert	...	The Four Crows
Kashka Banjoko	...	The Four Crows
Ronald 'Smokey' Stevens	...	The Four Crows

Storyline

Dorothy, a twenty-four-year-old kindergarten teacher born, raised, and still working in Harlem, is celebrating Thanksgiving with her extended family, but she doesn't seem to be thankful for much in life. She lives a self-imposed sheltered life; she is shy and unfulfilled. Things change for her when she is caught in a snowstorm while chasing after her dog, Toto. They are transported to the mysterious Land of Oz, where she is informed that the only possible way to find her way back home is through the assistance of the powerful wizard in the Emerald City. As she goes searching for him, she befriends some creatures who are facing problems in life just like her. In their quest to find and get help from the wizard, they also face Evillene, the equally evil sister of Evermean, the wicked witch whom Dorothy inadvertently killed when she arrived in Oz, and who may be their biggest obstacle in achieving their goals.

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Plot Keywords:

wizard | teacher | dog | melancholy | new york city | 

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Taglines:

From the book that's an American tradition...from the smash-hit Broadway show...the entertainment of the year!

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

El mago

Filming Locations:

Astroland Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$24,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$13,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Motown Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min 136 min (uncut) 118 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Motown Productions bought the rights to the stage show with the intent of having Stephanie Mills reprise the role of Dorothy. However, Diana Ross lobbied intensely for the role. Despite the fact that everyone (including Motown head and former lover Berry Gordy) believed that she, being 13 years older than Mills, was too old, she insisted that the role of Dorothy was ageless. She also said she would be able to guarantee Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow if she was cast.

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Goofs

During the dance scene after Evillene meets her demise, the sweat stains under Dorothy's arms appear and disappear.

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Quotes

The Munchkins: [after the Witch is killed, the Munchkins turn from graffiti back into children] Two, 4, 6, 8! Who do we appreciate?
Dorothy: [terrified] No! No!

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Crazy Credits

Fitzstephens, Jack ... Music Editor & Guru

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Connections

Version of The Wonderful Land of Oz (1969)

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Soundtracks

"Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day"
Written by Luther Vandross
Performed by Diana Ross (uncredited), Michael Jackson, (uncredited) Nipsey Russell (uncredited),
Ted Ross (uncredited) and The Winkees (uncredited)

User Reviews

I Love this Movie

Okay...I never knew that other people did not love The Wiz until last year, 2004. I first saw this movie in the theater when it was released as a little girl. My mother, sister and I felt like we had been drawn into an urban fairy tale that we could relate to. As African-Americans, this was the first time we had witnessed a fantastical creation that had characters and images that we could relate too.

The singing, costumes, backdrop of New York city and choreography were magical. In fact, TV One just aired an all day marathon of The Wix on Thanksgiving and we watched the loop the entire day.

The Wiz provides the viewer with a sneak peek into the lives of Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, and The Lion--all with some "SOUL." The cast of lesser characters are even more of a jewel...the crows--well, most of us can relate to the "crabs in a barrel" attitude that has plagues the inner city; Miss One--well she was a glitter bedecked "numbers runner"; the citizens of Emerald City remind me of the urban fashionista crowd...and the dance scene reflect the attitude of the bourgeoisie that you can find in any community of color in the United States; the Poppies--what a hilarious nod to the fact that often times, you don't even see women of color in movies unless they are playing the role of prostitute or drug addict; and the workers in Evilene's Sweat Shop...well, they are like so many of us who suddenly discover that there is someone beautiful waiting to come out of us...we just have to be free enough to be comfortable in our own skin.

OK. You get the picture...I love this movie. And so many others that I know do too. I am thankful that I can now share The Wiz with my own children.