The Whimsical World of Oz (1985) (TV)

Writers:

L. Frank Baum (books)
Scott Mauro (writer)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Mason Adams	...	Himself / Narrator (voice)
Fairuza Balk	...	Herself
Dr. Robert A. Baum Jr.	...	Himself
Ray Bolger	...	Himself
Ray Bradbury	...	Himself
Justin Call	...	Himself
Jack Haley Jr.	...	Himself
C. Warren Hollister	...	Himself
Erica Jong	...	Herself
Ozma Baum Mantele	...	Herself
Liza Minnelli	...	Herself
Romola Remus	...	Herself (as Romola Remus Dunlap)
Diana Ross	...	Herself

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Movie Connections:

Features The Wiz (1978)

The Many Faces of Oz

How I recall first seeing this in the Summer of 1985 & finding out not only how there were 14 books of The World of Oz but that there were many movie shorts of Oz including His Highness The Scarecrow of Oz and going back to 1914 along with how there was also a Movie called The Wizard of Oz from 1925 of Whom's Dorothy later made a public app. to promote The 1939 Classic.This documentary also introduced Disney's Return to Oz of which they said was not meant to be a remake or sequel but a continuation of the Oz book series.I went to it as it came out but found as many did that it was a dud and at the end of the film it said based on the books Ozma of Oz and The Land of Oz.Any how this documentary was a very good follow up.Among others seen were Ray Bolgier,of whom was The Scarecrow in The 1939 Classic,and he was resting upon his bed while he was being interviewed.I was impressed upon finding out in this documentation that L.Frank Baum's Mother in-Law said "You'd be a fool if you didn't have these stories published." Meaning as he was always telling these stories straight from his mind out of enjoyment that's what it came to.I also recall shortly before seeing this finding out shortly before how the Wizard of of Oz was originally meant to be presented as a political allegory.Originally in the stories Dorothy had silver slippers of which for the '39 classic shortly before its release got switched to ruby slippers because it looked prettier.So it naturally grabbed my attention in watching this documentary that in The Wiz this Dorothy wore silver slippers and in part to be symbolic of the Dorothy in the Books. I'd also just recently at this time learned in a US History Class' book that the original book of The Wizard of Oz was meant as a political allegory to relieve people during one depression and then the '39 classic got released in the midst of another depression. Truthfully, Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a. "Ste" of Framingham,Ma.USA