From the far reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy, It's Retro Nerd Girl with a film review for you.
Today I'll be reviewing the movie The Wizard of Oz released in 1939.
Starring:
Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger
Directed by:
Victor Fleming
Genre:
Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Rating:
G
Budget:
$2,800,000 (estimated)
IMDb Rating is currently:
8.1
The Synopsis is:
A young farm girl in Kansas is transported to the land of Oz and receives help from 4 unusual friends to get back home.
This is a special request from my colleague who wanted me to review this movie. Saundra this one is for you.
Story:
This film is an adaptation of the famous 1900 children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
The author was inspired to write the story after a trip in 1890 where he witnessed a cyclone in Aberdeen, South Dakota and around the same time, his wife’s niece, Dorothy passed. The name for Oz was chosen at a glance at his filing cabinet and saw A-N and O-Z.
The idea for the story closely resembles Alice in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll about a young girl travelling to a strange fantasy land.
In 1902 a Broadway musical astonished the world and inspired Baum to write 13 sequels to the book.
Two short films were made in 1910 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Land of Oz. Then there was the feature film, The Patchwork Girl of Oz in 1914, The Wizard of Oz in 1925, and it’s sequel The Land of Oz in 1932.
The rights changed hands from Samuel Goldwyn to MGM in 1934. And although at the time, the studio was looking into making a film with a few stars, it wasn’t until 1937, that the rights were put to use as it was trying to replicate the success of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs released that year in 1937.
Speaking of Disney, they wanted to make "The Wizard Of Oz" as well and would later go on to make Return to Oz released in 1985), The Muppets' Wizard of Oz released 2005 and Oz the Great and Powerful released in 2013.
In fact, there was a short time that the two studios discussed possibly combining forces to make a film, but that didn’t quite work out.
So can you believe that it took 14 writers along with the actors, and directors to write the script. Wow! We’ve seen so many cases where too many cooks in the kitchen could sour the meal, but in this case, it works and perhaps it was because it was a collaborative effort by people who were vastly familiar with the book.
Frank L. Baum
Noel Langley
Florence Ryerson
Edgar Allan Woolf
Noel Langley
Arthur Freed
Irving Breche
William H. Cannon
Herbert Fields
Jack Haley
E.Y. Harburg
Samuel Hoffenstein
Bert Lahr
John Lee Mahin
Herman J. Mankiewicz
Jack Mintz
Ogden Nash
Robert Pirosh
George Seaton
Sid Silvers
The greatest inspiration came from the book, but there were a few things about the book that the film couldn’t do because it was a movie and there is only a certain amount of time to tell the story.
For instance, in the book Dorothy encounters the Field of Mice, the Hammer-Heads, the Dainty China Country, the Country of the Quadlings to name a few. The characters were condensed to make the story more palatable, which I thought was an excellent choice.
It really makes the story a little more snappier getting to the point of the adventure.
Dorothy’s slippers were originally silver in the book, but the studio realize that the Technicolor production would benefit from the slippers being bolder color that stood out. They chose red, but calling it ruby slippers for a more magical effect.
Another part of the story that had to be curtailed was the amount of violence that was permitted to be shown in 1939. For instance in the book the Wizard commands the group to actually kill the Wicked Witch of the West, not just get her broomstick.
The film borrowed ideas from The Wizard of Oz version in 1925 using the farmhands in Kansas as symbolic characters in Oz and this actually helped to tell the story better.
I rather liked most of the differences in the film and it’s well put together until the end, where a few things kinda fall apart for me, now watching this as an adult.
The dialogue is very dated, but appropriate for this fun lighthearted story. Somehow, it been cherished decades after decades making it timeless in a way. It has some of the most popular songs and delightful quotes in movie history that we all know and love.
"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."
"There's no place like home."
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.”
“Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!”
“I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!”
Pacing:
At 1 hour 42 minutes, it’s pretty good! No complaints really. It always gets a bit murky once the quartet assembles, and it especially slows down after the group meets the wizard for the first time.
Challenge:
The challenge in this story seems to obviously be the mean Wicked Witch of the West and her real world counterpart Ms. Elmira Gulch. And I agree, that she is a challenge, but I also feel as if this challenge is part of a bigger problem for our protagonist's much needed coming of age.
At the start of the film, Elmira has an order to take away Dorothy’s dog, Toto, because he keeps terrorizing her and chasing her cat. He even bit her. Did you hear the lady in the movie? She said that the dog bit her! That is serious.
Elmira is not just mad at Dorothy because she’s mean. She’s mean because she’s had enough of being ignored when she complains and laughed at.
As a kid watching this film, I never noticed that Elmira was sounding off a real complaint, because i was distracted by her abrasive approach. But, technically, Elmira is in the right, so much so that Dorothy’s Aunt Em and Uncle Henry couldn’t really stop Elmira from taking Toto away.
Well let’s go into it a little further. Ultimately, it is Dorothy’s responsibility to make sure her dog is not misbehaving.
After watching and reading many reviews about this film, a lot of people think that Dorothy wants to leave Kansas, because the grass is greener.
And that is true to a certain degree. It's not because she doesn’t like it in Kansas, but because she is out of place, ignored and is always in everyone’s way at the farm. It’s to the point that Auntie Em says, “find yourself a place where you won't get into any trouble!’
That is when she sings the iconic song, Somewhere Over The Rainbow longing to find a place where “dreams really do come true”. And this all happens before Elmira enters the film.
Ultimately, Dorothy runs away from home to save Toto from Ms Gulch. When she learns that her aunt and uncle will be heartbroken, it is love that brings her home and face her problems. She has had a change of heart right at the beginning of the film.
Notice that the cyclone happens after Dorothy is on her way back home, symbolizing her internal shift, turning her perception of the world upside down literately.
After yearning for a world without trouble, Dorothy finds a whole lot more of it once she travels to Oz. The grass is not always greener and running away from one’s problems can cause more of them.
But let's get back to the obvious challenge of the Wicked Witch of the West. The Wicked Witch after hearing that Dorothy killed her sister is irate, naturally. Anyone would be traumatized by this and angry.
When the Wicked Witch tries to take her sisters ruby slippers, which are rightfully hers to decide what to do with, they are swiped by Glinda the Good Witch of the West and put on her sister’s killer’s feet. Wow! That’s not right.
And once again, I was so distracted by the physical representation of what the film says is good or wicked that I did not see how in the wrong our protagonists are for denying her the right to her sisters slippers.
But one great difference between this film and the book is the depth that they give the Wicked Witch and as a villain she’s very impressive and one of the most iconic villains in pop culture.
Empathy:
One thing that we get from this film is that we get great likeable characters.
As much as Dorothy may be irresponsible with Toto, and she whines a lot... she is incredibly likeable. It's so strange but her character arc is at the beginning of the film when she chooses to go back to the farm and face her problems. Usually the arc is at the end for the protagonist to get to, but in this case the entire film documents to shock of the arc which leads to a confirmed character decision for Dorothy at the very end.
It as if the cyclone is created by Dorothy's subconscious mind. If you notice in the film, the weather is serene until she decides to go home. As well, this arc, or shocking moment of discovery for Dorothy is present in the way she seems to have a look of shock through the entire film. We are witnessing, Dorothy's internal awe inspiring change. And most of all Dorothy represents the innocence in us all, at one point or another in our lives when we decide to be better human beings than we once were. It is then that we can appreciate what he have and see. If you notice, Oz is so very colorful and animated. It is as if she is appreciating life for the first time.
I think the friends Dorothy encounters in Oz really are symbolic representations of the things Dorothy needs to face in reality such as, logic, love (or otherwise compassion for others) and courage. And once over, the these things are already in her ability, just as these are clearly demonstrated in her friends in Oz.
The Scarecrow is a man made of straw and the first friend that she meets. He is stuck up on a pole as Dorothy had been stuck in her thinking. I believe that the Scarecrow who seeks a brain was to show how important critical thinking is, using logic and common sense can help a person deal with daily problems with ease.
The real world version of the Scarecrow, Hunk tells Dorothy that she should use her head about Mrs. Gulch and not walk pass her house on the way home so Toto won’t get in trouble. And it certainly makes sense, right?
The Tinman is an extremely mild mannered and considerate tin woodman abandoned in the forest. He is the symbol of compassion as he desires a physical representation of that, in a heart. This is the compassion Dorothy needs to be considerate of other people. Dorothy didn’t really take into consideration that she might be causing Elmira some distress over the safety of her cat and her damage to her property. Once aware of this, Dorothy should have course corrected, but she didn't. In her view Elimira is mean because she does not allow Dorothy to do as she pleases.
The Cowardly Lion is the most pathetic character of all, but full of wonderful comedic moments. You could either feel sorry for him or despise him either way his reaction to problems is a lot like Dorothy’s when she decides to runaway from the farm instead of facing them.
The Cowardly Lion is pretty cowardly, and hardly gets to show how he has any courage at all. But there is a scene in which it is time to save Dorothy from the wicked witch and the Scarecrow tells him that he has to be the one to lead them. He says he’ll do it for Dorothy. When pushed against the wall, courage kicks in.
When the Wizard of Oz gives the Cowardly Lion a badge of honor, he tells him that he has wisdom to know when to face danger or run away. This is a valuable attribute that Dorothy needs in Kansas.
The friends that Dorothy meet are seeking things that they already have inside them, as Dorothy already has all of these attributes inside her. She now only has to recognize them and use them.
Technical:
It took 5 directors to make this film, with Victor Fleming taking the main credit for the final product.
- George Cukor
- Mervyn LeRoy
- Norman Taurog
- King Vidor
- Victor Fleming
During the filming there were several replaced actors and changes in the look of characters. Seeing some of the pictures really makes you wonder how the film would have been, seeing these iconic characters in their potential alternative costumes. It just proves how very important it is to get the costuming just right because it is one of the most outstanding results that make this film so captivating.
The work done for costumes and makeup really hold up over time and was truly remarkable as there was so much emphasis on getting it truly right.
In many scenes, Dorothy’s hair appears to be at different lengths due to the costume switches. Many of the scenes were re-shot several times. If you look closely you can see places where her hair length changes.
The witch was originally just to look like an appealing modern looking woman. However, to stick more closely to the book, the filmmakers decided to make the witch more sinister with exaggerated features. I especially liked the idea of putting her hair back in a bun. It just has a more realistic look to it. The green make-up was a wonderful touch and was absolutely exquisitely done.
The prosthetics used for the Wicked Witch was actually well done for 1938 and nearly undetectable in some scenes.
The actors had to suffer quite a bit for their costume work as well as some actors that we didn’t get to see on screen.
More commonly known, the Tinman was originally played by Buddy Ebsen, who was well into the production haven recorded music and filmed much of the film, until he fell ill due to an allergic reaction to the makeup that was used for the character.
Real lion’s skin and fur was used to make the Cowardly Lion's costume to give it an authentic look, which was heavy and extremely hot. So you can imagine that the combination of dead animals and sweat made the costume stink awfully.
MGM recruited extra help from the studio mail room and courier service to become makeup artists. Each person was instructed in one area of prosthetic application for an assembly line process each morning.
One interesting thing that happened was that the wardrobe department accidentally chose a coat for Professor Marvel from second-hand store which turned out to have a label indicating that the coat had been made for late L. Frank Baum.
There were a lot of creative hacks on this film to pull off the unique visual feats.
The horses in Emerald City palace were colored with Jell-O crystals and you can actually see the horse lick it off in a few scenes.
The famous "Surrender Dorothy" skywriting scene was done using a tank of water and a tiny model of the witch.
The "tornado" was a 35-foot-long muslin stocking, spun around among miniatures of a Kansas farm and fields in a dusty atmosphere.
The shot of Dorothy's house falling from the sky was a reverse shot of a miniature house being dropped onto a painting of the sky. Genius!
All the Oz sequences were filmed in three-strip Technicolor. All of the “black and white” scenes were actually colored in a sepia tone.
However, when we see the sepia colored black and white film room open the door to reveal the color on Oz for the first time, the inside of the house was actually painted sepia, and when Dorothy opens the door, Judy Garland’s stand-in, Bobbie Koshay, wearing a sepia version of Dorothy's dress.
The sets gloriously bask in all of it’s colorful splendor exploring this fantasy world with great creativity. These were all decorated sound stages, but that is part of the charm. It’s almost as if we are flipping through the pages of the book and looking at the beautiful imaginative illustrations.
E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen were given 14 weeks to come up with the film's musical score and the score is a classic. You know it when you hear it.
And you can’t help singing along to the songs attached.
The song, "Over the Rainbow" was nearly cut from the film, but thank god they kept it as it won an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song and was Judy Garland's signature song until her passing in 1969.
It was also ranked #1 by the American Film Institute in 2004 on the 100 Greatest Songs in American Films list as well as re-recorded by several musical artists over the decade.
And the chant of the Wicked Witch of the West's Palace Guards was later incorporated into pop songs "I'm The Type of Guy" by LL Cool J, "Games" by New Kids on the Block, and in a faster form in "Jungle Love" by Morris Day and The Time.
Performances:
To me the performances were fantastic because the actors are acting the way they were instructed to.
This is a stylised form of acting or overreacting to appeal specifically to children of 1939. It’s all a part of America’s wholesome image at the time.
Does the acting hold up? Yes and no. We know it’s corny and it’s is actually part of the reason the film is still so entertaining, endearing and dare I say magical. No one today actually talks or behaves in the way all of the characters do in this film. However, it just wouldn’t be as bewitching if it were acted differently.
Judy Garland was wonderful as Dorothy. Though she’s not wearing a visually cumbersome costume, she suffered for the role having to wear a painful corset around her torso to look more like a pre-adolescent child. And the beautiful ruby slippers were rumored to be quite tortuous to wear.
Frank Morgan was incredible playing the role of Professor Marvel, the Wizard of Oz, The Gatekeeper, The Carriage Driver, and The Guard. He plays his parts jolly and boisterous with chameleon charm.
Ray Bolger played Hunk and The Scarecrow excellently putting his fabulous acrobatic dancing skills on show. Ray said in later interviews that the rubber prosthetic he had to wear on his face that mimicked a woven pattern had left lines on his face that took more than a year to vanish.
Bert Lahr as Zeke and The Cowardly Lion was great having such a great delivery of comedic dialogue.
Jack Haley was fantastic as Hickory and The Tin Man. He manipulated his voice while playing the Tin Man saying that he felt the tone of voice should be soft, something like the way he would read a bedtime story to his son. It was a wonderful decision as you really sense how extra compassionate his character is in the film.
One of the biggest standouts in the film was Margaret Hamilton playing Miss Gulch and The Wicked Witch of the West. Her iconic performance was so thrilling and memorable, that it has been copied, quoted, and obsessed about through the decades.
Margaret Hamilton said her approach to the character of the Wicked Witch was “a person who relished everything she did, but who ultimately was a sad, lonely figure - a woman who lived in constant frustration, as she never got what she wanted”. How well said and this brings deeper meaning to a character that is easily misunderstood.
The film was also very popular for the over 100 little people who would make up the citizens of Munchkinland. And as a kid, seeing them was a very magical experience. I wanted to live in Munchkinland because everything there was so happy and lively. They were such a big part of the nostalgic enchantment of the film and paved the way for so many actors of short stature.
Best:
The whole film. I love this movie so much I find the whole thing amazing and fun!
The ending:
The ending wraps up pretty quickly, but it works.
Mad Tv spoofed the ending and asked the same questions many of the fans who wondered about the Good Witch Glinda. Why didn’t she tell Dorothy how to get home as soon as she put on the ruby slippers?
Glinda’s answer is that Dorothy needed to learn to appreciate home. It makes sense to me, because after dealing with what she’s been through, Ms. Gulch is gonna be a sinch when she gets back home.
But this all would have made sense if the witch of the north and the south were not combined into one character. It was a misstep on the filmmakers part. However, in the eyes of the audience of children, seeing one character is always more memorable than two. The filmmakers must have known that and decided to take the risk, hoping that no one would notice enough to ruin the whole film experience.
Wish List:
Sadly, many of The Wicked Witch of the West's scenes were either trimmed or deleted entirely because they were deemed too frightening for audiences. But I would have loved to see them because for those critics who say that the Wicked Witch has more bark than bite, those clips could have changed their minds.
And more over, it seems as if the whole thing really wraps up pretty fast. It could have used about 5 more minutes of storytelling.
Enjoyment:
I like so many other people grew up seeing The Wizard of Oz at least once a year since I was a kid and it has filled me with a great deal of wonder about Dorothy and this land of Oz.
Into my adulthood the sense of magic I once felt while watching this film is still there. It’s a classic!
The film was not a big hit at the box-office but international returns were fantastic.
Forty-four million people tuned into its first television broadcast on November 3, 1956 and aired every year, often on Easter Sunday on CBS for nearly 40 years and then integrated into the Turner vault of motion pictures.
According to the Library of Congress, The Wizard of Oz is the most watched film ever. This is one thing most of us have in common with each other. At one point or another most of us have seen this movie.
There is no place like home is the last mantra that the film instills into its viewers, leaving many with the idea that the Dorothy learns not to venture out into the world. That doesn’t make any sense because it doesn’t tie into her change of heart just before the cyclone takes her to OZ. Instead, I believe that Dorothy learns to use logic, to love and to have courage to deal with her real life circumstances at home and she need not seek happiness anywhere if she can’t have it with her at home.
I really love that message.
My Rating:
9.5
That sums up my review. I hope you liked it. This is Retro Nerd Girl signing off! Take care movie lovers! I'm off to my next review!
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