*THE WIZARD OF OZ* is a FEVER DREAM! | First Time Watching | (reaction/commentary/review)

[@HeatherChandlerBQ]

Yes it’s Judy Garland’s vocals!! Absolutely iconic ❤️❤️

[@colegensch787]

Yes they are

[@MadiganinPeach]

One of the most gorgeous voices of all time.

[@Leamichellefan2244]

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again even though I know it makes people mad when I say it, but in my personal opinion, nobody and I mean nobody no matter how good they are can ever compare to Judy when it comes to over the rainbow.

[@colegensch787]

@@Leamichellefan2244 i agree with you completely 😉👍

[@EMAWnstrocity]

@@Leamichellefan2244I do love Lady Gaga’s Oscar tribute to Judy Garland, definitely worth checking out

[@redbeetle8]

You caught the fact that Frank Morgan played both Professor Marvel and the Wizard, but he also played the Emerald City doorman, the coachman, and the Wizard’s guard. Also, fun fact. The coat he wore as Professor Marvel was once owned by L Frank Baum who originally wrote the book. The costume department found it in a second hand shop. One day on set, he turned out the pocket and found L Frank Baum’s name embroidered inside

[@RLucas3000]

I’d bet every cent that story is apocryphal. It could be true, but just smacks of something from the MGM Publicity department. But there are so many stories connected to this film. And there is a book out there that explains them all. In the book, Dorothy is in Kanas for about half a page before she is whisked away to Kansas, but about a 1/5 of the movie is set there here, why? In the book (and the modern remake, The Wiz), fiend mice rescue Dorothy from the poppies, why the snowstorm here? And in the book (and the Wiz), Dorothy wears Silver Shoes, not Ruby Slippers, so where did they come from? Also, did you notice in the credits, Toto is billed above Aunt Em! That poor actress! Also, there is a 50s flop Broadway musical called Goldilocks. Margaret Hamilton is in the cast, and in the song ‘Bad Companions’ you can hear her do her full wicked witch cackle. It’s on KZbin!

[@CuckooBirdWhy]

​@@RLucas3000do you know the name of the book that talks about the stories/lore surrounding the movie? Id love to read it!

[@agerard6297]

Someone made a similar comment before., and got a link to a picture of said coat.

[@RowanMarshmallow]

@@RLucas3000 Because mice rescuing her is an impossible thing to show so snow was a clever work around the writers room came up with. The slippers were a choice change because it went with the theme of color and stood out more on screen. Bright red was a startling color to show on the big screen. They gave it a more cinematic approach which required changing the book. They also took out anything too scary and weird and things that didn’t serve the overall theme they had decided upon based on the book. It was already going to be quite a long and innovative movie for the time. Extremely expensive. Things had to be cut for it to be a tight and cohesive story. And that so much was set in Kansas was meant to draw a wide audience in to her actual world, pulling it together with the fact that everyone in her real life was represented in Oz. It also served to make a stark contrast with the color of Oz. These are all cinematic presentations of the time.

[@goodowner5000]

​@@CuckooBirdWhythere is a book detailing the making of "The Wizard of Oz" by Aljean Harmetz- it's title may be straightforward as "The Making of TWOO", but honestly can't remember.

[@JulieConkle]

I heard long ago that Margaret Hamilton, who played the wicked witch, when she was in a nursing home, would often be asked to do the witch cackle, and you could hear her all over in the home. How cool is that?

[@majkus]

On an almost unrelated note, Fred Stone, who played the Scarecrow in the 1902 stage musical, had a kind of trademark cackling laugh. There's a short recording of his voice (I think) from 1939, in which we hear his cackle, and then his voice tells us that that isn't static-it's the old, OLD Scarecrow!

[@jackal59]

She was a kindergarten teacher before starting to act in films. She famously appeared in an episode of _Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood_ to explain about dressing up and acting in the role of the witch, but she also has a hilarious role in Robert Altman's _Brewster McCloud_ where she starts the movie caterwauling "The Star Spangled Banner"-twice.

[@Idontwant1]

She suffered so much pain and trauma during the filming. She said in some interview towards the end of her career. That back in the early 50’s she was at a airport restaurant . And she was ordering food. And she heard a small gasp. And she turned to see where the sound came from. And she saw this little girl. And the poor kiddo look shook up. And Margret just smiled she said and introduced herself to the little girl. Then told her I keep getting mistaken for that darn wicked witch. I’m not mean like her am I??? And the just giggled.

[@Kristy-do7kn]

Margaret Hamilton, who played the wicked witch, used to be a kindergarten teacher and was a very sweet and nice woman.

[@kathyastrom1315]

The Lion gets a second solo song because Bert Lahr was the biggest name in the cast. He was a huge star on stage in the 1930s.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

You may have noticed, though, that his version of the "If I Only Had ... " song is abbreviated.

[@mousetreehouse6833]

All three were big stars in Vaudeville. Ray Bolger (Scarecrow) had a much longer dance number, but it was unfortunately cut for time.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

@@kathyastrom1315 Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr had all worked in vaudeville and on Broadway. Ray Bolger might have the greatest claim to Broadway stardom, because he had been the first to dance the famous "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet, as the original star of Rodgers & Hart's ON YOUR TOES (1936). Haley, perhaps, had done more films, appearing with Shirley Temple in POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL (1936) and REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM (1938), with Ethel Merman in ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND (1938), and (not incidentally) with Judy Garland in her feature film debut, PIGSKIN PARADE (1936). Haley also had his own radio program, THE WONDER SHOW (sponsored by Wonder Bread), featuring future television stars Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon. Bert Lahr, however, had a major success on Broadway the same year THE WIZARD OF OZ was released, introducing the comic duet, "Friendship" with co-star Ethel Merman in Cole Porter's DUBARRY WAS A LADY (1939). As I've said elsewhere, I think "If I Were King of the Forest" was written to showcase Lahr's special skill of imitating an opera singer with an exaggerated vibrato, which I believe he'd done previously in vaudeville and/or on Broadway.

[@barrybuckingham6604]

I think it also helped balance the film because he’s in it less than the other two characters

[@thomastimlin1724]

@@mousetreehouse6833 You can find it somewhere on the net.

[@SirPaladin]

The movie plays out like a dream but the production of this was a NIGHTMARE, especially for poor Judy Garland. Child actors went through HELL in those days...

[@kolyashinkarev7366]

Tbh ALL actors went through hell back then and not much changed really

[@lornepribbeno3760]

It was hell for all the actors. Margaret Hamilton (Wicked Witch) was nearly burned horribly by the fire effects during her exit from Munchkin Land. And originally, they had another actor for Tin Man because the first one got sick from the powdered makeup they used. He ended up in the hospital.

[@robbinsnest6163]

​​​@@lornepribbeno3760 yep! I wish Rachel Zegler would understand how good she has it if all she can complain about is "if I'm gonna stand 18 hours in a dress, of an iconic Disney princess, then I expect to be paid for every hour it's streamed online" 🥴🥴🥴🥴

[@TheInvisibles1969]

It was the first time I saw the film, but I've heard the back scene stories before. I can't help thinking about the costs they paid for the snow scene while watching it. Couldn't enjoy it.

[@MelHyde]

Fr

[@FantasticBabblings]

A bit of trivia: Dorothy’s real life daughter (Liza Minnelli) was married for a while to the son of the Tin Man (Jack Haley, Jr.).

[@taylornusteling8692]

That's so adorable. 💗💕

[@SeekingHisWill78]

Was that during her gay marriage phase?

[@ashtonthomas3092]

I never knew Liza was her daughter. That's awesome

[@rosyellis14]

aww

[@clivechiam]

@@ashtonthomas3092you’re joking right?

[@indigonerd]

I choose to believe the "witch" in Dorothy's world was taken out by the tornado and Toto is safe from now on. XD

[@orphanedhanyou]

Or Dorothy finale realized Toto does chase cats (like at the end of the film) and she apologizes & promises to take a new route or keep a hold of him hear her house.

[@rocomedyisawesome]

After the made the movie the added that bit in the stage version of the movie where they tell Dorothy she doesn’t have to worried about miss gulch coming by because died by a telephone pole falling on her.

[@lornepribbeno3760]

@@indigonerd that's what happened in the play

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

Composer, lyricist, and performer Fred Barton amusingly speculated on Miss Gulch's life after THE WIZARD OF OZ, as well as presenting her supposedly-deleted solo number from the film, in his one-man musical, MISS GULCH RETURNS! (1979).

[@FutureBereaAlumn]

That’s what happened. I think there was a deleted scene where they mentioned it. I believe it was in the musical though. But I was eight years old when I was in it, so… my memory is not entirely reliable on the events.

[@mirage12896]

27:35 They used Jell-O powder to color the horse! It worked out pretty well; the horse had a hard time not licking the sugary powder off his coat though while filming 😊

[@MadiganinPeach]

Possibly the only positive thing I've heard about the bts 😭🤣 that was probably hard to appreciate at the time with production but I bet it was adorable to watch.

[@zammmerjammer]

I'm sure they used sugar-free Jell-O powder (imagine how horrible and sticky and clumpy it would have gotten otherwise).

[@Warlocke000]

@@zammmerjammer Sugar-free Jell-O wasn't a thing back then; it didn't come out until 1984. Other than water and coffee, sugar-free or diet anything was rare back in the 1930s.

[@mylesmontgomery942]

I thought they just used a white horse and shined different colored stage lights on it?

[@williamjones6031]

If they're using the Jello for color, why would they sugar it?

[@robertg7396]

I'd love to see you react to "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." It's such a perfect movie in every way. It's funny, suspenseful, fantastical, charming, heartfelt, great music, amazing dancing, etc. It has it all. I think you'd really enjoy it! 😊

[@jessfleury3761]

Yes!!! Please do Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! That is one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@serendavies7375]

@@jessfleury3761 oh, yeah!

[@kaleehall6271]

omg would LOVE to see him react to this!!!

[@NylonBrony]

Yessss! We need this!

[@beverlydoodles]

Yesss! This was one of my favorites as well!

[@popsicolacherry8659]

When my parents were kids, every thanksgiving the wizard of oz would be played on national television and you wouldn’t see it again until next thanksgiving. So it became tradition to watch the wizard of oz every thanksgiving for my dad.

[@thomasbradley4505]

Same with me. I had to be home every time it aired because I couldn’t miss it. And I loved old musicals, and there was a local station that showed old movies every afternoon from 1-3, and then several local cable channels showed old movies for several hours on the weekend. And whenever a Judy Garland movie was on I had to watch it. And somehow it took me until I was almost 40 to realize I was gay 😁🏳️‍🌈

[@PandaCitten]

We always got waffles for dinner when Wizard of Oz was on! 😂

[@ScientificallyStupid]

Oh man, I feel old, because I was just thinking that! "I remember when this movie was only shown on tv, at Thanksgiving, and we watched it every year. It was a huge deal when it was finally released on VHS"

[@AbandonedMines11]

When I was a kid, the Wizard of Oz was always shown on TV sometime around Easter in March or April.

[@Aboz]

We'd go to my cousin's house to watch because they had a color TV. My parents didn't get color until after I left for college

[@megster116]

You better believe that’s Judy Garland singing! The studio was considering Shirley Temple for the Dorothy role, but then realized Garland sing rings around her! Fun facts: Margaret Hamilton successfully scarred a generation of kids with the Wicked Witch! But the irony is she was a kindergarten teacher and love children! She and Judy Garland adored each other! Speaking of adoring, Toto was played by a female named Terry. Garland fell in love with that dog and wanted to keep her after filming but her owner/handler said no. It’s kind sad that this absolutely brilliant classic was absolutely MISERABLE for everyone involved to film!

[@Floridad25]

And that barely even scratches the surface...>.

[@djgrant8761]

Shirley Temple was in fact considered for the role of Dorothy Gale. MGM sought to use her talents but Twentieth Century Fox whom she was under contract to wouldn’t release her to make this film so they went with Judy Garland.

[@MsMicia]

Another fun fact, Margaret Hamilton owned a house up in NW Washington (state) on Guemes Island.

[@djgrant8761]

@@MsMicia Margaret Hamilton suffered during the filming of Wizard of Oz. She was burnt badly in the fiery scene in Munchkinland which caused her to be hospitalised and later to recuperate at home. She was off set for roughly 6 weeks. When she returned to set Margaret Hamilton refused to have anything to do with fire or fireworks. She didn’t sue because she knew an action like that would end her career. The green paint that covered her face was toxic as it contained copper. During filming she couldn’t eat because there was a chance the toxic paint could harm her body so they put her on a liquid diet which she had to consume through a straw.

[@djgrant8761]

@@BobBenson-qz8lp That’s the assumption. Miss Gulch was an introduction to the film. She doesn’t appear in the book.

[@alexandrasloane]

The man on the farm saying Dorothy didn't have a brain played the Scarecrow! The man telling her she needed courage was The Cowardly Lion, and the fella talking about how one day they'd make a statue of him was The Tin Man!

[@jboao]

he knows lol

[@magicbrownie1357]

Both this film and Gone with the Wind came out, in color, in 1939. Both are considered early masterpieces in the use of color film.

[@CKaffeineIVStat]

Both filmed near each other, too!

[@johnnehrich9601]

Yes and both have been lovingly restored, frame by frame. (Technicolor winds up with several different layers of film, each with a different color, that blend to become the right shade for every spot. Over the years, each layer can shrink or expand just a little, making the image out of register. To restore it, they line everything up and digitize it. Each different layer can also have scratches and blemishes so they use the info in the other layers and the preceding and following frame to make it whole again but without any changes from the original to make it better.)

[@johnnehrich9601]

@@CKaffeineIVStat With the studio system at the time, they shuffled directors around as needed, so at least one of the guys on the Wizard got pulled to work on Gone With the Wind.

[@ThiloAdamitz]

I hope Oscar's gonna watch Gone with the Wind.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

@@johnnehrich9601 The "guy" who got pulled was Victor Fleming, MGM's Mr Fixit. When the original director on "The Wizard of Oz" could not get the thing organized, Fleming was put in. He had completed most of the film when he was called in to replace George Cukor on "Gone with the Wind." King Vidor completed the filming of "Oz" using Fleming's notes. As you said, this was common practice at the time.

[@patilopez8494]

“Maybe singing another song will help” you killed me there 😂😂😂

[@thomasscrace]

I laughed out loud at that bit! 😂 it was so genuine though 😊

[@Aiwkid]

Ironically, she DID sing a sad reprise of "Over the Rainbow" in that scene, but it was cut for being too heartbreaking.

[@patilopez8494]

@@Aiwkid I never knew that! Is it available anywhere?

[@Aiwkid]

@patilopez8494 The footage, unfortunately, no longer exists, but the audio from a very early take under director Richard Thorpe before he was fired survived (she did it live on set, but the final take done under the director Victor Fleming is the one they scored her vocals to is missing) along with a few stills. People have tried recreating it visually in context with the rest of the scene to give an idea of how it played out. Just type "Over the Rainbow (Reprise)" and you'll see a bunch on here.

[@JillinaChan]

"Always rocking up after problems are resolved" is the best description of Glinda in this movie 😂

[@michaelwinkle4480]

That's how a friend of mine (not a fan of LOTR) described Gandalf.

[@livvioletta690]

​@michaelwinkle4480 it's not entirely wrong

[@Shango]

I think there was a Saturday Night Live skit that made fun of this. Or it could have been another similar comedy show. EDIT: It was on MadTV.

[@chrisblackstock4937]

Margaret Hamilton, who played the wicked witch, was actually a wonderfully sweet lady. She even appeared in the 1970s on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, which was a well known children’s show in America, and dressed up on camera into her witch costume to show children that she was a real person just playing a part in a movie so they wouldn’t be scared.

[@timbuktu8069]

And she was funny. I loved her in the Invisible Woman as the put upon housekeeper.

[@overdev1993]

the twister/tornado was made out of cloth and wire that was just rotated on a track, which is so genius and it still holds up for the scene when she exited the house black and white to color, they really painted the house in the sepia tone, dressed up a double also in these colors and then the real Dorothy stepped out of the house

[@Stratelier]

Yeah, that switch is _seamless._ As Dorothy opens the door, the double steps out of frame as it swings open, allowing Judy Garland (also from out of frame) to step out into the colorful world of Oz.

[@mousetreehouse6833]

The tornado terrified me. I was 5 when it was first shown on tv, and to this day, I have a hard time watching those scenes 🫣 😬

[@TheRatsCast]

As someone who's almost 60, I grew up with this movie being on TV every year and was an important part of my childhood.

[@kellie-nd1yp]

Very much so !

[@SC-gp7kt]

Same!

[@sharonhoyt2133]

I'm 76 and one of five kids who watched this every year. To this day I can "see" us all sitting on the floor around the huge black and white tv watching this until we eventually had color tv.

[@marcjennings6267]

It’s still on in November every year

[@ManiacalBlueberry]

I’m 23 and I had it on VHS and I’d watch it everyday as a child

[@colegensch787]

Dorothy's rubby slippers are actually on display at the Smithsonian museum in Washington DC 😃

[@오정원-t2s]

Oh my god!! Thanks for the information!!

[@colegensch787]

​​@@오정원-t2syour welcome and yes they are carefully preserved to and they appeared at night at the museum 2 although I think those were replicas in the movie I don't think anyone would dare touch the originals

[@prettybxy77]

Yes! I saw them!

[@ArtamStudio]

There are six known pairs, used for various scenes/purposes. Another pair is in the Hollywood Museum.

[@colegensch787]

@@ArtamStudio that I didn't know.

[@kate6040]

Fun fact: Charley Grapewin who played Dorothy's uncle Henry, when he was a kid, he ran away to join the circus and worked as a trapeze artist for years before he got into acting. He had to come out of retirement because of the Great Depression and that's when he got his role in this movie.

[@Beautifullytragic6]

Judy Garland had one of the most beautiful voices. A true icon! Definitely her singing.😊 Also as a kid, the Margaret Hamilton turning into the witch moment=terrifying. But now, what a cool scene.🔥

[@thomasbradley4505]

She was great in every movie, but I think her peak was Meet Me in St Louis. She and Vincent Minelli fell in love while making the movie (her first gay husband 😀) and the way he filmed her was gorgeous. And she introduced Have Yourself A Merry Christmas in the movie

[@JayR-]

Margaret appeared on an episode of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood to talk to Fred and the children watching about that.

[@llanitedave]

When the witch gazed directly into my eyes out of that big crystal ball and cackled at me, I used to run and hide under the bed!

[@sparky082]

Poor Judy getting sprinkled with asbestos in the snow scenes. That before they knew about how bad asbestos was but as soon as you do, you see the snooze scenes in a totally new light

[@TTM9691]

Well, she died of a drug overdose, not cancer so no harm done, lol

[@marcusd450]

New sources have come to light saying it was gypsum salt and not asbestos that was used

[@pennywize5860]

Debunked years ago. The snow was gypsum, not asbestos

[@sparky082]

@@pennywize5860 was it really?! I've heard all these years it was asbestos because of the way it fell and xyz. I'm happy if it's not it's only I've heard it for 20 years is was

[@topfacemod]

@@pennywize5860 Not much better tho

[@Vashjaeger]

Glinda: 'Are you a good witch or a bad witch?' Glinda: '...only bad witches are ugly.' Did Glinda just call Dorothy ugly? The Wicked Witch calls her pretty.

[@greywolf7577]

I'm surprised that in 1939 that a movie would talk about good witches. I would imagine that some Fundamentalists would say that all witches were bad and that this movie was trying to lead people away from God. Did this movie ever get picketed by protesters?

[@johncheshirsky8822]

It still makes sense logically. "Only bad wutches are are ugly" meaning only bad witches have the capacity to be ugly. All ugly witches are bad, but not all bad witches are ugly. Maybe there are some smokeshows bad witches somewhere, we just don't get to see them inthe movie 😂

[@SuperMeglen]

Or maybe Glinda doesn't really think of Dorothy as especially beautiful OR ugly since she can't tell if she's a good witch or a bad witch. With Dorothy technically still being a child, I think this makes sense because although Judy Garland wasn't exactly a child, she's still playing one and so the character hasn't necessarily grown into her looks yet.

[@TimberlakeTigerGirl]

Well, in the movie Oz, it was revealed that bad witches can use magic to conceal their true appearance. And make themselves look beautiful and act innocent in order to not be discovered.

[@GaryTongue-zn5di]

@Vashjaeger That's because most girls are pretty compared to the wicked Witch, but not as much to Glenda.

[@lornepribbeno3760]

The tornado was a rather elaborate contraption. Made out a muslin stocking or sock wrapped around chicken wire, and maneuvered between a crane and motor. Very much high tech thinking with low tech items. Don't see that much anymore. You should add Twister and Twisters to your viewing list.

[@sandimcalisterblood2675]

I always wondered how they did that. That tornado completely terrified me as a child and I still think it's one of the scariest on film. Considering it was 1939, I think it was an extremely impressive job. Thanks for the info!

[@Warlocke000]

@@sandimcalisterblood2675 I think what really sells it is that A: It was big. The tornado was over 30 feet tall. B: The top and bottom could move independently of each other, while the whole contraption spun, and C: The Fuller's Earth. They used compressed air to blast it through the top and bottom of the muslin column, creating the signature dust cloud of a tornado. Even by today's standards, that's a darn good looking twister.

[@lornepribbeno3760]

@sandimcalisterblood2675 yes, indeed.

[@rickardroach9075]

Also, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister.

[@kurtbarlow9402]

​@@Warlocke000 Exactly. You've done your homework. The only aspect left out in this thread is that the twister footage was filmed, then the studio used rear projection to turn the footage into the background of the shot(s)

[@lindseysquire8417]

Judy would perform Somewhere Over the Rainbow on the radio during WW2 to give the soldiers hope of a better tomorrow. There are videos online of her doing it. It’s very emotional.

[@adamsnavely4193]

Every time Glinda asks “Did you bring your broom with you” I think. “Girl, you brought your entire house! Auntie Emm doesn’t have a broom?” Also, go in and grab some provisions. Grab a loaf of bread. Raid the ice box. It’s all gonna spoil anyway. You have that basket, put something in it!

[@caejones2792]

I think she did that in the book. I might be confusing it with the 1982 animated version, though. There was apparently fresh pie ready just before the tornado, for added convenience.

[@Okini_Hasa]

"You have no power here!" Did that remind you of Saruman too? 😂

[@fantasyaj6510]

The fact that this movie came out a whopping 85 years ago is just incredible. Still holds up 8 decades later. And yes, 17 year old Judy Garland was actually singing Over the Rainbow. The song went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. 🌈

[@littleogeechee223]

It’s more Sepia color than black and white. I love this film! It will forever be my all-time favorite…ever! I used to wait patiently as a kid for the one time of year it aired on television. I never missed it! I fell in love with the great Margaret Hamilton who set the bar for wicked witches forever more with her brilliant performance. I thought she was every kind of cool with her castle and her flying monkeys, her big hourglass and her green skin!

[@LichtdesMorgens]

I loved it too until I heard how they treated Judy Garland :( can't enjoy it as much since

[@thomasbradley4505]

In the scene where Dorothy opens the door and the scene goes from sepia to color, the wall and door were painted sepia. Judy Garland’s double wore a sepia costume and wig. She opens her door with her back to the camera, steps out of the frame, and Judy Garland steps in wearing her color costume and into the color set.

[@whatseatontim918]

9:13 The beginning and ending of the movie was filmed entirely in sepia colors. When Dorothy came out of the house into color, the inside of the house was made to be sepia inside with a Dorothy double, who was dressed and painted in sepia colors to match the interior. So when the double opens the door, Judy Garland then walks out to give that illusion of her walking out from sepia into color. 😊

[@nudgificator]

And there was a version where the sepia sections were converted back to the black and white footage they were before they were tinted, but that meant the illusion during the transition didn't work any more.

[@sean_b_drummer]

My wife, when she was in her teens, met the smallest of the ballerina trio. She was in her Eighties and my wife said she was still adorable and really nice.

[@bethscott4330]

In 1995, Gregory Maguire wrote “Wicked: the life and times of the Wicked Witch” it’s the story of the Wizard of Oz from the Witch’s perspective.

[@colegensch787]

The farmhouse falling into the camera was actually shot in reverse cause actually the sky was the floor of the soundstage the house dropped to the floor then the camera was put in reverse in slow motion to make it look like the house was falling into the camera. And once again using the dry ice method to make clouds this technology back in 1939 that was used and never before attempted which was successful 😃

[@JHowesitgoing123]

Yes, Judy Garland was known for her fantastic singing voice, she really cared more for singing than acting. Most of her roles were in musicals. Another iconic movie she stars in is "Meet Me in St. Louis", which is often watched around Christmastime.

[@thomasbradley4505]

That’s one of my top 5 favorite movies. Judy was at her peak in that movie. Her voice was strong, she looked gorgeous in every scene and her acting was too notch. And I cry from the time she and Grandpa dance behind the Christmas tree through Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

[@cyberwolf_1013]

I love Meet Me In St. Louis. There's also The Harvey Girls, Summer Stock, and A Star Is Born. To name a few more. (Fun tidbit: Judy also did one VA role in her career, for Gay Purree, she was the white cat in that movie)

[@thomasbradley4505]

@@cyberwolf_1013 love all those movies, especially The Harvey Girls because of Angels Lansbury ❤️

[@janetbaker645]

You could also watch Meet Me in St. Louis at Halloween..that was before going around and getting candy...

[@myfriendisaac]

25:24 I always loved that detail; the Tinman & Scarecrow were unaffected by the poppies 🚫🌸📼 We watched this on VHS all the time as kids!

[@johnnehrich9601]

The books were quite clear on this point. Tik-tok, the sequel Ozma of Oz, was a windup-mechanical man who "does everything but live."

[@majkus]

Baum repeatedly referred to biologicals like Dorothy and the Lion, perhaps a bit uncomfortably, as "meat people" to distinguish them from the grotesques.

[@artsysabs]

@@majkusmeat people 💀

[@johnmavroudis2054]

My friend, Rick Polito, had a humorous tv/film review column, and his review of this film got a ton of national publicity. "Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again." Totally brilliant and hilarious.

[@fayesouthall6604]

😂😂😂

[@jamesalexander5623]

Or : Teenage Girl and Older Woman fight over a pair of Red Sparkly Shoes!

[@artsysabs]

She didn’t really get to “meet” the wicked witch of the east lol

[@maryhughes6372]

“I love this. It’s so funny that she just murdered somebody…” 😂😂I hadn’t thought of it in those words but you’re right, little innocent Dorthy is a murderer. 🤣🤣

[@leahstrother7715]

To quote Chowder from Monster House, "When it's an accident, they call it manslaughter."

[@majkus]

Only murder or manslaughter if she had any control over the house.

[@alextirrellRI]

There's always that TV Guide description: "Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again."

[@maryhughes6372]

@@alextirrellRI 😂😂

[@tjopj]

Fun facts: 1- In the book, the slippers were actually silver, but the producers decided to make them red and call them ruby slippers to take full advantage of technicolor, and to make the shoes stand out more. 1- In the book, the good witch that welcomes Dorothy to the Munchkinland and the good witch that tells her how to go back home are two different people, which is why Dorothy couldn't have gone home from the start, because the first good witch didn't know the power of the slippers. Glinda is the second good witch, and is implied to be much more powerful than the other one. in the movie, they combined both witches into one.

[@laraduff4949]

35:45 fun fact: Dorothy did sing a reprise of Over The Rainbow in that scene, but it was cut

[@ayesap438]

cause she was making the entire film crew cry singing it.

[@JoeTyria]

@@ayesap438, no, that is NOT the reason the reprise was cut. She made all the kids in test audience cry when they saw it. Half of the Wicked Witch's lines were cut for this reason as well. Margaret Hamilton perhaps portrayed evil incarnate a little too well.

[@Leamichellefan2244]

Wasn’t it because they said it was too emotional or something?

[@Leamichellefan2244]

@@ayesap438 I heard somewhere that they actually wanted her to really cry so one way or another they made her cry which to me is disgusting.

[@JoeTyria]

@@Leamichellefan2244, yes. The recording still exists. It's hard to listen to, it's heart wrenching.

[@davidmarsden192]

"Be gone! Before someone drops a house on you too!" --- one of the best burns in film history!

[@jujubegold]

Yes Judy Garland sang the song “over the rainbow.”

[@serendavies7375]

Yes she did!

[@Sailorgirl1207]

I had a wizard of Oz themed birthday when i was a kid! A lady from our church made me Dorothy's dress and my friends dressed up as characters too. My dad saved up money to rent a bouncy castle and my mom used chalk to turn the sidewalk into the yellow brick road. It was one of the best birthdays i had as a kid ❤️

[@KelliFranklin]

That's the angelic voice of Judy Garland in real time. She's an icon for a reason.

[@clairecaubre1558]

I am so deeply moved by someone watching this for the first time. It immediately brought me back to being little and feeling this movie so powerfully the first time!

[@james_fisch]

I am as well. I grew up watching it in the late 90s and early 2000s, and knew that I loved the film, but wasn't sure why until I got older. I wish there was a first time I could remember, but as close as I'll get is watching other people's firsts. I had the luck to see Oz for its 85th anniversary in the theater several months back where a decent-sized audience attended, diverse in age. There was at least one kid there who had never seen it before and they were mesmerized by it, which moved me in seeing how the movie is truly timeless.

[@davidmarsden192]

Just before Auntie Em appears in the crystal ball, Dorothy did sing a repirse of Over the Rainbow (as she's crying) - but it was cut from the movie: "Someday I'll wake and rub my eyes, And in that land beyond the skies, You'll find me". [sobbing] "Somewhere over the rainbow, Bluebirds fly, Birds fly over the rainbow, Why..." [trails off, sobbing.]

[@KyleMUC]

Also, in the book she’s actually transported to Oz - the writers made the whole thing a dream sequence though to appeal to adult audiences because they thought some would think it too “far-fetched.”

[@chrisdiokno5600]

Also fun fact, the original slippers in the novels were silver.

[@MegaWicked89]

And they were changed from silver to red because they wanted to show off the Technicolor process which was still very new at the time.

[@majkus]

And were 'shoes' and not 'slippers', just for the record.

[@JayR-]

Also, if I remember right (it's been years since I've read the books) the Emerald City wasn't really green, but all the citizens were wearing goggles with green lenses. I can't remember though if it was voluntary or if the goggles were locked onto each person there.

[@thomasbradley4505]

@@JayR-you’re correct. The version of the book I read as a kid was illustrated, and in the Emerald City scenes the citizens are pictured wearing green glasses

[@therojowo]

@@JayR- It was a trick by the Wizard to make the city seem more prosperous to its residents, so it was not voluntary

[@catbowserfantasytherapist3132]

Thing to remember too is that color film was a very new thing at this point. Technicolor which is what was used for this film was only 7 years old. In fact, Dorothy’s shoes were originally silver but they decided to change them to ruby to show off the technology. The scene inside the house before she opens the door was actually filmed in color but was painted in sepia , the actress dressed in sepia so when the door opened the colors would pop

[@KayDeeKeySull]

Talking about how well this movie aged, i was SHOCKED when i learned that the sepia to color shift was done practically! They did such a great job picking a body double, designing a dress that matched the sepia tone of the blue dress, and moving the camera to allow the brown double to move back and have blue judy garland enter the full color frame. 10/10 no notes

[@mantis_mads]

When I was little and cried, my pop would pull out a handkerchief, wipe my tears away and say “don’t cry, you’ll rust!” and it used to make me laugh and feel better… I just now realised/remembered that it was a reference to the tin man 😂

[@lukeleshnitzel327]

9:51 I think one reason is due to that being the best adapted portion of the book. The author describes Kansas as old, gray and worn. With it looking like the sun and wind had sapped all the color from Aunt Em’s face, hair, clothes and hands. It was beautifully written, the contrast of Kansas and OZ, and the movie captured that better than most movies capture anything when adapting.

[@lestrangemd]

When I was a kid we played Wizard of Oz at recess. Everyone wanted to be the winged monkeys. Also we always speculated that Miss Gulch died in the tornado.

[@chrisdiokno5600]

Also, the color of the movie in the start is more sepiatone, rather than black and white. Also fun fact, IIRC, a good chunk of the Munchkins were played by people with dwarfism

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

The munchkins are credited as the Singer Midgets and were more than just "a good chunk." I understand that there may have been a few children in the background during some crowd shots but child labour laws restricted the amount of time children could work each day. The main munchkins, being adults, could work adult hours.

[@laurencesnee8362]

I guess that's why 'munchkin' became a synonym for 'dwarf' and 'midget'.

[@greywolf7577]

@@TedLittle-yp7uj When did the child labor laws come into effect?

[@thomasbradley4505]

And apparently they were tiny horn dogs

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

​@@greywolf7577 Federal child labor laws were not enacted in the U.S. until the very year THE WIZARD OF OZ was filmed (1938). They set the minimum wage for children at 40 cents an hour, and limited them to working 40 hours per week.

[@tofersiefken]

The book includes a deep dive into the tin woodsman's backstory, it is heartbreaking. Also, the movie really only includes half of the adventures the book does, and the ending is radically different.

[@GaryTongue-zn5di]

Nick Chopper keeps getting his limbs cut off by The Witch and the wizard replaces them with Tin.

[@gryphonvert]

Really, the whole premise of the book is radically different, in that the Land of Oz is real, and Dorothy really does physically go there. It's not a dream in the book, featuring people Dorothy knows from real life. It's an actual other world. (And there are like... at least 10 Oz books. It was a really long-running and HUGELY popular series, long before the movie was made -- nearly 40 years in fact. The first book was published in 1900.

[@corvus1374]

Buddy Ebsen, who was the star of the Beverley Hillbillies, was the original Tin Man, but he had to drop out because he was allergic to the makeup.

[@cog4life]

So now you know. Why it has been beloved by sooo many children (including me 😊) for decades. You’ve joined the club. Congratulations! 🎈 😊

[@mrgreenpickuptruck]

So the thing about the color transition? that was a one take shot. They made the entire house interior in the sepia tone with a body double dressed and done up in full sepia tone and Judy Garland was in her color outfit and the set was in full color so it was completely pratical.

[@james_fisch]

I've wondered for years how they did that. Wish I could have been alongside the first audiences when this premiered, I imagine they were blown away with the transition to Technicolor in that shot.

[@U-Gozoo]

The dog was paid more than the human costars.. yes that is Judy herself singing.... And the scene with the uncles mentioning courage, brains, and a heart was foreshadowing... The actress who plays the wicked witch was actually hospitalized during that fire flash exit scene it was so bad she refused to ever film with fire again. Finally the lion suit is a real lion pelt

[@harmshoney]

i just love the parallel of all the characters! the 3 uncles being her 3 travel partners in Oz. her uncle who said, "your head ain't full of straw you know!" being the scarecrow, the uncle who said "one day they're gonna make a statue of me!" being the tin man frozen in that position, & her uncle who courageously saved her from the hogs being the cowardly lion. so creative! also, "now being a Christian woman, i can't say it!" is something i tell myself in my head at least once a day 😆 such a nostalgic movie! so glad you loved it! ✨

[@AstriaStarwynd]

One of the random things that amuses me about this movie is when Glinda asks Dorothy if she's a good witch or a bad witch, and then a moment later declares bad witches are ugly, that means Glinda hadn't decided whether Dorothy was beautiful or ugly.

[@DavidB-2268]

Which also implies that beauty/ugliness are internal, rather than external traits. There was a song in the eighties that summed it up pretty well: She Ain't Pretty (She just looks that way)

[@strawberrysoulforever8336]

20:05 You just stated the moral for all the companions. They all had what they were looking for all along. The reason we don't see that in the Lion is because the movie played up his comedy and made him genuinely cowardly. In the book, he does brave things, but he thinks he's a coward because he's scared when he does them, but that being brave is to know fear and look it in the face, which he does many times in the book. The Scarecrow has that kind of effect, too. The book keeps pointing out every time he has an idea, like "He just thought of something, even though he thinks he has no brain!" The Tin Man doesn't really use his compassion to help the group along, but he's kind and compassionate from the start in both versions of the story, so it's hard to believe that he thinks he's heartless.

[@EmSza07]

This movie is wonderful. No wonder it's my favorite movie of all time🥰

[@acs42969]

I love your reactions! You go in watching with an open mind and the love of storytelling. Knowing it's a fantasy movie it's best to just take it all in. Will be watching more of you, ✌️bro!

[@lay-dee]

It was her vocals and i saw some some sort of video comparing her vocals here to un-edited versions of popular songs today and judy had perfect or almost perfect pitch naturally

[@bethscott4330]

“The Wiz” is a fun take on The Wizard of Oz with Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as The Scarecrow.

[@alfmerck6262]

For "fun" read "Dememted"

[@thomasbradley4505]

I wasn’t a fan of the movie (Diana Ross was about 20 years too old for the part and the movie was like a bad drug trip). But about 10 years ago there was a live version on NBC that was amazing

[@Dej24601]

There were numerous films with some color before this one; hand-tinted films were done throughout the 1920’s as well as an early form of Technicolor Film. By the mid 1930’s, 3-strip classic Technicolor was being used and one of the most famous was the 1938 “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” “Gone With the Wind” (1939) is probably the most well-known Technicolor film of the time. Technicolor is considered one of the best film stocks with its very saturated colors and can undergo significant conservation/restoration/preservation techniques which will maintain its quality for a long time.

[@agerard6297]

Films in 2-strip Technicolor TOLL IF THE SEA (1922) THE BLACK PIRATE (1926) THE VIKING (1928) WHOOPEE! (1930) DOCTOR X (1932) THE MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933) Black & White films that used color for scenes: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1923) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) BEN-HUR A TALE OF THE CHRIST (1925) THE KING OF KINGS (1927) THE VAGABOND KING (1929) THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929 THE SHOW OF SHOWS (1929) HELLS ANGELS (1930) DIXIANA (1930) THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE (1934) THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD (1934) Much of Walt Disneys Silly Symphonies & Mickey Mouse cartoons used Three-color Technicolor FLOWERS AND TREES (1932) SANTAS WORKSHOP (1932) THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1933) etc. Films in Three-strip Technicolor BECKY SHARP (1935) THE GARDEN OF ALLAH (1936) RAMONA (1936) A STAR IS BORN (1937) NOTHING SACRED (1937) SNOW WHITE AND THR SEVEN DWARFS (1937) SWEETHEARTS (1938) THE DIVIRCE OF LADY X (1938) THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER (1938) THE ICE FOLLIES OF 1939 THE FOUR FEATHERS (1939)

[@majkus]

Even Baum's 1914 silent "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" had hand-tinted prints at the time. Alas, none exist today.

[@thomasbradley4505]

1939 was long considered the greatest year for movies in addition to The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind, there were about a dozen other classics released

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

​​ Disney's Technicolor SILLY SYMPHONY, "The Three Little Pigs" (1933), was a huge hit that produced one of the most iconic songs of the Depression era, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?"

[@jaysverrisson1536]

@@agerard6297 Viennese Nights, a 1930 musical in 2-tone Technicolor, could be seen in its entirety a few years ago on YT. It's also said to have been the first (or one of the first) films to feature a short bit of action prior to the opening titles and credits--which is standard practice today.

[@davidvandyken5762]

I was born in the mid 70s and grew up in the 80s. The Wizard of Oz would be shown on network TV a couple of times per year and it was always a big deal. Our mom would let us stay up a little later to watch it because we looked forward to seeing it each time.

[@lfovah1287]

The Cowardly Lion was the highlight of the movie, he always cracks me up.

[@darkur13]

There’s an old Mad TV sketch you can look up on KZbin that is an “alternate ending” for the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy lets Glenda have it after she learns she had the power to go home all along but Glenda didn’t tell her. 😂

[@calebbrown551]

Supposedly in the original script it was not supposed to be a dream. After Dorothy says "Theres no place like home" to Auntie Em, they all go and get up and Dorothy finds that she is still wearing the Ruby Slippers. They even do a callback to that scene in the "Tom and Jerry Back to Oz" movie.

[@michaelg899]

In the original Oz books, Oz is a real place. Dorothy returns to Oz several times before moving there permanently, taking Uncle Henry and Aunt Em with her.

[@tofersiefken]

I hope you'll also consider reacting to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), another movie that was on television annually as many of us Gen-X and Boomers might recall. It falls into the genre of family movie with elements of fantasy. It also happens to be a wonderful musical starring Dick Van Dyke (who is currently 98 years young and spry). The original 1964 novel on which the film is based was written by Ian Flemming, creator of James Bond 007.

[@wolfgangwolf6060]

The majority of Munchkins were really little people - particularly the Singer Midgets an entertainment troupe from Europe who had immigrated from Europe. There were a few child actors to help fill out the scene.

[@IlNyaPasdOrchestre]

Almost certain the M-word is a slur.. better not to use that.

[@avaricsymphorian]

@@IlNyaPasdOrchestre That may be the case today, but "The Singer Midgets" was the actual name of the troupe from back then.

[@Lethgar_Smith]

"Meet a bunch of strangers and dance through the woods" Doesn't sound quite so charming when you put it that way.

[@SLaccount]

hey he's just freaky like that XD

[@MarthaDwyer]

"Wicked" the Broadway musical based on a prequel to "OZ" is set to be released in November, starring Cynthia Ervo, Arianna Grande, and Jonathan Bailey. I can't wait.

[@Dej24601]

Sepia tone was used for the Kansas sequences and it fits the look of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in the American Midwest, and gives a warmth to the screen rather than the coolness of Black & White.

[@majkus]

The book's first chapter is emphatic about the grey Kansas environment: When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions. The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. Even the grass was not green, for the sun had burned the tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere. Once the house had been painted, but the sun blistered the paint and the rains washed it away, and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else. When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had changed her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now. When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child’s laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy’s merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wonder that she could find anything to laugh at. Uncle Henry never laughed. He worked hard from morning till night and did not know what joy was. He was gray also, from his long beard to his rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn, and rarely spoke.

[@fizgig76]

The Horse of a Different Color was dyed with Jell-O gelatin packets. I can't recall if multiple horses were used, each dyed a different color (I think that they were iirc, but don't quote me on that). What I DO remember is that the horse(s) kept trying to lick the dessert stuff off its coat 😂

[@Cerridwen7777]

"Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again." TCM's Rick Polito's description of the film. Also, the Horse of a Different Color in the Emerald City was colored with koolaid.

[@Bee4Reel]

Crazy how timeless judys voice is. Her tone is so mature and clear

[@kevinlechuga_]

It's nice to see a modern reaction appreciate both the emotional impact and the historical importance of the change to color.

[@hannahlynn8028]

Judy Garland is my favorite actress. If you're open to more older musicals, I'd recommend Easter Parade (1948) . It's brilliant, it was the only movie she did with Fred Astaire.

[@sdstewart100]

The lion’s outfit was actually made from lion skin! And the “snow” was asbestos. The fate of Glenda’s dress is unknown. The idea of movie memorabilia wasn’t a thing back then, so it’s possible the dress got cut up to use the fabric for other things or could have been thrown away. The crown is on display somewhere, though.

[@greywolf7577]

I heard that half of the movies from the 1920s have been lost because no one thought of preserving them and just threw them away after they were done with them.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

​@@greywolf7577 Many of them, alas, were melted down for the silver nitrate they contained during World War II.

[@tracy4290]

@@greywolf7577 Or they just decomposed due to a lack of information on how the film needed to be handled in the long run. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar_syndrome

[@alextirrellRI]

@@tracy4290 Nitrate films were often quite flammable as well, and many have burned in vault fires.

[@sabrinaestrada3590]

My husband told me that being with me was like when Dorothy opened that door. He saw the world in a whole new way. Best compliment of my life! 🥰

[@spencerfrankclayton4348]

*Was

[@ZeliBnnuy]

So Judy was a gay icon, so much so that gay men around that time used her character Dorothy as a code, being a “friend of Dorothy” was a safe way for gay men to commune and it got so popular, the GOVERNMENT started looking for this miss mystery “Dorothy” that a lot of men knew of😂🤩✨

[@fayesouthall6604]

I asked someone I worked with if they were a friend of Dorothy. He confirmed he was 😊

[@agerard6297]

Accidents: -Buddy Ebsen got hospitalized from allergy to the aluminum dust (despite getting health problems he outlived most of the cast). -Winged Monkey actors crashed to the floor when their piano wire snapped. -Margaret Mitchell suffered 3rd degree burns when her fiery exit from Munchinland went wrong. -Mitchell’s stand in Betty Danko damaged her ankle when her broomstick exploded. -Terry the dog that played Toto got injured being stepped on by a Winkie Guard.

[@majkus]

In the book, the Witch's allergy to water is actually set up a bit. Dorothy is a prisoner for several days, but the Witch cannot get her shoes because she only takes them off to bathe (and the Witch, we are told, fears water) and to sleep (and the Witch is even more afraid of the dark).

[@agerard6297]

And instead of an accident, Dorothy splashing the water was retaliation for the witch stealing one of the slippers.

[@justwondering5651]

Glinda to Dorothy: "Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?" Also Glinda: "Only bad witches are ugly." Paradox: Tin doesn't rust. But the Tin Man does. Witch melts in water. Also witch hangs random buckets of water in her castle. When the Wizard give Scarecrow a diploma, Scarecrow spouts some math. But his math is wrong, so he doesn't have a brain after all? To give the Cowardly Lion credit, courage isn't a lack of fear, it's standing up and doing the right thing in the face of fear, which he assuredly did.

[@RonWeb7804]

This played every year on tv when I was younger. My mom would make popcorn I would lay on the floor and watch it. There's a story that the dog Toto was paid more than the munchkins and when aunt Em yells DOROTHY during the tornado it was actually the voice of one of the male munchkins lol.

[@thomasbradley4505]

In 1989 for the 50th anniversary of the movie, they released about 3 books about the production of the movie. The also released a vhs with extras including the Jitterbug scene. In the movie when the witch is sending the monkeys to the enchanted forest, she says “don’t worry. I’ve sent a little bug ahead of you to take the fight out of them”. The next scene you see the main characters doing a dance, and when it ends the monkeys show up. The movie was running long so they cut the scene, but left that part of the line in. They didn’t have the entire film left (some had been destroyed) so the extras had the entire audio recording, and they used still photos to fill in the missing video.

[@HuntingViolets]

A hundred and fifteen little people and nine children played the Munchkins. Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch, was a very nice lady. She was injured during the first puff of smoke disappearance when the platform she was on didn't lower at the right time, leading to her being burnt (ironically). The Scarecrow has all the good ideas. (It is also Hunk, the real-world version, who tells Dorothy to use her brain early in the film.) The Tin Woodman is very empathetic. The Cowardly Lion does the brave things (this is more the case in the books). Buddy Ebsen, who was originally cast as the Tin Woodman, was hospitalized because of the makeup and had to be replaced. Ironically, he was originally originally supposed to play the Scarecrow but Ray Bolger asked to switch. They used gelatin powder on the horses. Between takes, the horses licked it off.

[@leehallam9365]

The twister was an effect. It was a tube of fabric.

[@thomastimlin1724]

How was the twister scene shot in the Wizard of Oz? They used a 35′ muslin stocking and wrapped it around chicken wire to make it look like a funnel. Then they rotated it with a motor from a crane, fastened the bottom to a car underneath the stage and drove it around

[@chrisdiokno5600]

Also, IIRC, for the Tinman, apparently in the books, he was originally a human man, who was so determined to do his job he kept accidently chopping parts of himself off, replacing them with well, tin

[@wizloon9052]

The part of "Toto", Dorothy's male dog, was actually played by a FEMALE dog actress. And yes, the reason the "poppies" spell did not put the Tin Man or Scarecrow to sleep is because they are not organic (live animals with flesh and blood).

[@chrisdiokno5600]

Fun fact, The Wizard of Oz was based off a book series. The sequel movie was also based off the sequel to the book. Also, yah should react to Ringu, the Japanese version of The Ring.

[@johnnehrich9601]

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written by L. Frank Baum in 1900, which is why the movie is dedicated to the almost 40 years the story has been loved. In the book, Dorothy actually goes to Oz but MGM felt the audiences of the day would not accept that and made it a dream. The book and its 13 sequels by Baum are now in the public domain, available in full for free on Google, along with the many original illustrations which show how Baum envisioned them. In the book, there are actually four witches. The Good Witch of the North has no name. After the debacle with the Wizard, they have to travel to see the Good Witch of the South, Glinda, who sends Dorothy home. The movie had to shorten things and it seems a bid odd Dorothy has to go through all this only to be told she could have gone home from the start. Mad TV did a wonderful spoof on this, on KZbin: MadTV - Wizard of Oz (Alternate Ending) The stories have generated a lot of different approaches to the material, including Wicked, which seems to be completely original. After MGM bought the rights to the first book, Disney purchased the rights to the other 13. In 1985, they made Return to Oz, based on the second and third books, Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz. Many people think it is too dark but it is actually very close to the books. Many Oz fans, myself included, consider it a sort of love letter to the books.

[@chrisdiokno5600]

@@johnnehrich9601 Yup, thanks for adding on to that.

[@SLaccount]

If he's willing, he could watch both Rings. The original then the remake. I personally prefer the remake but I know it's not fair to compare them when the remake had such a higher budget.

[@FavoriteMovieDate]

I read every Oz book, including the ones written by other authors after L. Frank Baum’s death. His were better, but they were all wonderful stories and the illustrations are superb.

[@gregyear201]

Yes that transformation into color OZ is still breathtaking. Your expression at that moment is priceless.

[@thomasbradley4505]

My uncle was a newspaper reporter. At one point we worked at the Washington Post, and he interviewed Billie Burke, who played Glinda

[@TheKelJacob]

umm….Bradlee or Bradley?

[@wizloon9052]

Professor Marvel, the "Bell Out of Order" guy, the coachman driving the horse & carriage, the guard at the door to the Wizard's chamber, and the Wizard of Oz himself were all played by the same actor (Frank Morgan). He played 5 different roles in the movie.

[@leehallam9365]

You are right about Bert Lahr who played the Lion. He was a Vaudeville comedian and comedy singer. If you look at clips of him before this a little of his act is incorporated into how he played the role. All that put em up stuff etc. He was also famous for his very exaggerated mock classical singing for comedic effect. He was a very skilled singer.

[@majkus]

He gets a second number partly because his 'If I Only Had the Nerve' number is truncated compared to the others. But he stole every scene he was in, even when he was just doing 'business' with the tail.

[@terrylewis_]

I have such fond memories of when my Dad would give us baths, and he would put tons of shampoo in our hair and do different designs and he would always sing the "Merry Old Land of Oz" song while they're getting done up in the salon. Hahaha And he LOVED "If I were King of the Forrrrrest!" hahaha

[@sparky082]

As someone whose name is Emily and is now an aunt that's is the only bad thing about this movie. I'm now. Called auntie Em everywhere... Especially since my childhood name was Dorothy

[@michelesimpson8613]

Hey, I would just embrace it and Take it in stride, because people won't forget your name. It's pretty cool being remembered along with such an awesome movie❤

[@sparky082]

@@michelesimpson8613 your right. I should .... But it's hard after being called in HS that as an insult. But I should just get over it I suppose.

[@sparky082]

Yeah I know I should. Meh I'm enough out of school I guess. It was sad before now. Now it's cool again I should use it