The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Noel Langley (screenplay) and
Florence Ryerson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 August 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

"The Wizard" Musical Returns By Unprecedented Demand! [UK re-release]

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Wizard | Dog | Witch | Heart | Tornado

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14	8:00 PM	TBS
Sun. Nov. 15	8:00 PM	TBS

Cast

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

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS (re-release) | Dolby Digital (re-release) | Mono (Western Electric Sound System) | SDDS (re-release)

Certification:

Singapore:G | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | South Korea:All | Philippines:G | Brazil:Livre | USA:Approved (certificate #5364) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1970) | Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Passed | New Zealand:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:I | Netherlands:AL (video rating) | Norway:A | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/4 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In the earlier drafts of the script, the writers often created new incidents to liven up the story. The original idea was to turn the story into a slapstick musical comedy, so there were a few deviations from what was written in the book. Some of the earlier scripts included a son for the Wicked Witch of the West whom she wanted to put on the throne of Oz, a stuck-up niece for Miss Gulch, a rescue from the Wizard's balloon by the Munchkin fire department, a singing princess and her cowardly suitor who gets transformed into a lion, a rainbow bridge that the witch constructs as a trap for Dorothy, and a romance between Dorothy and one of the farmhands. When the script got too bogged down, however, writers Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf would turn to L. Frank Baum's book for inspiration, and the result was closer to the whimsical fantasy Baum had written.

Goofs:

Continuity: When lion is showing everyone his medal of courage, in one shot he's holding it, then in the next shot he's not holding it, and then in the next shot he's holding it again.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tripping the Rift: 23 1/2 (#3.4)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Scherzo in E-Minor

The Wizard of Oz

Fantastic tale about a Kansas farm girl who's spirited off to the wondrous land of Oz. The film still tingles with freshness and beauty. Garland is forever memorable as Dorothy Gale, the young girl and the supporting performances of Bolger, Lahr,Haley, Hamilton and Morgan are all stand out and will remain national treasures. The superb songs of E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen are still beautifully blended with the lovely photography, cinematography and art direction. Unforgettable!!!