The Wizard Of Oz

This is part of my presentation of my Top Five favorite movies (in do particular order).

The Wizard of Oz is a perennial favorite with American viewers, yet strangely the best copy that I own is the Italian version Il Mago di Oz which contains bonus features that are longer than the film itself.

This 1939 musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was one of the first commercially successful films to use Technicolor. Its principals included Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale alongside Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr. I won’t bore you with the plot synopsis here because I am 100% sure that every living person in the United States has seen this film at least once. (Okay, maybe not millennials.)

The film did not do that well in it original box office release. It was re-released in 1949 and barely made a profit. It wasn’t until 1956, when CBS released the film on television, that the movie became popular and rather instantly a classic. I remember very vividly watching it on television for the very first time on November 3, 1956. The witch flying around her castle accompanied by flying moneys was a real powerful moment. It seemed both fake and so real at the same moment.

Margaret Hamilton played the Wicked Witch of the West in perfect style as well as Miss Almira Gulch. Her line, “…and your little dog too!” has become one of the most quoted in all of movie-land. I remember seeing the witch melting away in the movie after Dorothy accidentally splashed her with water. That scene and many others showed real innovation for the time for special effects. Equally appealing in terms of special effects were the sequences that featured Billie Burke as Glinda the good witch.

The Wizard of Oz has become an American pop culture icon. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, but lost to Gone with the Wind, also directed by Fleming. It did win in two other categories: Best Original Song for “Over the Rainbow” and Best Original Score by Herbert Stothart.

Charles Grapewin (uncle Henry), Clara Blandick (Auntie Em), and Frank Morgan (The Wizard) round out the cast that also included over 100 little people to play the various Munchkins. The little dog Toto was played by a female Cairn Terrier named Terry.

Of course, being a musician, you knew I was going to get around to the music, right? The music and lyrics are what make The Wizard of Oz so endearing. Here is a complete list of the songs:

“Over the Rainbow” – Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale
“Come Out …” – Billie Burke as Glinda, and the Munchkins
“It Really Was No Miracle” – Judy Garland as Dorothy, Billy Bletcher and the Munchkins
“We Thank You Very Sweetly” – Frank Cucksey and Joseph Koziel
“Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead” – Billie Burke as Glinda (speaking) and the Munchkins
“As Mayor of the Munchkin City”
“As Coroner, I Must Aver”
“Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead” (Reprise) – The Munchkins
“The Lullaby League”
“The Lollipop Guild”
“We Welcome You to Munchkinland” – The Munchkins
“Follow the Yellow Brick Road/You’re Off to See the Wizard” – Judy Garland as Dorothy, and the Munchkins
“If I Only Had a Brain” – Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, and Judy Garland as Dorothy
“We’re Off to See the Wizard” – Judy Garland as Dorothy, and Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow
“If I Only Had a Heart” – Jack Haley as the Tin Man
“If I Only Had a Heart” (original recording) – Buddy Ebsen as the Tin Man
“We’re Off to See the Wizard” (Reprise 1) – Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, and Buddy Ebsen as the Tin Man
“If I Only Had the Nerve” – Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, and Judy Garland as Dorothy
“We’re Off to See the Wizard” (Reprise 2) – Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Buddy Ebsen as the Tin Man, and Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion
“Optimistic Voices” – MGM Studio Chorus
“The Merry Old Land of Oz” – Frank Morgan as Cabby, Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion and the Emerald City townspeople
“If I Were King of the Forest” – Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow and Jack Haley as the Tin Man
“The Jitterbug” – Although this song was removed from the final film, it is still available on some extended edition CDs.

One last note. I found the ultimate tribute to this film’s greatness in Italy. Here’s the quick story. An elderly friend came over for dinner with his grandchildren. I put The Wizard of Oz on after dinner to amuse the children while my friend and I spoke Nonese together. Within five minutes, he left the conversation and sat down with the kids and watched the whole film until its end. He was amazed just as I had been in 1956.

Please respond with your favorite quote from this movie!

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Read author Allen E. Rizzi’s latest book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9SG1XWH/