This supremely iconic fantasy adventure film produced by MGM during the height of Hollywood's
studio system was released in August of 1939 - eventually grossing nearly $300 million
in adjusted dollars with the aid of several re-releases.
Perhaps more impressively, the Library of Congress named this the most-watched motion
picture in history, thanks largely in part to frequent broadcasts on TV since the 1950's.
"The Wizard Of Oz" is practically un-reviewable...
so stepped in lore, nostalgia, and American culture, reducing it to nothing more than
a fun kids movie is an insult.
Judy Garland stars as young Dorothy Gale: a wayward teen who following a traumatic opening
act where her dastardly neighbor attempts to forcibly euthanize her dog, is swept away
on a violent tornado to the magical land Oz: a brightly colored landscape littered with
talking animals, witches, munchkins, and many other unique features, like a yellow brick
road, sleep-inducing flowers, or the majestic Emerald City itself.
While technicolor films had been around for years, the breathtaking single shot when Dorothy
enters the land of Oz, in bright beautiful color, completely transformed the way audiences
would look at film forever.
Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton
round out the giant cast: the majority of which undergo impressive make-up changes as
well.
As the whimsical and plucky Scarecrow, Bolger was the last surviving principal cast member,
having died over 26 years ago.
When asked if he received TV royalties from the film, he often remarked, "No, just immortality.
I'll settle for that".
From Dorothy's legendry Ruby Slippers that now sit in the Smithsonian Museum, to syncing
the picture to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon", to a ridiculously insulting and
absurd hoax involving a suicide caught on film - this innocent 101 minute film has deeply
permeated into society.
Although much of the dialogue is pretty hammy, and poorly delivered, three of this film's
lines are featured in AFI's Top 100 Movie Quotes, with Judy's famous quip, "Toto, I've
got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" placing fourth.
The playful characters frequently sing catchy music, with Garland's beautiful rendition
of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" scoring the well-paced advneture one of its two Academy
Awards.
Despite some terribly rigid and formulaic scene progression, the incredible MGM sets
and backdrops are breathtaking, and the visual effects were revolutionary.
The consequences are overtly established early, but with no true sense of time or ticking-clock...
much of the plot is advanced only because the song is over, and its time to skip along
to the next area.
Under some scrutiny, a number of plot holes hurt this picture as well, especially the
more glaring example, involving the Wicked Witch's only weakness being readily stored
inside her own castle.
It's also unfortunate these characters are some of the most memorable in cinema, as none
of them are truly developed beyond very basic stereotypes and plot devices - it is a 74-year-old
children's film though, so it's easy to overlook these faults.
Arguments can be made for "The Great Train Robbery", "Gone With The Wind", "The Godfather",
"Star Wars", or even "Avatar" but, for my money?
"The Wizard Of Oz" is the "Most important film ever made.".
But I'm certainly not saying it's the "best" film ever made.
Lets check out some of your thoughts from the YouTube comments.
The rate-o-matic for "The Wizard Of Oz"... a DOUBLE TEN.
While many acknowledge some of the flaws, and dated visuals: it is difficult not to
recognize this as a truly remarkable, and timeless classic.
We both agreed, this film is simply AMAZING.