When "The Wizard of Oz" came out, not everyone was a fan. In fact, one prominent film critic
decried the movie for what he termed "vulgarity." Why? Keep watching to find out!
When "The Wizard of Oz" made its official world premiere in a limited preview run in
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, on August 12, 1939, it was a big deal. Or rather, an even bigger
deal than usual. Back then, a night at the movies was already an event, as movie theaters
were often palatial, from ornate Art Deco facades to the plush seats and carpets under
glittering chandeliers.
Still, moviegoers who went to see "The Wizard of Oz" knew it was an extra special event.
Catherine Buckeridge told Wisconsin news channel WISN 12 that she was an awestruck teenager
dazzled by the lights and commotion when she attended the movie's world premiere at The
Strand Theatre. She said that everyone was dressed up as if they had been invited to
a Hollywood gala, and people were eagerly buzzing around with excitement.
The film completely sold out each of the five nights it played at the Strand, and it received
similar attention at other theaters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Dennis, Massachusetts. Word
spread, and by the time the movie was officially released on August 25, it had already become
something of a phenomenon.
We just want to be clear: There is some controversy as to where the real, very first showing of
Wizard of Oz was, but regardless, it wasn’t in New York or LA [say each letter L A], or
even Kansas.
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
Much of the buzz around "The Wizard of Oz" didn't come just from word of mouth, though.
A lot of it was due to an extensive marketing campaign.
Just the circus-style movie posters were enough to generate excitement for the film, making
claims such as "It took two years just to plan it!" and "Startling balloon ascent!"
Even details about the costumes and special effects were blasted onto some of the posters
just to emphasize how unbelievable they were.
Entire articles were written in magazines and newspapers as advertisements. MGM spent
a massive amount buying ad space in every publication it possibly could, printing full-color
Kodachrome cover art.
Merch also appeared in some unusual places. In her "History of T-Shirts," branding expert
Alyssa Mertes notes that the first promotional T-shirt ever was made for "The Wizard of Oz."
You can actually see it in the movie: made by Hanes and emblazoned with "OZ" in bold
white, the shirt can be seen on three Emerald City beauticians giving the scarecrow a makeover
by re-filling his stuffing.
In the weeks following the smash premiere at the Strand Theater, "The Wizard of Oz"
opened in theaters nationwide. As the Los Angeles Times noted, most critics were oohing
and aahing over the spectacle of the film itself and its individual performances — especially
Burt Lahr's antics as the Cowardly Lion and rising star Judy Garland's haunting rendition
of "Over the Rainbow."
Some theatergoers who attended early showings in New York City got an extra surprise: Garland
and other cast members actually made appearances in person to help promote the film. Needless
to say, tickets were hard to come by.
Though 1937's "Snow White" had paved the way for color films, making movies in color was
still very uncommon in 1939. In fact, "The Wizard of Oz" was one of the earliest live
action movies to be shot in technicolor. Scenes in the land of Oz were filmed with eight technicolor
cameras and used a technicolor machine in theaters, which needed a trained attendant
to operate it. Those who saw "The Wizard of Oz" during its first run remember the saturated
colors as one of the things that stood out the most. Catherine Buckeridge recalled to
WISN 12,
"That was very impressive, because we had never seen color before."
If you went to the movies often in the 1930s, you would have been used to sepia tones. Now
imagine suddenly being dazzled by the realm Dorothy steps into once her house crash-lands
in Oz. For the first time, you would see flowers blooming in every shade of the rainbow, the
Wicked Witch of the West at her greenest, and those famous ruby slippers dazzling in
the sunlight.
Judy Garland was already on her way to stardom before the film that forever transformed her.
Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Ray Bolger, and the film's other stars were already recognizable
during that era. There was only one mask used in the movie, for Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow
— an original program given out at the Hollywood premiere states that makeup artists made sure
viewers could easily tell who the actors were underneath.
Fans at the time would have probably recognized Bert Lahr from starring in 1938's "Just Around
the Corner" opposite pint-sized starlet Shirley Temple. Despite the heaps of makeup and fur
that went into transforming him into the Cowardly Lion, you can definitely tell that it's his
face under there.
Jack Haley, the Tin Man, had also starred alongside Temple in "Poor Little Rich Girl"
and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm," both of which preceded "The Wizard of Oz." He'd also
previously starred with Garland in "Pigskin Parade" during her rise to fame in 1936. Movie
fans of the time would have certainly recognized most of the stars - stars who became forever
linked with their "Wizard of Oz" roles.
"That is the original hat I wore in 'The Wizard of Oz.' Want me to put it on?"
"Yeah!"
Even in an era long before music streaming, "Over the Rainbow" and "We're Off to See the
Wizard" were instant hits.
"Over the Rainbow" soon became one of the most demanded songs on the radio. What is
now considered one of the greatest soundtracks of all time appealed to listeners from the
beginning thanks to its whimsy. The wistful sadness of "Over the Rainbow" also resonated
with audiences who could use something to take them far, far away from the hard times
of the Depression, while "We're Off to See the Wizard" was catchy enough for critics
and casual viewers alike to be skipping along to it.
The songs from the film were so memorable that they played an undeniable role in the
film becoming a cultural icon. Some, especially "Over the Rainbow," were both a return to
innocence and a form of expression in a time of need. According to Raymond Knapp in "The
American Musical and the Performance of Personal Identity," "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" vented
the anger and frustration that had built up after the massive stock market crash, which
all but broke the human spirit during the bleak 1930s.
Judy Garland was instantly dubbed "America's Sweetheart" in the afterglow of her star performance
as Dorothy. Legions of little girls wanted to be just like Dorothy. As Roger Ebert said
in his analysis of "The Wizard of Oz," there was just something about the way Garland played
the character, who was courageous but still compassionate and vulnerable, which appealed
to viewers both then and now.
Garland became such an icon that every girl's dream was to have something, maybe even memorabilia
from the movie, autographed by her. Oz Museum has recounted the story, which has now become
a legend, about a young girl in a Santa Ana hospital who was obsessed with "The Wizard
of Oz." In her sleep, she would call out to Dorothy. Her heartbroken mother wrote Garland
a letter asking if she could send her daughter an autographed photo, but the actress went
above and beyond the rainbow. According to the story, she visited the hospital — some
say in her Dorothy costume — to sign an autograph in person.
"The Wizard of Oz" was an escape for those weary from the Depression.The desolation of
the era was part of the reason why everything that transpired at the Gale family farm was
filmed in dreary black and white.
There was more symbolism, too. Ms. Gulch, the richest woman in the county, and her wicked
witch alter ego symbolized the greed, evil, and oppression of the era. And the Wizard?
Just a con man, a character who the Hollywood Reporter said was, quote, "rich in humorous
innuendo." But History goes further, comparing the Wizard to President Herbert Hoover, whose
big promises to relieve the Depression were mostly empty.
From Dorothy's homesickness to the laments of the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion seeking
a brain, a heart, and courage, there were countless elements of "The Wizard of Oz" that
proved there was humanity in a world that was otherwise imaginary.
Most reviews for "The Wizard of Oz" were absolutely glowing. One film critic writing for the Dallas
Morning News said that it was the best movie MGM had produced in years, adding that he
personally thought it was up there with Disney's "Snow White."
Critics were also mystified over how the studio managed to pull off things like Dorothy picking
an apple from an angry tree that snatches the apple right back. Sure, the tree was just
an actor in a rubber suit that zipped up in the back, as the Dallas Morning News critic
revealed, but the magic was in the suspension of disbelief.
"Each one had a man inside to make the limbs move, and here's one of those special effects
guys now, coming up for air."
Though Variety critic John C. Flinn noted that some liberties had been taken with L.
Frank Baum's novel, he also found himself enchanted. Even though the plot was quite
straightforward, Flinn and other critics thought that the performances and effects elevated
the movie, and exceeded their already high expectations.
Not every critic was a fan, though. When Russell Maloney composed his review for The New Yorker,
he revealed that he was having a hard time even reviewing the film because it was so
garish. He elaborated,
"The vulgarity of which I was conscious is difficult to analyze."
Reasons for Maloney's reaction included special effects that he found more aggravating than
amusing. The Technicolor, in his opinion, was overdone to the point that you could hardly
watch what was happening on screen. Then there was his gripe about the Wicked Witch: it has
more to do with the Wizard's reaction to her demise, but that was just one of the many
"gags" he absolutely did not find amusing. Maloney was even convinced that Burt Lahr's
Cowardly Lion had no place in Oz: he thought there was no imagination in a film that was
meant to capture the imagination.
In a recent survey of contemporary reviews, The Los Angeles Times notes that many critics
of the time were put off by the more modern elements used in the film, such as the Wicked
Witch of the West using her broom to skywrite "Surrender Dorothy" above the Emerald City.
Critic Otis Ferguson, who reviewed the movie for The New Republic, believed that the film
was trying too hard to emulate the success of "Snow White." He didn't appreciate the
humor, though he did believe that the film would be appealing to kids because of the
flashy effects and joyful tunes.
William Stillman, co-author of "The Wizardry of Oz," told the Los Angeles Times that "The
Wizard of Oz" sold out in theaters, with around half of the audience being eager, wide-eyed
children. The majority of critics were enchanted: the film also received five Oscar nominations,
including one for Best Picture, which it ultimately lost to a little movie called "Gone with the
Wind." But it did score wins for both Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
Despite all that, "The Wizard of Oz" wasn't actually a big hit. It cost around $2.8 million
to make, and only brought back $3 million, meaning that once you add in the cost of that
massive marketing campaign, the studio actually lost money. It wasn't until the film was re-released
in 1949 and 1955 that it finally turned a profit.
Funnily enough, though, the true source of the movie's lasting popularity is actually
due to television. "The Wizard of Oz" first aired on TV in 1956 to a huge audience, and
brought in an even bigger rating when it aired again in 1959. Sensing a hit, the networks
began airing "The Wizard of Oz" every year, becoming a beloved tradition for tens of millions
of Americans to this day.
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