On October 25, 1980, the film was released on videocassette (in both VHS and Betamax format) by MGM/CBS Home Video. Surprisingly, the 3D version received a PG rating for "Some scary moments", although no change was made to the film's original story content. The next, The Marvelous Ozma of Oz was expected to be released the following year but never came to be. Several actresses were reportedly considered for the part of Dorothy, including Shirley Temple from 20th Century Fox, at the time, the most prominent child star; Deanna Durbin, a relative newcomer, with a recognised operatic voice; and Judy Garland, the most experienced of the three. Because of Hamilton's burns, makeup artist Jack Young removed the makeup with alcohol to prevent infection. The next day, the studio assigned Fleming's friend, King Vidor, to finish directing The Wizard of Oz (mainly the early sepia-toned Kansas sequences, including Garland's singing of "Over the Rainbow" and the tornado). Dorothy Gale is swept away from a farm in Kansas to a magical land of Oz in a tornado and embarks on a quest with her new friends to see the Wizard who can help her return home to Kansas and help her friends as well. Synopsis: The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical comedy-drama fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and the most well-known and commercially successful adaptation based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. He gets lyrics by E. Y. Harburg, you see. He can be heard in the group vocals of "We're Off to See the Wizard". The 1900 children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, was optioned as a movie in the '30s. [71][72], The film was issued on Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 29, 2019, featuring a new Dolby Vision transfer sourced from an 8K transfer. Obviously this did not lend itself to the brilliant palette that was the hallmark of Technicolor films at the time. Nor can they, without a few betraying jolts and split-screen overlappings, bring down from the sky the great soap bubble in which Glinda rides and roll it smoothly into place. The remake of 1939's The Wizard of Oz won't be a musical, New Line Cinema says. A sharp screenplay effectively condenses the novel's text into a workable film, and director Victor Fleming (along with countless other behind-the-scenes technicians) craft a visually stimulating fantasy world that surpasses the expectations of even the most imaginative viewers. [12] It was among the top ten in the 2005 BFI (British Film Institute) list of "50 films to be seen by the age of 14", and is on the BFI's updated list of "50 films to be seen by the age of 15" released in May 2020.[13]. A prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman's love. Goldwyn had toyed with the idea of making the film as a vehicle for Eddie Cantor, who was under contract to Samuel Goldwyn Productions and whom Goldwyn wanted to cast as the Scarecrow.[17]. And the rest, as they, is history. [17] Sepia-tone film was also used in the scene where Aunt Em appears in the Wicked Witch's crystal ball. The footage of Blandick's Aunt Em, as shot by Vidor, had already been set aside for rear-projection work, and was reused. [73], Although the 1949 re-issue used sepia tone, as in the original film, beginning with the 1955 re-issue, and continuing until the film's 50th anniversary VHS release in 1989, the opening Kansas sequences were shown in black and white instead of the sepia tone as originally printed. Subsequent re-releases between 1989 and 2019 have grossed $25,173,032 worldwide,[4] for a total worldwide gross of $29,690,032. Extensive edits in the film's final cut removed vocals from the last portion of the film. Bettmann Getty Images They photographed and cataloged each Munchkin in his or her costume so they could consistently apply the same costume and makeup each day of production. Where to begin? ", "Complete National Recording Registry Listing – National Recording Preservation Board – Library of Congress", "ENTERTAINMENT: Film Registry Picks First 25 Movies", "The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming 1939), produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer", "Two Animation Books: The Animated Raggedy Ann and Andy . A reference to "The Jitterbug" remains in the film: The Witch tells her flying monkeys that they should have no trouble apprehending Dorothy and her friends because "I've sent a little insect on ahead to take the fight out of them. [81], The film was re-released by Fathom Events on January 27, 29, 30, 2019 and February 3 and 5, 2019 as part of its 80th anniversary. ‘The Masked Dancer’ finale spoilers: Tulip is …, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Remake: It’s Hard to Follow the Famous Yellow Brick Road, ‘Watchmen’ Director Nicole Kassell To Direct Remake Of ‘The Wizard Of Oz’, Guillermo del Toro, Neil Gaiman, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and More Share Their Favorite Films About Hope, Matt Groening's Guide to "Disenchantment", The Top 200 Movies as Rated by Women on IMDb in 2018, Best of Both Worlds: Color and Black & White, If Classic Movie Quotes were Politically Correct. [116], In 2013, Walt Disney Pictures released a spiritual prequel titled Oz the Great and Powerful. Oz – A Rock 'n' Roll Road Movie also released as 20th Century Oz in United States) is a 1976 Australian film written, directed and co-produced by Chris Löfvén. This torture softened him into somebody gentler and kinder. When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. A single-disc Blu-ray, containing the restored movie and all the extra features of the two-disc Special Edition DVD, became available on March 16, 2010. Filming halted while a replacement for him was sought. An animated film called Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz was released in 2011 by Warner Home Video, incorporating Tom and Jerry into the story as Dorothy's "protectors". Although it did not have the same dire effect on Haley, he did at one point suffer an eye infection from it. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Fuller's earth was sprayed from both the top and bottom using compressed air hoses to complete the effect. [16][17] In January 1938, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer bought the rights to L. Frank Baum’s hugely popular novel from Samuel Goldwyn. Afterward, LeRoy hired screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, who soon delivered a 17-page draft of the Kansas scenes. It did win in two other categories: Best Original Song for "Over the Rainbow" and Best Original Score by Herbert Stothart. He was hospitalized in critical condition and was subsequently forced to leave the project. [126] Another, differently styled pair, not used in the film, was sold at auction by actress Debbie Reynolds for $510,000 (not including the buyer's premium) in June 2011. [36], On February 12, 1939, Fleming hastily replaced Cukor in directing Gone with the Wind. "[84], Harrison's Reports wrote, "Even though some persons are not interested in pictures of this type, it is possible that they will be eager to see this picture just for its technical treatment. She spent three months recuperating before returning to work. Baum's Oz is divided into regions where people dress in the same color. In February 2021, New Line Cinema announced that a remake is in the works with Watchmen's Nicole Kassell slated to direct the reimagining. Studios love to remake classic movies because they come with built-in audience awareness. "[23], Much attention was given to the use of color in the production, with the MGM production crew favoring some hues over others. During its opening weekend, the film topped the box office with $79.1 million, the third-highest March opening weekend. It contained no special features or supplements. [65] This restored version also features a lossless 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio track. Upon their return, the Wizard stalls in fulfilling his promises until Toto pulls back a curtain, exposing the "Wizard" as a fraud operating machinery. The song ranks first in the AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs and the Recording Industry Association of America's "365 Songs of the Century". The book describes the good witch and two Munchkins who greet her as all about as tall as a well-grown child like Dorothy, and the illustrations generally depict denizens of Oz as Dorothy's height; it was the film that made short stature a trait of Munchkins in particular. After Dorothy bids the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion goodbye, Glinda instructs her to tap her heels together three times and say, "There's no place like home." Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and the farmhands take shelter in the storm cellar and lock it behind them. "[95] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film received the maximum score of 100 out of 100, based on 4 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim",[96] which, as of March 2020, is matched only by eight other films. During reorganization on the production, George Cukor temporarily took over under LeRoy's guidance. At this point, the film began a long, arduous post-production. An Emerald Edition four-disc DVD arrived the following week. [66], On December 1, 2009,[67] three Blu-ray discs of the Ultimate Collector's Edition were repackaged as a less expensive "Emerald Edition". [57] The New York City premiere, held at Loew's Capitol Theatre on August 17, 1939, was followed by a live performance with Garland and her frequent film co-star Mickey Rooney. The Great Movie Ride was a dark ride located at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida.The attraction employed the use of Audio-Animatronic figures, practical sets, live actors, special effects, and projections to recreate iconic scenes from twelve classic films throughout motion picture history. Cumbersome makeup and costumes were made even more uncomfortable by the daylight-bright lighting the early Technicolor process required, which could heat the set to over 100 °F (38 °C). The Wizard of Oz The Wizard Of Oz is one of the most iconic movies ever made, with this heartwarming story having great characters, strong moral lessons, and some fantastic songs throughout. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. [80], The film was re-released on January 11 and 14, 2015, as part of the "TCM Presents" series by Turner Classic Movies. The film was also re-released domestically in 1955. Dorothy's adventures in the book last much longer, and take her and her friends to more places in Oz, where they meet interesting characters. The Witch Is Dead", and a number of smaller dialogue sequences. Writing for The New York Times, Frank Nugent considered the film a "delightful piece of wonder-working which had the youngsters' eyes shining and brought a quietly amused gleam to the wiser ones of the oldsters.