The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Directed by: Victor Fleming | 101 minutes | adventure, family, fantasy, musical | Actors: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Pat Walshe, Clara Blandick, Terry, Gladys W. Allison, Josefine Balluck, John T. Bambury, Viola Banks

Few stars have experienced as many highs and lows in their lives as Judy Garland. From a very young age she acted in films and was on stage. At the age of seventeen she had her definitive breakthrough as Dorothy Gale in the world famous classic ‘The Wizard of Oz’. She would then star in ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’, ‘A Star is Born’ and ‘Judgement at Nuremberg’. The downside of the success was that MGM, the studio that made her a huge star, helped her on drugs at the same time. The story goes that she was given a boost in the morning to be able to work diligently and in the evening she was stuffed with sleeping pills to rest. No wonder Garland, blessed with a beautiful voice and bursting with talent, could not do without these drugs at a young age. The drugs would ultimately be the cause of her untimely death, at just 47 years old.

It was the movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’ that made Garland a huge star. A recent American survey shows that this is the most watched movie of all time and that may just be true. Because who isn’t familiar with the story of Dorothy and her dog Toto, who are blown away from the peaceful farm of Uncle Henry and Aunt Em by a violent hurricane and end up in the wonderful world of the Wizard of Oz. Upon arrival, Dorothy’s house ends up on top of the Wicked Witch of the East. The residents, especially the Munchkins, celebrate, but the Wicked Witch of the West is out for revenge. Eager to return home, Dorothy embarks on a long journey down the Yellow Brick Road to the all-knowing Wizard of Oz in Emerald City. Along the way, she runs into a brainless scarecrow, a tin man without feeling and a cowardly lion. They join her in the hope of finding what they lack from the wizard. But the Wicked Witch of the West isn’t going to make their journey easy…

The story for ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was written by L. Frank Baum way back in the late 1800s. Even before this ‘final’ version from 1939, the book had already been made into a film several times, including in 1925 with Oliver Hardy (‘the ‘fat one’) in the role of the tin man. However, no version comes close to the film that was made by no fewer than four directors. King Vidor, George Cukor and Richard Thorpe all filmed a few clips, but because he shot by far the majority of the scenes, it was the name of Victor Fleming – who also scored the same year with ‘Gone with the Wind’ – that ended up on the role emerged. The production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was marked by setbacks, but that didn’t stop producer Mervyn LeRoy from persevering. Initially, the astronomical budget of $2.6 million for the time seemed like a waste of money because the film did not catch on with the public at all. Only later did people realize that ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was a special film, both in production and in narrative terms, which, almost seventy years later, still makes the hearts of children and adults beat faster.

Judy Garland is largely responsible for the magic of the film. Though five years older than her character at seventeen, she is very believable as the melancholy Dorothy who decides to run away from home. Very understandable for children of that age, who can occasionally feel misunderstood by the adults in their environment. She is accompanied by her faithful dog – the only one who understands her – but after her exciting adventures in Oz finds out that it is actually very nice to be home. With her beautiful voice (her rendition of Somewhere over the Rainbow still gives the compassionate viewer goosebumps) and sincere appearance, she conquers everyone’s heart in no time. It is striking that all the other actors, including Margaret Hamilton and Frank Morgan, play a double role; one in Kansas and one in Oz.

Even more striking is the special use of colors in this film. In 1939, some Technicolor films were already being produced, but not many. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ combines black-and-white and color film by showing the Kansas scenes in sepia tones, making the transition to colorful Oz all the more magical. A groundbreaking technique for that time and still very special today. It immediately draws the differences in the two locations. The gray, dull life in Kansas is exchanged for the adventurous, exciting and fresh Oz. The special effects are very nice, especially when you consider that this film is still from before the Second World War. The whirlwind scenes don’t involve a computer, but they are certainly not inferior to those from ‘Twister’, which was made almost sixty years later!

‘The Wizard of Oz’ is arguably the classic of the classics. The movie is timeless. Unlike many other films from that time, the film is still rock solid today. The film is so full of fantasy that you take for granted the thickly imposed moral of the story – There’s no place like home. Even after all these decades, watching ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is pure enjoyment!