Wizard of Oz

Theatrical Release Date: 1939 08 25 (USA) / 2009 09 23 (USA - Rerelease)

UPC: 883929100927

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: G   Contains:[Child Classic, Scary Moments]

Summary: The third and definitive film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy, this musical adventure is a genuine family classic that made Judy Garland a star for her heartfelt performance as Dorothy Gale, an orphaned young girl unhappy with her drab black-and-white existence on her aunt and uncle's dusty Kansas farm. Dorothy yearns to travel "over the rainbow" to a different world, and she gets her wish when a tornado whisks her and her little dog, Toto, to the Technicolorful land of Oz. Having offended the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), Dorothy is protected from the old crone's wrath by the ruby slippers that she wears. At the suggestion of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (Billie Burke), Dorothy heads down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, where dwells the all-powerful Wizard of Oz, who might be able to help the girl return to Kansas. En route, she befriends a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a Tin Man (Jack Haley), and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr). The Scarecrow would like to have some brains, the Tin Man craves a heart, and the Lion wants to attain courage; hoping that the Wizard will help them too, they join Dorothy on her odyssey to the Emerald City. Garland was MGM's second choice for Dorothy after Shirley Temple dropped out of the project; and Bolger was to have played the Tin Man but talked co-star Buddy Ebsen into switching roles. When Ebsen proved allergic to the chemicals used in his silver makeup, he was replaced by Haley. Gale Sondergaard was originally to have played the Wicked Witch of the West in a glamorous fashion, until the decision was made to opt for belligerent ugliness, and the Wizard was written for W.C. Fields, who reportedly turned it down because MGM couldn't meet his price. Although Victor Fleming, who also directed Gone With the Wind, was given sole directorial credit, several directors were involved in the shooting, included King Vidor, who shot the opening and closing black-and-white sequences. Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's now-classic Oscar-winning song "Over the Rainbow" was nearly chopped from the picture after the first preview because it "slowed down the action." The Wizard of Oz was too expensive to post a large profit upon initial release; however, after a disappointing reissue in 1955, it was sold to network television, where its annual showings made it a classic. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Children's/Family

Awards: U.S. National Film Registry – Library of Congress 100 Greatest American Movies – American Film Institute Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Color Cinematography – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Song – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Song – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Special Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Special Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Honorary and Other Awards – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Presented – Telluride Film Festival 10 Best Films – Film Daily Special Award – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: Commentary by historian John Fricke
Restoration featurette illustrated video storybook
Supporting cast profile roundup
Music-and-effects-only and dolby 5.1 sing-along feature

Wizard of Oz

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 03/16/2010

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DTHD null, DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 102 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish,German,Portuguese

Subtitles: French,Spanish

Lucia Bozzola

The lavish MGM production of L. Frank Baum's children's book may have lost a million dollars on its initial release, but its songcraft, technical artistry, star-making performance from Judy Garland, and unexpected TV success turned it into a perennial classic. With future ace MGM musical producer Arthur Freed lending producer Mervyn LeRoy an uncredited hand in pre-production, Cedric Gibbons' art direction, Adrian's costumes, and Hal Rosson's sparkling cinematography maximized the creative potential of Technicolor film, as Dorothy goes "over the rainbow" from a sepia-toned black-and-white Kansas to a fantastically rendered Oz of ruby slippers, emerald cities, and yellow brick roads. Lent ample support by vaudeville vets Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr, neophyte Garland delivered a touching performance as Dorothy, proving that she had the acting talent to match her superb singing. As with Gone With the Wind, the film went through several directors and Victor Fleming got the credit; King Vidor directed the Kansas sequences, including Garland's solo "Over the Rainbow." Almost cut for the sake of pacing, "Over the Rainbow" became an Oscar winner for Best Song and a Garland standard. Although the 2.7-million-dollar film wilted at the box office, The Wizard of Oz was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture (which it lost to Gone With the Wind), winning for Herbert Stothart's score and Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's song. It was the first feature sold for prime-time TV telecast, and its 1956 TV debut was a ratings hit, finally turning it into the crowd-pleasing blockbuster that MGM had always meant it to be. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Abe Dinovitch  Actor 
Margaret Hamilton  Actor 
Yvonne Moray  Actor 
Lee Murray  Actor 
Daisy Earles  Actor 
Charles Irwin  Actor 
Buddy Ebsen  Actor 
Gus Wayne  Actor 
Adriana Caselotti  Actor 
Jimmy Rosen  Actor 
Oliver Smith  Actor 
Billy Bletcher  Actor 
Billy Curtis  Actor 
Jack Haley  Actor 
Mitchell Lewis  Actor 
Terry  Actor 
Jerry Maren  Actor 
Harry Earles  Actor 
Lois January  Actor 
Lillian Porter  Actor 
Harlan Briggs  Actor 
Major Doyle  Actor 
Frank Morgan  Actor 
Bobby Watson  Actor 
"Little Billy" Rhodes  Actor 
Pinto Colvig  Actor 
Charles Grapewin  Actor 
Bert Lahr  Actor 
The Singer Midgets  Actor 
George Ministeri  Actor 
Ray Bolger  Actor 
Abe Dinovitch  Actor 
Walter Miller  Actor 
Carol Tevis  Actor 
Harry Monty  Actor 
Clarence Swensen  Actor 
Frank Packard  Actor 
Mickey Carroll  Actor 
Tyler Brooke  Actor 
The Munchkins  Actor 
Meinhardt Raabe  Actor 
Karl Slover  Actor 
Harold Arlen  Composer (Music Score) 
George Bassman  Composer (Music Score) 
Victor Fleming  Director 
Noel Langley  Screenwriter 
Mervyn LeRoy  Producer 
Florence Ryerson  Screenwriter 
Herbert Stothart  Composer (Music Score) 
George Stoll  Composer (Music Score) 
Edgar Allan Woolf  Screenwriter 
Judy Garland  Actor 
Frank Morgan  Actor 
Ray Bolger  Actor 
Bert Lahr  Actor 
Jack Haley  Actor 
Billie Burke  Actor 
Margaret Hamilton  Actor 
Pat Walshe  Actor 
Clara Blandick  Actor 

Country: USA