So beloved and so vital a part of the national folklore is The Wizard of Oz that it's almost incomprehensible that the 1939 film based on L. Frank Baum's American allegory, the film that made Judy Garland a star and "somewhere over the rainbow" a goal, was not an immediate classic. As this wonderful piece by Emma Brockes (hat tip, moviecitynews.com) reports, the film did not make its $2.7 million investment back until 1956 when CBS leased television syndication rights and the flying monkeys haunted the dreams of a generation of baby boomers and their children.
Brockes delicately teases out the populist references of the source material while celebrating the New Deal lyrics of wordsmith and social activist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. (As a college literature prof explained to us when I was an undergraduate, the yellow brick road represented the gold standard, the Scarecrow American agriculture, the Tin Man American industry and the Cowardly Lion Wall Street.) And she colorfully describes the atmosphere at the Oz conventions (before Trekkies and Star Warriors there were Oz nuts): "The Baum-ites disdain the Judy-ites; the Oz scholars cut eyes at the collectors. Everyone loves the Munchkins."
My guess is that in the age of DVD and downloads, with the possible exception of The Godfather films, the average American over 30 has seen The Wizard of Oz more times than any other title. I still shudder when I hear the seven-note bar of music that heralds the flying monkeys. My throat constricts and heart enlarges when Judy Garland sings "Over the Rainbow." What pulls me through is the film's devastation-defying hope and, as Brockes infers, the sense that we each have more power than we think we do. You?
Share your Oz stories.
Am I the only person in the world who never liked The Wizard of Oz? Perhaps, by the time I saw it, and I admit--it was on a small screen--I had read far too much hype about Judy Garland. Movie magazines were a part of my childhood; movies not as much. Isn't the movie a bit scary for children? I would think that beyond the obvious audience of Judy Garland fans, a lot of the appeal of TWOO depends on the age of the viewer. Too young--scary; too old--both the scenery and the sentiments too Hollywood.— CPven- I guess one of the great things about classics is how many meanings can be wrung from them. You mentioned your lit professor's socio-economic spin. I've also heard a psych professor wax eloquently and convincingly about the Oz story being about the resolution of the infantile neurosis, i.e, fear of abandonment and eventual return home, etc.— John Brumfield
- Interesting about the gold standard and the three characters as agriculture, industry and Wall Street. I always saw the Wizard character as a satire on organized religion, the way he mystically strikes fear into believers to get them to follow his wishes. Then, when he is found out, he admits that he just a very good man who only pretended know all the answers.— Boogie
- My favorite Oz story is from "Material Dreams," by Kevin Starr. Starr, the former State Librarian of California, wrote an excellent multi-volume history of California, with the volume entitled "Material Dreams" being devoted to the 1910s and early 1920s. In this book, he gives a thumbnail bio of L. Frank Baum, including the fact that Baum was deeply fascinated by the exotic landscape and plantlife and wide, car-friendly boulevards when he visited Los Angeles during his days as a traveling salesman. Baum used the image he had in his mind's eye of Los Angeles as the model for Oz and the Emerald City. As resident of the city, this pleases me noe end. I like to say that if anyone ever describes Los Angeles as being like the Land of Oz, I can truthfully say, "No, it's the other way around." (By the way, I believe that Baum directed the first film version of his own book, using the backyard of his house on Cherokee Avenue in Hollywood as the set.) As far as the 1939 movie is concerned, what most impresses me now is just how great the score is. Everyone knows "Over the Rainbow," but there's not a bad song in the bunch. Also, on the downside, the message at the end - "There's no place like home" - has always irritated me, even when I first saw it as a little kid. I don't need Louis B. Mayer patting me on the head and telling me to accept the status quo. It doesn't ruin the movie for me, but it always makes me grind my teeth a little. (Oh - one last bit of trivia: my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Morlock, was the sister of Margaret amilton, the Wicked Witch of the West. Despite the wonderfully scary name, and the family connection, I'm happy to say that Mrs. Morlock was one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.)— wwolfe
- Boogie, I believe you're right about the Wizard, but for the life of me I've blocked out what the professor had to say and don't remember the Baum analyses I've read. If memory serves, in the books Dorothy's pet is a chicken.— carrierickey
- When my daughter was born, I sang "Over the Rainbow" to her as I rocked her; she had a wind-up toy that played the same melody. She played with dolls and toy figures of the characters. When she was still very small I played for her a recording of Judy Garland singing the song and she was transfixed. When she was about 18 months old, I showed her the part of the movie with the song and that did it. She loved it and the story of Dorothy and Oz became a HUGE part of our lives. (She was NEVER afraid of the witch OR the monkeys!) We dressed up as Dorothy and Glinda, we went to sing-alongs, we wrote and performed a VBS version of the story, we stayed in an Oz room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, we met Munchkins and a great-great-great grandson of Baum's. My daughter has grown up...I went from being Glinda to the Wicked Witch...but still the story is such a wonderful part of our lives. Dorothy has a big problem and, with the help of friends, she solves it for herself. She's not Cinderella and no Prince comes along and fixes everything. Dorothy is loyal and true to herself and those she loves and is never cruel. Is there a better pop culture model for a little girl?— dottiepark
- Posting for a reader, Pattye Stringer: Since you obviously have great affection for the film, I very strongly recommend that you read Evan Schwartz’ Finding Oz. As you might guess, it’s a biography of L. Frank Baum, the man who created the alternate universe that is Oz. In it, you will find that much of Baum’s life is reflected in his stories, but that those yellow bricks have more to do with his experiences at a military academy than any thoughts about the gold standard. You’ll also discover that the Emerald City has its roots in the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. Seriously---anyone who loves the film or the books should read Finding Oz. As always, thanks for your insights.— carrierickey
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