The Wizard of Oz - (1939)
Directed by Victor Fleming
Written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson & Edgar Allen Woolf
Starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger
Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke
& Margaret Hamilton
MGM's
The Wizard of Oz is beautiful in sight, sound and sentiment. My affection for it has grown over the years. Ironically, when I was a child I was rather indifferent to it. The film had to compete with a bevy of interests all begging for my attention, and it wasn't until I became almost obsessed in everything cinematic that I realized how much it belongs amongst the very greatest films ever made - something that everyone wasted no time trying to relate to me during all these years anyway. It's only now that I watch the film with admiration and absolute enjoyment - and that enjoyment doesn't wear thin no matter how many times the film is repeated. I sometimes wonder if this isn't the same for many movie fans - presenting the film to their children, but all the while enjoying it much more than even they do. Just soaking in the colour, song and playful frolicking that dazzles the eyes and ears. The actors and filmmakers make everything look effortless - which is all the more laudable when one considers just how hard and painful it was to bring to fruition.
The film was important for historical reasons - it reinvented what a musical could be, and the person most responsible for this was producer Arthur Freed, who would have an impact on Hollywood musicals that would last for decades. Freed believed musical numbers should advance a story - and not exist independently. He wanted characters to be inspired into their musical interludes by natural exuberance - almost as if they simply couldn't help it. This smooth transition is evident throughout
The Wizard of Oz, which Freed kept tight control over. Songs which didn't advance the story, such as 'The Jitterbug', were the first to be cut from the film - and 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' very nearly met the same fate. The concept Freed advanced gave life to the brilliant songs by Harold Arlen with lyrics provided by E.Y. Harburg. These songs are still well known throughout the entire world. When Australian soldiers marched into battle during the Second World War they sung, "We're off to see the Wizard." It became something of a battle cry. The film was especially popular there on it's initial release.
The story and characters come from L. Frank Baum's children's book 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' which reflects the enticing magical world that reaches beyond most children's grasp, but also the warmth, safety and loving serenity of home. It was published in 1900, and was a part of a wider series of books all based around the mythical, magical place of Oz. Louis B. Mayer's MGM bought the rights, and nearly ended up borrowing Shirley Temple from a rival studio to play the lead role of Dorothy. It's impossible for anyone now to think of anyone other than Judy Garland in the role. In the role of the Tin Man, Ray Bolger was initially signed on - but he preferred (and was more suited to) the role of the Scarecrow. The part then went to Buddy Ebsen, who fell ill after breathing in the powdered aluminium which was part of his make-up. Jack Haley eventually won the part - but it was a difficult one. In the Tin Man's costume, it was impossible for Haley to sit down, and he'd often be leaned into positions of semi-comfort when not filming. Worse conditions fell upon the Cowardly Lion's Bert Lahr - who roasted inside of a massive costume made out of real Lion fur. Under the many lights inside the studio temperatures could soar. Margaret Hamilton, as the Wicked Witch of the West, received second-degree burns from a special effect, and complications from the copper-based make-up she had to wear. The munchkins were prone to drunkenness, and Judy Garland never became comfortable with the fame and demands of the stardom that this film would bestow on her. It's incredible that the end result of all of this reflects so much effortless joy and innocence.
The sets and matte paintings for this film are gorgeous - and the product of scores of dedicated artisans and artists. The effects were groundbreaking for their day, especially in regards to the realistic depiction of the tornado which lifts Dorothy's home and transports it to the magical land of Oz. With it's switch from sepia-toned black and white to technicolor as Dorothy arrives, this is one of the most stunningly beautiful films I've ever seen - and it stubbornly remains one of the most incredibly pretty films ever made despite the passage of so many decades. All of the costumes are bright and imaginative - especially those made for every individual munchkin - and the makeup is equally as effective (even if it was, in several cases, harmful to the actors who were suffering from under it.) The combination of the spectacular visuals with the lively songs and musical score evokes a time when many individuals gave everything they had to produce something timeless and without equal. There have been attempts to recapture the magic of Oz (1985 effort
Return to Oz and
Oz the Great and Powerful in 2013 come to mind) but nothing ever comes close.
This was a film of many scriptwriters, directors and roles for Frank Morgan - he plays the Wizard, Professor Marvel, the Gatekeeper, Buggy-driver and guard. Herman J. Mankiewicz, Noel Langley, Ogden Nash, Florence Ryerson, Irving Brecher, and Edgar Allan Woolf among others all had a hand in writing it's script - as did two of the film's directors. These directors were many. At first, Norman Taurog was signed on to direct, but he didn't last until the main production began - only directing a few tests in technicolor. Richard Thorpe then took over, but lasted only 9 days with virtually none of his shot footage making it into the film. Producer Mervyn LeRoy felt he was rushing things, and as such replaced him with George Cukor temporarily, with LeRoy's guidance on set. When Cukor left to direct
Gone With the Wind Victor Fleming took over, and it is Fleming who stayed on for most of the shooting - he is the one who is credited as director for the film, even though he was eventually replaced (Fleming was needed to assist Cukor on
Gone With the Wind) by King Vidor who finished the film. Such near-chaos and hardship would ordinarily lead to a muddled, unsuccessful production - but with
The Wizard of Oz these many hands produced a classic.
The Wizard of Oz has had a slow ride up into immortality - it's initial cinematic release wasn't a flop, but it didn't quite make the money that had been put into it. It had subsequent releases, and was first broadcast on black and white television 1956. It's television showings increased it's popularity, and when colour was introduced the love people had for it grew and grew. With today's technology we can watch the film whenever we want, in sparkling clear colour and even surround sound. Several documentaries have been made about it's production and popularity, such as
Memories of Oz in 2001,
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic in 1990,
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz in 2005 and
Because of the Wonderful Things It Does: The Legacy of Oz also in 2005. There is indeed something magical about this film - something almost intangible that makes it even more than the sum of it's parts. Perhaps that something was provided at the very start of it all, way back in 1900 when L. Frank Baum's book was first published. Perhaps there is no explaining why it's so enchanting. It's just here for us to enjoy - and we should all not focus too much on the guys behind the screen pulling all the levers and pressing the buttons.