The Wizard of Oz
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What is The Wizard of Oz?
The Wizard of Oz, released in 1939, is an American musical fantasy film based on L. Frank Baum's novel. Directed by Victor Fleming, with King Vidor responsible for the Kansas scenes, the film stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale.
The story follows Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz, where she befriends a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion. They journey to the Emerald City to seek help from the Wizard, encountering the Wicked Witch of the West along the way.
Despite not being an initial box-office success, The Wizard of Oz became a classic family film. It is known for its memorable songs like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and was among the first films selected for the National Film Registry.
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When was The Wizard of Oz movie released and who directed it?
The Wizard of Oz, an American musical film based on L. Frank Baum's book, was released in 1939. The film wasn't an immediate success but became an enduring family classic.
Victor Fleming and King Vidor directed the movie, with Fleming receiving sole credit, though Vidor directed the Kansas scenes. The film, starring Judy Garland, follows Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz.
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Who are the main characters in The Wizard of Oz film?
The main characters in the film The Wizard of Oz (1939), directed by Victor Fleming and King Vidor, include Dorothy Gale (played by Judy Garland), a young girl from Kansas who finds herself in the Land of Oz.
Dorothy befriends the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), who wants a brain, the Tin Man (Jack Haley), who seeks a heart, and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), who needs courage. They journey to the Emerald City to seek help from the Wizard, encountering the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and Glinda the Good Witch (Billie Burke) along the way.
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What is the basic story or plot of The Wizard of Oz?
The Wizard of Oz follows Dorothy Gale's journey from her Kansas farm to the Land of Oz. After running away, Dorothy is knocked unconscious during a tornado and awakens to find her house transported to a magical place inhabited by munchkins, witches, and talking trees. Her house lands on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East, and the powerful ruby slippers magically appear on Dorothy's feet. Glinda the Good Witch advises Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, where the Wizard of Oz may grant her wish to return home.
On her journey, she befriends a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion. They face many trials, but the friends eventually reach the Emerald City. The Wizard demands they bring him the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick. After battling flying monkeys, Dorothy drenches the witch with a bucket of water, causing her to melt away. Dorothy and her friends return to the Wizard, only to discover he is a fraud. With the help of her ruby slippers, Dorothy returns to Kansas.
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Why is The Wizard of Oz considered an important or classic film?
The Wizard of Oz, a 1939 American musical film, has become a classic and enduring family film. It was added to the Library of Congress's National Film Registry in 1989, being recognized as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The film, directed by Victor Fleming and King Vidor, tells the story of Dorothy, who travels from her Kansas farm to the Land of Oz. The film offered solace during the Great Depression, teaching that people already possess what they lack and that there's no place like home. With memorable songs such as "Somewhere over the Rainbow," the film became well-known through frequent television showings.
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How did the use of color and special effects in The Wizard of Oz influence future movies?
The Wizard of Oz (1939) significantly influenced the use of color and special effects in subsequent movies. Although not initially a critical or financial triumph, it became an enduring family film.
The Wizard of Oz was one of the first movies selected for the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry. The film employed Technicolor's three-color system, which, despite some drawbacks, was the standard for color films for about 25 years and was strongly associated with fantasy and spectacle. King Vidor directed the black and white scenes in Kansas, while Victor Fleming directed the Technicolor Oz sequences. The Wizard of Oz, with its memorable songs and innovative use of color, became a classic through frequent television showings.
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The Wizard of Oz, American musical film, released in 1939, that was based on the book of the same name by L. Frank Baum. Though not an immediate financial or critical success, it became one of the most enduring family films of all time. Deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” to America’s film heritage, it was among the first films selected in 1989 for inclusion in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.
(Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.)
Plot summary
Dorothy Gale (played by Judy Garland), a young girl from Kansas, decides to run away from her aunt and uncle’s farmhouse with her dog, Toto, who is in danger of being put down for biting a neighbor. After an encounter on the road with fortune-teller Professor Marvel, a well-meaning charlatan, Dorothy is persuaded to return home to her family. Before they can be reunited, however, she is knocked unconscious during a tornado.
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- Studio: MGM
- Directors: Victor Fleming and King Vidor
- Writers: Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf
- Music: Harold Arlen
- Running time: 101 minutes
When she awakens, she and her farmhouse, along with Toto, are being transported to the Land of Oz, a magical place inhabited by strange characters, including munchkins, talking trees, and witches. Dorothy’s house lands in the midst of Oz’s Munchkinland, and she soon realizes it has fallen on and killed the Wicked Witch of the East, whose powerful ruby slippers are magically transported onto Dorothy’s own feet. Though the munchkins celebrate Dorothy for her inadvertent act, the evil witch’s sister, the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), vows to kill Dorothy in order to avenge her sister and retrieve the powerful ruby slippers. Glinda the Good Witch (Billie Burke) instructs Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road that runs to the Emerald City, where it is said that a powerful wizard will be able to grant her wish to return home.
- Judy Garland (Dorothy Gale)
- Frank Morgan (Professor Marvel/Wizard of Oz)
- Ray Bolger (Hunk/Scarecrow)
- Bert Lahr (Zeke/Cowardly Lion)
- Jack Haley (Hickory/Tin Man)
- Billie Burke (Glinda)
- Margaret Hamilton (Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West)
On her way Dorothy befriends a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) in search of a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) looking for a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) in need of some courage. They are tormented by the witch on their journey but manage to reach the Emerald City. Before the Wizard of Oz will grant their wishes, however, he demands that they bring him the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick. After battling flying monkeys, they infiltrate her castle, where Dorothy drenches the witch with a bucket of water, causing her to melt into a harmless puddle.
Dorothy and her friends return to the Emerald City with the witch’s broomstick only to discover that the Wizard is a fraud, possessing no real powers. With the help of her magical ruby slippers and Glinda, however, Dorothy is able to return to Kansas, where she is reminded that “there’s no place like home.” In a departure from Baum’s book, her trip to Oz is portrayed as an elaborate dream sequence.
Production and reception
- Picture
- Special effects
- Art direction
- Score*
- Song* (“Over the Rainbow”)
Shirley Temple was the favorite to play Dorothy, but her singing skills were not strong enough. The role was ultimately a big break for Garland, then a contract player at MGM. The film originally featured the Wizard as the central character, and both W.C. Fields and Bert Lahr turned down the part. Buddy Ebsen filmed scenes as the Tin Man but had to be replaced by Jack Haley when he suffered a severe reaction to the silver makeup. While Victor Fleming directed the Technicolor Oz sequences, King Vidor was the director on the film’s black-and-white Kansas scenes; in addition, George Cukor, Norman Taurog, and Richard Thorpe made uncredited contributions as directors on the film. Prior to the film’s release, MGM executives were going to delete the song “Over the Rainbow,” believing it slowed the pace. It has since been voted the number one movie song of all time by the American Film Institute.
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Other adaptations
Baum’s novels about the land of Oz have inspired numerous other adaptations. Among these are The Wiz (1978), a fantasy musical film, based on a Broadway theatrical adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, that features an all-Black cast, and Wicked (2003– ), a stage musical that serves as a prequel to the events from Baum’s original novel. Wicked was adapted for the silver screen in Wicked: Part 1 (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025).