Somewhere over the rainbow and in a land full of munchkins, flying monkeys and a gorgeous emerald city. The Wizard of Oz is Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's two-million dollar adaption of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
Judy Garland stars as Dorothy Gale, a Kansas farmgirl who takes shelter from a tornado in a house that is carried away and ends up in the colorful land of Oz. Not only in the land of Oz but on top of the Wicked Witch of the East. Desperate to find a way back home, she is encouraged by the Glinda the Good Witch to venture down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and ask the Wizard of Oz to help her. Along the way she meets three companions; the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. The four of them all continue to the Emerald City each wanting something from the Wizard.
Though it is the most successful adaption of the book, it is not the first. There were even two silent film versions in 1910 and 1925. And despite forty-four identifiable major differences (yes, someone actually counted),1939's The Wizard of Oz is also the closest adaption.
Originally, it was initially a box office struggle too. The initial release of Oz didn't even recoup MGM's investment. It was the most expensive project-at the time, that MGM had produced. However re-releases made up for that and Oz was nominated for six Academy Awards. It lost Best Picture to Gone With The Wind, but won for Best Original Song ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow").
I'm going to take a Storybook moment and focus on Oz as inspiration for the next few posts. Ruby red slippers, Tin Man fashion, yellow brick roads and emerald interiors are all ahead.
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