The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)

:For the novel, see The Wonderful Wizard of Oz;

History

L. Frank Baum (born Lyman Frank Baum on May 15, 1856, in Chittenango, New York) published his book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. Over the following years it sold millions of copies, and Baum wrote thirteen more Oz books before his death on May 15, 1919.

Related Topics:
L. Frank Baum - May 15 - 1856 - Chittenango - New York - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - 1919

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In January 1938, MGM bought the rights to the book. The script was completed on October 8, 1938. Filming started on October 13, 1938 and was completed on March 16, 1939. The film premiered on August 12, 1939, and went into general release on August 25.

Related Topics:
1938 - MGM - October 8 - October 13 - March 16 - August 12 - August 25

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The movie's script was adapted by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf. Several people assisted with the adaptation without official credit: Irving Brecher, William H. Cannon, Herbert Fields, Arthur Freed, Jack Haley, E.Y. Harburg, Samuel Hoffenstein, Bert Lahr, John Lee Mahin, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Jack Mintz, Ogden Nash, and Sid Silvers. It was directed by Victor Fleming, Richard Thorpe (uncredited), George Cukor (uncredited), and King Vidor (uncredited).

Related Topics:
Noel Langley - Florence Ryerson - Edgar Allan Woolf - Irving Brecher - William H. Cannon - Herbert Fields - Arthur Freed - E.Y. Harburg - Samuel Hoffenstein - John Lee Mahin - Herman J. Mankiewicz - Jack Mintz - Ogden Nash - Sid Silvers - Victor Fleming - Richard Thorpe - George Cukor - King Vidor

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Music and Lyrics were by Harold Arlen and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, who won Academy Awards for Best Music, Original Score and Best Music, Song for "Over the Rainbow").

Related Topics:
Harold Arlen - E.Y. "Yip" Harburg - Academy Awards - Best Music, Original Score - Best Music, Song - Over the Rainbow

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Casting the film was problematic, with actors shifting roles repeatedly at the beginning of filming. One of the primary changes was in the role of the Tin Woodsman. The Tin Man was originally slated for Ray Bolger, and Buddy Ebsen was to play the Scarecrow. Bolger was unhappy with the part, and convinced producer Mervyn LeRoy to recast him as the Scarecrow. Ebsen didn't object to the change at first, but just 9 days into filming, he suffered an allergic reaction to the metallic makeup and had to leave the movie. Jack Haley was given the part the next day. The makeup used on Jack Haley was quietly changed to nonmetallic. Ironically, despite his near-death experience with the makeup, Ebsen well-outlived all the principal players.

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The role of Dorothy was given to Judy Garland on February 24, 1938. After the casting of her role, a few executives at MGM contemplated replacing her with Shirley Temple, but were not able to get Fox to comply with the "loan" of the young actress. Other MGM officials vetoed the idea of using Temple.

Related Topics:
February 24 - 1938 - Shirley Temple - Fox

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Originally, Gale Sondergaard was cast as the Witch villain. She became unhappy with the role when the Witch's persona shifted from a sly glamorous witch into the familiar ugly hag. She turned down the role, and was replaced on October 10, 1938 with Margaret Hamilton.

Related Topics:
Gale Sondergaard - Witch - Margaret Hamilton

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On July 25, 1938, Bert Lahr was signed and cast as the Cowardly Lion. Frank Morgan was cast as the Wizard on September 22, 1938. On August 12, 1938, Charlie Grapewin was cast as Uncle Henry.

Related Topics:
July 25 - September 22 - Charlie Grapewin

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The songs were recorded in a studio prior to filming. Several of the recordings were completed while Buddy Ebsen was still with the cast. So, while he had to be dropped from the cast, his singing voice remained, in the group vocals of "We're off to See the Wizard". His voice is easy to detect. Ray Bolger and Bert Lahr (and also Jack Haley, who had a solo but was not in the group vocal) were speakers of non-rhotic accents from the Northeast, and did not pronounce the r in wizard. Buddy Ebsen was a Midwesterner, like Judy Garland, and pronounced the r.

Related Topics:
We're off to See the Wizard - Non-rhotic accents - Northeast - Midwest

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Filming began on October 13, 1938, with Richard Thorpe directing. Thorpe was fired an unknown number of days after some scenes were shot, and George Cukor took over. He changed Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton's makeup and costumes, which meant that all of their scenes had to be discarded and re-filmed. Cukor had a prior commitment to direct the film Gone with the Wind, so he left on November 3, 1938, and Victor Fleming took over for him.

Related Topics:
October 13 - Gone with the Wind

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Ironically, on February 12, 1939, Victor Fleming again replaced George Cukor in directing Gone with the Wind. The next day King Vidor would be assigned as director to finish the filming of the movie (mainly the sepia shots of the Kansas farm).

Related Topics:
February 12 - Sepia - Farm

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The movie's filming was completed on March 16, 1939. On June 5, 1939 it had its first sneak preview. After this preview, as a response to several audience members, some scenes were deleted. Audience members thought the movie was too long; others found some of the witch's scenes too scary.

Related Topics:
March 16 - June 5

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On August 7, 1939, The Wizard Of Oz, a movie that cost $2,777,000 to make, unheard of at the time, was officially and legally copyrighted. It premiered at the Strand Theatre in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin on August 12, 1939, and in Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theater on August 15.

Related Topics:
August 7 - $ - Copyright - Oconomowoc, Wisconsin - Grauman's Chinese Theater - August 15

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On August 17, 1939, the movie opened nationally. Judy Garland and her frequent film co-star Mickey Rooney performed after the screening at Loews Capitol Theater in New York City, and would continue to do this after each screening for a week.

Related Topics:
August 17 - Mickey Rooney - Loews Capitol Theater - New York City

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In spite of the publicity, the movie was only moderately successful in its initial theatrical run. It achieved its iconic status after decades of television showings, beginning on November 3, 1956. The viewing audience for this broadcast was estimated at 45 million people, and was the beginning of a tradition. For decades to follow, the movie was aired in the United States on or near Easter, although today with the Turner cable networks now holding the television rights, the film is generally shown during the summer and Christmas seasons. As of now, the rights to its distribution are held by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment.

Related Topics:
Television - November 3 - 1956 - Easter - Christmas

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