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Warner Home Video
Wizard of Oz
Wizard of Oz
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$34.99 USD
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The third and definitive film adaptation of {|L. Frank Baum|}'s 1900 children's fantasy, this musical adventure is a genuine family classic that made {|Judy Garland|} a star for her heartfelt performance as Dorothy Gale, an orphaned young girl unhappy with her drab black-and-white existence on her aunt and uncle's dusty Kansas farm. Dorothy yearns to travel "over the rainbow" to a different world, and she gets her wish when a tornado whisks her and her little dog, Toto, to the Technicolorful land of Oz. Having offended the Wicked Witch of the West ({|Margaret Hamilton|}), Dorothy is protected from the old crone's wrath by the ruby slippers that she wears. At the suggestion of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North ({|Billie Burke|}), Dorothy heads down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, where dwells the all-powerful Wizard of Oz, who might be able to help the girl return to Kansas. En route, she befriends a Scarecrow ({|Ray Bolger|}), a Tin Man ({|Jack Haley|}), and a Cowardly Lion ({|Bert Lahr|}). The Scarecrow would like to have some brains, the Tin Man craves a heart, and the Lion wants to attain courage; hoping that the Wizard will help them too, they join Dorothy on her odyssey to the Emerald City.
Garland was MGM's second choice for Dorothy after {|Shirley Temple|} dropped out of the project; and Bolger was to have played the Tin Man but talked co-star {|Buddy Ebsen|} into switching roles. When Ebsen proved allergic to the chemicals used in his silver makeup, he was replaced by Haley. {|Gale Sondergaard|} was originally to have played the Wicked Witch of the West in a glamorous fashion, until the decision was made to opt for belligerent ugliness, and the Wizard was written for {|W.C. Fields|}, who reportedly turned it down because MGM couldn't meet his price. Although {|Victor Fleming|}, who also directed {|Gone With the Wind|}, was given sole directorial credit, several directors were involved in the shooting, included {|King Vidor|}, who shot the opening and closing black-and-white sequences. {|Harold Arlen|} and {|E.Y. Harburg|}'s now-classic Oscar-winning song "Over the Rainbow" was nearly chopped from the picture after the first preview because it "slowed down the action." The Wizard of Oz was too expensive to post a large profit upon initial release; however, after a disappointing reissue in 1955, it was sold to network television, where its annual showings made it a classic.
Garland was MGM's second choice for Dorothy after {|Shirley Temple|} dropped out of the project; and Bolger was to have played the Tin Man but talked co-star {|Buddy Ebsen|} into switching roles. When Ebsen proved allergic to the chemicals used in his silver makeup, he was replaced by Haley. {|Gale Sondergaard|} was originally to have played the Wicked Witch of the West in a glamorous fashion, until the decision was made to opt for belligerent ugliness, and the Wizard was written for {|W.C. Fields|}, who reportedly turned it down because MGM couldn't meet his price. Although {|Victor Fleming|}, who also directed {|Gone With the Wind|}, was given sole directorial credit, several directors were involved in the shooting, included {|King Vidor|}, who shot the opening and closing black-and-white sequences. {|Harold Arlen|} and {|E.Y. Harburg|}'s now-classic Oscar-winning song "Over the Rainbow" was nearly chopped from the picture after the first preview because it "slowed down the action." The Wizard of Oz was too expensive to post a large profit upon initial release; however, after a disappointing reissue in 1955, it was sold to network television, where its annual showings made it a classic.
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