Director: Victor Fleming
Top Billed Actors: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Won 2 Oscars:
Best Original Score - Herbert Stothart
Best Song - Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg ("Over the Rainbow")
Nominated for 3 more:
Outstanding Production - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Best Art Direction - Cedric Gibbons and William A. Horning
Best Special Effects - A. Arnold Gillespie and Douglas Shearer
Plot: A girl and her dog enter a Technicolor fantasy land full of music and wonder. Her goal to get home to Kansas is aided by friends she meets along a brick road while she also murders two witches.
Top Billed Actors: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Won 2 Oscars:
Best Original Score - Herbert Stothart
Best Song - Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg ("Over the Rainbow")
Nominated for 3 more:
Outstanding Production - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Best Art Direction - Cedric Gibbons and William A. Horning
Best Special Effects - A. Arnold Gillespie and Douglas Shearer
Plot: A girl and her dog enter a Technicolor fantasy land full of music and wonder. Her goal to get home to Kansas is aided by friends she meets along a brick road while she also murders two witches.
Perhaps the most influential and most-watched film of all time, The Wizard of Oz (1939) also might be the most beloved. The film has had its harsh critics in recent years, but its legacy is unmatched and its impact will never wane. And to think that the production was so troubled and there were so many cooks in the kitchen, it's a wonder we ever even got the thing. Like the message of the movie itself, trial and tribulations had to be overcome for the production to succeed. No less than six directors and ten screenwriters contributed. Judy Garland was wearing a blonde wig and her makeup was dolled up in the early days of shooting. When George Cukor came in to direct, he shifted her character and told Garland to just "be herself." Victor Fleming, the eventual credited director due to him helming the project the longest, maintained that straight-forward direction. When Fleming left to work on another troubled M-G-M production, Gone with the Wind (1939), King Vidor filled in and directed the sepia Kansas sequences, including the iconic "Over the Rainbow" number. Speaking of that sepia tone, it is said that Herman J. Mankiewicz came up with the black-and-white transitioning to Technicolor in the very first draft of the script. Out of all those treatments, that is the one idea that held constant and is probably the most memorable moment in cinema history. Other production struggles include the toxicity of the green makeup on Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch of the West. She had to maintain a liquid diet throughout filming in order to use a straw to eat and she was also severely burned in the scene in which she departs Munchkinland. The first actor to portray the Tin Man also got an allergic reaction due to the chemical makeup of the suit. The mistreatment of child actress Judy Garland is also infamous as she was given uppers and downers which caused giggling fits and she was even slapped by Fleming at one point. These are just a handful of ways that demonstrate how tough and stressful this undertaking was, and all under the hot bright lights required for Technicolor. You would have thought this was snakebit from the first jump but the final product has endured into the iconic masterpiece that it is viewed as today.
One element that makes this a masterpiece is the music. Not only the musical numbers but the underscoring, with its mix of Herbert Stothart's heart-pounding original score and pieces like "Night on Bald Mountain." The variations on the themes of the musical numbers are powerful, especially when "Over the Rainbow" is played in a minor key. The song "Over the Rainbow" itself might be my favorite movie song of all time. It's a perfect 'I Want' song as Dorothy wishes herself away from the farm, only to learn a valuable lesson through her journeys. The sequence isn't flashy and the framing of her and Toto the dog as the song concludes gets me every time. I am always a mess when this song plays. Interestingly enough, the song was almost cut! When trying to trim the two-hour runtime, this was discussed as a candidate for elimination. Instead, the "Jitterbug" sequence was removed, which was a musical number that would have made the film feel extremely dated as it was used to showcase Garland's talents in more contemporary music. Another aspect that propels the film to its legendary status is the overall tone. It strikes a balance between being immediately accessible to young children while also being able to be enjoyed by an older audience. As a kid, the colorful world of Munchkinland, the spookiness of the forest, and the regal majesty of Oz would excite me and open my imagination. As an adult, I can think back to these feelings in a nostalgic manner while simultaneously appreciating the art involved to bring this wonder to life. I know the film only won two Oscars but if more modern categories like Makeup and Costume Design were around at the 12th Awards, this certainly would have won those as well. I can admit this this certain air of artificiality surrounding the costumes, special effects, and props, but it adds to the overall idea that this is in Dorothy's mind and it highlights how imaginative she is in her dreams. So imaginative that she realizes she "had it all along" in the end and she is now able to click her heels. The tone even crosses over to comedy (the kids will laugh!) and satire as the Wizard hands out his admittedly meaningless trinkets at the end of the adventure.
The only negative thing I could say about this is that I don't vibe with the Lion as much as I do with the other characters. It feels a bit uneven when he gets his own song before they meet the Wizard for the first time. The Scarecrow is supposed to be the main guy out of the three but the Lion has an extended musical sequence that allows him to dream of being king of the forest and it throws the symmetry out of balance. I can forgive it though because the Lion ultimately ends up playing a major role in rescuing Dorothy, but I just wish the three maintained an even keel in temrs of their importance to Dorothy and to the plot. My one dismissive point is overwhelmingly overshadowed by the splendor of everything else. I can go on and on but to just highlight a few more aspects that make this film stand out: the aforementioned sepia to Technicolor sequence in which Dorothy steps out of the house into Munchkinland might be the most cinematic moment in the medium's history, the overall performance by Garland makes this among the very best of child acting (she was sixteen at the time of filming), the thrilling sequence in which the three supporting characters storm the castle is a pure thrill ride, and the amount of dialogue that has entered the pop culture vernacular such as "There's no place like home," "I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," "Follow the yellow brick road," "the man behind the curtain," and the fact that people claim they won't melt if they go out in the rain.
Overall, this Technicolor fantasy in the merry old land of Oz is unparalleled in its influence in the world of cinema. The memorable tunes, story, characters, special effects, costumes, and message make this one of the most complete and satisfying experiences ever committed to film, whether you are young enough to be frightened by the Witch and redeemed by the Friends of Dorothy or old enough to be mesmerized by the artistry on display.
My Score: 10/10
Guest Reviewer: Andrew Dunfee
With the 1939 Awards, I brought in a guest reviewer to give a second opinion on the highlights of one of the greatest years in cinema history. He watched and reviewed six of these Best Picture nominees and is also making his choice for what should have won Best Picture at the 12th Academy Awards.
There are certain movies that are difficult to analyze as a film. They’re so ingrained in our culture and have had such a presence in the lexicon, that they’re as much a part of our lives as they are works of art. Perhaps more than any other film, The Wizard of Oz fits that classification. How can I critique the beautiful set design of Oz when that’s as much a real place to me as my old grade school? How do I judge Ray Bolger’s performance as the Scarecrow when all he is to me is that scarecrow? I don’t judge my Uncle Bobby’s acting as Uncle Bobby because that’s just what he is.
All of this is to say that the impact of The Wizard of Oz 80 years later speaks as much for its quality as a film as anything I can say about the filmmaking. Judy Garland is perfectly cast as Dorothy Gale. Maraget Hamilton may be even better as the menacing Wicked Witch. The vibrant colors of Oz, after switching from the black and white scenes in Kansas, make it feel like the magical world it’s meant to be. Somewhere Over the Rainbow is perhaps the most iconic Best Song winner in Oscar history. The themes of believing in one’s self and the power of friendship still resonant with the youth today.
So, while The Wizard of Oz may not be a perfect film or even one of my all-time favorites, its cultural impact and lasting presence is undeniable and puts it in the top tier of classic American films.