The Wizard of Oz
August 25, 1939
MGM
Children's, Fantasy, Musical
VHS
A-
Ah, where to begin? This movie was such a part of my childhood, of so many childhoods, it's hard to be objective about it. It's both a classic film and a cult film, with special appeal to gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. ("Of course, some people do go both ways.") It's also a movie about the importance of family, both biological and chosen. It's warm, sweet, funny, scary, and catchy. (Try not reciting the lines or singing the songs, at least in your head.) It also has a marvelous early use of color film, and the special effects are well beyond anything else of the time. The acting is generally solid to wonderful, with Garland touchingly sincere, and many in the cast, from Scarecrow Ray Bolger (Dorothy's and my favorite) to Clara Blandick and Charley Grapewin, as Dorothy's aunt and uncle, seeming irreplaceable. Margaret Hamilton, as not only the two wicked witches but Miss Gulch (admittedly overlapping characterizations), remains one of the great screen villainesses. There's not a clinker among the songs, and the dance steps, even the little skips, add to the fun. Also, the movie is endlessly quotable.
But it is not a perfect film. Sometimes the direction (by no less than five men, including future Elvis helmsman Norman Taurog) is a little sloppy, with the camera sometimes not clear where it should go. And, after all the drafts, including assists from witty lyricist Yip Harburg, the writing still needs work, particularly with Glinda's dialogue and characterization. Now, in a way I've accepted Billie Burke's, shall we say, airier interpretation of Glinda, who is always dignified and sensible in the Oz books. (Except for the ones John R. Neill wrote, but he was off-base in other ways, although an excellent illustrator.) However, since childhood Burke's reading of "But I
am a witch" has bothered me, when it obviously should be "But
I am a witch." Also, her "You wouldn't have believed me" to Dorothy, late in the film, is stupid on many levels, including that she let Dorothy and friends put themselves repeatedly in danger. Other than that, my least favorite exchange is when Dorothy asks for the witch's broom (to bring back to the Wizard as proof of the Witch's death) and a Winkie says, "Yes, and bring it with you." What, did he think Dorothy wanted to sweep up? Is the "Witches Castle" sign a deliberate error? What about the brain-enhanced Scarecrow's misinformation about triangles?
Still, these are quibbles. The film is still a delight. And it has what may well be the most awesome dog in screen history, Toto. He's not only adorable but he repeatedly moves the plot along. (The threat of Miss Gulch to take him away remains unresolved after Dorothy's "dream," two flaws really, the dream and the threat.) He's the one who gets Dorothy's friends to rescue her and he's the one who leads to the Wizard flying off in his balloon without her. And along the way, he's a quiet little scene-stealer. "He" was played by a female dog, Terry, who would soon appear as "Fighting Dog at Beauty Shop" in the all-female
The Women. Margaret Hamilton would appear in
My Little Chickadee the next year. My next Judy Garland movie will be
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, also from 1940.
Rolfe Sedan had just appeared in
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle. Lorraine Bridges (who does a Lullaby League member's singing voice) was in
A Night at the Opera. One of the Winged Monkeys, Lee Murray, was in
A Day at the Races, while another, George Noisom, would go on to both
Citizen Kane and
It's a Wonderful Life. One of the Winkies, Harry Wilson, would be a henchman in
Some Like It Hot. Jerry Maren, one of the most prominent Munchkins then and now (he's still alive in his 90s), would shortly do
At the Circus. Emerald City manicurist Ethelreda Leopold had just done
You Can't Cheat an Honest Man and would go on to
Meets Debutante. Jimmy the Crow (I am not making that up) would appear as the bank's crow in
It's a Wonderful Life. That movie also has Adriana Caselotti (Juliet's voice here), and it's probably a bit of an in-joke that she was the voice of Snow White in the previous year's hit movie that helped get the ball rolling for
Wizard.
I watched
Wizard on a tape of the 50th anniversary airing on CBS, with such random celebrities as Tony Danza and Lindsay Wagner voicing their appreciation. The quality of an almost-twenty-five-year-old VHS tape is not of the best, but the colors are still vibrant. I will of course get the 75th anniversary DVD when it's released, and I may venture on the Rifftrax commentary.
