By now, the characters in The Wizard of Oz and the actors who played them are iconic. What you might not know is many people came close to working on the film, including actors and other filmmakers. Here’s why the film you know was almost very different. The example that most people … Read more
This month, we present some interesting information about actress-comedienne Billie Burke, who portrayed Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, in the classic film. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, in The Wizard of Oz serves as Dorothy’s benevolent protector against the threatening danger of the Wicked Witch of the West. … Read more
Of all of the wonderful elements that made The Wizard of Oz shine, one of the most memorable is its clever use of color. While the 1939 film was not the first to be shot in color, its bright production design and saturated palette made it stand out. So why did the … Read more
This month we honor the character of the Tin Man. In celebration of the month in which Valentine’s Day falls, we thought it would only be fitting if the February blog was dedicated to that character of divine paradox, the “heartless” yet tender Tin Man. In L. Frank Baum’s original story, The … Read more
Our blog post this month is in honor of Margaret Hamilton, the wonderfully Wicked Witch of the West, who was born on December 9, 1902. Mention The Wicked Witch to any fan of The Wizard of Oz and chances are they’ll either react with an imitation of the green-complexioned villainess’s evil cackle … Read more
In 1938, Frank Morgan was one of Hollywood’s “featured players,” that is, an actor who was not a major star in terms of box office draw and revenue, but was a reliable and competent performer who was an audience favorite. Morgan was born Francis Phillip Wuppermann on June 1, 1890, in New … Read more
The Wizard of Oz is considered one of the most perfectly cast movies ever made. Despite initial cries of opposition from fans and the press, Judy Garland was young Dorothy Gale. Ray Bolger and Jack Haley embodied those two loveable clowns, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman—characters that were endeared to theatergoers from … Read more
In honor of the current collaborative campaign among Warner Bros., The Wizard of Oz and Habitat for Humanity, we have chosen Dorothy’s famous declaration, “There’s no place like home!” as the theme of this month’s blog. When we think about our earliest memories of watching The Wizard of Oz for the first … Read more
In 1939, Judy Garland charmed moviegoers with her portrayal of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, earning her a spot in our collective hearts for all time. In honor of her birth month, here are 25 tidbits about Judy that may surprise and entertain you. Her birthday is on June 10. Prior … Read more
Thanks to the enthusiastic reception that Oz bloggers gave to our Q&A posting last month, we have graciously been invited back to host another feature that celebrates our favorite movie—The Wizard of Oz! In deciding upon an Ozzy topic about which to write, we thought it might be amusing to highlight a … Read more
Fans were recently invited to ask questions about The Wizard of Oz movie or anything else Oz related. The response was extraordinary, which probably comes as no surprise to Oz fans. There has been enormous fan participation which has proven that this timeless classic is still a favorite among young and old. … Read more
Here are some more fun facts about the making of The Wizard of Oz! Enjoy! The flying monkeys were originally going to be animated, but it didn’t work with the rest of the film. In the scenes where they are flying in to capture Dorothy, the monkeys are actually made out of … Read more