It’s the same with all classic films. After seeing them a time or two, it becomes hard to imagine any other actors portraying your favorite characters. This is certainly true of The Wizard of Oz. Can anyone really picture anyone else playing Dorothy, The Wizard, Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, or Scarecrow? … Read more
Everyone knows the faces of their favorite characters from The Wizard of Oz. Change one freckle, one mustache, or wrinkle and it would be immediately noticeable to true fans of this legendary movie. Interestingly, these faces we know so well often took on several incarnations in pre-production makeup testing before the familiar … Read more
Raymond Wallace “Ray” Bolger was an American entertainer of stage and screen who, like virtually every other member of the cast of The Wizard of Oz, is best known for his work in that film. In Ray’s case, for his portrayal of the Scarecrow and Kansas farmworker Hunk. Ray, like Jack Haley, … Read more
Bert Lahr was born Irving Lahrheim on August 13, 1895, in New York City. A hugely successful performer in burlesque, vaudeville, and on Broadway, he is best remembered today for his roles as the Cowardly Lion and Kansas farmworker Zeke in The Wizard of Oz. Like other star-struck youth of his generation, … Read more
“What kind of a horse is that?” you may remember Dorothy asking as she and her friends rode through the Emerald City, watching the horse that pulled their carriage repeatedly change colors. “I’ve never seen a horse like that like before.” “No, and never will again, I fancy,” came the driver’s reply. … Read more
Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke, or “Billie” for short, began acting professionally in the early 20th century, but modern audiences primarily know her as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the much-beloved film, The Wizard of Oz. At the outset of her career, Billie appeared mostly on the Broadway stage. … Read more
Prior to its national release on August 25th, 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered in 1939 at the Strand Theatre in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (August 12), Hollywood’s Grauman’s Chinese Theater (August 15), and New York’s Loew’s Capitol Theater (August 17). The New York premiere was especially notable because for a short time it … Read more
As far back as I can remember, I have loved Oz. The colors, the songs, Toto. I probably wore through several VHS tapes and put our DVD through its paces as a kid. I still remember the Tide commercial that was at the beginning of our VHS where kids were making costumes … Read more
Folks who see The Wizard of Oz often find themselves singing or humming many of the film’s delightful tunes for days and even weeks after viewing it. Small wonder since The Wizard of Oz is widely known for its musical selections and soundtrack. The terrific music and lyrics were written by the … Read more
Regardless of how many films the cast members of The Wizard of Oz were in, they’re most often best remembered from their roles in this glorious film. And John Joseph “Jack” Haley who played both the Tin Man and the Kansas farmworker, Hickory, is no exception. Long before being cast as the … Read more
Welcome to the Emerald City, home of the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz. Do you remember the first time you saw the Emerald City in the beloved film classic, The Wizard of Oz? The sight of it was probably as breathtaking for you, the movie viewer, as it was for Dorothy, … Read more
“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Dorothy and Toto felt they’d traveled far from home when a cyclone brought them (and their house) noisily into Munchkinland. But anyone visiting the soon-to-open LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City can visit the Land of Munchkins without traveling over the rainbow. Like the … Read more