The Wizard of Oz is chock-full of good, no make that, great characters. First and foremost, there is Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow.
Then, there is the Great and Powerful Oz and the Munchkins. And who can forget Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, and the farmhands, Hunk, Zeke, and Hickory, and, of course, Toto?
Let’s look at them all individually. Dorothy is terrific, especially as she’s portrayed by the great Judy Garland. As much as she wants to get back to Kansas, Dorothy does everything she can to help out her newfound friends, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow.
Since most everyone likes rooting for the underdog, it’s only natural that the three aforementioned characters—the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow—rate high on most people’s list of favorite characters.
The Wizard may be blustery, but when the curtain is raised, viewers learn that he too was born in Kansas, and was brought to Oz by a runaway hot air balloon, which he offers to use to take Dorothy home, leaving the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion in charge of the Emerald City.
The Munchkins have long been favorites of moviegoers. Why not, they’re endearing. The movie community thinks so, too. This is why on November 20, 2007, the Munchkins were given their very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
As for Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, and the farmhands, Hunk, Zeke and Hickory, each symbolizes the decent, hardworking folk that made up much of America’s heartland in the early 20th Century. Toto, the adorable Cairn Terrier, is a favorite, too. Small wonder, Toto is as cute as a button, and he did bite town busybody, Miss Almira Gulch.