The Wizard of Oz – 1939
OK, here is one of the big ones. Of all movies ever made, this is among the most popular and beloved. It is timeless and fresh every time it is watched. It spans generations and is a jaw-dropping marvel of film-making, made even more impressive because it was a true fantasy that was made in 1939. It was Hollywood’s answer to Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Everyone has seen this film. Even my friend who hates musicals saw it as a child. It skyrocketed Judy Garland into the realm of mega-superstar. Sure, it didn’t win Best Picture on Award night, but it was up against another one of the biggest movies in film history, Gone With the Wind.
So what is there to say about this movie that is so popular from generation to generation? I won’t go into the story much, because we all know the story. Nor will I go too far into the catchy and memorable tunes like We’re Off to See the Wizard, or If I Only Had a Brain. But what I will do is give an appraisal of some of the performances and then give a few minor flaws that occurred to me as I watched it again with a more critical eye than usual.
First and foremost, Judy Garland was so utterly perfect for the part of Dorothy Gale that it seemed like a match made in heaven. Thank goodness the front runner for the part, Shirley Temple, did not get the part. Garland’s voice was exquisitely lush and velvety soft in the movie’s biggest hit song Over the Rainbow. She was pretty but not sickeningly cute, and the voice that came out of her was mature and full and gorgeous.
Ray Bolger, originally cast in the role of the Tin Man, convinced the director, Victor Fleming, that the Scarecrow was the right part for him. Instead Jack Haley took the part of the Tin Man after Buddy Ebsen was nearly killed by the original silver makeup that used aluminum dust which coated his lungs, making it nearly impossible for him to breathe.
But my favorite of the four main characters has always been the Cowardly Lion, played by Bert Lahr. He brought such a wonderful and loveable personality to the character and a great sense of comedy as well. I can only imagine what a nightmare his costume must have been under the hot lights during filming, but he never showed any hint of discomfort on the screen. Well done Bert!
Of course, the title character, the Wizard of Oz, played by Frank Morgan, was also wonderful to watch. He just seemed like such a likeable man. Billie Burke playing the part of Glinda the Good Witch of the North, had my favorite line in the entire film. When the Wicked Witch of the West says “You stay out of this Glinda, or I’ll fix you as well!” Her response is just perfect. She laughs and says, “Rubbish! You have no power here. Be gone before somebody drops a house on you!” The wicked witch suddenly looks up at the sky, cowering in fear. Classic!
And speaking of the Wicked Witch, Margaret Hamilton’s inspired performance was incredibly well done. I admit, her character was a little one-note, but her every movement, the delivery of every line, and the aura of evil that Hamilton portrayed, all played into that one wicked note splendidly.
And I have to mention the makeup. The version of the film that I watched was a professionally restored version in HD. The makeup and costumes, especially during close-up shots, were incredibly detailed and unbelievably well done, in particular, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. And lest we forget, the Flying Monkeys and the Munchkins looked amazing.
But there were a few superficial flaws that I will close with. First of all, and this is the biggest one for me, the fact that if the entire story that took place in Oz was, in fact, a dream, then when Dorothy woke up in bed at the end, saying that “there’s no place like home,” we still have to remember Miss Gulch. She still wants Toto put down. After all, she had a court order and a tornado would not deter the evil woman. Second, in the beginning, when Dorothy falls into the Pig Sty, she is pulled out without a spot of mud or dirt on her. Third, if the oppressed Munchkins had a military (remember the Munchkin soldiers in the white, yellow and green uniforms?), armed with rifles, why couldn’t they free themselves from the Wicked Witch of the East with a well-placed sniper? But like I said – superficial. It was still a great movie.