The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American fantasy adventure film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the film stars Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Frank Morgan, with Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Clara Blandick and the Singer Midgets as the Munchkins.Notable for its use of special effects, Technicolor, fantasy storytelling and unusual characters, over the years it has become one of the best known of all films and part of American popular culture.

The film is mostly in Technicolor, but its opening and closing sequences are in sepia-tinted black-and-white, including all of the film's credits. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs were written by E.Y. Harburg, the music by Harold Arlen. Incidental music, based largely on the songs, was by Herbert Stothart, with borrowings from classical composers.

Although the film received largely positive reviews, it was not a huge box office success on its initial release, earning only $3,017,000 on a $2,000,000 budget. The film was MGM's most expensive production up to that time, but its initial release failed to recoup the studio's investment. Subsequent re-releases made up for that, however. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It lost that award to Gone with the Wind, but won two others, including Best Original Song for "Over the Rainbow". The song was ranked first in the AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs list.

Telecasts of the film began in 1956, re-introducing the film to the public and eventually becoming an annual tradition, making it one of the most famous films ever made. The film was named the most-watched motion picture in history by the Library of Congress, is often ranked among the Top 10 Best Movies of All Time in various critics' and popular polls, and is the source of many memorable quotes referenced in modern popular culture.

Cast

• Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale
• Frank Morgan as The Wizard / Professor Marvel / Doorman / Cabbie / Guard
• Ray Bolger as Hunk / Scarecrow
• Jack Haley as Hickory / Tin Man
• Bert Lahr as Zeke / Cowardly Lion
• Billie Burke as Glinda the Good Witch of the North
• Margaret Hamilton as Miss Almira Gulch / The Wicked Witch of the West
• Clara Blandick as Aunt Em
• Charley Grapewin as Uncle Henry
• Pat Walshe as Nikko (the Head Flying Monkey)
• Terry^{[Note 1]} as Toto
• The Singer Midgets as the Munchkins
• Jerry Maren as The Lollipop Kid/Munchkin
• Mitchell Lewis as the Winkie Guard Captain (uncredited)

Only two of the Singer Midgets are heard in the film (when Dorothy gets in the horse-drawn carriage and the two Munchkins present her with a bouquet); the rest of their vocalizations were dubbed by professional singers and voice actors, including Pinto Colvig, Abe Dinovitch and Billy Bletcher, and singing groups The King's Men, The Debutantes and Ken Darby Singers. Although the Wicked Witch's guards spoke their own dialogue, their singing was also dubbed by others and was slowed down. Adriana Caselotti voiced Juliet, and Abe Dinovitch and Candy Candido voiced the Apple Trees.