The Wizard Of Oz (1939) - #123

Empire top 301: #123

IMDb top 250: #167

Rating 8/10

Director: Victor Fleming

Writers: Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson & Edgar Allan Woolf

Starring: Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley & Billie Burke

“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.”

The Wizard of Oz tells the story of Dorothy Gale (Garland) who is lives with her Uncle Henry and Aunty Em on their farm in Kansas. Dorothy is in trouble with her neighbour Miss Gulch (Hamilton) after her dog Toto gets into her garden, chases her cat and bites her. Miss Gulch arrives at the farm with an order from the town Sheriff to collect Toto so he can be put down. Dorothy runs away with Toto but is convinced to return to the farm after a fortune teller says her Aunty Em is sick. On her return to the farm Dorothy is caught in a tornado, and unable to get inside the storm shelter with the others, she and her house are carried off to the World of Oz where it lands in Munchkin Land and crushes the Wicked Witch of The East. After obtaining her Ruby Slippers Dorothy travels to see The Wizard of Oz in the hopes of returning home and escaping the clutches of The Wicked Witch of The West. 

I watched The Wizard of Oz with my 3 year old, easily distracted Goddaughter and she was mesmorized, such is the power of this movie. From the sepia tone and beautiful Somewhere Over The Rainbow beginning to the technicolor Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead and dancing Munchkins, how could you not be mesmorized? I’ve seen the movie countless times and the shift from sepia to technicolor still amazes me, it’s seemless and still looks amazing.

The movie is dated now and it’s obvious that it was shot on a soundstage and the background is all painted, something I never picked up on when I was younger. But this doesn’t affect the enjoyment of this classic. The songs are absolutely brilliant and I found myself singing along much to the amusement of my Goddaughter. My favourite song is Optimistic Voices, which has a tune that will be stuck in your head for days – “you’re out the woods, you're out
of the dark, you're out of the night”. Somewhere Over The Rainbow has been covered to death, but noone does it like Judy and it’s still the standout of the whole picture.

Judy’s voice is great throughout each number she performs and her acting performance is pretty good too. The performances of each of the cast are very of the time, and quite melodramatic. Margaret Hamilton is perfect as The Wicked Witch of The West, it is a bit of a pantomime performance but it still has the power to frighten as my goddaughter will agree. That shrill voice, terrifying cackle, green face and threats to Dorothy and Toto make for a great and memorable villain. The supporting cast are also excellent especially Ray Bolger as The Scarecrow, Bert Lahr as The Cowardley Lion and Jack Haley as The Tin Man, who sound great on the numbers they perform.

The Wizard of Oz is a classic loved by many, including me and now my Goddaughter!!