Griswold, Jerry. There's No Place but Home: The Wizard of Oz, The Antioch Review, Vol. 45, No. 4, The Romance of Toughness (Autumn, 1987), pp. 462-475

 

In this article, Jerry Griswold begins with an argument that it is people’s fascination with the Land of Oz that helps the story’s popularity. Many people view Oz as a utopian dream. Oz supports such heavenly ideals such freedom of the individual, voluntary acceptance of responsibility, the equal enjoyment of work and play, the folly of war, the need for sharing, and more. However, upon closer examination he likens Oz to the United States, where the land to the west is comparable to California, the lakes to the North could potentially be Michigan lakes, etc. Some scholars have suggested that Oz is simply California, and the fact that Baum had moved to California and called his home “Ozcot” reaffirms those thoughts. Griswold then goes into talking about how the story cannot be attributed to Baum alone, as it has become a folktale told over and over again, always slightly different. He examines the major differences between the original novel, and the famous 1939 film, which he decides are the two most famous telling of the story. While there are several differences, Griswold concludes that they both tell the same tale. He then proceeds to compare Oz and American life. He states that Dorothy wants to escape her life in Kansas away from Ms. Gulch who wants to kill Toto, but at the end, all she wants to do is be back home. This is because the truth is everything we need is already home. Griswold states that, “Kansas has always been Oz”.

This article is important for several reasons. First, it is the relationship of Oz to America. He mentions in the article that “immigrants think that the roads are paved of gold, only to find out they are painted yellow.” At this time, and still today, America is land of opportunity where anything is possible. He gives the example of anyone becoming President, which is now truer than ever. The comparison of Oz to America is true in the sense that America too, values the ideal in Oz. Second, his mention into the folklore of the story is important because by the very definition of folklore, we know that it means that this is a story for the common person. This is who it has its widest appeal to. Third, the message it is trying to portray is important also. In Dorothy’s desire to escape, she seemingly travels to this mystical Land of Oz However, as the film goes forward; we are reminded that we don’t need to go to Oz to make our dreams come true. If we look and work hard enough, all of our dreams are right at home. As Dorothy realizes, “There is no place like home”.

Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

Today’s moviegoers revel in the thrill of highspeed car chases and high octane explosions. It is for this reason that engineers, designers and expert cameramen work continuously to bring us closer to the action. One new development by the Adventure Equipment group is the use of “a gyrostabilized, camera-mounted, remote-controlled crane system attached to an SUV” –  affectionately referred to as the Ultimate Arm. The pan/tilt/rotation capabilities of the camera coupled with the motor’s ability to reduce turbulence and wind resistance enable the camera crew to capture steady footage from a variety of angles during even the most intense chases. The audience is transported “directly into the flow of traffic.” Much has changed since the day Dorothy first rode a tornado into Munchkin City. In 1939, audiences were stunned by the sweeping camera movements as they followed Dorothy and company along the Yellow Brick Road. It is clear that today’s techniques are a bit more complex but with so much progress constantly being made over the years, we can only imagine what lies ahead in the world of filmmaking.

 

NASA Tech Briefs. "Motor Used to Stabilize Remote-Controlled Camera Crane." NASA Tech Briefs.
       (Aug. 2006). NASA Tech Briefs. Findarticles.com, 1 Dec. 2008. .

 

 

Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

Such is the high esteem in which Fleming’s 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz is held that curators have taken precautions to preserve this and other historically significant films from the deteriorating effects of age. Movies made before 1951 were recorded on nitrate film. Of course films are expected to fade and shrink as they get older, but nitrate paper adds an extra twist to the situation in that it is also extremely volatile. In fact, ignited nitrate paper produces its own oxygen – meaning that once ignited it is virtually impossible to extinguish the fire with water. History is rife with accounts of uncontrollable fires which have ravaged vast collections of movies recorded on nitrate paper. Exposure to heat, moisture or sharp fluctuations in temperature are also extremely damaging to these films. Thankfully though, proper steps are being taken to preserve these valuable pieces by storing them in specially designed frigid, low humidity vaults such as those in the Library of Congress and the George Eastman museum.

 

 

Dobbin, Ben. "Vaults protecting pre-1951 movies." Associated Press.(May 17, 2008).Associated Press. Findarticles.com, 1 Dec. 2008 .

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Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

Despite only modest box office success after its initial release in 1939, MGM’s The Wizard of Oz received many favorable reviews and was warmly embraced by the movie-going public. This positive response prompted London Films to produce The Thief of Baghdad one year later. The plot centered on the life of a young man who, with the help of circumstance and a djinni (genie), rises from being a lowly thief to being offered the position of Grand Vizier to the sultan. The film was a great success with “its colourful fantasy offering audiences a welcome escape from the grim daily reality of war, at a time when both colour film stock and genuine fantasy were a rarity in Britain.”

 

Duguid, Mark. "Thief of Bagdad, The (1940)." Screen Online Website. 1 Dec. 2008 .

Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

Fleming’s distinctive use of sepia tone and technicolor in The Wizard of Oz was extremely influential in the making of Lang’s The Bluebird in 1940. Legendary actress Shirley Temple was initially loaned to MGM by Fox in order to play the part of Dorothy Gale. However Temple’s inability to sing the film’s songs at the necessary level resulted in Judy Garland being given the role instead.  The Bluebird was essentially 20th Century-Fox’s response to the MGM musical fantasy. Like the Oz film before it, The Bluebird reserved the use of technicolor for its dreamlike fantasy scenes while the opening and closing sequences were kept in black and white. Unfortunately the film was not a box office success and is widely considered to be Temple’s biggest flop.  However critics have earmarked it as a must have for movie collectors and strong DVD sales have seen it re-enter the frame as one of America’s classic family films.

 

 

Blockbuster.com. "Blue Bird, The (1940)." Blockbuster Website. 1 Dec. 2008 .

Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

It appears that the classic American film The Wizard of Oz is not a direct adaption of the literary works of Oz creator L. Frank Baum. While it is true that audiences have fallen in love with Fleming’s interpretation of the literature, it is noteworthy that there have been numerous alterations. Entire scenes have either been changed or completely ignored and the film also rearranges selected elements from numerous Oz books in order to facilitate movie production. Nevertheless, there is no questioning the fact that Baum has left an indelible impression upon the entertainment world. From books to plays to films, cartoons and comics, it is easy to see that his creations have gradually infiltrated and strengthened the bloodstream of American culture.

Tysad Koupla, Nancy. "Critique on Before the Rainbow." Children's Literature Association Quarterly.
(30 April 2006). Muse.jhu.edu, 1 Dec. 2008.

 

 

Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

The late Stan Winston was a Hollywood legend in the realm of makeup artistry and special effects. He is most widely known for his creation of such movie characters as Predator, Alien, Pumpkinhead, Terminator, the enormous dinosaurs of Jurassic park and most recently, the robotic armor of Iron Man. Indeed, Winston has made such a remarkable impact in the film industry that he is currently one of only three effects artists to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In an interview with The Guardian’s Calum Waddell, Winston declared "it was really King Kong and The Wizard of Oz that got me interested in the career I now have. The animatronics and stop-motion animation on King Kong is amazing, and The Wizard of Oz had some really great make-up effects...” Such a statement from one of the greatest effects artists in history is a clear indication of the significant contribution that classic films have made toward our present day movie culture. Who knows? Had Fleming and MGM decided against producing the Wizard of Oz, we would probably exist in a world that never knew Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. If you are like me then that is truly a world not worth living in.

 

Waddell, Calum. "Stan Winston: an appreciation."
  The Guardian on the Tues 17 Jun. 2008. Guardian News and Media Limited 2008,
  UK 1 Dec. 2008. .

Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

The musical piece Over the Rainbow from the Wizard of Oz soundtrack has been a family favorite ever since its introduction to the American public in 1939. On Tuesday June 23, 2004, the American Film Institute recognized Judy Garland’s timeless rendition of the tune as the #1 song in American cinema. Approximately 1500 actors, writers, critics, filmmakers and other Hollywood notables took part in the voting process. In winning the prestigious award Over the Rainbow topped other notable film songs such as As Time Goes By (#2) from Curtiz’s 1942 classic movie Casablanca and Singing in the Rain (#3). Over the Rainbow has also won other notable awards such as being voted the #1 song of the century by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America. These and numerous other achievements provide support for the premise that The Wizard of Oz is the most significant production in American film history.

 

MSNBC. "'Over the Rainbow' named top movie song." MSNBC Website. 1 Dec. 2008 .

Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

Such is the popularity of Baum’s The Wizard of Oz that some critics have suggested that it and other forms of popular culture have replaced biblical teaching and mythology’s position in society’s collective imagination. So thorough is the permeation of the Oz fantasy that a mere mention of any of the popular quotes from the movie will instantly evoke the full comprehension and application of said quote to the context in question. So complete is our exposure to the fantasy that even the act of thinking about certain related issues is reduced to mere reflex. Hastings posits that while the Bible was once the “source of our verbal and visual shorthand” any reference to Biblical characters or quotations in today’s world had best be accompanied by a footnote. Can a fictitious girl and her dog really replace usurp religion’s role in the western world? The issue is definitely up for debate. One thing is for certain though, “Toto, we're not in Kansas any more."

 

Hastings, A. Waller. "Worshiping at the Altar of Oz ." The Lion and the Unicorn.
(21 Feb. 1997). Muse.jhu.edu, 1 Dec. 2008.

Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

In his article Kansas, Oz and the Function of Art , Conlon describes Fleming’s 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz as an expression of art using the film medium. He proposes the idea that the land of Oz is itself the artistic interpretation of the reality of Kansas. While art is generally mimetic, Oz is not just a mere reflection of Kansas. Nor is Oz a conflict-free version of the real world. This much is clear as Dorothy faces arguably more dire perils in Oz than in Kansas. It is true that the characters in Oz resemble their Kansas counterparts in physique and psyche, however the relationships that Dorothy forges with the Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow are more indicative of her desire to be treated as an equal rather than the meddlesome child she is depicted as while on the farm. Oz also empowers Dorothy with the ability to evoke change in the status quo, in Kansas her opinion is often ignored or dismissed. The article is truly a unique interpretation of the film and shows that this beloved fantasy has a lot more substance than we might realize at first glance.

 

Conlon, James. "Kansas, Oz and the Function of Art." Journal of Aesthetic Education Vol. 24, No. 3 (Autumn, 1990), pp. 99-106. University of Illinois Press. JSTOR, 1 Dec. 2008.

 

Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

 

How do you produce a film that appeals to people of all ages, becomes more cherished as time passes, will forever influence the American lifestyle and continues to inspire the world? In 1939 MGM spent an estimated $2.5 million to finance the production of The Wizard of Oz. The company clearly spared no expense in incorporating the talents of the industry’s best actors, film crew, technical experts and the most advanced technology of the day (Technicolor). A similar project in today’s economy would cost about $50 million. While initial box office numbers might not have rewarded their adventurous (and somewhat risky) approach, time has proven the project to be a resounding success. “The Wizard of Oz has witnessed more than 20 years of revival on both television and in theaters, remaining widely popular. Internationally, the film has enjoyed wider distribution than any other American film in history—fantasy, musical or otherwise.” How do you produce a film to change the world? MGM might have a “vague idea.”

 

 

Winning, Robert. "The Wizard of Oz." Film Reference Website. 1 Dec. 2008 .

Flemings 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production. The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.