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. .