Today marks the 76th anniversary of the release
of The Wizard of Oz, one of the best movies ever in the history of the
universe. Some of its dialogue and
action may seem kind of hokey nowadays, but it is still a refreshing piece of
art to watch, among all the CGI-packed, profanity-packed and sex-packed crap
currently on the screen. The Wizard of
Oz has just about everything for good ol’ movie making: lavish sets, great costumes, catchy tunes and
lines, an antagonist who seems to have all the cards in her favor.
Years ago, I read The Making of the Wizard of Oz by Aljean
Harmetz, written after most of the actors from the movie had passed on. Margaret Hamilton was the only surviving cast
member and Harmetz based much of her story on the testimony of Hamilton. It didn’t seem like Hamilton had any argument
with fellow cast-mates or grievances to air, but one does wonder what, if
anything, would be different had Harmetz been able to interview Judy Garland,
Bert Lahr or Ray Bolger. From all the
problems and changes that were made during its production, it’s a miracle the
movie was ever completed.
My favorite part is the tornado scene.
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