Wizard of Oz, The, is one of the most popular and beloved films in American motion-picture history. The film is based on the classic children’s story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by the American author L. Frank Baum. The movie opened in 1939.
The musical fantasy stars Judy Garland as Dorothy, a girl who is magically swept by a tornado from her home in Kansas to the enchanted land of Oz. In Oz, Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. They all travel to seek a meeting with the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy hopes the Wizard will return her to her home in Kansas. The Scarecrow wants the Wizard to give him a brain. The Tin Man wants a heart, and the Lion desires courage. To reach the Wizard, the companions must battle the Wicked Witch of the West.
In the film, Garland sang “Over the Rainbow,” which became her unofficial theme song. Ray Bolger played the Scarecrow, Jack Haley the Tin Man, and Bert Lahr the Lion. Billie Burke played Glinda the Good Witch of the North. Margaret Hamilton played the Wicked Witch of the West. Frank Morgan played the Wizard. Victor Fleming directed the film. The composer Herbert Stothart won a 1939 Academy Award for the movie’s original score. He also shared an Oscar with Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg for “Over the Rainbow.” Arlen and Harburg wrote the words to the song.
