by Michael Lyons
It's difficult to believe that The Wizard of Oz, such an iconic part of our film history, pop culture, and zeitgeist for eight and a half decades, was once simply a new movie opening at a theater near you.
On August 25, 1939, MGM's big-screen adaptation of author L. Frank Baum's novel made its debut, telling the tale of Kansas girl Dorothy (Judy Garland), making her way down the yellow brick road with the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) to meet the Wizard (Frank Morgan), all while trying to stay away from the Wicked Witch (Margaret Hamilton).
The film blew into everyone's lives like a twister, leaving us with indelible images ("Surrender Dorothy"), lines of dialogue ("There's no Place Like Home," and songs by Harold Arlen and Edgar "Yip" Harburg, that have been memorized by generations and ranks as one of the best musical scores in movie history.
The legacy of The Wizard of Oz is unparalleled. It is one of those rare, beloved parts of growing up passed on through generations. But what did movie critics initially think of the film?
In celebration of the 85th (wow!) anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, here are some snippets of reviews from when the film first debuted:
John C. Flint, Sr., Variety
"Nothing comparable has come out of Hollywood in the past few years to approximate the lavish scale of this film musical extravaganza, in the making of which the ingenuity and inventiveness of technical forces were employed without stint of effort or cost. Except for opening and closing stretches of prolog and epilog, which are visioned in a rich sepia, the greater portion of the film is in Technicolor. Some of the scenic passages are so beautiful in design and composition as to stir audiences by their sheer unfoldment."
Russell Maloney, The New Yorker
"Fantasy is still Walt Disney’s undisputed domain. Nobody else can tell a fairy tale with his clarity of imagination, his simple good taste, or his technical ingenuity. This was forcibly borne in on me as I sat cringing before M-G-M’s Technicolor production of “The Wizard of Oz,” which displays no trace of imagination, good taste, or ingenuity."
The Hollywood Reporter
The Wizard of Oz will beyond question, be accorded recognition as a milestone in motion picture history. It scintillates with artistry, yet it possesses such an abundance of qualities which predict broad audience success that there can be no question of its being headed for spectacular playing time and grosses."
Newsweek
"Produced by Mervyn LeRoy and directed by Victor Fleming, The Wizard of Oz was two busy years in the making. Magnificent sets and costumes, vivid Technicolor, and every resource of trick photography – including a realistically contrived cyclone – bolster the competent cast that strikes a happy medium between humor and make-believe. The more fanatic Ozophiles may dispute M-G-M's remodeling of the story, but the average movie-goer – adult or adolescent – will find it novel and richly satisfying to the eye."
Otis Ferguson, The New Republic
“It has dwarfs, music, technicolor, freak characters and Judy Garland. It can’t be expected to have a sense of humor as well — and as for the light touch of fantasy, it weighs like a pound of fruitcake soaking wet.”
Frank S. Nugent, The New York Times
"Not since Disney's "Snow White" has anything quite so fantastic succeeded half so well. A fairy book tale has been told in the fairy book style, with witches, goblins, pixies, and other wondrous things drawn in the brightest colors and set cavorting to a merry little score. It is all so well-intentioned, so genial, and so gay that any reviewer who would look down his nose at the fun-making should be spanked and sent off, supperless, to bed."
Check out more of my articles, podcasts and order signed copies of both of my books, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance and Magic Moments: Stories, Lessons and Memories from a Twenty-Year Career at Disney at my website, Words From Lyons !
My father was nine years old when "The Wizard of Oz" came out, and he vividly remembered how the audience, as one, gasped in amazement when Dorothy opened the cabin door to reveal the Technicolor wonder of Munchkin Land. He also recalled that Wizard of Oz merchandise was everywhere: books, toys, dolls, games, ruby slippers, and much more. He said the hype surrounding the movie was comparable to that of "Star Wars", which should give you an idea of the extent of it.
ReplyDeleteHearing him talk about it, I rather envied my dad for having been lucky enough to see "The Wizard of Oz", "Pinocchio", and the first Bugs Bunny cartoons through the eyes of a child when they were brand new. But then, I had the good fortune to experience "Mary Poppins", "The Jungle Book" and the Flintstones at an early age, which I guess makes us about even. Almost.