Reviewed by Siobhán O'Brien
Stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke,
Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Clara Blandick | Written by Noel Langley & Florence Ryerson
UK certification U | UK RRP £22.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 98 minutes | Directed by Victor Fleming
1939, what a year. Germany invaded Poland, Batman made his first ever appearance in Detective Comics and a young man by the name of Marvin Gaye breathed his first breath in Washington DC.
You know what else happened? Victor Fleming directed two major motion pictures that will forever be ingrained in the minds of film lovers and, well, anyone who has ever turned on a television. The Wizard of Oz, was beaten to the Best Picture Oscar by Gone With the Wind, a fact that makes me cry a little every time I think about it.
You've seen The Wizard of Oz, right? Girl goes to a magical land, gets a bit scared and goes home again. Come on, it was released 70 years ago people! You've had plenty of time. Alright, well if you haven't seen it, you will at least know the song. "Somewhere over the rainbow," Judy Garland sings, "skies are blue". Not just yet though. Dorothy has to struggle through life in sepia for another 15 minutes.
The Wizard of Oz is a truly magical film, and you may be surprised to discover that it is in fact made by MGM and not Disney. Dorothy, played by the Judy Garland at just 16, lives on a dull, black and white farm and dreams of a world where mesmerising everything is wonderful and exciting. Don't we all? Now I don't want to spoil the story for you, so close your eyes if you haven't seen it (or have been living in a crisp packet for the past 70 years) - she hits her head, passes out on her bed and has a crazy and beautiful dream. Or does she? Dorothy awakes to find herself in a world of witches, little people and talking lions, but most noteworthy is that these people are all in technicolour.
You can see why the film caused such a stir. Dorothy walking out of her dreary, monochrome house into a fairytale land of vibrant blues, yellows and pinks is breathtaking, whatever your age. There is more to the film than this, of course. There's a baddie, some flying monkeys and a hapless wizard, and several wonderfully memorable songs. Unless you have a heart of stone (or are a big tough man, perhaps), this film will, in a terrible cliché, make you laugh, cry and want to skip around carrying a basket and tying your hair in pigtails. Or maybe that's just me.
EXTRAS ***** This three-disc collector's edition contains hours and hours of bonus material. Disc One has a bunch of featurettes - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic (a 1990 TV special); Memories of Oz ( a 2001 documentary); The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz; Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz; Harold Arlen’s Home Movies; It’s a Twister! It’s a Twister! The Tornado Tests; Off to See the Wizard - along with outtakes and deleted scenes, 3 Vault Shorts, Audio Jukebox Selections, still Galleries and 6 theatrical trailers. Disc Two has a featurette called L Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain, plus 5 early filmed versions of the story - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910 short); The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914 short) His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz (1914 feature); The Wizard of Oz (1925 feature); and The Wizard of Oz (1933 animated short) - as well as a featurette about the Munchkins, called Hollywood Celebrates its Biggest Little Stars!, The Dreamer of Oz 1990 TV Special and piece about the director called Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman. Disc Three is the DVD Sing-Along version. Whew, that's more Oz than you can poke a pair of ruby slippers at.