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Posted on 08/20/2025 8:00:28 PM PDT by nickcarraway
“The Wizard of Oz” was released over 85 years ago, but the timeless classic remains one of the most influential films ever.
From Judy Garland as Dorothy to her performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” the film has remained a go-to for generations. Visually, there’s the beautiful shift from black and white to technicolor, which has viewers enthralled to this day. Film critic Leonard Maltin described why the film has and continues to draw in audiences. “You have to know you’re facing utter perfection.”
Maltin told the crowd, upon its release in 1939, the film was a flop. “It was a very expensive movie to make and it shows. It was very difficult to make their investment back. And it only turned a profit through re-reissuing to theaters and then ultimately being sold to television, which is where it took root in our popular culture.”
The film historian and critc was speaking as part of the Variety 120 Screening Series presented by Barco, a summer-long program hosted by Jazz Tangcay that celebrates Variety‘s 120th anniversary by showing iconic films such as “Citizen Kane,” All About Eve” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” He was joined by “Wicked” cinematographer Alice Brooks and “Wicked” composer John Powell.
Brooks recalled being allowed to stay up late if she could read the opening credits. “I learned to read that way because I knew my reward would be that I could stay and watch the movie.”
She also recalled her father owning the MGM Musicals coffee table book. “My dad died when I was in my twenties, and I have very few things of his, but that is one of the books I still have. And I brought it with me and put it in my office when we went into London for ‘Wicked.'”
Speaking to the film’s cultural impact: It would go on to spawn sequels and musical productions, but perhaps its most famous evolution was the Broadway spinoff and eventual film adaptation of “Wicked.” The musical and film are based on the book by Gregory Maguire and tells the story of the witches before Oz.
Audiences turned out for Jon M. Chu’s big-screen adaptation in droves. The film grossed $756 million at the box office. Powell spoke about how, in working with Stephen Schwartz, he embedded Easter eggs into the film’s score. “When they’re on the bicycle, we did this incredibly cheerful version of the witch’s theme from ‘The Wizard of Oz.'” While he didn’t reveal all the hidden notes, Powell revealed, “There’s probably loads of things that I didn’t realize, the influence of this stuff, it goes in and it stays in.” The “How to Train Your Dragon” composer then added, “I’ve probably stolen from this film in lots of other movies, but obviously ‘Wicked’ was a chance to finesse.”
Brooks explained how her cinematography had been impacted by the film. She noted how color represented something in the books by Frank Baum. “You see it in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ and we have ‘Wicked’ and ‘Wicked: For Good.'” She went on to say how color was important in the upcoming animated film, ” Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.” She said, “In animation, you do something called a color script, where you do a painting of each frame that gives a tone or a feeling, and then you just put little thumbnails together. When you look at this color script and you just make your eyes soft, you can see the entire color of the whole movie all at once. I hadn’t realized I had done the exact same thing for ‘Wicked.'”
In addition to “Wicked,” Brooks revealed how she had created a color script for the film’s sequel, “Wicked: For Good.” “Color was so important, and it needed to have an arc to it. [In] ‘Wicked: For Good’ everything shifts. It starts in one place at the beginning, which is very effervescent. And there’s a weight and density that comes in through the second movie.”
Later this month, the Sphere will release a fully immersive, reimagined and enhanced version of “The Wizard of Oz.” When asked for his thoughts on it, Maltin replied that he had mixed feelings about it. “I’m entranced by this. I don’t need any bells and whistles to make me fall in love more with ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ I don’t wanna be a luddite either. Technology can do amazing things. I saw the 3D release of this 10 years ago or so, and I didn’t think it added any great depth, but they remastered the print and it looked wonderful. I’m not buying tickets to Vegas just yet. I don’t wish them ill. I just don’t have any need.”
Watch the video above.
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The Jitterbug--Vincent Lopez & His Orchestra; vocal by Betty Hutton (1939)
Pilgrim’s Progress, written in 1678, by John Bunyan, is a Christian allogory. I’m somewhat convinced that Mr Baum got much of his inspiration for his book ‘The Wizard of Oz’, from reading Bunyan’s book.
Over the Rainbow--Vera Lynn (1940)
An absolute must see! I’d love to hear what you think if/when you actually do.
People can overthink anything and see precisely anything they want.
I see it for what it was: the screen adaptation of a children’s novel written in the late 19th century. With characters all searching for some basic character trait, along with the homey “no place like home” moral at the end.
I’ll probably mention it on a thread when it happens, I keep saying I’m going to watch A wonderful life as well, I’ll try to do those this year.
Agreed.
Pink Floyd we’re not utter perfection.
I tried to watch it as an adult, but found the special effects so cheesy.
There’s a great YouTube Documentary on the making of the film. Several character changes, the Wicked Witch got 3rd degree burns from the broom smoke, first Tin Man had allergic reactions to silver make-up, etc. worth a watch.
Saw The Wizard of Oz again a few years ago. Loved as much as I did when I was a little kid.
It use to play every year . It did so until Ted Turner bought the rights to it.
Lovely Hillary!!
Sorry Leonard Maltin...
Now “Forbidden Planet” ... THAT’S PERFECTION!
No Flying Monkeys
Just Monsters from the Id
“Monsters, John. Monsters From The Id!”
It’s a wonderful life surprised me as it was very good movie. I thought it would be some schmaltzy, maudlin feel good garbage....but it was very touching...I recommend it.
Interesting.
I’m still afraid of the flying monkeys.
Yes, the Flying Monkeys were a bit scary.
But, this was offset by the hot babes who prepared the Cowardly Lion for his visit to the Wizard...
the whole adventure was merely a dream—how lame
It wasn’t lame in 1939...that it was to you shows just how effective a device it was in that it was copied and used so many times thereafter that you could fine it “lame”.
Heck I was a teenager before I knew the movie had color! LOL!
I bought and watched an upgraded copy recently. Still magical.
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