Search - The Wizard of Oz on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Content Advisory: Child Classic, Scary Moments Movie Release: 1939 DVD Release: 03/26/1997 Format: DVD - Black and White,Color,Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 41 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Members Wishing: 175 Genres: Fantasy, Musical, Children's/Family, Road Movie, Children's Fantasy, Musical Fantasy See Also: The Wizard of Oz [Deluxe Edition Gift Set], The Wizard of Oz [Deluxe Edition], The Wizard of Oz [Three-Disc Collector's Edition], The Wizard of Oz [Special Edition], The Wizard of Oz [70th Anniversary Special Edition]

The third and definitive film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy, this musical adventure is a genuine family classic that made Judy Garland a star for her heartfelt performance as Dorothy Gale, an orphaned young girl unhappy with her drab black-and-white existence on her aunt and uncle's dusty Kansas farm. Dorothy yearns to travel "over the rainbow" to a different world, and she gets her wish when a tornado whisks her and her little dog, Toto, to the Technicolorful land of Oz. Having offended the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), Dorothy is protected from the old crone's wrath by the ruby slippers that she wears. At the suggestion of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (Billie Burke), Dorothy heads down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, where dwells the all-powerful Wizard of Oz, who might be able to help the girl return to Kansas. En route, she befriends a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a Tin Man (Jack Haley), and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr). The Scarecrow would like to have some brains, the Tin Man craves a heart, and the Lion wants to attain courage; hoping that the Wizard will help them too, they join Dorothy on her odyssey to the Emerald City.

Garland was MGM's second choice for Dorothy after Shirley Temple dropped out of the project; and Bolger was to have played the Tin Man but talked co-star Buddy Ebsen into switching roles. When Ebsen proved allergic to the chemicals used in his silver makeup, he was replaced by Haley. Gale Sondergaard was originally to have played the Wicked Witch of the West in a glamorous fashion, until the decision was made to opt for belligerent ugliness, and the Wizard was written for W.C. Fields, who reportedly turned it down because MGM couldn't meet his price. Although Victor Fleming, who also directed Gone With the Wind, was given sole directorial credit, several directors were involved in the shooting, included King Vidor, who shot the opening and closing black-and-white sequences. Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's now-classic Oscar-winning song "Over the Rainbow" was nearly chopped from the picture after the first preview because it "slowed down the action." The Wizard of Oz was too expensive to post a large profit upon initial release; however, after a disappointing reissue in 1955, it was sold to network television, where its annual showings made it a classic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Judy Garland - Dorothy Gale
Frank Morgan - The Wizard of Oz
Ray Bolger - The Scarecrow
Bert Lahr - The Cowardly Lion
Jack Haley - The Tin Woodsman

When MGM released The Wizard of Oz on DVD there was little doubt it was the best version on home video, but Warner Bros., which now has the rights to this title, has gone out of its way to give DVD owners the best-looking and best-sounding version of the film. The picture quality is as good, if not better, than the MGM version. The huge amounts of color in every frame come across perfectly. The sound quality is excellent. The film has a new 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack. There's only so much that can be done for the sound with a film this old, but they did a fine job. The majority of the sound comes from the front-center speaker, with a little use of side and surround for music numbers, but everything is clear and very distinct. The highlight of this disc is the wealth of bonus material. While a good amount of these extras were previously available on the Ultimate Oz laserdisc, there is even more for DVD owners. One of the most interesting parts of the disc is a huge audio program that lets viewers hear outtakes of songs and other recorded material. It is a pleasure to hear Judy Garland sneeze in the middle of a song. The lengthy documentary, hosted by Angela Lansbury, is also a treat. The amount of documentation on this disc is amazing and covers all elements of the film's production. Some may say the hours of extra material are a bit overwhelming, but the treasure herein makes the time commitment worthwhile. The viewer is able to easily access the different pieces from the creative menus. The only drawback to this DVD is that the packaging claims it contains the shooting script, but it's nowhere to be found. The MGM version of this movie was fine, but Warner has given viewers a disc that really can be called a special edition. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide