#10 THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"
---The Wizard


   The Wizard of Oz has been watched by more people around the world than any other movie.  There are very few people who have not seen it and it is easy to see why.  The movie is not just a childhood fable; it is an engrossing story about the importance of family and friends that any adult can relate to as well.  The Wizard of Oz stays with people when they see it as children, and remains the one film they will pass on to their children when the time comes.  I think the reason the film is such a hit is because it shows that love can come in different forms, from sources we may not see coming.
   The obvious theme in The Wizard of Oz is "there's no place like home", the sentiment echoed by Dorothy (Judy Garland) as she clicks her ruby red slippers together to send her back to Kansas.  But what speaks just as loudly to the audience is the idea that your friends can be your family when you are all alone.  Dorothy learns this lesson with the friends she meets on her way to Emerald City to see the Wizard: Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the funnyman made of straw who lacks a brain; the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the emotional woodsman who wants a heart; and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), the king of the jungle who ironically lacks courage.  Each character is so wonderfully developed through speech and song that every audience member has a favorite they can relate to and root for.  These three men become Dorothy's companions and confidantes on her way to find the Wizard who will supposedly send her back to her family.  What she learns along the way is that she can find family anywhere she goes as long as she is open-minded and a friend to those in need.  This is a lesson we should all learn for our lives.
   There are many memorable scenes in The Wizard of Oz and it is hard to say which is the best, but a personal favorite is towards the end when the foursome finally meets the Wizard (Frank Morgan) and he gives them what they need.  For each character, he gives a token to symbolize their desire: the Scarecrow gets a diploma to symbolize smartness, the Tin Man receives a ticking heart, the Lion is awarded a medal of courage, and Dorothy is offered a hot-air balloon ride back to her Kansas home.  With each gift, the Wizard makes a speech.  The most memorable speech is given when he hands the Tin Man his heart clock.  His words hit the message of the film on the nose: "a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others."  All four main characters are loved equally by one another because they give more than they have.  And that is how we should approach love (and life) ourselves: give more than you have.  Like The Beatles say in the song "The End", the love you take is equal to love you make.



FUN FACT: The tornado in Kansas was actually a 30ft sock made of muslin! Crew men at the bottom pushed it around on a dolly to create the traveling effect and smoke was blown to imitate dust.


FAVORITE QUOTE: "As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."
---The Wizard, The Wizard of Oz


"Are you hinting my apples aren't what they ought to be?"
---Apple Tree, The Wizard of Oz