Blyss's Movie Review for:
Main Cast of Characters:
Judy Garland...........Dorothy Gale
Frank Morgan........Professor Marvel/Doorman/Cabbie/Wizard of Oz
Ray Bolger..........Hunk/The Scarecrow
Jack Haley.........Hickory/Tin Man
Bert Lahr..........Zeke/Cowardly Lion
Billie Burke...............Glinda, the Good Witch
Margaret Hamilton...............Almira Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West
Charley Grapewin...............Henry Gale
Clara Blandick...............Auntie Em Gale
1939. Rated: G Genre: Fantasy 101 minutes
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
The most recognized line from my favorite movie of all time, The Wizard of Oz! The movie begins in black and white showing Dorothy very upset because a very powerful woman in their town is threatening to take her dog Toto away. We are then introduced to three farm hands, Hickory, Hunk, and Zeke. They each make a reference to Dorothy which insinuates which characters they will become later, Hickory was the Tin Man, Hunk was the Scarecrow, and Zeke was the Cowardly Lion. Ms. Gulch takes Toto away but not before Dorothy gets her say and calls her a wicked old witch. After Gulch leaves, Toto escapes and goes back to Dorothy. Dorothy knows the authorities and Ms. Gulch will be looking for Toto so she decides to run away. She does and meets up with Professor Marvel who is a phony but claims he can see the future. He unconsciously talks Dorothy into going back home. But when she gets there, a twister is hitting and she cannot to get to the storm cellar with her family. She is knocked out and when she wakes up, she realizes she is up inside of the cyclone. She sees the farms hands and farm animals float by her window smiling and waving as if everything is okay. Then Ms. Gulch rides by on her bicycle and Dorothy gasps as she turns into a Wicked Witch dressed in black with green skin. The house lands and Dorothy finds that she has killed the Wicked Witch of the West's sister, The Wicked Witch of the East, and has helped the Munchikins in Munchikin Land out by doing so. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, greets Dororthy right before the Wicked Witch of the West appears in cloud of red smoke. She demands to know who killed her sister. She learns it was Dorothy and then she demands the ruby slippers her sister was wearing. When she goes to get them, they disappear and Glinda has put them on Dorothy's feet where they will stay. It is after this that the Witch says the other famous line from this film, "I'll get you my pretty and your little dog too!". After the witch leaves, Glinda tells her to follow the yellow brick road to get back to the Wizard of Oz so he can help her get back to Kansas, so she does. Along the way, she picks up three new friends, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, and The Cowardly Lion. They are off to see the Wizard but they have to watch out for the Witch and her forces of evil. Can they defeat the witch for the wizard and still have Dorothy home for supper?
If you have never seen this film, you are truly missing a treat! I have been watching this movie since I was four years old. It used to come on every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas, one or the other. The tradition stopped for a while and now it seems to be starting up again on cable! The singing and dancing in this movie are superb! I think my favorite songs were the ones each performed by the Tin Man and the Scarecrow and their little routine that went with it. The Scarecrow was so wobbly and the performer did the dance well. I loved the Tin Man's song when he did the little "toot toot" with his funnel cap. That was cute. It's hard to pick favorite characters in this film, but if I had to pick just two, it would probably be the Wicked Witch and the Tin Man. The Wicked Witch scared me to death as a child. I used to hide my face everytime she would come on the screen. Now as an adult, that feeling is still there deep inside of me when she comes on. The Tin Man's costume was crafted so well and was so shiny. I know the actor was truly uncomfortable in it but he helped make it a classic character by agreeing to be in it and to be dressed in that manner. I also loved his singing voice and when he played Hickory. My favorite scenes in the movie are when Dorothy meets the Tin Man, when she meets the Wicked Witch, and the poppy field.
Also the scene with the tornado looked for realistic for the 1930's. When they showed how it was done later, I was amazed because it looked so real. It looked more realistic than the tornadoes in the modern day movie, Twister, with Bill Paxton.
The movie in itself is awesome. There is nothing I would ever change in this film and nothing I would have done differently. Definitely a classic movie and one that is to be cherished for a lifetime. There is only rating I can give my favorite movie of all time!
I rate this movie: 10
Blyss