The Wizard of Oz
Academy Award × 2·AFI #10·National Film Registry
Rent/Purchase
Young Dorothy finds herself in a magical world where she makes friends with a lion, a scarecrow and a tin man as they make their way along the yellow brick road to talk with the Wizard and ask for the things they miss most in their lives. The Wicked Witch of the West is the only thing that could stop them.
What critics thought
Broadly celebrated on release and even more so with time, the film earned near-universal admiration for its Technicolor spectacle, musical invention, and the ensemble anchored by its young leads — though a handful of contemporary critics found its fantasy heavy-handed rather than enchanting, and some felt Garland was too old for the role Baum originally imagined. The gap between those early dissenters and the towering reputation the film now holds is itself part of the story.
“Judy Garland's Dorothy is a pert and fresh-faced miss with the wonder-lit eyes of a believer in fairy tales, but the Baum fantasy is at its best when the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion are on the move.”
Frank Nugent·The New York Times
“Some of the scenic passages are so beautiful in design and composition as to stir audiences by their sheer unfoldment.”
John C. Flinn·Variety
“It has dwarfs, music, Technicolor, freak characters, and Judy Garland. It can't be expected to have a sense of humor, as well – and as for the light touch of fantasy, it weighs like a pound of fruitcake soaking wet.”
Otis Ferguson·The New Republic
“no trace of imagination, good taste, or ingenuity”
Russell Maloney·The New Yorker
Genres
Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Cast & Crew
DirectorVictor Fleming
StarringJudy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan
ComposerHarold Arlen
The Wizard of Oz
Academy Award × 2·AFI #10·National Film Registry
Young Dorothy finds herself in a magical world where she makes friends with a lion, a scarecrow and a tin man as they make their way along the yellow brick road to talk with the Wizard and ask for the things they miss most in their lives. The Wicked Witch of the West is the only thing that could stop them.
What critics thought
Broadly celebrated on release and even more so with time, the film earned near-universal admiration for its Technicolor spectacle, musical invention, and the ensemble anchored by its young leads — though a handful of contemporary critics found its fantasy heavy-handed rather than enchanting, and some felt Garland was too old for the role Baum originally imagined. The gap between those early dissenters and the towering reputation the film now holds is itself part of the story.
“Judy Garland's Dorothy is a pert and fresh-faced miss with the wonder-lit eyes of a believer in fairy tales, but the Baum fantasy is at its best when the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion are on the move.”
Frank Nugent·The New York Times
“Some of the scenic passages are so beautiful in design and composition as to stir audiences by their sheer unfoldment.”
John C. Flinn·Variety
“It has dwarfs, music, Technicolor, freak characters, and Judy Garland. It can't be expected to have a sense of humor, as well – and as for the light touch of fantasy, it weighs like a pound of fruitcake soaking wet.”
Otis Ferguson·The New Republic
“no trace of imagination, good taste, or ingenuity”
Russell Maloney·The New Yorker
Genres
Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Cast & Crew
DirectorVictor Fleming
StarringJudy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan
ComposerHarold Arlen
Rent/Purchase