The 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz won’t happen until late next summer, but Turner
Entertainment Co. is so excited to see its property hit that milestone that
it’s rushing several commemorative releases into the shops. The beginning of
October saw the debut of a 3D Blu-ray of the film, and the end of the month saw
publication of Jay Scarfone and William Stillman’s The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion.
You can’t really blame Turner for jumping the gun since this movie has been
stirring anticipatory excitement since before its 1939 premiere. Scarfone and
Stillman’s book relates a pre-release frenzy the likes of which seems
surprising in the pre-Star Wars age,
let alone the pre-Internet one. The papers were abuzz with debates over whether
the movie should be live action or a cartoon. The casting of Judy Garland was
big news, as was the blond wig she was supposed to wear to make her look more like
the Dorothy in L. Frank Baum’s book. Baum’s fans were writing threatening
letters to producer Mervyn LeRoy to ensure he didn’t stray too far from their
favorite book.
All of this electricity indicates how ahead of its time The Wizard of Oz was, and few films
still resonate with viewers of all ages as it does. Those dedicated millions
will find much to tickle them in The
Official 75th Anniversary Companion, which compliments Scarfone
and Stillman’s storytelling with choice artifacts from Turner Entertainment’s Oz archives. There’s a rare shot of
Garland and Toto with Richard Thorpe, the director originally lined up to make
the movie. There’s a copy of the agreement with uncredited director King Vidor
stipulating that he would, indeed, receive no credit for his work on The Wizard of Oz. There are black &
white and color shots of Garland in her inappropriately glamorous blond wig.
There’s also a creepy shot of Ray Bolger in an early makeup that would have
made him look more like the Wicked Witch of the West than the Scarecrow; several
test shots of original witch Gale Sondergaard, who left the movie because she was
too pretty; and production sketches, vintage advertisements, and images of funky
old merchandise, such as Wizard of Oz
Valentine cards and Wizard of Oz
peanut butter. It’s all delightfully designed, finished off with a grab bag
pouch containing a bookmark (very functional!), copies of the Witch’s death
certificate and the hero’s rewards (Heart! Brain! Courage! Home!), a booklet of
lobby card reproductions, a cardboard picture frame for displaying the character
headshots included, and more.
