The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz (75th Anniversary Edition) (1939)

As one of the best-loved musicals of the 20th century, The Wizard of Oz had a wonderful selection of now-classic movie tunes.   They include:

• Over the Rainbow – Dorothy (Judy Garland)
• Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are. Glinda (Billie Burke) / The Munchkins (Singer’s Midgets, billed as The Singer Midgets in the film’s closing credits)
• It Really Was No Miracle – Judy Garland and the Munchkins
• Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead – The Munchkins
• The Lullaby League – Three Munchkin girls (Betty Rome, Carol Tevis, Lorraine Bridges)
• The Lollipop Guild – Three Munchkin boys (Billy Bletcher, Jerry Maren, Cliff Edwards)
• We Welcome You to Munchkinland – The Munchkins
• You’re Off to See the Wizard – The Munchkins
• If I Only Had A Brain – Scarecrow (Ray Bolger)/Judy Garland
• We’re Off to See the Wizard – Judy Garland / Ray Bolger / Buddy Ebsen (pre-recorded) / Bert Lahr
• If I Only Had A Heart – Tin Man (Jack Haley)
• If I Only Had The Nerve– Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr)
• The Merry Old Land Of Oz. Carriage Driver at Emerald City (Frank Morgan) / Judy Garland / Ray Bolger / Bert Lahr / Jack Haley / Citizens of the Emerald City
• If I Were King Of The Forest – Bert Lahr
• The Jitterbug (cut from the film) – Judy Garland / Ray Bolger / Jack Haley / Bert Lahr

Editorial review of The Wizard of Oz, courtesy of Amazon.com

Amazon.com essential video
When it was released during Hollywood’s golden year of 1939, The Wizard of Oz didn’t start out as the perennial classic it has since become. The film did respectable business, but it wasn’t until its debut on television that this family favorite saw its popularity soar. And while Oz’s TV broadcasts are now controlled by media mogul Ted Turner (who owns the rights), the advent of home video has made this lively musical a mainstay in the staple diet of great American films. Young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), her dog, Toto, and her three companions on the yellow brick road to Oz–the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger)–have become pop-culture icons and central figures in the legacy of fantasy for children.

As the Wicked Witch who covets Dorothy’s enchanted ruby slippers, Margaret Hamilton has had the singular honor of scaring the wits out of children for more than six decades. The film’s still as fresh, frightening, and funny as it was when first released. It may take some liberal detours from the original story by L. Frank Baum, but it’s loyal to the Baum legacy while charting its own course as a spectacular film. Shot in glorious Technicolor, befitting its dynamic production design (Munchkinland alone is a psychedelic explosion of color and decor), The Wizard of Oz may not appeal to every taste as the years go by, but it’s required viewing for kids of all ages. —Jeff Shannon

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