Dorothy on TV

THE WIZARD OF OZ spans every genre – drama, comedy, music, dance, fantasy, a little sci-fi (that man behind the curtain, swoops of flying monkeys, more frightening than any Star Wars storm troopers), and even some horror (cinema’s most famous on-screen meltdown). Its creators took a solid piece of classic literature and managed to not ruin it! They in fact, transcended the original and made a classic in and of its own right that stands over time as one of the boldest examples of moviemaking creativity and chutzpah. Yes, the costumes, the acting, the choreography, the fabulous voice of the incomparable young Judy Garland – even the medium itself is explored as the advent of color movie photography was written directly into the storyline, turning this film into the all time cinematic milestone that it is.

THE WIZARD OF OZ has legs – it has held up through every technological battering . . . er, breakthrough over the course of years. In fact, a whole generation never even saw it in its true form–on a big screen, until re-releases well into the late ‘70’s. And who of that generation could forget the anticipation of seeing this on a color TV set for the first time? Would the magic of the Munchkinland in our imaginations hold up through the psychedelic prism of early color broadcast technology? We weren’t disappointed.

The story, though laden with elements of allegory and metaphor, is never loaded. It is a story of coming of age and coming to terms. Spiritual, but not dogmatic, it appeals to the technicolor dreams of a dustbowl-desperate black and white America. And, ultimately good triumphs over evil– the harsh reality of grown-up frailty rescued by the strong heart of a little girl.

I loved it from my first viewing and it has stayed dear to me through repeated viewings and even through the eyes of my children. And in the long run, I know that when I’m feeling afraid or alone or even just a little strange–perhaps even as I go to meet my maker, I can always close my eyes, click my heels together, and whisper, “There’s no place like home.”