The Wizard of Oz (1933 film)

"The Wizard of Oz" (1933) is an animated short film from directed by Ted Eshbaugh. The story is credited to "Col. Frank Baum." Frank Joslyn Baum, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and eldest son of writer L. Frank Baum, was involved in the film's production, and may have had an involvement in the film's script, which is loosely inspired by the elder Baum's novel, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". It runs approximately eight and a half minutes.

The film was originally made in Technicolor, but because it was made without the proper licensing from the Technicolor Corporation, it was released in black and white after a lawsuit forbade the release of the film in color.

There are many VHS releases of the film, usually at slow speeds, and often overexposed and poorly framed. All are made from the same print, displaying a stray hair during the parade sequence. The only known print of the film was discovered in Canada through the efforts of Fred M. Meyer, longtime Secretary of The International Wizard of Oz Club. This is not an original color print, but has been colored to match the original intent of the filmmakers, which, as in the MGM film that followed, had the film go from black and white to color upon Dorothy's arrival in Oz.

The film is nearly absent of language, working mainly with arrangements of classical music created by Carl W. Stalling.

Plot summary

A tornado sweeps through the plains of Kansas, and lifts up little Dorothy and Toto, who tumble into Oz, landing on the Scarecrow, and freeing him from his pole, and they stroll together, soon finding a Tin Woodman and oiling him.

After the four watch mating rituals of various animals set to strains of Camille Saint-Saëns's "The Swan", they are welcomed into the Emerald City. Suits of armor sing to them, "Hail to the Wizard of Oz! To the Wizard of Oz we lead the way!" A creature resembling the A-B-Sea Serpent of "The Royal Book of Oz" extends itself as stair steps for Dorothy to enter the coach. Its blocks spell out "WELCOME," which changes to "DOROTHY" step by step.

The Wizard is a cackling white-bearded man in a starry black robe and conical hat who produces custom seats for each of the four travelers, including one for Toto (the Toto chair is mostly cut out of the frame in most video versions, but is later shown in a full shot of Toto sitting). He proceeds to perform magic with a hen and eggs, possibly inspired by Billina. These are variations on simple sleight of hand tricks involving making objects appear, but the hen is able to take the eggs back into her body.

Finally, the hen releases an egg that will not stop growing. The five try to fight it, the Tin Woodman breaking his axe. Soon, though, the egg hatches, the hen takes the chick, and clucks out "Rock-a-bye Baby" as a chorus joins her. The five laugh, and the film ends on an iris-in of mother and child.

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024779 "The Wizard of Oz" (1933) at IMDB]