Written in 1900, Baum's story of Dorothy and Toto being transported to the magical land of Oz by a tornado has some key differences from the film version and offers subtle undertones about the power of illusion, perseverance, and loyalty.
A visit to the Oz Museum revealed several interesting facts about the film.
Those iconic ruby red slippers were silver in the novel and changed to ruby slippers to show off the Technicolor on film.
Studio execs wanted to cut Judy Garland’s opening ballad, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, from the film because they felt it dragged the film down. Fans of the song can thank Oz's musical director who threatened to quit if Somewhere Over the Rainbow wasn't included in the film.
Judy Garland tried to adopt her co-star Terry, the female terrier who played Toto, but Terry’s owner already had more roles lined up for the adorable scene-stealer.
If you’re interested in learning more about The Wizard of Oz and aren't planning a trip to Wamego, Kansas, check out 100 Years of Oz by John Frick. Or revisit the story with The Wizard of Oz on DVD or L. Frank Baum's original novel.
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1 comment:
Good review for an off-the-beaten-path museum. Thanks for enlightening patrons to the town and museum. Oddly - what a coincidence - Pandora is playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as I write this but not it's Judy's version. It's a very slow and moody Sarah Vaughn rendition. I like both and really like Ike - the big Hawaiian's take on the song.
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