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
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 12/01/2009 Run time: 101 minutes Rating: G
Special Features
Remastered feature with Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio
Commentary by Historian John Fricke including archival interviews of the film's cast and crew
Optional Music-and-Effects-Only or Original mono Tracks
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook
"Prettier than ever: The Restoration of Oz"
Sing-Along Feature
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic [1990 TV special]
Memories of Oz [2001 TCM documentary]
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz
Harold Arlens Home Movies
Outtakes and Deleted Scenes
It's a Twister! Its a Twister! The Tornado Tests
Off to See the Wizard
3 Vault Shorts
Audio Jukebox Slections
6 Theatrical Trailers
L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain
The Wizard of Oz [1910 short]
The Magic Cloak of Oz
His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz [1914 feature]
The Wizard of Oz [1933 animated short]
Munchkin Footage
The Dreamer of Oz
The Land of Oz
Blu-Ray Exclusive: When the Lion Roars Documentary
