The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Director: Victor Fleming Writers: Noel Langley & Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf, adaptation by Noel Langley, from the book by L. Frank Baum Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Pat Walshe, Clara Blandick Like most Americans of my generation, the annual television broadcasts of "The Wizard of Oz" were a part of my childhood. I still remember the delight I felt as a child when Dorothy would open the door of her cabin and step into the land of Oz--suddenly the screen would explode with color. This was a family film that wasn't afraid to be scary--I was terrified by the scene in which the flying monkeys captured Dorothy and Toto and attacked their friends, tearing the Scarecrow to pieces in the process. Years went by and I fell out of the habit of watching Oz. Of course, I was aware of its status as a pop icon. However, what surprised me upon a recent viewing is how ...