good john © good john © good john © good john © good john © john © good good john © john © good good good john good john © john good © © john good good © john good good good © john john good good © john © john good good © john © john good © john good © john good yman Frank Baum was born in Chittenango, butL then, a year after his father’s death in 1887, it was discovered that© a clerk had embezzled most of the Newcapital York in thein 1856, family’s into oil a childhoodcompany. Inof 1891 Baum took his wife and fourindulgent young sons luxury. to Chicago, He tried leaving several two professions failed enterprises behind in South– Dakota.actor, playwright, In 1896 he theatre completed manager, the newspaper good manuscripts of his first two children’sreporter, books. salesman Now in – hissecure early in forties, the knowledge that his © john Baum decided to earn his living asfather’s a writer. money would support him. He married in 1882 newspaperThe Wonderful cartoonist Wizard William of OzWallace was published Denslow. inThe 1900 story and was illustrated inspired by by Baum’s own love of Grimms’ Fairy Tales and by a wish to give his sons “a modernisedgood fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares left out”. One of his sons john said the name of Oz came to his father when he was asked where his characters lived. Baum’s eye fell on the drawer of a filing cabinet which good © stored papers alphabetically O-Z and ‘Oz’ was born. Great Oz,The The earliest Emerald title City, for theFrom book Kansas was toThe Fairyland, City of Oz The, then Fairyland The City of of the johnOz, The Land of Oz and, finally, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Although the book was a great success, Baum did not write the next one, The © john Marvellous Land of Oz, until 1904, followed in 1907 by Ozma of Oz. good good © john © john good © john good © john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © © john john good © © john good © john good © john © john © od At the request of his publishers, Baum to shoot. Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the produced an Oz book every year. Each West) developed a green patina on her skin as a result was more popular than the one before of the make-up, then spent six weeks off the set when but, following the publication of she suffered first and second degree burns. Her stand-in, The Emerald City of Oz in 1910, he Betty Danko, suffered even worse burns on a re-shoot. announced that the adventures in Ray Bolger was originally cast as the Tin Man, but he had Oz were at an end. However, in been such a fan of the Oz stories as a child that, when he 1911 he was declared bankrupt had signed his contract with MGM, it was agreed that he for a second time and this, along would play the Scarecrow if an Oz film was ever made. with the overwhelming number The other actor involved, Buddy Ebsen, did not mind of letters from children asking for at all, but this role swap was destined to take him off the “more about Dorothy”, persuaded him film in a very dramatic way. Ray Bolger developed lines to change his mind. In 1913, The Patchwork Girl of Oz from gluing his mask to his face, but Buddy also had a appeared, and Baum became the Royal Historian of Oz problem with make-up: “they glued a cap on my head for life. After his death in 1919, his two final Oz books and covered it and glued a rubber nose and a rubber chin were published and a successor was sought. Established and then covered the whole thing with clown white and children’s writer Ruth Plumly Thompson took over as then powdered aluminum dust on my face and head.” Royal Historian until 1940. Others took up the challenge, Two weeks later, Buddy Ebsen was unable to breathe and with Thompson adding two more stories in the 1970s. ended up in hospital. His replacement, Jack Haley, could As early as 1903, Baum had produced an elaborate Oz not sit down in his costume. Bert Lahr, as the Cowardly entertainment: a combination of hand-coloured silent Lion, wore more than 50 pounds of real lion skin and lots films, slides, orchestral music and narration by Baum of padding. To add insult to injury, none of the principal himself. In 1910, three short silent films were made based actors except Judy Garland were allowed to eat in the on Oz tales, and this inspired Baum to form the Oz Film MGM refectory – in case they frightened the other staff! Company and produce The Patchwork Girl of Oz and His Even the dog who played Toto did not escape the Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz in 1914, although neither was curse of the filming – she had to be replaced for a few particularly successful. shots when one of the extras trod on her! Twenty-five years later, in 1939, MGM released their But was it worth all the pain and effort? The Wizard film of The Wizard of Oz. Although always considered an of Oz had the misfortune to appear in the same year as important film for the studio – a vehicle for their starlet Gone With the Wind, which scooped most of the Oscars, Judy Garland – no-one dreamt they were involved in and it was not initially popular with critics or filmgoers creating a classic. It cost more and took longer to make either. However, over time The Wizard of Oz became an than any other film made by MGM that year; it was over American institution and, in 1977, it was voted into the 20 years before it earned back its production costs of Top Ten Best American Films. $2.75 million. More than 14 writers had a hand in the script and there were five directors over the five months it took Elaine Peake © John Good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john go © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good © john good good john © good john © good john © good john © good john © john © good good john © john © good good good john good john © john good © © john good A is for America good © That’s where we set our scene. john B is for the Brain Which is the Scarecrow’sgood fondest dream. C is for the Courage that the Lion strives to find good good And also for the Coward that he wants to leave behind. © D brings us to Dorothy, transported in a whirl johnAnd E is for her Aunty Em who loves the littlegood girl. The Emerald City begins with E as well john F says that it is Far away, how far we cannot tell. good © Glinda and Miss Gulch are introduced with G And Tin Manjohn wants his H for Heart as soon as that may be! © I is for Impossible, that’s what this quest would seem good john J is for the Journey’s end – it may be just a dream. good K is for© Kansas where that journey starts and ends L is for the Lion as he joins this group johnof friends. © M finds out the Munchkins and Professor Marvel too, john N’s for Never giving up – they’ll certainly come through! good O will be the land of Oz, strange© and full of wonder P the pretty Poppy field – we’ll try not to go under! john good © john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © good © john john good © good © john good john good © © john good john good © © john john good © © john john good © © john good © john good © john © john © good john © good john © good john © good john © good john © john © good good john © john © good good good john good john © john good © © john good good © john good good Q R is for the good © is for the S john And foris forthe the brainless Q T R uiet when our story’s being told good john And brings in the ainbow – at the end a pot of gold! S lippers – an enchanting ruby red U T good And ’s the © oto too the littlejohn dog – we musn’t leave him out! V U T With the nderstanding thatin the Man travellers whoS seems soon show‘heart-less’ without doubt © and with carecrow – there seems nothing in his head! good john But which is good and which Vis bad – W ery weary way – they still have far to go.