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The
Wizard of Oz (1939)
In Victor Fleming's immortal classic (adapted from
L. Frank Baum's novel):
- the quintessential scene of lonely Kansas teenager
Dorothy Gale's (Judy Garland) singing of the melancholy
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (the Best Original Song Oscar
winner)
- the first appearance of Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch (Margaret
Hamilton) on a bicycle riding down a rural farm road in Kansas
- the thrilling twister-tornado scene and Dorothy's
hallucinations swirling and floating by in front of her
- the astonishing, cleverly-shot transition (in one
single take without any special effects) from sepia-tone to full
color as Dorothy entered the fanciful, Technicolored Land of Oz through
the door of her downed house
- Dorothy's exclamatory statement to her dog Toto: "I've
a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore"
- the lively Munchkin sequences
- the green-faced Witch's appearance in a red puff of
smoke
- the Witch's attempt to seize the ruby slippers from
Dorothy's feet
- Dorothy's first steps on the Yellow Brick Road after
receiving guidance from the Good Witch Glinda (Billie Burke)
- her first encounter with each of her companions -
the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the Tin Man (Jack Haley) and the Cowardly
Lion (Bert Lahr)
- their journey with linked arms as they skipped: "We're
off to see the Wizard" down the Yellow Brick Road
"We're Off to See the Wizard"
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The Emerald City in the Distance
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The Intimidating Wizard
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- their songs:
"If I Only Had a Brain" and "If I Were King of the Forest"
- the amazing, scary sequences of Dorothy and her friend's
first encounter with the Wizard (Frank Morgan) - a disembodied head
engulfed in flames
- the Wicked Witch's taunting of the Scarecrow with
fire: ("How about a little fire, Scarecrow?")
- her cackling threat: "I'll get you, my pretty
- and your little dog, too!"
- and her subsequent "I'm melting"
death scene that destroyed her "beautiful wickedness"
- the scene of the pulling-aside of the curtain and
the revelation of the Wizard
- the presentation of awards scene
- Dorothy's farewell scene in the land of Oz (and particularly
her tearful goodbyes to her friends, especially to the Scarecrow)
- the closing scene when Dorothy awakened from her
fantastic dream in her own bedroom (where she was surrounded by family
and friends) - she denied that she was only dreaming her adventures
in the Land of Oz, and repeatedly exclaimed: "There's no place
like home"
Dorothy's Return to Kansas
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Clicking Her Slippers Three Times
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"There's no place like home"
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"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
Miss Gulch (Margaret Hamilton)
Dorothy's Entry Into the Land of Oz
"I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" - Munchkins
Hiding
The Green-Faced Wicked Witch
Witch's Demise: "I'm melting"
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