Oz Continues to Inspire

Written by Jon Williams

It all began in 1900. That year saw the publication of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a novel intended as a fairy tale for children. Little did he know then that it would in fact capture the imaginations of adults and children alike, keeping the Land of Oz and its inhabitants and visitors alive and growing well over a century later.

Baum himself was able to capitalize on the success of the novel. Although he did not originally intend for a series, he wrote the first sequel in 1904. He hoped The Marvelous Land of Oz would quell the clamour; it did not. When he wrote The Emerald City of Oz in 1911 (the fifth sequel), he tried to cry off by claiming that he had lost his ties to Oz and therefore could no longer learn the stories from there. That didn’t work either. He followed it with The Patchwork Girl of Oz in 1913, and continued to publish a new Oz story each year after that.

Baum passed away in 1919, but as we all know, the story didn’t end there. The movie adaptation produced in 1939 has come to be even more famous than the novel that spawned it. Its bold use of new Technicolor technology brought to stunning life Baum’s fantastic world of Yellow Brick Roads and an Emerald City; paired with Judy Garland’s singing and performance as Dorothy, it remains a wonder to behold. The film was so beloved that it inspired adaptations of its own, such as 1978’s The Wiz, starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, and 2005’s whimsical version starring the Muppets. And in 1985, there was a sequel called Return to Oz that mined some of Baum’s further adventures, and has since become a cult hit.

Even now, Oz maintains its grip on the imaginations of a new generation of writers and filmmakers who continue to tell stories of the magical realm. Witness the popularity of Gregory Maguire’s 2005 novel Wicked, which explored the origins and motivations of the Wicked Witch of the West, the antagonist of Baum’s novel. That itself spun off into three sequel novels and a wildly popular Broadway show.

The high level of interest in all things Wicked is one factor in the recent Oz revival that has continued to expand the story of the land and characters created by L. Frank Baum at the dawn of the 20th century. Last year’s box-office hit Oz the Great and Powerful tells the tale of how the Wizard himself, played by James Franco, came to the Land of Oz. This year, the animated film Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return brought the tale forward from Dorothy’s original visit to the Wizard, bringing her back to face a new threat to the Emerald City. And a recent novel from Danielle Paige, Dorothy Must Die, plays with a similar theme: that Dorothy has become a malevolent ruler over Oz, and must herself be defeated.

Needless to say, Oz devotees will find no shortage of titles to hold their attention. Search on our website to find more, and help transport your patrons over the rainbow.

There Is Still No Place Like Home

Written by Kyle Slagley

In a small town in Pennsylvania, nestled in the hills, is a cave, and in this cave are vaults. Vaults owned by some of the biggest organizations and companies in Western society. The security is extremely tight, the technology in this cave amazing, and the sheer size wondrous. One of these vaults contains the original filmstrip for one of the most beloved movies of all time—a movie about a young girl and her dog, from Kansas, who go on an extraordinary adventure.

By now you of course realize that I’m referring to The Wizard of Oz, which is big news these days thanks to the prequel Oz: The Great and Powerful, starring James Franco, which opens in theatres today.

The Wizard of Oz holds great memories for generations of people, but there are a few things most people do not know about this particular treasure. By the time Judy Garland graced the silver screen as Dorothy in 1939, there had been three film adaptations produced already as well as a stage musical written by the author Frank Baum himself.

Of course the ’39 film with Garland is the one we all remember and has been named the most-watched film of all time by the Library of Congress. Although MGM has ceased distribution of the film to any and all sellers for the time being, there are a few titles we have that might help supplement your Oz display.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (audiobook) – the classic by L. Frank Baum is now in the public domain, so there are a plethora of versions from which to choose. I read this book probably half a dozen times when I was a kid and the first time I was surprised at the differences between the book and the film. Audiobook versions to choose from include: Dreamscape, Tantor, BBC Radio, Blackstone, Naxos, Random House, and Yo Yo Libros.

The Wizard of Oz in music – As I mentioned before, Dorothy and Toto first appeared in front of large audiences as a stage musical in 1902. Fortunately, the music of the original musical has been preserved and was nominated for a 2004 Grammy for Best Historical Album. In 2011, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s New Wizard of Oz came out in London’s West End and ran for just over a year. For the younger kids, A Tribute to The Wizard of Oz is a collection of kids’ songs from and inspired by the movie and book.

And finally, submitted for your approval is a collection of animated adaptations, the first of which is The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz. Who doesn’t love the Muppets?! Best of all, Ashanti and Queen Latifah star as Dorothy and Auntie Em, with Jeffrey Tambor as the wizard. Next in line is Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz, and finally an animated version from Lightyear Entertainment.