'Oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home!' — Dorothy Gale
There were two beloved and highly fabled films that my immediate family and I—while in the comforts of our home—never missed during the Easter holiday weekend of each year: The Ten Commandments (ABC), and The Wizard of Oz (CBS) - an unsurpassed duo of the most tremendously blessed movies in motion picture history.
Many a generational - both past and present - has already seen this musical masterpiece, whether in its original film format, or in its stage adaptation. And without a doubt, it will continue to amaze future generations. Iconic and mesmerizing, The Wizard of Oz (produced during the Great Depression era) is a classic on so many great levels: Screenplay; cinematography; set design; costumes; beautiful Technicolor; the award-winning songs of Herbert Stothart (score), and Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg (lyrics: the pair wrote "Over the Rainbow"); cutting edge special effects ... And superior performances. Yet another cinematic honoree in the Library of Congress National Film Registry, Langley, Ryerson, and Woolf's The Wizard of Oz is set in stone as one of the greatest efforts in motion picture storytelling to ever be released for general viewing ... Not to mention one of the most mimicked.
The cast includes: Judy Garland as our beloved and resilient protagonist Dorothy; Frank Morgan, starring in a quintet of roles: The Wizard, Professor Marvel, the Doorman, the Cabbie, and the Guard; Bert Lahr, in his memorable roles as both Zeke and the Cowardly Lion; Jack Haley as both Hickory and the Tin Man; Ray Bolger as both Hunk and the Scarecrow ... And let us not forget the legendary Margaret Hamilton, as both Miss Gulch and The Wicked Witch of the West. These, in addition to a second to none list of supporting players, make for one exceptionally performed ensemble. Outstanding creativity. Exquisite direction.
It was not my wish, as I composed this review, to go into detail (not even minorly) concerning the plot here, because, as I'd indicated earlier, many a generational has already witnessed this filmed phenomenon. And for me to have rehashed a summary of its plot would have been simply redundant.
Directed by Academy Award-winner Victor Fleming (Gone with the Wind), The Wizard of Oz will always have the authority to command my love, my admiration, my awe, and my fascination. Always.
Five out of five well-earned stars.