2014 marks the 75th anniversary of the release of the much beloved film “The Wizard of Oz.”
Based on the children’s book the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, the magical tale of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and, of course, Toto, has become a favorite around the world and an important part of American popular culture.
Despite receiving critical acclaim on its release, “The Wizard of Oz” wasn’t the instant box office hit you might expect. It wasn’t until the film was first shown on television in the 1950s that it really took off and became the cultural icon it is today.
Nominated for six Academy Awards, it went on to win two Oscars including Best Original Song for “Over the Rainbow.” It’s hard to imagine now, but “Over the Rainbow” was nearly cut from the film as MGM Studios felt the scene was too long and child viewers wouldn’t get it.
In celebration of this classic piece of cinematic history, and in honor of L. Frank Baum’s birthday on May 15, we’ve tracked down 10 “Wizard of Oz” destinations every Oz fan should visit…
Wamego, Kansas, United States
You can’t have the Wizard of Oz without Kansas so it’s fitting that both a Wizard of Oz Museum and festival are found in the state.
The small town of Wamego is as close to a living Oz shrine as you can get with local businesses and residents getting in on the act.
Founded in 2004, the Oz Museum holds more than 25,000 Oz and L. Frank Baum artifacts featuring everything from first edition books to rare collectibles.
OZtoberFest was launched in autumn of 2005 and is built around all the works of L. Frank Baum. This year’s schedule hasn’t been released yet, but you can expect special guests, performances, parties, fairs and contests.
Sony Pictures Studios (MGM Studios), Culver City, California, United States
Take a step back in time and into the footsteps of the 1939 Oz cast and crew with a tour of Sony Pictures Studios. While it was called MGM Studios back in the day, this is where the Yellow Brick Road wound through Munchkinland and the land of Oz was brought to life.
Tour the working studio to find out all about the glory days of MGM and visit the soundstages and sets used for your favorite productions all the way up to the present day.
Check out sonypicturesstudios.tix.com to book a tour.
“Wizard of Oz Musical,” North America
Based on the film, the latest “Wizard of Oz” musical offering adds new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to the original Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg score.
While the plot stays pretty close to the 1939 script, there are a few changes designed to surprise audiences.
The show premiered in London’s West End from March 2011 to September 2012 then began touring North America in 2013.
“Wicked,” Worldwide
A revisionist prequel to Oz, the musical “Wicked” tells the untold story of the witches of Oz.
Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the wildly popular musical traces how a young witch called Elphaba (the phonetic pronunciation of L. Frank Baum’s initials) became the Wicked Witch of the West.
“Wicked” premiered on Broadway in October 2003 and since then has gone on to play in theaters around the world building a dedicated fan base along the way.
The Ruby Slippers, National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States
Any Oz fan worth their salt will tell you Dorothy’s famous slippers were originally colored silver in the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” book. However, with brand new Technicolor available, the film producers simply couldn’t go with anything other than vibrant red – which looked especially brilliant against the bright Yellow Brick Road.
The shoes were the creation of MGM’s chief costume designer Gilbert Adrian. The simple white silk pumps were died their signature ruby color and each shoe was covered in about 2,300 individual sequins. Of the four surviving pairs, these size-five shoes on display at the Smithsonian are believed to be Garland’s primary pair worn for the movie’s dance sequences.
The Museum also holds the patchwork outfit Ray Bolger wore as the Scarecrow, an early version of the script by Noel Langley and sheet music for “Over the Rainbow.”
Chittenango, New York, United States
Located in Madison County, New York, the village of Chittenango has a population of more than 5,000 and is the birthplace of “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” author L. Frank Baum.
In honor of its most famous son, Chittenango hosts an annual three-day festival called Oz-Stravaganza! (formerly Oz Fest) over the first weekend of June. This year’s festival theme is Timeless Oz and will be held from June 6-8. Residents and visitors will make a World Record attempt for the most people dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz.
Aside from the festival, the Oz theme continues to several local shops such as Auntie Em’s Place, Over the Rainbow Crafts, Tin Man Construction, Emerald City Grill and Emerald City Bowling and the downtown section of Genesee Street — the town’s very own Yellow Brick Road.
Autumn at Oz, Beech Mountain, North Carolina, United States
In its 1970s heyday, the Oz-themed Beech Mountain theme park attracted around 20,000 visitors a day. Based on the books rather than the film, families came every summer to follow the Yellow Brick Road and hang out with Dorothy and her friends until a fire destroyed the Emerald City in 1976 and it was eventually abandoned.
The park stayed this way for many years and was picked over by vandals until a group of former employees got together to repair and reopen the Land of Oz.
For the last 21 years the park has opened for one weekend a year for an event called “Autumn at Oz.”
This year’s event will be held from Oct. 4-5. Tickets go on sale in July and there are guided tours of Oz taking place every Friday in June.
Judy Garland Museum, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, United States
Much more than a museum, the late-19th-century white-clapboard home that houses the Judy Garland Museum is actually the birth place of Dorothy Gale herself – Judy Garland.
Born Frances Ethel Gumm, Garland spent the first four years of her life in this home before the whole family shifted to Los Angeles in 1926.
The home has been restored to its original state and features a number of mementos from Garland’s life and career. One item that will be of particular interest to Oz fans is the original carriage used in “The Merry Old Land of Oz” musical number.
The Museum did hold one of the original pairs of ruby slippers, but sadly these were stolen in 2005.
This year, the Museum will host a Wizard of Oz Festival from June 10–14. Festivities include a “Get Happy” Birthday Party, “Judy” Karaoke, OZ Mystery Dinner Party, a film festival and “Toto Too” Dog Talent Contest. You can see the full schedule of events on the Museum website.
Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles, California, United States
In 2007, nearly 70 years after the film was released, the 124 actors who played the munchkins were honored with a collective star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony attended by seven of the nine surviving cast members.
More than 100 adults and children were recruited to play the Munchkins of Munchkinland. Each actor was paid a mere $125 a week.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, United States
Not far from the Walk of Fame, in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, you’ll find a lasting memorial to the Wizard of Oz’s most famous four-legged character – Toto.
Toto – aka Terry the Cairn Terrier – appeared in a total of 15 movies during her 11-year lifetime. Terry was laid to rest on her owner and trainer Carl Spitz’s ranch. However, the grave was destroyed during the construction of the Ventura Freeway in 1958.
It wasn’t until June 2011 that a permanent memorial to Terry was created at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Featured image by wcfsymphony
