The Munchkins | |
---|---|
Oz books character | |
First appearance | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) |
Created by | L. Frank Baum |
A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city in Oz. The Munchkins are described as being the same height as Dorothy and they wear only shades of blue clothing, as blue is the Munchkins' favorite color. Blue is also the predominating color that officially represents the eastern quadrant in the Land of Oz. The Munchkins have appeared in various media, including the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz , as well as in various other films and comedy acts.
While Baum may have written about it, there are no surviving notes for the composition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The lack of this information has resulted in speculation of the term origins he used in the book, which include the word Munchkin. [1] Baum researcher Brian Attebery has hypothesized that there might be a connection to the Münchner Kindl , the emblem of the Bavarian city of Munich (spelled München in German). [1] The symbol was originally a 13th-century statue of a monk, looking down from the town hall in Munich. Over the years, the image was reproduced many times, for instance as a figure on beer steins, and eventually evolved into a child wearing a pointed hood. [2] Baum's family had German origins, suggesting that Baum could have seen one such reproduction in his childhood. It is also possible that Munchkin came from the German word Männchen, which means "mannikin" or "little figure". In 1900, Baum published a book about window displays in which he stressed the importance of mannequins in attracting customers. [3] Another possibility is a connection to Baron Munchausen .[ original research? ][ citation needed ] This fictional character is based on a real baron who told outrageous tall tales based on his military career. [1] [4] Like the other Oz terms, the word Munchkin ends in a diminutive which in this case refers to the size of the natives. [1]
"she noticed coming down toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many years older."
The Munchkins are first mentioned (quote shown) in an excerpt from chapter two of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, titled "The Council with the Munchkins". Dorothy initially meets only three of them, along with the Good Witch of the North. The rest of the Munchkins then come out of hiding and are shown to be grateful towards Dorothy for killing their evil ruler the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy later eventually finds the yellow brick road and along the way attends a banquet held by a Munchkin man named Boq. Sometime in the book a background story is also given about a "Munchkin maiden" (named Nimmie Amee in later books), who was the former love interest of the Tin Woodman. [5]
Baum also included the Munchkin characters in his later works as minor and major individual characters. The Munchkin Jinjur is the main antagonist in Baum's second book The Marvelous Land of Oz, where she seeks to overthrow the Scarecrow and take over the Emerald City. Jinjur makes a brief appearance in the next book, entitled Ozma of Oz, and is brought back in Baum's twelfth book, The Tin Woodman of Oz . By this time, she is shown to be a more prominent character who is helpful and friendly to Dorothy and her friends. Two other major Munchkin characters also appear in The Tin Woodman of Oz: Tommy Kwikstep and Nimmie Amee. The former appears in the story asking for a wish for running an errand for a witch; the latter is the name given to the mystery "Munchkin maiden" from the first book, who was the former lover of the Tin Woodman. More information is revealed that tells about the Tin Woodman's origin and their tragic love story. [5] Lastly, the Munchkin Unc Nunkie appears in Baum's seventh book, The Patchwork Girl of Oz , where he is accidentally turned to stone. His Munchkin nephew Ojo successfully goes on a quest in search of an antidote while learning more about himself in the process.
L. Frank Baum died on 6 May 1919 after which other writers took up writing additional Oz stories. In some cases these books were written under Baum's name and included the Munchkins. There is at least one known Munchkin character that was created after Baum's death that appears as a major character. Zif is a Munchkin boy who appears in John R. Neill's first adaptation called The Royal Book of Oz. Zif is a student at the College of Art and Athletic Perfection; he is both respectful and resentful towards his teacher Wogglebog who considers Zif a "nobody or a nothing". The Munchkin characters that Baum had created in his lifetime also appear in these additional works.
While the 1939 film is the most well known adaptation (see section below), it was not the first outside work to show the Munchkins in film or musical format. One of the first musical adaptations of Baum's books took place in 1902; it was also dubbed The Wizard of Oz . [6] [7] The Munchkins make their appearance in act one, called "The Storm", in which they are shown dancing around their maypole, not noticing that Dorothy's house has fallen to earth killing the Wicked Witch of the East. [8] The first film adaptation of Baum's works, titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was released in 1910, followed by three sequels. However, it was not until 1914 that Munchkin characters first appeared in film works. Ojo the Lucky and Unc Nunkie both appear in a film titled The Patchwork Girl of Oz (based on the book of the same name). This film stars American actress Violet MacMillan as Ojo and was produced by Baum. [9]
The 1939 movie musical The Wizard of Oz was loosely based on Baum's novel. Notable differences of the Munchkins include their country name of Munchkinland and their clothes of many colors instead of an all-blue attire. In the musical, the Munchkins are portrayed by the thirty-odd members of the Singer Midgets, a European performing troupe made up of adult actors with dwarfism. Their numbers were swelled when a national talent search brought in a further ninety-four little men, women, and teenagers, with a few average-sized children were also included as background extras [10] in order to make up the 124 characters requested by MGM. [11]
In the musical, the Munchkins first appear when Dorothy and Toto arrive in the Land of Oz after her house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East. The Munchkins hide from all the commotion until Glinda the Good Witch arrives reassuring them that everything is okay. Dorothy tells them how she arrived in the Land of Oz (through a musical number) and the Munchkins celebrate. To make it official, a Barrister and a number of City Fathers insist to the Mayor of the Munchkin City that they must make sure that the Wicked Witch of the East is really dead before the celebration continues. The Coroner confirms this by saying that the witch is "not only merely dead" but is indeed "most sincerely dead" while showing a Certificate of Death. The Munchkins then celebrate further as Dorothy receives gifts from the "Lullaby League" and the "Lollipop Guild". Near the end of the song, the Wicked Witch of the West arrives, which causes the Munchkins to panic. After the Wicked Witch of the West leaves, Glinda tells Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City as the Munchkins guide her out of Munchkinland.
The Munchkin actors have since not avoided controversy with alleged behavior behind the scenes. In a 1967 interview, Judy Garland referred to all of the Munchkins as "little drunks" who got intoxicated every night to the point where they had to be picked up in "butterfly nets". These accusations were denied as fabrications by fellow Munchkin Margaret Pellegrini, who said only "a couple of kids from Germany even drank beer". [12] On 20 November 2007, the Munchkins were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Seven of the surviving Munchkin actors from the film were present. As a result of the popularity of the 1939 film, the word "munchkin" has entered the English language as a reference to small children, persons with dwarfism, or anything of diminutive stature.
The following is a list of actors who portrayed the Munchkins in the 1939 film. Most of the dwarfs hired were acquired for MGM by Leo Singer, the proprietor of Singer's Midgets. [13] A Daily Variety news story from 17 August 1938, stated 124 dwarves had been signed to play Munchkins; modern sources place the number either at 122 or 124. An additional dozen or so child actors were hired to make up for the shortage of dwarves. [10] At least one Munchkin actor, Dale Paullin (stage name Paul Dale), did not make the final cut for the movie. [14] Only two actors (Joseph Koziel and Frank Cucksey) used their actual voices for the dialogue exchanged with Dorothy where she is given the flowers. The rest of the voices, such as the "Munchkin chorus", were created by Pinto Colvig and Billy Bletcher [15] with their voices recorded at a slow speed, which were subsequently sped-up when played back. [16]
In 1989, author Stephen Cox researched, found, and wrote about the surviving Munchkin actors fifty years after they made the film. He wrote about them in his book, The Munchkins Remember (1989, E.P. Dutton), which was later revised as The Munchkins of Oz (Cumberland House), and his book remained in print for nearly two decades. When he wrote the book, 33 of the actors with dwarfism who appeared in the film were still alive and were interviewed. Several of them outlived all the major cast, as well as the original Tin Man Buddy Ebsen. Jerry Maren, who played the green "Lollipop Guild" member, was the last living adult Munchkin actor. Maren was the only Munchkin alive when the film's longest living cast member, Shep Houghton, an extra, died in 2016.
Actor | Born | Died | Part(s) played |
---|---|---|---|
Gladys W. Allison [17] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
John Ballas [18] | 1903 [19] | Unknown | Played a villager |
Franz Balluch ("Mike") [17] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Josefine Balluch [20] | Unknown | 1984 [21] | Played a villager |
John T. Bambury [18] | 1891 [22] | 1960 [22] | Played a soldier |
Charlie Becker | 1887 [23] | 1968 [23] [24] | Played "The Mayor of Munchkinland". [23] [24] |
Freda Betsky [17] [25] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Henry Boers | 1896 [26] | Unknown | Played a villager |
Theodore Boers | 1894 [26] | 1945 [27] | Played a villager |
Christie Buresh | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Eddie Buresh | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Lida Buresh [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Mickey Carroll | 1919 [28] | 2009 [28] | Played a fiddler, a town crier, and a soldier |
Casper "Colonel" Balsam [18] | 1904 [29] | 1968 [29] | Played a villager |
Nona A. Cooper [17] | 1875 [30] | 1953 [30] | Played a villager |
Thomas J. Cottonaro [17] | 1914 [31] | 2001 [31] | Played a villager |
Elizabeth Coulter [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Lewis Croft | 1919 [32] | 2008 [32] | Played a soldier [32] |
Frank Cucksey | 1919 [33] | 1984 [34] | Played a villager who gives Dorothy flowers [a] |
Billy Curtis | 1909 [35] | 1988 [35] | Played the Braggart [b] |
Eugene S. David Jr. | 1915 | 1984 | Played a fiddler [36] |
Eulie H. David | 1921 [37] | 1972 [37] | Played a soldier [36] |
Ethel W. Denis [18] | 1894 [38] | 1968 [39] | Played a villager |
Prince Denis [40] | 1900 [39] | 1984 [39] | Played the Sergeant-at-Arms [c] |
Hazel I. Derthick | 1906 [41] | 1989 | Played a villager |
Daisy Earles | 1907 | 1980 [42] | Played a "munchkin maiden" [42] |
Gracie Doll Earles | 1899 [43] | 1970 [42] | Played a "munchkin maiden" [42] |
Harry Doll Earles | 1902 | 1985 [42] | Blue member of The Lollipop Guild [42] [44] |
Tiny Doll Earles | 1914 [42] | 2004 [42] | Played a "munchkin maiden" [42] |
Major Doyle ("James D. Doyle") [18] | 1869 [45] | 1940 [45] | Played a villager |
Ruth Robinson Duccini | 1918 [46] | 2014 [46] | Played a villager |
Carl M. Erickson [18] | 1917 [47] | 1958 [47] | Played the 2nd Trumpeter |
Fern Formica | 1925 [48] | Unknown | Played a villager and a "sleepyhead" |
Addie Eva Frank [49] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Thaisa L. Gardner [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Jakob "Jackie" Gerlich | 1925 [d] | 1960 [50] | Red member of The Lollipop Guild |
William A. Giblin | 1916 [51] | 1985 [51] | Played a soldier [51] |
Jack S. Glicken | 1900 [52] | 1950 [52] | Played a city father |
Carolyn E. Granger [18] | 1915 [53] | 1973 [53] | Played a villager |
Joseph Herbst [18] | 1908 [37] | Disputed [e] | Played a soldier |
Jakob Hofbauer | 1898 [55] | Unknown [f] | Played a soldier [55] |
Clarence C. Howerton ("Major Mite") | 1913 [56] | 1975 [57] | Played the 3rd Trumpeter [56] |
Helen M. Hoy [18] | 1898 [58] | 1945 [58] | Played a villager |
Marguerite A. Hoy [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
James R. Hulse IV [18] | 1915 [40] | 1964 [40] [59] | Played a villager |
Robert Kanter ("Little Lord Robert") [17] | 1886 [g] | Unknown | Played a soldier |
Charles E. Kelley [17] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a soldier |
Jessie E. Kelley ("Jessie Becker") [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Frank Kikel [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Bernard Klima ("Harry") | 1897 [33] | 1957 [33] [61] | Played a villager |
Mitzi Koestner [18] | 1894 [62] | 1975 [62] | Played a villager |
Emma Koestner [18] | 1900 [62] | 1984 [62] | Played a villager |
Willi Koestner [18] | 1908 [62] | 1974 [62] | Played a soldier [63] |
Adam Edwin Kozicki ("Eddie Adams") [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a fiddler [64] |
Joseph J. Koziel [18] | 1919 [65] | 1967 [65] | Played a villager who gives Dorothy flowers [a] |
Dolly F. Kramer [18] | 1904 [26] | 1995 [26] | Played a villager |
Emil Kranzler [18] | 1910 [66] | 1993 [66] [67] | Played a villager |
Nita Krebs | 1905 [33] | 1991 [33] [68] | Member of The Lullaby League and a villager [68] |
Jeane LaBarbera ("Little Jean") | 1909 [69] | 1993 [69] | Played a villager |
Hilda Lange [18] | 1911 [66] | 1975 [66] | Played a villager |
John Leal ("Johnny") [18] | 1905 [70] | 1996 [70] | Played a villager |
Ann Rice Leslie [18] | 1900 [71] | 1973 [71] | Played a villager |
Charles Ludwig [18] | 1889 [72] | 1941 [73] | Played a villager |
Dominick Magro [74] | 1909 [75] | 1959 [75] | Played a villager |
Carlos Manzo [18] | 1915 [76] | 1955 [76] | Played a villager |
Howard Marco [18] | 1884 [77] | Unknown | Played a villager |
Jerry Maren | 1920 [78] | 2018 [79] | Green member of The Lollipop Guild |
Bela Matina ("Mike Rogers") [17] [80] | 1902 [81] | 1954 [82] | Played a villager |
Lajos Matina ("Leo") [17] | 1893 [81] | 1975 [81] | Played a villager |
Matyus Matina ("Ike Rogers") [17] [80] | 1902 [81] | 1965 [81] | Played a villager |
Walter M. B. Miller [18] | 1906 [21] | 1987 [21] | Played a soldier and a flying monkey [21] |
George Ministeri [18] | 1906 [83] | 1986 [83] | Played the coachman and a villager [83] |
Harry Monty | 1904 [84] | 1999 [85] | Played a villager and a flying monkey [85] |
Yvonne Bistany Moray [17] | Unknown | Unknown [h] | Member of The Lullaby League and a villager [21] |
Johnny Maroldo ("Johnny Winters") | 1905 [86] | 1985 [86] | Played the Commander of the Navy [86] |
Marie Bernadet Maroldo ("Marie Winters") | 1901 [86] | 1979 [86] | Played a villager [86] |
Olga C. Nardone | 1921 [87] | 2010 [87] | Member of The Lullaby League, and a sleepyhead. [87] |
Nels P. Nelson [18] [88] [i] | 1918 [89] | 1994 [89] | Played a villager |
Margaret C. Nickloy ("Princess Marguerite") | 1902 [90] | 1961 [90] | Played a villager |
Franklin H. O'Baugh | 1922 [91] [92] | 1963 [92] | Played a soldier [92] |
William H. O'Docharty [18] | 1920 [83] | 1988 [83] | Played the coach footman and a villager [83] |
Hildred C. Olson [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Frank Packard [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Nicholas Page ("Nicky") | 1904 [21] | 1978 [21] | Played a soldier and a city father [10] [21] |
Leona Megest Parks ("Duchess Leona") | 1897 [26] | Unknown | Played a villager |
Margaret Williams Pellegrini | 1923 [48] [93] | 2013 [93] | Played a "sleepyhead" and the "flower pot munchkin". [93] |
Johnny Pizo [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Leon Polinsky ("Prince Leon") [18] [94] | 1918 [95] | 1955 [95] | Played a villager |
Lillian Porter [96] | 1917 [97] | 1997 [97] | Played a villager |
Meinhardt Raabe | 1915 [98] | 2010 [98] | Played the coroner [j] |
Margaret Raia | 1928 [k] | 2003 [100] | Played a villager [100] |
Matthew Raia | Unknown | Unknown | Played a city father [100] |
Friedrich Retter ("Freddie") [18] | 1899 [101] | Unknown | Played a fiddler and villager |
Billy Rhodes ("Little Billy") [102] [103] | 1895 | 1967 | Played the barrister |
Gertrude H. Rice [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Hazel Rice [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Sandor Roka [18] [104] | 1896 [105] | 1954 [105] | Played a villager |
Jimmie Rosen | 1892 [106] | 1973 [106] | Played a villager |
Charles F. "Wojnarski" Royal [18] | 1900 [107] | 1947 [107] | Played a soldier |
Helen J. "Wojnarski" Royal [18] | 1897 [107] | 1958 [107] | Played a villager |
Stella A. "Wojnarski" Royal | 1903 [107] | 1959 [107] | Played a villager |
Albert Ruddinger [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Elsie R. Schultz [18] | 1892 [21] | 1987 | Played a villager |
Charles Silvern [18] | 1902 | 1976 [108] | Played a villager |
Garland Slatton ("Earl") | 1917 [26] | 1995 [26] | Played a soldier |
Karl Slover [109] | 1918 [110] | 2011 [110] | Played the lead trumpeter, a soldier, and a villager [110] |
Ruth E. Smith [18] | Unknown | 1985 [14] | Played a villager |
Elmer Spangler [18] | 1910 [111] | 1992 | Played a villager |
Pernell St. Aubin | 1922 [33] | 1987 [33] [112] | Played a soldier [33] |
Carl Stephan [18] | 1901 | 1959 | Played a villager |
Alta M. Stevens [18] | 1913 | 1989 | Played a villager [113] |
George Suchsie [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Charlotte V. Sullivan [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Clarence Swensen | 1917 [114] | 2009 [115] | Played a soldier [116] |
Betty Tanner [117] | 1916 | 1994 [118] | Played a villager |
Arnold Vierling | 1919 [119] | 1949 [119] | Played a villager |
Gus Wayne | 1920 [120] | 1998 [120] | Played a soldier [120] |
Victor Wetter | 1902 [121] [122] | 1990 [121] [122] | Played the Captain of the Army [10] [121] [122] |
Grace G. Williams [18] | Unknown | Unknown | Played a villager |
Harvey B. Williams [18] [123] | 1905 | 1968 | Played a soldier |
Gladys V. Wolff [18] | 1911 [40] | 1984 [40] | Played a villager |
Murray Wood [18] | 1908 [124] | 1999 [124] | Played a city father |
About a dozen children of average height were hired so they could be used for background fill. Sources differ on the number of children used for these roles ranging anywhere from 10 to 12. [125] The names used for the women are maiden names with known aliases present in italics and quotation marks.
As of 2023 [update] , at least three "child munchkins" are known to be living.
Actor | Born | Died | Part(s) played | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Betty Ann Cain ("Bruno") | 1931 | 2023 | Munchkin hatchling | [126] [127] [128] [129] [130] [131] |
Priscilla Ann Montgomery Clark | 1929 | Living | Munchkin Child | [127] [128] [132] |
Donna Jean Johnson ("Stewart Hardaway") | 1933 | 2008 | Background fill | [133] [134] |
Joan Kenmore | 1931 | 2022 | Background fill | [126] [127] [128] [125] [135] |
Eva Lee Kuney | 1934 | 2015 | Background fill | [17] [136] [137] |
Rae-Nell Laskey ("Alsbury") | 1930 | 1991 | unknown | [138] [139] |
Elaine Mirk ("Merk") | 1930 | Living | Background fill | [125] [128] [140] |
Valerie Lee Shepard [l] | 1931 | Living | Background fill | [10] [125] [128] [141] |
Ardith Dondanville ("Mae") Todd | 1930 | 2022 | Background fill | [126] [127] [128] [142] |
Shirley Ann Kennedy ("Vegors") | 1932 | 2005 | Background fill | [143] [144] |
Viola White ("Banks") | 1931 | 2000 | Background fill | [10] |
The 1939 film was adapted into a musical that was released in 1942 that includes the Munchkin characters. The events that take place mirror the film including the song "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead". [145] Twenty-seven years later an animated film called The Wonderful Land of Oz was made featuring Jinjur as a main antagonist.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their home by a cyclone. Upon her arrival in the magical world of Oz, she learns she cannot return home until she has destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West.
Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by the American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his Oz novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels. She is also the main character in various adaptations, notably the 1939 film adaptation of the novel, The Wizard of Oz.
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left production to take over the troubled Gone with the Wind. It stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, while others made uncredited contributions. The music was composed by Harold Arlen and adapted by Herbert Stothart, with lyrics by Edgar "Yip" Harburg.
The Land of Oz is a magical country introduced in the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow.
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is killed by Dorothy; in Baum's subsequent Oz novels, the Wicked Witch of the West is occasionally referred to.
The Wicked Witch of the East is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is a crucial character but appears only briefly in Baum's classic children's series of Oz novels, most notably The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).
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Meinhardt Frank Raabe was an American actor. He was one of the last surviving Munchkin-actors in The Wizard of Oz, and was also the last surviving cast member with any dialogue in the film. He portrayed the coroner who certified the death of the Wicked Witch of the East.
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"Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" is a song in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It is the centerpiece of several individual songs in an extended set-piece performed by the Munchkins, Glinda and Dorothy Gale highlighted by a chorus of Munchkin girls and one of Munchkin boys, it was also sung by studio singers as well as by sung by the Winkie soldiers. It was composed by Harold Arlen, with the lyrics written by E. Y. Harburg. The group of songs celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the East when Dorothy's house is dropped on her by the cyclone.
Lion of Oz is a 2000 animated film set before the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of how the Cowardly Lion, formerly part of the Omaha Circus, came to be in Oz and how he stopped the Wicked Witch of the East from getting the Flower of Oz. It is based upon the 1995 book Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage by Roger S. Baum. It was announced by CinéGroupe and Sony Wonder and was released in 2000.
The Wizard of Oz is a 1982 anime feature film directed by Fumihiko Takayama, from a screenplay by Akira Miyazaki, which is based on the 1900 children's novel by L. Frank Baum, with Yoshimitsu Banno and Katsumi Ueno as executive producers for Toho.
The Wizard of Oz is a musical with a book by John Kane, music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E. Y. Harburg. It has additional background music by Herbert Stothart. It is based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 film version written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf.
The Wizard of Oz is a 2011 musical based on the 1939 film of the same name in turn based on L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a book adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses the Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg songs from the film and includes some new songs and additional music by Lloyd Webber and additional lyrics by Tim Rice. It is the third stage musical adaptation of the film following the 1942 version for the St. Louis Municipal Opera and the 1987 version for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The Wizard of Oz is a musical commissioned by The Muny based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, using the film's songs by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg. The book of the musical is by Frank Gabrielson, who would later write an adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz (1960) for Shirley Temple.
Oz the Great and Powerful is a 2013 American fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Mitchell Kapner from a story by Kapner. Based on L. Frank Baum's early 20th century Oz books and set 20 years before the events of the original 1900 novel, the film is a spiritual prequel to the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz. Starring James Franco in the title role, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Joey King, William Bock, and Tony Cox, the film tells the story of Oscar Diggs, a deceptive magician who arrives in the Land of Oz and encounters three witches: Theodora, Evanora, and Glinda. Oscar is then enlisted to restore order in Oz while struggling to resolve conflicts with the witches and himself.
Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz is an American animated children's television series loosely based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its subsequent books, as well as its 1939 film adaptation. The series debuted on Boomerang SVOD on June 29, 2017. The series was picked up for the second and third seasons. The series ended on July 31, 2020, after three seasons. The series was removed from the streaming service in September 2024.
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Bambury , John ( 1938 ) : b . Pennsylvania , 10 Jul 1891 ; d . Los Angeles County , CA , 4 Nov 1960
Charles Silvern, Apr 1, 76, midget-actor, performer...