THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
LIST OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Version 3.1, compiled 2001-2002
Copyright © 2002 by Eric Gjovaag. All rights reserved.

1. General information to get you started, and what this document is
1.1. What is Oz? 
1.2. Where did the name Oz come from? 
1.3. How do you pronounce "Oz"? 
1.4. What is an Oz FAQ? 
1.5. Who wrote this FAQ? 
1.6. Why did you write this FAQ? 
1.7. What do I need to know to read this FAQ? 
1.8. Where can I read this FAQ? 
1.9. How do the text and WWW versions of this FAQ differ? 
1.10. How is this FAQ different from the last version? 
1.11. How do I use this FAQ? 
1.12. This sounds like a lot of work! Can't I just e-mail you and ask my question? 
1.13. How accurate is this FAQ? 
1.14. Why do you answer so many questions about The Movie in this FAQ? Don't you care about the books or the other movies? 
1.15. What are some of the most frequently asked questions you get? 
1.16. I think you got something wrong. How can I convince you to fix it? 
1.17. May I use material from your FAQ for my own purposes? 

2. About the Oz Books
2.1 What are the "official" Oz books? 
2.2. In what order should I read these books? 
2.3. If these are the "official" Oz books, does that mean that there are others? 
2.4. Who published these Oz books? 
2.5. Who illustrated the books? 
2.6. What's the first line of "The Wizard of Oz"? 
2.7. What's the difference between the books "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," "The Wizard of Oz," and "The New Wizard of Oz"? 
2.8. What's the difference between "The Marvelous Land of Oz" and "The Land of Oz"? 
2.9. Early editions of "The Royal Book of Oz" say that it was written by Baum, but later ones say it was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. What's up with that? 
2.10. For what age are the Oz books written? 
2.11. Did "The Wizard of Oz' or any of the other Oz books ever receive any book awards? 
2.12. Are the Oz books still under copyright? 
2.13. Were the Oz books ever published in countries outside of the United States? 
2.14. What's this I hear about a different Oz series in Russia? 
2.15. Is it true that The Wizard of Oz was written as a political tract? 
2.16. What's with all the drug references in Oz? 
2.17. Why are there so many inconsistencies in the Oz books? 
2.18. Are Oz books available at my local library? 
2.19. Have the Oz books ever been banned, edited, or censored? 

3. Buying, selling, and collecting the Oz books 
3.1. Is anybody publishing Oz books today? 
3.2. What Oz books are available? And where can I get them? 
3.3. My bookstore doesn't carry Oz books. What can I do? 
3.4. How can I get older editions or out-of-print books? 
3.5. I'm collecting the Rand McNally paperbacks. Where can I find their editions of "Rinkitink in Oz" and "The Lost Princess of Oz"? 
3.6. What are the "Junior Edition" Oz books from Rand McNally, published in 1939? 
3.7. I have some old Oz books. How much are they worth? 
3.8. Where can I sell my old Oz books? 
3.9. How can I tell when an Oz book was published? 
3.10. I've seen Oz books with colored pictures. What are these, and are they worth anything? 
3.11. Hey! What's wrong with page 95 of "The Scalawagons of Oz"? It ends in the middle of a sentence, but the next page starts off with a new paragraph. 

4. About the Land of Oz 
4.1. Is Oz real? 
4.2. Where is the land of Oz? 
4.3. What are Oz and its people like? 
4.4. Why do some books have the Munchkin Country in the west and the Winkie Country in the east? 
4.5. Where can I get a map of the Land of Oz? 
4.6. Who rules the land of Oz? 
4.7. What's the early history of Oz? 
4.8. What language is spoken in Oz? 
4.9. What is the Kingdom of Dreams, and which book does it appear in? 
4.10. Can people grow old and die in Oz? 
4.11. Where did the silver shoes come from, and what happened to them? 
4.12. Is the Emerald City based on a real place? 

5. Oz Characters
5.1. Who are some of the famous citizens of Oz? 
5.2. What is Dorothy's last name? 
5.3. Was Dorothy named or modeled after a real child? 
5.4. What happened to Dorothy's parents? How did she come to live with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry? 
5.5. How is Dorothy related to Uncle Henry and Aunt Em? 
5.6. What color are Dorothy's famous shoes in "The Wizard of Oz"? 
5.7. What is Uncle Henry and Aunt Em's last name? 
5.8. Does Dorothy have any other relatives? 
5.9. Where in Kansas did Dorothy live? 
5.10. How old is Dorothy? 
5.11. What breed of dog is Toto? 
5.12. Is Toto a male dog or a female dog? 
5.13. Does Toto talk? 
5.14. What's the name of Dorothy's cow? 
5.15. What are the names of the Wicked Witch of the East and the Wicked Witch of the West? 
5.16. Are the wicked witches sisters? 
5.17. Why does water melt the Wicked Witch of the West? 
5.18. What is the name of the good witch -- and how do you spell it? 
5.19. What is the origin of the name "Munchkin"? 
5.20. What are the names of the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion? 
5.21. What are the flying monkeys called? 
5.22. What's the Wizard's name? 
5.23. Where is the Wizard from? 
5.24. Was the Wizard modeled after anybody? 
5.25. What's the name of the Soldier with the Green Whiskers? 
5.26. What's the connection between Jack Pumpkinhead and Jack Skellington from "The Nightmare Before Christmas"? 

6. L. Frank Baum, the Royal Historian of Oz 
6.1. Who was L. Frank Baum? 
6.2. What did the L. stand for? 
6.3. How did he come to write "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"? 
6.4. What were Baum's political beliefs? 
6.5. Was Baum a racist? 
6.6. Why did Baum write a whole series of Oz books? 
6.7. What other Oz stories did Baum write? 
6.8. What other books did Baum write? Did he write under any pen names? 
6.9. Has anyone ever written a biography of Baum? 

7. The Other Royal Historians and Illustrators of Oz 
7.1. Who was W. W. Denslow? 
7.2. Why was "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" the only Oz book Denslow illustrated? 
7.3. What else did Baum and Denslow collaborate on? 
7.4. What other Oz projects did Denslow work on? 
7.5. Who was John R. Neill, and how did he get involved in Oz? 
7.6. What are Neill's other Oz works? 
7.7. Who was Ruth Plumly Thompson? 
7.8. How did she get the job of continuing the Oz series? 
7.9. What other Oz stories has Thompson written? 
7.10. Who was Jack Snow, and how did he get involved in Oz? 
7.11. What are Snow's other Oz writings? 
7.12. Who is Frank Kramer, and how did he get involved in Oz? 
7.13. Who was Rachel R. Cosgrove, and how did she get involved in Oz? 
7.14. What are Cosgrove's other Oz writings? 
7.15. Who was Dirk, and how did he get involved in Oz? 
7.16. Who are Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Lauren McGraw Wagner, and how did they get involved in Oz? 
7.17. What other Oz writings have the McGraws produced? 
7.18. Who was Dick Martin, and how did he get involved in Oz? 
7.19. Who is Eric Shanower, and how did he get involved in Oz? 
7.20. Who else has written Oz books? 

8. Writing, illustrating, and publishing your own Oz book 
8.1. I have an idea for an Oz book. How do I write it? 
8.2. What should I write about? Is there anything I shouldn't write? 
8.3. What characters can I use? Are they all in public domain? 
8.4. I've written my book. Now what? 
8.5. Should I have someone else read my book before submitting it for publication? 
8.6. Who can I submit my story to for publication? 
8.7. Who's going to illustrate my book? 
8.8. I'm an artist, and I like drawing Oz scenes and characters. Where can I go to get my work published? 
8.9. Why does my publisher want me to make so many changes? 
8.10. Is there anywhere else I can show off my Oz writing or artwork? 

9. Dramatic presentations of Oz 
9.1. Was "The Wizard of Oz" or any other Oz story ever performed as a play? 
9.2. Our school/local community theater wants to put on "The Wizard of Oz." Where can we get a script and the rights to do it? 
9.3 How can we make sets, costumes, and so forth for our production of "The Wizard of Oz"? 
9.4. Have there been any Oz movies? 
9.5. Why doesn't Hollywood make more Oz movies? 
9.6. I've heard about a new Oz movie being made. What can you tell me about it? 
9.7. I hear there's a big scene with lots of other Oz characters in "Return to Oz." Where is it, and who's in it? 
9.8. Was there ever an Oz radio show? 
9.9. Have there been talking book versions of any of the Oz books? 
9.10. Has there ever been an Oz TV show? 
9.11. I remember an Oz cartoon, can you tell me more about it? It had a catchy theme song that started out, "They're three sad souls, Oh me, oh my..." 
9.12. Where can I find "The Dreamer of Oz" on home video? 
9.13. Have any Oz productions been directly released to home video? 

10. The Movie - Preproduction 
10.1. How did The Movie get started? Why did MGM make it? 
10.2. Who was the producer of The Movie? 
10.3. What was the MGM studio production code for The Movie? 
10.4. How much did the movie rights cost? 
10.5. Was there any hidden meaning to the film? 
10.6. Who wrote the screenplay? 
10.7. Why is The Movie so different from the book? 
10.8. How did the screenplay change as different scripts were written? 
10.9. Why was Oz a dream? 
10.10. Where can I find a copy of the script? 
10.11. What are the words to "Over the Rainbow," or any of the other songs? 
10.12. How much did it cost to make The Movie? 

11. The Movie - Cast 
11.1. How many actors, overall, appeared in The Movie? 
11.2. Who played who in The Movie? 
11.3. Which characters in Kansas became which characters in Oz? 
11.4. Did any of the actors use stage names, and what are their real names? 
11.5. Who were the stand-ins and stunt doubles? 
11.6. Are any cast members still alive? 
11.7. Wasn't Shirley Temple originally cast to play Dorothy? 
11.8. Is it true Buddy Ebsen was originally cast to play the Tin Woodman? 
11.9. What other actors were considered for parts in the film? 
11.10. How much did everyone earn on The Movie? Is it true Judy Garland received the lowest salary of all the cast members? 
11.11. How old was Judy Garland when she made The Movie? 
11.12. How many parts did Frank Morgan play? 
11.13. Who was Ray Bolger's childhood hero? 
11.14. How old was Billie Burke when she made The Movie? 
11.15. Is Cher the daughter of Billie Burke? 
11.16. Who is Nikko? 
11.17. Is it true that Aunt Em committed suicide? 
11.18. Whatever became of Toto? 
11.19. How many "Munchkins" were there? 
11.20. Who played the Munchkin mayor and coroner? 
11.21. Did Billy Barty, Patty Maloney, or Zelda Rubinstein play a Munchkin in The Movie? 
11.22. I've heard of someone who claimed to have been one of the Munchkins. How can I check if they're telling the truth? 
11.23. Is it true that the Munchkins were all drunkards? 
11.24. Was a community built for the Munchkins in La Jolla, California? 
11.25. How can I contact the Munchkins? 
11.26. What other films have the actors in The Movie been in? 

12. The Movie - Production and Crew 
12.1. Who was the director? 
12.2. Who did the music? The sound effects? The costumes? The make-up? The sets? The... 
12.3. How did the Munchkin voices get so high? 
12.4. What kinds of sound effects were used? 
12.5. What were the costumes made from? 
12.6. Is it true that the Wizard's coat originally belonged to L. Frank Baum? 
12.7. What was the Cowardly Lion's costume made from? 
12.8. What were the Ruby Slippers made from? 
12.9. What unusual make-up techniques were used on this film? 
12.10. Where were the sets, and how were they built? 
12.11. Are the sets still standing? Can I go see them? 
12.12. Was the Witch's castle a real castle? 
12.13. Was there any location filming done for The Movie? 
12.14. How did they do the special effects? 
12.15. How did the Lion's tail move? 
12.16. What did they use for snow? 
12.17. Was The Movie originally made in color or black and white? Were the Oz scenes colorized later? 
12.18. Was The Movie the first film made in color? 
12.19. Why were the Kansas scenes filmed in black and white? 
12.20. What's this I hear about a dance number called "The Jitterbug"? 
12.21. Were there any problems in making the movie? 
12.22. Is it true that you can see a man hanging himself in The Movie? 

13. The Movie - Post-Production and Premiere 
13.1. When and where did The Movie first premiere? 
13.2. Have any scenes been cut from The Movie since it was released? 
13.3. Is it true that "Over the Rainbow" was cut out at one point? 
13.4. Are there any flubs or bloopers that made it into The Finished Movie? 
13.5. Why didn't they go back and refilm the messed-up parts? 
13.6. Why didn't they keep the parts that were cut out? 
13.7. Wasn't The Movie a flop at the box office when it opened? 
13.8. Didn't the critics pan The Movie when it first came out? 
13.9. How many times has the film been rereleased to theaters? 
13.10. Did The Movie win any Oscars? 
13.11. Where can I see a widescreen version of The Movie? 

14. The Movie - The Legend 
14.1. Has there ever been a soundtrack release? 
14.2. When was The Movie first shown on American television? 
14.3. At what time of year has it usually been shown? 
14.4. Why is it being shown on cable now? 
14.5. Who have been the hosts for the television broadcasts? 
14.6. Is The Movie shown on TV in other countries? 
14.7. How many American video releases have there been? 
14.8. What's this I hear about the Ruby Slippers being auctioned off for a lot of money? 
14.9. Where are the Ruby Slippers now? Can I go see them? 
14.10. Is it true that Ted Turner wants to colorize the Kansas sequences? 
14.11. Is The Movie on the National Film Registry? 
14.12. Where does The Movie rank on the AFI's Top 100 list? 
14.13. Who owns The Movie now? 
14.14. Where can I find other fans of The Movie? 

15. The Movie - Trivia and Miscellany 
15.1. Does Miss Gulch swear in The Movie? 
15.2. What is Miss Gulch's first name? 
15.3. Isn't Miss Gulch out there somewhere, ready to take Toto away again? 
15.4. What's the name of Professor Marvel's horse? 
15.5. Where does the Red Brick Road go? 
15.6. What's a "ding-a-derry"? Or a "gizzard"? 
15.7. What is that the Scarecrow is carrying in the Witch's forest? 
15.8. What are the Wicked Witch's guards called? 
15.9. What is it that the Wicked Witch's guards are chanting? 
15.10. What is wrong with the Scarecrow's math? Doesn't he know the Pythagorean Theorem? 
15.11. What's this I hear about a connection between The Movie and the classic Pink Floyd album "Dark Side of the Moon"? 

16. Oz toys, games, dolls, and other merchandise 
16.1. What Ozzy toys, dolls, and games have been made over the years? 
16.2. What Ozzy comic books have been printed over the years? 
16.3. What other Ozzy stuff is out there? 
16.4. Gee, there must be a lot of stuff! Is there any way I can get more details? 
16.5. How can I get my hands on some of this Oz stuff? 
16.6. Is there any sort of organization for people who collect Oz things? 
16.7. I have some old Oz stuff. How much is it worth? 
16.8. I remember a poster called "Everything I Ever Need to Know I Learned from 'The Wizard of Oz'." What did it say? 

17. Oz fans 
17.1. Is there any sort of Oz fan club? 
17.2. Are there any Oz conventions? 
17.3. How else can I get in touch with fellow Oz fans? 
17.4. What are Oz fans called, anyway? 
17.5. What's the appeal of Oz to homosexuals? Are all Oz fans gay? 
17.6. Have there been any famous Oz fans? 

18. Oz on your computer 
18.1. Are there any "Wizard of Oz" computer programs or CD-ROMs? 
18.2. Have there been any "Wizard of Oz" video games? 
18.3. Where can I find some "Wizard of Oz" clip art? 
18.4. Where can I get "Wizard of Oz" screensavers or desktop accessories? 
18.5. How can I get in touch with other Oz fans on the Internet? 
18.6. Are there any WWW sites having to do with Oz? 
18.7. Is there an Oz newsgroup in Usenet? 
18.8. Where can I find the texts of Oz books online? 
18.9. Where can I find "Wizard of Oz" MIDI or other sound files on the Internet? 

19. Miscellaneous questions 
19.1. I'm a teacher. Are there any "Wizard of Oz"-related lesson plans or ideas? 
19.2. I want to throw a "Wizard of Oz"-themed party for my son/daughter/self. What can I do? 
19.3. What's this Project Ozma I've heard tell about among astronomers? 
19.4. Has there ever been any sort of "Wizard of Oz"-themed amusement park or tourist attraction? 
19.5. Have there been any Oz-themed music videos? 
19.6. I want to decorate my child's room (or my own) with a "Wizard of Oz" theme. What resources are available for this? 
19.7. Where can I find Oz costumes? 
19.8. Where can I find "Wizard of Oz" checks? 
19.9. What's the connection between Oz and Frank Oz, or any other celebrity with an Ozzy name? 
19.10. Why is the country of Australia sometimes called Oz, and the people who live there Ozzies? 
19.11. Can I use "The Wizard of Oz" as a theme for a corporate or charity event, or for publicity purposes? Do I have to pay anyone to do so? 
19.12. Wait! This can't be the last question! You didn't answer the question I have! 

20. Bibliography/Oz writings/Finding out more

===================================================================

1. General information to get you started, and what this document is

1.1. What is Oz?

Oz is the name of a fantastic country, created by L. Frank Baum in the novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which was first published in 1900. The book was so popular and so successful that Baum wrote thirteen more Oz novels, several short stories, and three Oz plays. He also produced some early silent Oz movies. After Baum died in 1919, his widow agreed to allow the publishers to continue the series with another writer, and still others wrote more books later on. More plays and movies (including one of the most watched and beloved films of all time), radio and television shows, toys, dolls, games, clubs, conventions, computer software, and many, many other byproducts came along later. Today, after more than a century, the Oz phenomenon is still going strong, with new stories being written, new dramatic versions being presented, and new merchandise being manufactured all the time.

1.2. Where did the name Oz come from?

There is a story that L. Frank Baum, when asked the country's name by a child he was first telling the story to, looked to his filing cabinet in the next room, which had two drawers. One drawer was marked A-N, and one marked O-Z. So he called it "Oz" after the letters on the second drawer. While this story has been told many times, there seems to be little evidence that it's true. Baum himself told at least two different versions of this story. Others have speculated that it comes from the "Oohs" and "Aahs" his stories produced from readers and listeners. Still others, looking for hidden meaning in the book, claim it comes from the abbreviation for ounces, or have linked it to Uz (Job's home in the Bible), Shelly's "Ozymandius," or Charles Dickens' pseudonym Boz. But L. Frank Baum's widow, Maud, once wrote to writer Jack Snow on this subject and stated that it was just a name that Frank had created out of his own mind.

1.3. How do you pronounce "Oz"?

The vast majority of Oz fans agree that in English, it's pronounced with a short o sound, sounding like "Ahz." This is how it's pronounced in just about every movie and stage version. There are a few people, however, who like to pronounce it with a long o, sounding like "Ohz." In other languages it's said slightly differently, but the idea is usually the same.

1.4. What is an Oz FAQ?

This very document you are reading is an Oz FAQ. It is not the only one, but it strives to be the most thorough. FAQ is a commonly used acronym on the Internet, and it stands for Frequently Asked Questions. A FAQ is any document that lists common questions about a particular subject and provides answers. This is so that newsgroups, bulletin boards, and other online forums where people with common interests meet won't be cluttered with the same general questions and answers. This Oz FAQ was put together to answer many common questions about the Oz books, movies, and so forth, and also to give some idea of just how extensive the entire Oz phenomenon is.

1.5. Who wrote this FAQ?

This FAQ was compiled by Eric Gjovaag, a long-time Oz fan from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. He is the sole person responsible for all content, including errors, omissions, typos, and other goofs. All comments, corrections, additions, and other feedback should be sent to him at webwizard@thewizardofoz.info. He did have help and encouragement, however, from his wife, Laura Gjovaag; and input, feedback, questions that were included in this or previous editions, or suggestions came from Donna Addison, Aaron S. Adelman, Jane Albright, Dennis J. Amundson, Paul Andinach, David Baker, Pete Baker, Todd Balog, Gili Bar-Hillel, Richard Beebe, William Beem, J. L. Bell, Lynn Beltz, Marc Berezin, Herm Bieber, Christopher Biow, Brenton Brookings, J. R. Brown, Karyl Carlson, Steven Chapmen, Jessica Clarke, Christina Cohen, Roxie Cooper, Gehan Cooray, Ken Cope, Joanne Cursine, Cynthia Daniel, Don Davis, Jared Davis, Tom DeWitt, Chris Dulabone, Dorothy Easterday, Orville Eastland, Jill Emmert, Robert Embry, Ray Faiola, Frank Freudberg, Antoinette Fornshell, Mick Forstag, John Foust, Jonathan Furedy, Meredith Furney, Egan Futz, John Gaskey, Peter Glassman, Andrew N. Goldberg, MD, D. Gary Grady, Susan Hall, Peter Hanff (the Royal Proofreader of Oz), Dave Hardenbrook, Aljean Harmetz, Jessica Heid, John Henson, Robin Hess, Susan M. Higbee, Marie Hopkins, David Hulan, Bill Hunter, the staff at the Hussian School of Art, Scott Hutchins, Rick Ipshina, Jim Johnson, Alex Jones, Michael Jones, Tyler Jones, Rudyard Kennedy, Laura Klink, Susan LaFrance, Judy Lalouche, Katy Lau, Phil Lewin, Jonathan Llewellyn, Naomi Lorditch, Sara Lundvall, the late Rob Roy MacVeigh, Terence Martel, Cliff May, Greg McElhatton, Susan Miles, Matthew Morgan, Michael Newman, Carrie O'Grady, John Mark Ockerbloom, Robin Olderman, Ronald I. Orenstein, Karen Owens, Wendy Padoshek-Romano, Vincent Palmese, David Parker, Kristen Pearson, Les Pickett, Connie Purkey, Patrick Quigley, Colin Raff, Samala Ray, Marisa Sandora, Bobby Saverino, Joseph Schuld, Nancy C. Smith, Paul J. Smith, William Stillman, Shannon Patrick Sullivan, Thomas H. Summers, Jr., Tams-Witmark, Michael Thorpe, Steve Wallach, Jim Whitcomb, John N. White, Elaine Willingham, Chris Wisniewski, Chester Witham, W. R. Wright, Matthew Yates, Marc Younger, Julie Youngren, Andrea Yussman, Ralph Zellem, Greg Zimmerman, and Randy Zimmerman, along with a few other folks who were probably inadvertently left out (or who just never gave their real names), for which the author profusely apologizes right now.

1.6. Why did you write this FAQ?

The honest answer? I got sick and tired of answering the question about the "hanging man" in The Movie. Inevitably, if I ever mentioned online (and very often in the real world as well) that I was an Oz fan, this question would pop up. There were a number of other questions that also came up quite often, and I also found that people didn't know a lot about some aspects of the Oz phenomenon. (You probably wouldn't be surprised to learn that most people think Oz is ONLY a movie.) So I wrote this FAQ partly to educate people, and partly so I wouldn't have to write the same answers to the same questions over and over again. I also felt that the one or two other Oz FAQs out there at the time didn't quite do the job, being too narrow in scope or assuming that the reader was already familiar with many aspects of Oz.

1.7. What do I need to know to read this FAQ?

First off, the FAQ is divided into several sections in an effort to sort the questions into some sort of logical categories, and thus make them easier to find. So when looking for a particular question, you may want to check the category that sounds like it's closest to what you are looking for. Also, understand that this FAQ does not cover every single aspect of Oz, it only hits some of the highlights. A bibliography is provided at the end of the FAQ to help those who wish to pursue some of these topics in more depth, or to deal with more obscure aspects of the Oz phenomenon.

A number of acronyms and other written shortcuts are used in a probably futile effort to shorten this FAQ. They are:
* FAQ - Frequently Asked Question (see question 1.4 above).
* FF - The Famous Forty Oz books (see question 2.1 in the next section).
* IWOC - The International Wizard of Oz Club (see question 17.1 for what this organization is all about).
* MGM - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, one of the biggest of the Hollywood movie studios during the golden age of American filmmaking.
* WWW - World Wide Web. Some Oz fans also use it to refer to the Wicked Witch of the West, but to avoid confusion, WWW won't stand for her in this FAQ.
* TMOHH - Tooting My Own Horn Here, my way of saying that what I am about to write has something to do with one of his own Oz projects.
* WWOOW - Wonderful Wizard of Oz Website, maintained by (TMOHH) me. It can be found at http://thewizardofoz.info. This FAQ is only one small part of this comprehensive Oz website.
* "Return to Oz." There have actually been two different productions called "Return to Oz," an animated 1964 television special and the 1985 movie from Disney, directed by Walter Murch and starring Fairuza Balk as Dorothy. Unless indicated, references to "Return to Oz" in this FAQ will refer to the latter production.
* And finally: The Movie -- note the capitalization. This is a much shorter and easier way of saying "the Oscar-winning film version of 'The Wizard of Oz' produced by MGM in 1939, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy." Given its iconic status, it should come as no surprise that The Movie comes up rather a lot in this FAQ, even in sections that aren't directly involved with The Movie.

1.8. Where can I read this FAQ?

There are two locations where you can find this FAQ. One is on the WWW at http://faq.thewizardofoz.info. (This is another address for the FAQ's actual site, http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ozfaq.html. Either address will work.) At that location, there is an introductory page, then each section gets its own web page. It is also available, in one massive chunk of text, using a web browser, at ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/t/tiktok/oz/ozfaq.txt. (Those who want to use anonymous FTP protocol to access this version, I hope this address will provide the necessary information.)

1.9. How do the text and WWW versions of this FAQ differ?

There is very little difference between the two versions. The text version is just plain text, whereas the WWW version takes advantage of the Web to add links and some graphics. The WWW version also allows you to click on a question at the top of a page, which will take you directly to the answer. However, the actual information presented is identical, as the author has tried to keep it all consistent.

1.10. How is this FAQ different from the last version?

It has been over three years since version 1.3 of this FAQ was completed, so there are many updates to the information and a few new questions answered, as well as corrections to some errors. The only change in the organization is that section 2, on the books, has now been split into two parts (sections 2 and 3), as was section 13 (now sections 14 and 15), and all subsequent sections renumbered. The new sections are one about the history and background of the books, and the other about buying and collecting books; and the final section on The Movie has been divided into "The Legend" and "Trivia and Miscellany." But perhaps the biggest change is that I've retroactively altered how I've numbered the various editions of the FAQs. With all the extensive rewritings that have gone on each time, the last version should really have been version 3.0 (indicating a third edition), not a third revision of the first edition. I'm correcting that now, and this version is now version 3.1 (the first revision of the third edition). The next edition should be version 3.2, unless I decide to completely rewrite or rearrange it again -- which is unlikely, as I think I've finally gotten it right.

1.11. How do I use this FAQ?

It depends. Do you have the text version (it might be a good idea to download this via anonymous FTP for your own ease of use), or are you using the online WWW version? If the former, you may want to just read through it, or use a search function to find whatever words you are interested in. The complete list of questions answered in the FAQ is included at the top of the text version, so it can be used like a table of contents. With the WWW version, you can browse (the Soldier with the Green Whiskers is at the bottom of each page to take you forward or back), or find a section that looks promising, then click on the question at the top of the page to go directly to the answer. In the WWW version, only the questions for that section are listed at the top of each page.

1.12. This sounds like a lot of work! Can't I just e-mail you and ask my question?

Well, then, what would have been the point in my writing this FAQ in the first place? I wrote this document so I wouldn't have to keep answering the same questions over and over again, and so I can get on with doing other things in my life. (Believe it or not, I do have a life outside of "The Wizard of Oz," WWOOW, and the WWW.) Really, it's not that tough to find your question, it will only take a little bit of time (much less time than it would take to wait for me to reply to your e-mail), and learning how to do research on your own will help you immensely in the long run. Besides, the whole purpose of this FAQ is to be a stepping stone, a jumping-off point, not to be the ultimate Ozian resource with every answer to everything. Start here, but take advantage of other resources (such as my WWOOW and this FAQ's bibliography) for something more in-depth. Should you not heed this warning and send me an e-mail with a question I've already answered, I'm just going to refer you back to this FAQ anyway.

1.13. How accurate is this FAQ?

When writing this FAQ, I've made every attempt to be as accurate as possible, and others have checked it for errors. That doesn't mean there won't be errors, but they are very likely few and far between. Once this FAQ is released, however, things will change. These changes won't be reflected in this FAQ until a new edition is written and released (and no, I don't know when that will be, it all depends on how much spare time I have in the future). If you are reading the WWW version, updates may be available on the FAQ update page (http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/update.html), so you should take a look there to see if there is any new information.

1.14. Why do you answer so many questions about The Movie in this FAQ? Don't you care about the books or the other movies?

I care about the books very much, which is why I am trying to be thorough and cover as many different aspects of the Oz phenomenon as I can in this FAQ. But the fact is, more people ask me many more questions about The Movie than all other aspects of Oz combined. Whether fans of the books like it or not, The Movie is what most people know about Oz, and want to ask about. Remember, it's so much more than just a movie, it's a major cultural icon and a piece of popular Americana. More people have seen The Movie than any other movie ever, so people who aren't Oz fans still know and want to ask questions about it. And I have tried to write this FAQ with everyone in mind, not just Oz fans (no matter what part of Oz they are fans of).

1.15. What are some of the most frequently asked questions you get?

I'd say roughly ninety percent of the questions I'm asked once people find my WWOOW are one of these. Despite the fact that most of these have been answered in previous editions of this FAQ, these are still the big ones. (Fortunately, since I added this question to the FAQ, I'm actually being asked these questions a lot less!) So, here they are, in the order they appear in the FAQ (with one exception at the end):

* 2.6. What's the first line of "The Wizard of Oz"?
* 2.15. Is it true that "The Wizard of Oz" was written as a political tract?
* 3.2. What Oz books are available? And where can I get them?
* 3.7. I have some old Oz books. How much are they worth?
* 5.11. What breed of dog is Toto?
* 9.12. Where can I find "The Dreamer of Oz" on home video? (This one is new to this edition of the FAQ.)
* 10.11. What are the words to "Over the Rainbow," or any of the other songs?
* 11.16. Who is Nikko?
* 12.17. Was The Movie originally made in color or black and white? Were the Oz scenes colorized later?
* 12.18. Was The Movie the first film made in color?
* 15.5. Where does the Red Brick Road go?
* 15.9. What is it that the Wicked Witch's guards are chanting?
* 15.11. What's this I hear about a connection between "The Wizard of Oz" and the classic Pink Floyd album "Dark Side of the Moon"?
* 16.5. How can I get my hands on some of this Oz stuff?
* 16.7. I have some old Oz stuff. How much is it worth?
* 19.2. I want to throw a "Wizard of Oz"-themed party for my son/daughter/self. What can I do?
* 19.6. I want to decorate my child's room (or my own) with a "Wizard of Oz" theme. What resources are available for this?
* 19.11. Can I use "The Wizard of Oz" as a theme for a corporate or charity event, or for publicity purposes? Do I have to pay anyone to do so? (Another new one for this edition.)

And that all-time favorite:

* 12.22. Is it true that you can see a man hanging himself in The Movie?

If you are reading this on the WWW, you can click on any question above and go straight to the answer.

1.16. I think you got something wrong. How can I convince you to fix it?

By all means, if you think I've made a mistake, please let me know. I am only human, and I'm sure there are some things I've left out or goofed up. However, if you are going to report an error, please back it up. I've done a lot of research in compiling this FAQ, and I've been reading and learning about Oz for nearly thirty years now. I will stand behind what I say here. For example, if you think I'm wrong about the hanging man, don't just tell me that you've heard it somewhere. I've heard it, too, in many, many, many different versions. Please provide me with solid evidence, and more information. (I've actually had people tell me they knew the man who hanged himself, but wouldn't provide a name.) I know many Oz and Baum researchers, and they'd be glad to help prove or disprove any long-covered allegations.

1.17. May I use material from your FAQ for my own purposes?

This FAQ is copyrighted by me, and as a result I can say who can use the material and in what way. But I'm a generous person who feels information does no good if it's not out there educating people, and so I hereby give permission for anyone to reprint or reproduce up to five (5) questions and their answers, in whole or in part, in any way, shape, or form other than on the Internet or WWW. For instance, if you like my summing up of Baum's life (see question 6.1), and you'd like to use it in a program for a local stage production of "The Wizard of Oz," be my guest. But to do this, you need to acknowledge me, Eric Gjovaag, as the author, and my website, thewizardofoz.info, as the source. If at all possible, I'd also like a copy of whatever the information is appearing in, but I know that may be difficult. If you wish to use more of my FAQ than the five questions I've given permission for, please feel free to contact me. If you wish to use parts of the FAQ for online purposes, I ask that instead of copying it, you link to it instead. This is not difficult, and I can help you do so. Feel free to contact me at webwizard@thewizardofoz.info for details.

2. About the Oz Books

2.1 What are the "official" Oz books?

Here is the complete list of the Famous Forty Oz books (often shortened to the FF) -- the ones that most Oz fans agree are true Oz -- along with their authors and dates of publication.

1. "The Wizard of Oz" (originally published as "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz") (L. Frank Baum, 1900)
2. "The Land of Oz" (originally published as "The Marvelous Land of Oz") (L. Frank Baum, 1904)
3. "Ozma of Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1907)
4. "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1908)
5. "The Road to Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1909)
6. "The Emerald City of Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1910)
7. "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1913)
8. "Tik-Tok of Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1914)
9. "The Scarecrow of Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1915)
10. "Rinkitink in Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1916)
11. "The Lost Princess of Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1917)
12. "The Tin Woodman of Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1918)
13. "The Magic of Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1919)
14. "Glinda of Oz" (L. Frank Baum, 1920)
15. "The Royal Book of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson [but originally attributed to L. Frank Baum], 1921)
16. "Kabumpo in Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1922)
17. "The Cowardly Lion of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1923)
18. "Grampa in Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1924)
19. "The Lost King of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1925)
20. "The Hungry Tiger of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1926)
21. "The Gnome King of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1927)
22. "The Giant Horse of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1928)
23. "Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1929)
24. "The Yellow Knight of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1930)
25. "Pirates in Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1931)
26. "The Purple Prince of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1932)
27. "Ojo in Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1933)
28. "Speedy in Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1934)
29. "The Wishing Horse of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1935)
30. "Captain Salt in Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1936)
31. "Handy Mandy in Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1937)
32. "The Silver Princess in Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1938)
33. "Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz" (Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1939)
34. "The Wonder City of Oz" (John R. Neill, 1940)
35. "The Scalawagons of Oz" (John R. Neill, 1941)
36. "Lucky Bucky in Oz" (John R. Neill, 1942)
37. "The Magical Mimics in Oz" (Jack Snow, 1946)
38. "The Shaggy Man of Oz" (Jack Snow, 1949)
39. "The Hidden Valley of Oz" (Rachel R. Cosgrove, 1951)
40. "Merry Go Round in Oz" (Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Lauren McGraw Wagner, 1963)

2.2. In what order should I read these books?

It all depends. While it's nice to read them in the order they were published, it's not critical, as they're generally self-contained. Any information you might need to know from a previous book is usually summarized in the book you're reading. My usual recommendation when people ask me this is to try to read the first seven or so books in order, to help set up the entire series and its characters, then read the rest of the books in whatever order you choose. (Some titles are harder to find than others, so you may not even be able to find them all in order.) There are some cases, however, where it helps to read one book before another. These instances are "The Royal Book of Oz" before "The Yellow Knight of Oz," "Kabumpo in Oz" before "The Purple Prince of Oz," "Pirates in Oz" before "Captain Salt in Oz," "The Purple Prince of Oz" before "The Silver Princess in Oz," and "The Wonder City of Oz" before "The Scalawagons of Oz." I'd also recommend reading Baum's non-Oz books "The Sea Fairies" and "Sky Island" between "The Road to Oz" and "The Scarecrow of Oz."

2.3. If these are the "official" Oz books, does that mean that there are others?

Yes. All of the authors and many of the illustrators of the Oz books listed above have written other Oz stories, but because they weren't as well known or well distributed, or not kept in print as long as the other books, or are a bit of a departure from the rest of the books, or published by a company other than Reilly and Lee, they are not generally considered part of the "official" series. (These additional books by "official" Oz authors and illustrators are discussed in sections 6 and 7.) Also, since 1956, when the copyright on "The Wizard of Oz" expired in the United States and the characters entered the public domain, a number of other authors have written and published Oz books outside of the regular series. There are now even two publishers devoted to putting out nothing but original Oz stories. For a list of these books (some of which have yet to be published), go to http://members.cox.net/cruenti/oz/hacc/hacc.html on the WWW. The IWOC website has a list of some of these original Oz stories as well, at http://www.ozclub.org/reference/pastiche.asp.

Please note that there is no general consensus as to what an Oz book actually is, or which ones should or shouldn't count in some situations. (This is why quote marks are put around "official" in this section.) While the FF is generally accepted, there are some who are fans only of the L. Frank Baum books, while others try to include every single Oz book published. There is no one central authority to say what is official, and so Oz fans can pick and choose which ones are "official" to them -- and many read and enjoy other Oz books, even if they don't personally consider them all to be "official".

2.4. Who published these Oz books?

With the exception of the very first book, which was first published by the George M. Hill Company (Bobbs-Merrill became the primary publisher after Hill went bankrupt), all of the "official" Oz books were originally published by the Reilly and Britton Company, which became Reilly and Lee in 1919. Reilly and Lee finally published its own edition of "The Wizard of Oz" in 1956. (In the late 1950s, Reilly and Lee was bought by the Henry Regnery Company, and the Reilly and Lee imprint was used solely on the Oz and other children's books. Regnery is now known as Contemporary Books, and is now a division of McGraw-Hill, but they are no longer publishing Oz books. There is currently also a Regnery Publishing Company, which secured the rights to publish the Oz books from Contemporary Books, but they are not currently doing so.) Nowadays, Oz books, particularly those titles in public domain, are coming out from many different publishers.

2.5. Who illustrated the books?

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was originally illustrated by W. W. (William Wallace) Denslow, a friend of Baum's. In 1904 Baum's new publishers hired John R. Neill to illustrate "The Marvelous Land of Oz," and he illustrated all subsequent Oz books until his death in 1943. The two books by Jack Snow were illustrated by Frank Kramer, "The Hidden Valley of Oz" by Dirk (his full name was Dirk Gringhuis), and "Merry Go Round in Oz" by Dick Martin. Numerous other artists have illustrated "The Wizard of Oz" over the years, most notably Evelyn Copelman, Dale Ulrey, Maraja, Michael Hague, Charles Santore, Lisbeth Zwerger, Greg Hildebrandt, Barry Moser, and Michael McCurdy. Many foreign editions have also had new illustrations.

2.6. What's the first line of "The Wizard of Oz"?

This is one of the oddest questions I've ever gotten -- because it's so obscure, yet I've been asked it many times! I finally asked one person why he needed to know, and he confirmed my suspicions: It's an item on an Internet scavenger hunt, given out by computer teachers. Normally, I'd advise people to check out the online editions of the Oz books (see the links page of the WWOOW at http://links.thewizardofoz.info) -- but as this is a list of FREQUENTLY asked questions, I've since relented:

"Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife."

(A note to teachers who may be assigning this scavenger hunt in the future: It might be a good idea to emphasize that the students are to find the items on their own, not e-mail people or post a message and ask for the answers outright. You may want to require a URL where they found the answer besides the answer itself. I speak from experience, not only from receiving all those e-mails, but also being a teacher myself who has taught computers.)

2.7. What's the difference between the books "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," "The Wizard of Oz," and "The New Wizard of Oz"?

Very little. The book was first published by George M. Hill as "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," but soon afterwards, despite the success of their new book, the publisher went bankrupt. By the time the book was reissued, the story had become a hit play under the shortened name "The Wizard of Oz." The new publisher, Bobbs-Merrill, originally called the book "The New Wizard of Oz," but the "New" was quickly dropped from the cover, and the book became better known simply as "The Wizard of Oz." However, it was officially still titled "The New Wizard of Oz," since that was the title on record at the copyright office, and on the title page until 1956. For some reason, this edition replaced "yellow daisies" and "yellow flowers" in chapter 14 with "bright daisies" and "scarlet flowers," but that is the only change in the text. The earliest editions also gave chapter 13 two different titles, "How the Four Were Reunited" on the contents page and "The Rescue" in the text itself. Later editions cleared this up by resetting the table of contents to read "The Rescue" for chapter 13. When the copyright on the story expired in 1956, numerous publishers put out their own editions under all three titles (and with both styles of flowers and names for chapter 13), a practice still going on today. But other than the title, they are all the same story. The "New" is rarely used today, however. While most people know the story as "The Wizard of Oz," some people do prefer to use the full original title, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," some so as to differentiate it from The Movie.

2.8. What's the difference between "The Marvelous Land of Oz" and "The Land of Oz"?

As with the first book, none save a word in the title. Soon after publication, Reilly and Britton (as the publishers were then called) shortened the title on the cover (although the "Marvelous" remained on the title page for several more years). Now, like the first book, this title is published under both names.

2.9. Early editions of "The Royal Book of Oz" say that it was written by Baum, but later ones say it was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. What's up with that?

The cover of all Reilly and Lee editions of "The Royal Book of Oz" listed Baum as the author, and the title page added, "Enlarged and Edited by Ruth Plumly Thompson." This was a ruse on the publisher's part, as the entire work was Thompson's. Baum's widow, Maud Baum, added to the smokescreen by writing a preface for the new book that mentioned some notes her husband had left that formed the basis for the story. It was felt that this would ease the transition from one writer to the next. Thompson's sole authorship of "The Royal Book of Oz" was first acknowledged in Jack Snow's "Who's Who in Oz," published in 1954, and the first edition to feature Thompson's name on the cover as author was the Del Rey paperback edition of 1985. The Dover  edition of 2001 retained Baum's name for the sake of authenticity.

2.10. For what age are the Oz books written?

This is a question L. Frank Baum himself was asked, and answered in his introduction to "The Tin Woodman of Oz":

"A learned college professor recently wrote me to ask: 'For readers of what age are your books intended?' It puzzled me to answer that properly, until I had looked over some of the letters I have received. One says: 'I'm a little boy of 5 years old, and I just love your Oz stories. My sister, who is writing this for me, reads me the Oz books, but I wish I could read them myself.' Another letter says: 'I'm a great girl 13 years old, so you'll be surprised when I tell you I am not too old yet for the Oz stories.' Here's another letter: 'Since I was a young girl I've never missed getting a Baum book for Christmas. I'm married, now, but am as eager to get and read the Oz stories as ever.' And still another writes: 'My good wife and I, both more than 70 years of age, believe that we find more real enjoyment in your Oz books than in any other books we read.' Considering these statements, I wrote the college professor that my books are intended for all those whose hearts are young, no matter what their ages may be."

This answer works very nicely. Some recent Oz books, however, are written for an older audience, and include some adult themes, language, and actions. Cautious parents may want to research which books their children are reading.

2.11. Did "The Wizard of Oz" or any of the other Oz books ever receive any book awards?

Let's put it this way: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was published in 1900. The Newbery Medal, the earliest prize for American children's books, was first awarded in 1922. So no, the first book didn't win any awards, but there were no children's book awards at the time to be won. None of the later books received awards, either, but "The Wizard of Oz" and the Oz series in general have appeared on several lists of best/favorite/most beloved/etc. books over the last few decades.

2.12. Are the Oz books still under copyright?

Some of them are and some aren't. As of this writing, the following Oz books have entered public domain in the United States: All of the titles written by Baum, "The Royal Book of Oz," "Kabumpo in Oz," "The Wishing Horse of Oz," "Captain Salt in Oz," "Handy Mandy in Oz," "The Silver Princess in Oz," "Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz," "The Magical Mimics in Oz," and "The Shaggy Man of Oz." The original illustrations in those books are also public domain. All other Oz books are still under copyright, and due to a copyright extension passed by the United States Congress in 1998, it looks like they will be for some time. (In case you were wondering, the later Thompson books and those by Snow are public domain because, at the time, copyrights were good for twenty-eight years, then a further twenty-eight if the copyright was renewed -- and the copyrights were not renewed on those books. Now, it is no longer necessary to renew a copyright, so this will not happen in the future.) The copyrights on both the story and the illustrations are held by the individual writers of the books or their estates. The rights on the Thompson books still under copyright were recently transferred to the Baum Trust, a family organization originally set up to administer L. Frank Baum's copyrights, under whose auspices Thompson's books were originally written anyway. Those wondering about copyright laws in other countries and how they affect Oz books should consult a local copyright lawyer or government copyright office. Several WWW sites dealing with American and British copyright can be found at http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/links.html#writing.

2.13. Were the Oz books ever published in countries outside of the United States?

Most certainly. Over the decades there have been numerous Canadian and British editions of the Baum Oz books, and "The Wizard of Oz" is first known to have been translated into another language, French, in 1932. "The Wizard of Oz," other Oz books, and a few of Baum's non-Oz books have now been translated into a number of different languages, and published in many editions. Even some of the books by other Oz authors are starting to show up in translations around the world. Many of the earliest books published abroad were not translations, but retellings of the story from The Movie.

2.14. What's this I hear about a different Oz series in Russia?

It's true. There is a series, first published in the Soviet Union, that started off in a familiar fashion, but then went in a different direction. In 1939, a new book by Aleksandr Volkov was published in Moscow, "Volshebnik Izumrudnovo Goroda" -- "The Wizard of the City of Emeralds." While purporting to be an original tale, the story of Elli and her dog Totoshka, Strasheela the Scarecrow, the Iron Woodchopper, and the Cowardly Lion was easily recognizable as "The Wizard of Oz." The first edition was illustrated by N. Radlov. In 1959, a revised edition, illustrated by L. Vladimirski, appeared. (Both editions acknowledge Baum and "The Wizard of Oz" as inspiring the story, but the 1959 edition gave Baum more credit and emphasis.) This edition was followed by an original sequel, "Urfin Dzhus i yevo Dyerevyannie Soldati" ("Urfin Dzhus and His Wooden Soldiers") in 1963. Later additions to the series were "Syem Pozyemnich Koroly" ("Seven Underground Kings," 1969), "Ognyennei Bog Marranov" ("The Fire God of the Maronnes," 1972), "Zholti Tuman" ("The Yellow Fog," 1974), and "Taina Zabrosynnovo Zamka" ("The Secret of the Deserted Castle," published posthumously in 1982), all illustrated by Vladimirski. The series proved to be popular enough in Russian that many of the books have been translated into other languages -- including English. (The exchange has now gone both ways, as some of the Oz books have recently been translated into Russian.) Volkov died in 1977, but others have continued the series since then. "Volshebnik Izumrudnovo Goroda" has also been performed on the Russian stage, shown on television, and released on video.

2.15. Is it true that "The Wizard of Oz" was written as a political tract?

Nope. Baum was not very active in politics, and none of his other stories could be considered political works.

The connection between "The Wizard of Oz" and the contemporary political landscape was not even raised until 1963, when a summer school teacher named Henry Littlefield, while trying to teach the 1896 Presidential election and the turn-of-the-century Populist movement to bored history students, stumbled upon the idea of using the characters and events of "The Wizard of Oz" as metaphors to teach the concepts. He and his students made a number of connections -- the Scarecrow represented the farmers, the Tin Woodman the factory workers, the Wizard was President Grover Cleveland or Republican presidential candidate William McKinley, the Cowardly Lion was Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, the silver shoes were the silver standard, the yellow brick road the gold standard, and so on -- and Littlefield eventually wrote an article, "The Wizard of Oz: A Parable on Populism," which was published in the magazine "American Quarterly" in 1964. (You can read this article on the WWW at http://www.amphigory.com/oz.htm.)

Littlefield's article seems not to have been taken to heart and was generally forgotten, until Gore Vidal, writing about Oz in "The New York Review of Books" in 1977, mentioned the article, and the idea took off. Unfortunately a number of other articles later came out that misunderstood or reinterpreted what Littlefield had said or meant, and other writers took the ideas even further, many not even aware of Littlefield's original essay. Some of these interpretations even contradict each other, and others invented political leanings for Baum (whose early newspaper columns show a stronger leaning towards the Republicans than the Populists; and Baum supported Bryan in the 1896 election). Some of these interpretations have been embraced by college professors and other academics as the "true" meaning behind "The Wizard of Oz." Littlefield took pains to say, then and later, that he does not believe Baum had a political agenda in writing "The Wizard of Oz," and that his observations were allegorical, not theoretical. The Baum family and many Oz and Baum scholars have also proclaimed that it was not Baum's intention to write a deliberate allegory. Still, this has not stopped many people from taking a quaint set of metaphors and converting them into "fact".

Like almost any great literary work, one can interpret "The Wizard of Oz" in any number of ways, if one tries hard enough. Other interpretations of the book that have been published include spiritual (Baum did have an interest in Theosophism, but he was not a religious man), mythic, psychological (Freudian, Jungian, and others), feminist, capitalist, and socialist/Communist. However, Baum merely wanted to tell a good story, and not to add any hidden meaning. He wrote in his introduction to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz": "Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks ONLY ENTERTAINMENT [emphasis mine] in its wonder-tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident. Having this thought in mind, the story of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' was written SOLELY TO PLEASURE CHILDREN OF TODAY [emphasis mine]."

Look at it another way: If "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written as a political work, then it makes sense that Baum would have included politics in some of his other stories. Yet nobody has made this sort of connection with any of his other books. True, Baum does make some sly comments about contemporary events in some of his books (the spoof of the Women's Suffrage movement in "The Land of Oz" being the most striking example), but nothing to the extent that some have made out to be in "The Wizard of Oz".

2.16. What's with all the drug references in Oz?

You're kidding, right? The Oz books are not riddled with drug references. I suspect many of the critics who claim this have not actually read the books. It's true, heroin and opium are made from poppies, which is why Dorothy, Toto, and the Cowardly Lion fall asleep in the poppy field, but this is hardly a secret. These drugs and their origins were well known at the turn of the century when Baum wrote the book. They were also less stigmatized at the time as well, although they certainly weren't met with universal approval, either. Baum himself was not a drug user, and his strongest vice was the ocassional cigar. In the book, the travelers are rescued from the poppies by the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, who carry Dorothy and Toto out, and a band of field mice who haul out the Cowardly Lion. The snowstorm ("snow" is a slang term for cocaine, hence others seeing this as another drug reference) that kills the poppies originates in the 1902 stage play, and was reused for The Movie.

2.17. Why are there so many inconsistencies in the Oz books?

Like any other long series of books (or movies or television shows, for that matter), a few inconsistencies have shown up within the books. Questions 4.4 and 5.25 are two examples, and there are several other smaller flubs and the like that have appeared in the books as well. Some Oz fans have had some fun creating fanciful explanations for these contradictions, but for the most part Oz fans don't worry about them too much. This can all be traced to the fact that "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was not originally written with a series in mind, but as a stand-alone novel. The sequel, "The Marvelous Land of Oz," also wasn't written with a series in mind. By the time Baum wrote the third book, "Ozma of Oz," however, he had agreed to write several more Oz books, and so had to start figuring out the rules for his creation. Baum was blazing a new trail, as he was one of the first authors to create a series of fantasy novels. Furthermore, the next two and a half books -- "Ozma of Oz," "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz," and the first half of "The Road to Oz" -- take place primarily outside of Oz, so Baum had little chance to develop his new land. And by the time he got back to Oz for a full book, in "The Emerald City of Oz," Baum had intended to end the Oz series. So over the first six books, there isn't a lot of consistency because there was no call for it, there was no need for it, and nobody thought it would be needed. Plus, he was developing the rules as he went -- which is why there is money in "The Marvelous Land of Oz," but its use has been abolished by "The Road to Oz," for example. When Baum returned to writing Oz full time, he had a better idea what was going on and what his country was like, and so had an easier time of it -- although he still contradicted himself at times. Then when other authors took over from Baum, they brought some of their own ideas and thoughts about Oz to the books, causing other minor inconsistencies. The vast majority of readers didn't notice or care, however. So don't let a small inconsistency get in the way of enjoying a good Oz story.

2.18. Are Oz books available at my local library?

It used to be, not so long ago, that some libraries, as a rule, didn't carry the Oz books. Some librarians just didn't stock long series of books, because of the expense and shelf space. Others unfairly linked Baum with poor writing, or didn't like some of the messages conveyed in the books. Some even thought that fantasy was bad for children to read. And it didn't help that Reilly and Lee was not a big publishing house, able to generate enough publicity and interest for libraries to want to carry them. (Most of the recommended reading lists that libraries used to select books were compiled by the big publishing firms, who ignored the Oz books because they didn't publish them.) But more recently, the Oz books have gained a steady audience, and many Oz fans have introduced the books to their children and grandchildren, so more librarians have grown up as Oz fans, and now stock the books. The popularity of The Movie has not hurt the situation. The Baum books, and many of his recently reprinted non-Oz titles, are now generally available in most public children's libraries, many elementary school libraries, and university libraries, the latter usually in the education department. For other books it may be more difficult, as fewer libraries carry them, but most libraries have an interlibrary loan program where they can borrow books from another library, then loan it to you. Some Oz fans have reported being able to read the entire FF, all of Baum's fantasies, and a large number of other books solely through interlibrary loan. Ask your librarian for more information.

2.19. Have the Oz books ever been banned, edited, or censored?

Sadly, yes. There have been several recent attempts to remove "The Wizard of Oz" from school libraries or reading lists (none have been successful, so far as I've been able to discover, although some school students in Tennessee and Louisiana have been excused from reading the book on religious grounds). Some reasons critics have given, for example, is that the book depicts good witches, which they claim is theologically impossible, and that animals are elevated to the same level as humans. And as stated in the previous question, some public libraries used to not carry the Oz books for various reasons. While "The Wizard of Oz" couldn't be found on the shelves of the Chicago library system as early as 1928, two of the most notorious incidents took place in the 1950s, when Senator Joseph McCarthy was chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee and saw Communism in all walks of life. Many libraries removed a number of books, including the Oz books, for being too "radical." Fantasy was also felt to be harmful to children at the time, and that children's books should be more educational. In Detroit in 1957, Director Ralph Ulveling admitted that "The Wizard of Oz" had not been available in the main library's children's room or any branch for thirty years, as it was not well-written, "the story relies on fantastic rather than fanciful happenings," the story didn't build to any sort of climax, "there is too much exaggeration in carrying out each detail, [and is] old-fashioned and out-dated...It does not meet present day standards of book selection for children." On a catalog card for the book in 1939, a Detroit library employee wrote, "[T]he reader's mind is not fired by this type of imagination...no need to reinstate this book." After this revelation, the "Detroit Times" newspaper serialized "The Wizard of Oz" so children could read it. In Florida in 1959, State Librarian Dorothy Dodd sent out to libraries a list of books that were "not to be purchased, not to be accepted as gifts, not to be processed and not to be circulated." The list included Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Tarzan" books, F. W. Dixon's "Hardy Boys" series, H. R. Garis' "Uncle Wiggily" books, Laura Lee Hope's "Bobbsey Twins" books, Carolyn Keene's "Nancy Drew" mysteries, all of Horatio Alger's titles, and Victor Appleton's "Tom Swift" books. But at the very top of the list was L. Frank Baum's Oz books. Dodd said on the list: "The presence of books of this type on the library shelves indicate [sic] waste of time and money on the part of the librarian and lack of interest in the welfare of the children of the community." Other communities that also didn't have the Oz books in their libraries at the time include Oklahoma, Washington, D. C., and Toronto. Fortunately, complaints and the more open-minded 1960s caused many libraries to rethink their policies, and they are now generally available. The Detroit Library even hosted a major Oz exhibit in 1982.

More recently, Books of Wonder and their publishing partners have been criticized by some for altering two of its reprints of Baum's books. The original versions contained depictions that were seen as amusing in Baum's day, but times change, and they are now seen as offensive African or African-American stereotypes. In "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," there is a living phonograph that plays a song that originally contained the line, "Ah wants mah Lulu, mah coal-black Lulu;" this was changed to, "Ah want my Lulu, mah cross-eyed Lulu" by Books of Wonder. A later, similar line not only kept the change from "coal-black" to "cross-eyed," it changes "loves" to the more grammatically correct "love." Later in the same book, the travelers meet a band of creatures called Tottenhots, an obvious play on the Hottentot tribe of Africa. Some references to these people's "dusky" skin color and other aspects of their appearance were edited or removed, and one picture of a Tottenhot was not included. In "Rinkitink in Oz," another picture of a Tottenhot was removed. Both pictures unflatteringly showed the Tottenhots as stereotypical "savage" Africans. Fortunately, none of these changes affect the stories at all, and many Oz fans accept them as necessary in today's world. (Others, of course, do not, some rather vocally.) The Books of Wonder editions are the only ones to have made these changes; the original texts and illustrations are currently available from Del Rey and Dover, among other publishers. Some other books published by Books of Wonder that could have been changed, notably "The Royal Book of Oz" and "The Silver Princess of Oz," were not, but do include a cautionary warning in the front. These books were published solely by Books of Wonder, without a publishing partner.

3. Buying, selling, and collecting the Oz books

3.1. Is anybody publishing Oz books today?

Yes. Unlike just a few years ago, all of the FF is now in print, or at least generally available, and there are at least two publishers devoted to putting out new Oz books.

3.2. What Oz books are available? And where can I get them?

All of the Baum Oz books are available from a number of publishers. Del Rey has been publishing paperback versions of the Baum books for years now, and they are generally available at most larger bookstores (although you may have to look in science fiction instead of children's). Dover Publications has also put out the Baum books, as well as some of his non-Oz fantasies and "The Royal Book of Oz," in nice paperback editions, and these too can often be found in better bookstores. If you have no luck there, check online at http://store.doverpublications.com/. Finally, Books of Wonder and HarperCollins have teamed up to reprint the Baum series in near facsimiles of their first editions. These, too, are available in many bookstores. There are also numerous other editions of "The Wizard of Oz" (be careful, some may be adaptations -- some may not even acknowledge Baum as the original author), and many Canadian, British, and other editions of Baum's Oz books published outside of the United States, including translations into many languages.

When it comes to books by other authors, however, it gets a little more complicated, and you're probably going to have to get at least some of them by mail order. In the mid-'80s Del Rey expanded their Oz line by reprinting most of Thompson's books, but they did not sell as well, and after the death of editor Judy Lynn Del Rey, a lifelong Oz fan herself, the company decided to drop the Thompson titles. IWOC bought up the remaining stocks, and now sells the titles from "The Royal Book of Oz" through "Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz" (but their supplies are nearly exhausted now). Thanks to changes in printing technology, however, the Thompson Del Rey titles are back in print, and they can be ordered from most booksellers, or look through Del Rey's online catalog at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/index.pperl (although their database doesn't appear to contain all of their Oz books).

IWOC has also published its own versions of the books from "Speedy in Oz" through "Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz," as well as "The Scarecrow of Oz," "The Magical Mimics in Oz," "The Shaggy Man of Oz," "The Hidden Valley of Oz," and new books from established Oz authors: Thompson's "Yankee in Oz" and "The Enchanted Island of Oz," "The Forbidden Fountain of Oz" by the McGraws, "The Ozmapolitan of Oz" by illustrator Dick Martin, and "The Wicked Witch of Oz" by Rachel Cosgrove Payes. IWOC has also published a new novel for the Oz centennial, "The Hidden Prince of Oz" by Gina Wickwar, various collections of essays and short stories, games and art books, and other Ozzy publications, including "Oziana," an annual literary magazine of new short fiction. The current address to write about buying IWOC publications is The International Wizard of Oz Club, 1407 A Street, Antioch, CA 94509. More information can also be found on the WWW at http://www.ozclub.org/iwocpubs.asp.

Books of Wonder, in addition to its Baum books, has also published the other Oz titles in public domain, the Neill Oz books (including "The Runaway in Oz," his previously unpublished manuscript), "Merry Go Round in Oz," new editions of some of Baum's non-Oz books, and their own line of new Oz stories under the imprint of The Emerald City Press. Many of these books are available in bookstores. In addition, they sell any number of new Oz books from other publishers, toys, games, video and audio tapes, knickknacks, and anything else Ozzy. For a free copy of their catalog, "The Oz Collector," call them (toll free in the United States and Canada) at 1-800-207-6968, write to them at Books of Wonder, 16 West 18th St., New York, NY 10011, or fill out the form at http://www.booksofwonder.com/order2.htm on the WWW. You can also order books through their Oz website at http://www.booksofwonder.net/division/main.jsp?segment_seq=186603&segment_id=oz. Their list of Oz and Baum books is also available online at http://www.booksofwonder.com/bow_oz.htm.

Another source of new Oz books is Tails of the Cowardly Lion and Friends, a not-for-profit company that will publish just about anything if it's sufficiently Ozzy. For more information and a current price and availability list, send a SASE and one dollar to Tails of the Cowardly Lion and Friends, 1606 Arnold Palmer Loop, Belen, NM 87002, or check out their online catalog at http://members.aol.com/LionCoward/home.html.

Also take a look at Hungry Tiger Press, 5995 Dandridge Lane, Suite 121, San Diego, CA 92115-6575, http://www.hungrytigerpress.com/index.shtml. They've been issuing a number of interesting Ozzy products of late, such as reprints of some of Baum's pseudonymous works and sheet music from old Oz stage plays. Hungry Tiger Press also published six issues of "Oz-Story," an annual magazine of Oz fiction, poetry, and art from Baum, Thompson, Neill, and others, including recent work by current authors and artists. Their most notable books have been "Paradox in Oz" by Edward Einhorn, and "The Rundelstone of Oz," Eloise Jarvis McGraw's last book.

One of the most thorough resources for buying Oz books and other Oz products is (TMOHH) the online bookshop of the WWOOW. This site is run in association with Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (other sources are also represented), and allows for easy ordering of Oz products online via the WWW. You can reach it directly at http://shop.thewizardofoz.info.

If you are only interested in reading the texts of the Oz books, and don't mind using your computer to do it, most of the titles in public domain are available online to read or download. Many of Baum's non-Oz works are available in this form as well. See question 18.8 for details.

3.3. My bookstore doesn't carry Oz books. What can I do?

Most bookstores will be happy to order books of any sort for their customers. All you have to do is ask. Since bookstores want to keep their customers satisfied, they will put in a special order, and let you know when your books arrive. On the off chance that your local bookstore can't or won't special order books for you, find another bookstore! Online bookstores, such as Amazon.com and bn.com (the online version of Barnes and Noble), are also good resources.

3.4. How can I get older editions or out-of-print books?

Now that is a little more complicated. Many people collect Oz books (or children's books in general), and even editions from as recently as the 1970s can sell for much more than their original sales price. Rare and antiquarian booksellers know their market, and often charge quite a bit for their Oz books. Yet bargains can sometimes be found at thrift shops, used book stores, rummage and garage sales, and so forth. Look around, they may be out there.

You can also try a few other places that do mail order business. Books of Wonder (see their address and website above) also sells older books, and so you may want to contact them if you have something in particular in mind. Another place to try is Oz and Ends Book Shoppe (write to them at 14 Dorset Drive, Kenilworth, NJ 07033-1417, or e-mail HermBieber@aol.com). Unlike many book dealers, Herm Bieber of Oz and Ends carries more than just collectible early editions in good condition. He has most books in any number of editions and conditions, and his prices are much lower than most other dealers. Send a list with your wants (the more flexible you can be the better), along with your address and phone number, and Herm will help you as best he can. Or try Gryphon Bookshop, 2246 Broadway (80-81st Sts.), New York, NY 10024 (their phone number is 1-212-362-0706). Or March Hare Books in El Segundo, California, fineandrarebooks@yahoo.com. One of my sources has also recommended Much Ado Books in Massachusetts. You can contact them at 108 Washington St., Marblehead, MA 01945, telephone 781-639-0400.

Another good place to get Oz books and merchandise is the IWOC conventions. The annual Ozmopolitan, Quadling, Winkie, and Munchkin Conventions all feature auctions and sales tables, and are a good way to see what's available and to meet other Oz fans. (For more information on Oz conventions, see question 17.2.)

There are many excellent resources online that can help. Check out the links page of WWOOW (http://links.thewizardofoz.info). There are a number of bookshops listed there that do online business in used and antiquarian books. To search a number of bookshops all at once, try Bookfinder (http://www.bookfinder.com) or ABE Books (http://www.abebooks.com/), both of which have the listings of a number of antiquarian booksellers. Book Rescue (http://www.bookrescue.com/) specializes in childrens' books. You can also try online auction houses, such as eBay (http://www.ebay.com/), there are often Oz books there. Be careful with auction sites, however, because not everybody understands what they have, and so may advertise a Baum paperback as a first edition. Two newsgroups may also be helpful, rec.arts.books.marketplace and alt.marketplace.books.

If all else fails, and you still can't find that one book you're looking for, you can always try placing an ad in "The Oz Trading Post," the buy/sell/trade pages of IWOC. Sending in a listing is free, and goes to all IWOC members, but you will probably want to contact IWOC for more information before sending your ad in. They also have an online version on IWOC's WWW page, http://www.ozclub.org/iwoctrad.asp (as of this writing, however, it appears that this page has not been updated for about a year and a half). There are other online Oz want ad services as well, available through the WWOOW links page (see above).

3.5. I'm collecting the Rand McNally paperbacks. Where can I find their editions of "Rinkitink in Oz" and "The Lost Princess of Oz"?

In the early 1970s, Rand McNally made a deal with Reilly and Lee to publish attractive, large paperback editions of the Baum Oz books, similar in size and style to the hardcover editions Reilly and Lee were also publishing at the time. With many of the titles, it was the first time they had ever been issued in paperback. But for some reason, Rand McNally only published twelve of the Baum books in paperback, and left out "Rinkitink in Oz" and "The Lost Princess of Oz." So, to finally answer the question, you can't find them anywhere. Sorry.

3.6. What are the "Junior Edition" Oz books from Rand McNally, published in 1939?

In March and June of 1939, Rand McNally hopped on the "Wizard of Oz" bandwagon (publicity for The Movie was already in high gear at that point, even though it wouldn't be released until August) by publishing their own versions of some of the Oz books, licensed from Reilly and Lee. These books were smaller and much slimmer than the regular Oz books of the time, as they were intended for a younger audience. They were similar in style to today's Little Golden Books. The first three offerings were unabridged reprints of some of the "Little Wizard" stories from 1913 (see question 6.7 for details), two stories per volume: "The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman of Oz, also Princess Ozma of Oz," "Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse of Oz, also Tik-tok and the Gnome King of Oz," and "Little Dorothy and Toto of Oz, also The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger of Oz." The remaining six books in the series were adaptations of Oz books: "The Land of Oz," "The Road to Oz," "The Emerald City of Oz," "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," "Rinkitink in Oz," and "The Lost Princess of Oz." This was the first time any Oz book other than "The Wizard of Oz" was published as an adaptation. All nine of these books retained Neill's original art, but because of their small size, only some of the art could be included. Some of the color pictures from these books (see question 3.10) were also reproduced, which makes them especially interesting as the regular Oz books of the time no longer included color. And as "The Road to Oz" had not originally included color illustrations, a Rand McNally staff artist added color to some of Neill's full-page illustrations from that book for the adaptation. This makes the Junior Edition of "The Road to Oz" especially popular among collectors, as it is the only edition of the book with Neill's illustrations in color. But the entire series is not hard to find, and prices are relatively affordable. The books were available both separately and as a set in an illustrated box labeled "The Wonderful Land of Oz Library." The box is more difficult to find, especially in good shape, and thus more expensive.

3.7. I have some old Oz books. How much are they worth?

How much an Oz book is worth depends on its edition (when it was printed, and in some cases by what publisher) and condition (how clean and well put-together it still is after all those years of enjoyment). A first edition of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" in excellent condition can fetch thousands of dollars, while tattered later printings can be worth less than fifty, to give an example. It also depends, of course, on how much a book is worth to someone else, and how much that person is willing to pay. Unfortunately, there are too many variables in what a book is worth, and the market is constantly shifting, so there is no established price guide or scale for Oz books. To find out how much an older book is really worth, take it to an antiquarian bookdealer and ask. Better yet, take it to several antiquarian bookdealers, especially those who specialize in children's books. If you can make it to one of IWOC's conventions, there are a number of Oz books experts who could also help you there. I do not recommend trying to have a book's value determined over the phone, through letters, or online, as it is very difficult to tell much of anything without being able to actually physically examine the book. But if you must go this route, supply as much information as you can -- full title on both cover and title page, illustrator, color of the cloth used in binding, whether or not the book has color pictures or a pasted-down cover label, the name of the publisher, the size of the pages, and the overall thickness of the book are all clues that can be used to determine an Oz book's approximate age. If you can supply photos of the cover, title page, and copyright page, that will help even more.

3.8. Where can I sell my old Oz books?

You can always try your local antiquarian bookdealers (most large cities have at least one or two). They will pay you for the books, of course, then sell them to others at a considerable markup. With some dealers you may also be able to work out a consignment deal. You can also try eBay or another online auction site, and you'd get to keep a higher percentage of the money. The trouble there is that there's no guarantee that you'll make the full value of your books. Another alternative is to contact IWOC. They often buy Oz items, or put them on consignment, for the auctions they conduct at IWOC conventions to raise funds for the club. If you choose to donate your books to IWOC, there may be some tax advantages, as IWOC is a non-profit corporation. And whether you sell or donate your book through IWOC, you'll know that your book will probably go to an Oz fan who will truly appreciate it. For details on selling through or donating to IWOC, contact Paul Bienvenue via e-mail, fineandrarebooks@yahoo.com.

3.9. How can I tell when an Oz book was published?

Unfortunately, unlike most American publishers of the twentieth century, Reilly and Britton/Lee didn't print publishing histories in their books, so it's impossible to tell just how old a particular volume is without some background information. A good VERY general rule of thumb is that the more elaborate a book is, the older it is, but this only holds if you can compare it to other copies of the same title. Fortunately, information of this sort is readily available. If you are at all serious about buying, selling, trading, or collecting older editions of the Oz books, you will do yourself a BIG favor by buying a copy of the book "Bibliographia Oziana" from IWOC. This book gives the probable printing history of ALL of the FF, as well as several other major titles, and how to recognize and differentiate between different editions. While it doesn't give any sort of prices, it is a good book to have on hand when making deals, shopping around, or seeing what's available. For more information, contact IWOC.

3.10. I've seen Oz books with colored pictures. What are these, and are they worth anything?

Until 1936, every new Oz book, and many reprints of older titles, were published with color of some sort. These editions are highly sought after and valuable to many collectors, as they are not only earlier editions, but the colored pictures are often quite striking. The most common form of color was inserted color plates, either glued in or bound in. In general, twelve color plates were put into each of the books, but there are exceptions: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" originally had twenty-four plates, including its title page; "The Marvelous Land of Oz," "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz," and "The Emerald City of Oz" all originally had sixteen plates; "Ozma of Oz" and "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" had no inserted plates, but color was printed directly onto the text pages; and "The Road to Oz," while having no colored pictures, was originally printed on colored paper. As time passed and the cost of printing books rose, Reilly and Lee dropped some plates, and the books became generally less elaborate. (If a book has fewer than twelve plates, however, it doesn't necessarily mean it's not an older edition. In some books the plates were not well secured and tended to fall out with use.) Some "Popular Editions" even had only a color frontpiece. After 1935, color was dropped entirely (except for "The Wizard of Oz," which came from another publisher). The current Books of Wonder reprints of the Baum Oz books have restored the color, and generally tried to make the books as close as possible to be facsimiles of the first editions. Both Books of Wonder and the International Wizard of Oz Club have also put color plates into the Thompson books they are reprinting that originally had them. Color plates and color pictures often make a book quite valuable. The plates by themselves, however, are not necessarily valuable if separated from the book. For more information on the use of color in individual titles, consult "Bibliographia Oziana."

3.11. Hey! What's wrong with page 95 of "The Scalawagons of Oz"? It ends in the middle of a sentence, but the next page starts off with a new paragraph.

The Oz books are a lot of fun to read, and there are some great stories and characters in them, but they are not always the most well edited books ever published! Several of the books have small errors that crept in and were never corrected, but this error in "The Scalawagons of Oz" is one of the worst. Even in the most recent edition from Books of Wonder, the last three lines of page 95 read:

     Then Jenny bent her mind on the adventure ahead.
further from the Winkie Wood.
     She was sailing easily, every moment being carried

It appears that two lines of type were accidentally switched. It makes much more sense, and flows much better into the next page, if you swap the last two lines, like this:

     Then Jenny bent her mind on the adventure ahead.
     She was sailing easily, every moment being carried
further from the Winkie Wood.

4. About the Land of Oz
[NOTE: Plot points to some of the Oz books are revealed in this section and the next, so if you're interested in reading the stories, and want to be surprised, you may want to consider skipping to section 6.]

4.1. Is Oz real?

No. But the citizens of Oz would disagree with me...

4.2. Where is the land of Oz?

Nobody's exactly sure. As Judy Garland said in The Movie, "It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train. It's far, far away. Behind the moon, beyond the rain..." (A trailer for The Movie also claimed it was "many, many miles east of nowhere.") People from the Great Outside World that we live in have traveled there by a number of magical means, and via natural disasters (e.g. tornadoes and storms at sea). Since these characters have come from all over the United States (and more recently, in some books outside of the FF, Canada -- sorry, nobody from outside North America yet), it's difficult to determine if Oz is located anywhere near them. The best guess is that it's somewhere in the South Pacific, maybe on or near Australia. The strongest evidence for this is one of Baum's short stories, "Nelebel's Fairyland," which clearly places the Forest of Burzee, which is on the same continent as Oz, an unknown distance to the west of San Diego, California; and also that Dorothy was on a sea voyage to Australia, a nation often referred to informally as Oz, in the opening chapter of "Ozma of Oz" before being washed overboard during a storm. Many Ozmologists, however, believe that Oz is probably not actually part of our world, but is in some sort of parallel or alternate universe.

Once you get to that world, the Land of Oz is located in the middle of the Continent of Imagination, an island continent surrounded by the Nonestic Ocean (sometimes incorrectly named the Nonentic Ocean). Oz is cut off from the rest of the continent by a vast desert on all sides, which is poisonous to living beings and can turn them to dust. Some of Oz's neighboring countries, across the desert, are Ev, Ix, Mo, Merryland, Skampavia, Noland, Boboland, and the Forest of Burzee, where the fairies who originally enchanted Oz live. Santa Claus also lives nearby, in the Laughing Valley of Hohaho (which may or may not be near the North Pole).

4.3. What are Oz and its people like?

Oz is a pleasant land, with a mild, temperate climate and fertile farmlands. It is roughly rectangular, divided into four triangular countries, each with its predominant color. The Munchkins live in the east, and their favorite color is blue. The Quadlings live in the south, and favor the color red. The Winkies live in the west, and they like yellow, and the Gillikins, in the north, prefer purple. In the center, where the four countries meet, is the Emerald City, the nation's capital and only major city. Green is, naturally, the color of choice there.

Much of Oz is made up of either isolated farms or small communities. Close to the Emerald City, and in other locations around the country, people are law-abiding and friendly, and acknowledge the rule of the Emerald City. Further out, however, are many isolated tribes of strange peoples who don't know or care that they are part of a larger country. For the most part the Ozites keep to themselves, and there is rarely any trouble. But sometimes strangers visit these small villages, and unusual things happen as a result...

Oz is a place where magic abounds, but much of that magic is either naturally occurring -- so that books and sandwiches grow on trees, for instance, and the animals can talk -- or is wielded by a small number of magic workers, both good and evil.

4.4. Why do some books have the Munchkin Country in the west and the Winkie Country in the east?

Ozian geography -- also called geozify -- can be confusing. This mix-up of where the Munchkin and Winkie Countries lay comes from the first ever published map of Oz, which appeared in 1914 as one of the endpapers to "Tik-Tok of Oz." On this map, the Winkies were shown on the right side, which is traditionally east, and the Munchkins on the left, which is usually west. However, the compass rose on this map was drawn with "E" on the left side and "W" on the right, the exact opposite of their actual directions. So, by its own logic, at least, that map was correct. (Some theorize that this is a result of Baum looking at the first ever known map of Oz when designing this map. It was a glass slide used several years earlier in his "Fairylogue and Radio-Play" traveling show. If Baum had looked at the slide from the wrong side, the Munchkin and Winkie countries, and the compass rose, would all be reversed.) A few years later, when the endpapers were reprinted, the "E" and "W" were in their traditional locations -- which now meant that the Munchkins were in the west and the Winkies in the east. Since Baum and other writers consulted these maps when writing the books, the inconsistency of these directions crept into the series. In 1962, when the International Wizard of Oz Club decided to publish a revised and updated set of maps, the question of how to place these two countries -- and hence, the rest of Oz and the surrounding nations -- was one of the first to be tackled. After carefully examining the directions given in the books and other considerations, it was decided that the Winkies should be in the west and the Munchkins in the east. The strongest argument in favor of this arrangement was that in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," the Wicked Witch of the EAST had enslaved the Munchkins and the Wicked Witch of the WEST had taken control of the Winkies. The two countries have remained there ever since, and most writers now try to be consistent with this idea. (To further complicate matters, Aleksandr Volkov in his books placed the Munchkins in the west and the Winkies in the east, which was the violet land. His yellow country was in the north. However, he was creating an entirely new geography and color scheme, independent of Baum's.)

4.5. Where can I get a map of the Land of Oz?

The earliest published map of the Land of Oz, and another one showing the countries surrounding Oz, was published as the endpapers of "Tik-Tok of Oz." The current Books of Wonder/HarperCollins edition of that book reprints the original endpapers, including the "incorrect" compass rose. These endpapers were also used in "The Annotated Wizard of Oz." So either of those books would get you the maps. More recently, IWOC has printed a set of maps that take into account all of the books published after "Tik-Tok of Oz," and tries to correct a few of that maps errors, including the compass rose. This set includes an explanatory leaflet, a map of Oz, and a map of the surrounding countries, including several used by Baum in some of his non-Oz stories. These maps have been updated over the years, and have also been published in some Oz books, most notably those published by Del Rey. For ordering information, contact IWOC.

4.6. Who rules the land of Oz?

When Oz was first visited in "The Wizard of Oz," the Wizard was the ruler of the Emerald City, although perhaps not the entire country. He abdicated to help Dorothy return home, and left the Scarecrow to rule in his place. The Scarecrow ruled for a short time, but was usurped by the rebellious General Jinjur, who longed for power and riches. She was quickly overthrown by Glinda on behalf of the long-lost rightful heir to the throne, Princess Ozma, daughter of the deposed King Pastoria. Ozma helped reunite Oz and has ruled with kindness and justice ever since.

Each of the four countries is also ruled by a sovereign, who all owe their allegiance to Ozma. While there have been a few changes over the years, currently those rulers are:
* King Cheeriobed and Queen Orin in the Munchkin Country (some books also mention the Scarecrow ruling the Munchkins)
* Glinda the Good in the Quadling Country
* Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman, in the Winkie Country
* Joe King and Queen Hyacinth in the Gillikin Country

4.7. What's the early history of Oz?

There are many statements in the books about the early history of Oz, before the events of "The Wizard of Oz," and many of these are contradictory, causing some good-natured arguments among Oz fans. But these are some facts that appear to be pretty well-established:
* At one point, all of Oz was ruled by a long line of kings and queens. One of them, King Pastoria, was overthrown, kidnapped, and enchanted, and his baby daughter, Ozma, was not to be found, so the throne remained vacant. Four wicked witches seized control of each of the four countries.
* Two of these witches, in the north and south, were later overthrown by two good witches. Tattypoo, the Good Witch of the North in the Gillikin Country, overthrew Mombi in the Gillikin Country, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, overthrew Singra, the Wicked Witch of the South, in the Quadling Country.
* Some time after Pastoria's abduction, an American circus magician, ventriloquist, and balloonist, named Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs, got caught up in a storm and his balloon was carried far, far away. The balloon came down in Oz, and seeing Diggs's first two initials painted on the balloon, the people thought him to be their new king, as Oz was the traditional name for the ruler of their land. Diggs performed some simple sleight-of-hand tricks for them, and so they also took him to be a great wizard. The people proclaimed him their new ruler, and he ordered the Emerald City to be built. The Wizard now stayed mostly in his new city, fearful that the fact that he was a humbug, and not a real wizard, would be discovered. He did try to battle the Wicked Witch of the West at one point, but was pushed back by the Winged Monkeys. He also had some dealings with Mombi, the former ruler of the Gillikin Country, and may have had a hand in Ozma's disappearance.
* The Wizard ruled in the Emerald City for a number of years until another visitor from the Outside World, Dorothy Gale from Kansas, blew to Oz in a cyclone with her dog Toto. She and her friends eventually exposed the Wizard for the humbug that he was, but he tried to get her home anyway. What happened after that...well, you'll just have to read the books to find out!

4.8. What language is spoken in Oz?

Ozzish, of course -- which, by coincidence, is the same as American English, as Ruth Plumly Thompson points out in "The Royal Book of Oz". Ozzish is spoken in most other countries on the Continent of Imagination as well. There have been words of Old Ozzish in a few books. Philip Jose Farmer's non-canonical science-fiction novel, "A Barnstormer in Oz," invents a completely new version of Ozzish, derived from Middle German. There are some examples of two Ozian languages, Dan-Rur and Old Ozzish, on the "I Can Eat Glass" website, http://hcs.harvard.edu/~igp/glass.html. The examples of Ozian languages are on http://hcs.harvard.edu/~igp/created.html. These languages were invented by Oz fan and amateur linguist Aaron Adleman, but so far the most extensive writings in these languages are on the "I Can Eat Glass" site.

4.9. What is the Kingdom of Dreams, and which book does it appear in?

This has long been an Ozian mystery. On the first published map of Oz and the surrounding countries (see question 4.4), many locations were shown on both maps that had not been encountered in any of Baum's previous books up to that time. All were visited in later books -- with one exception. The Kingdom of Dreams is on the map of the surrounding countries, sharing borders with Boboland, the land of the Growleywogs, the Ripple Land, and the Deadly Desert. Yet it never appears or is mentioned in any book by L. Frank Baum, nor in any of the later books of the Oz series. The closest guess that I can make is that Dorothy visited there in "Ozma of Oz": "But she lay down upon her couch, nevertheless, and in spite of all her worries was soon in the land of dreams." I know, it's a pretty weak connection, but that's all I have.

4.10. Can people grow old and die in Oz?

This is a matter of some debate among Oz fans, as the evidence is contradictory. In "The Wizard of Oz" there are several instances of death in Oz, particularly the two Wicked Witches that Dorothy inadvertently kills. However, as the series progressed, Baum stated that people in Oz could not die -- although they could be injured or made uncomfortable. Ozians could even be chopped up into small pieces, yet each piece would still be alive. Finally, in "The Tin Woodman of Oz," he said, "From that moment [of Oz's enchantment] no one in Oz ever died. Those who were old remained old; those who were young and strong did not change as years passed them by; the children remained children always, and played and romped to their hearts' content, while all the babies lived in their cradles and were tenderly cared for and never grew up." This clearly is not the case, however, since death and aging were shown or implied in many instances in previous books. Later instances of aging include the existence of Princess Pajonia in "The Purple Prince of Oz" (her parents met and married at the end of "Kabumpo in Oz"), and a Munchkin family in "The Wonder City of Oz" with a "stop growing" age of twelve for boys and ten for girls. However, no characters, with the exception of a very few wicked ones, have died in the Oz books since "The Emerald City of Oz," as far as I can recall.

Where this all appears to point is that when Oz was enchanted, it didn't happen all at once, despite Baum's statement in "The Tin Woodman of Oz." To avoid the shock of everyone in the country suddenly not aging, the change was more likely introduced gradually so that everyone could get used to it. Now, it appears that the citizens of Oz can stay at the same age for as long as they want.

The question of whether or not visitors from the outside world can grow old or die has also been asked. While Dorothy and several other characters from our world have not aged, the Wizard did grow older when he was ruler of Oz. The only example I can think of where an American has been exposed to life-threatening conditions is in "Lucky Bucky in Oz," where Bucky weathers a talcum powder snowstorm -- which would be extremely harmful if you or I were to breathe it -- with no ill effects, not even a cough.

4.11. Where did the silver shoes come from, and what happened to them?

No origin for the silver shoes has ever been given in the official Oz books, nor any that I am aware of in any other stories. Their final fate, however, in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," is revealed when Dorothy returns to Kansas: "Dorothy stood up and found she was in her stocking feet. For the Silver Shoes had fallen off in her flight through the air, and were lost forever in the desert." While they never turn up again in the official Oz books, they have been recovered and written about in some unofficial Oz stories.

4.12. Is the Emerald City based on a real place?

It all depends on how you're asking the question. If you mean are the various illustrations in books, movies, and so forth based on real places, then that depends on who illustrated or designed it. In The Movie, the Emerald City was based on a pre-World War I sketch found in a German book in the MGM art Department. But the IDEA of the Emerald City may have been inspired by the White City, the setting on the shores of Lake Michigan for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Baum moved to Chicago at about that time, and in the original novel, W. W. Denslow shows a somewhat Moorish walled city that resembles part of the fair. The White City was principally all one color, visible from many parts of Chicago, had a lot of fantasy in it and humbuggery behind it, and after the fair ended, it quickly disappeared and Chicago was back to its normal self again.

5. Oz Characters
[NOTE: As with the previous section, some parts of the Oz books may be given away here. If you'd prefer to meet the characters by reading their stories, you may wish to skip this section. Also, questions about characters who appear only in The Movie are answered in section 15.]

5.1. Who are some of the famous citizens of Oz?

There are an awful lot of these, as you can imagine from a series of forty books. But here are some of the most famous and important:
* Dorothy Gale, formerly a Kansas farmgirl and now a princess of Oz. She destroyed two wicked witches on her first trip to Oz, and has had many adventures since. She eventually emigrated to Oz for good, and has lived there ever since. Her Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, dog Toto, and cat Eureka all have come to live in Oz as well.
* The Scarecrow. Former ruler of Oz, he is still well beloved by the citizens and a trusted advisor to Queen Ozma. He helped Dorothy on her first adventure, hoping to receive a brain. He got it, and his wisdom has been most helpful in thinking through many problems.
* Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman. He was an ordinary woodchopper who, having angered the Wicked Witch of the East, accidentally chopped parts of himself off when the witch enchanted his ax. Fortunately he was friends with a skilled tinsmith, who was able to replace each part with tin, until there was nothing left of Nick Chopper but tin. He joined Dorothy looking for a new heart. He is one of the kindest men in Oz, and rules the Winkie Country.
* The Cowardly Lion. He came with Dorothy to the Emerald City looking for courage, and the Wizard helped him acquire it. He is loyal and brave, and often acts as a bodyguard for Ozma on state occasions. But he's the first to admit that he's still scared sometimes.
* The Wizard of Oz. After returning to America, the Wizard found his way back to Oz once again, where he was invited to stay and become a real wizard. He has learned much real magic from Glinda the Good, and is now one of Ozma's closest advisors.
* Glinda the Good. Ruler of the Quadlings, she is also a powerful sorceress, and one of the most respected citizens of Oz because of her power and knowledge. She is able to keep track of all that goes on through her Great Book of Records, where everything is written down as soon as it happens.
* Jack Pumpkinhead. Made to scare an old witch, she brought him to life instead, and he eventually found his way to the Emerald City. His pumpkinseeds don't seem to always work well as far as brains go, and he must carve a new head when his old one gets soft or mushy, but his simple charm makes him a favorite of all his friends.
* Professor H. M. Wogglebug, T. E. Once an ordinary small wogglebug (a common Ozian insect), he learned much when he made his home between the floorboards of a schoolhouse. (He gave himself the honorary degree of T. E., for "thoroughly educated.") He was found by the schoolteacher and magically enlarged (hence his first initials, H. M., standing for "Highly Magnified"), and so he made his way to the Emerald City to become a lecturer. He is now dean of the Royal Athletic College of Oz.
* Ozma. The daughter of Pastoria and the rightful ruler of Oz, she was discovered and restored to her throne, where she has ruled ever since. Her subjects love and trust her, and she is good and kind to them in return.
* Billina, a yellow hen who accompanied Dorothy on her second trip to Oz. She was the first character from the Great Outside World since the Wizard to settle in Oz, and she has since raised several chicks, all named Dorothy or Daniel.
* Tik-Tok. A copper man who runs by clockwork, Dorothy met him in the land of Ev. After helping Dorothy and Ozma in an adventure there, he was invited to come to Oz, and he accepted. Trustworthy and bright, he does have a problem with winding down at inopportune moments, and he is helpless until somebody winds him up again.
* The Hungry Tiger. This beast longs to eat a fat baby, but his conscience will not allow it. Like his good friend the Cowardly Lion, he also acts as Ozma's bodyguard on important occasions. (Although officially introduced in "Ozma of Oz," the Hungry Tiger may have actually first appeared in an incident towards the end of "The Wizard of Oz," when he meets the Cowardly Lion and his friends in a Quadling forest.)
* The Shaggy Man. A wanderer from America, he came to Oz with Dorothy on one of her adventures, and was invited to stay. His simple philosophies of life and wanderlust make him a fine friend of Oz.
* Button-Bright, Betsy Bobbin, and Trot. These three children have all found their way to Oz from America (the latter with her boon companion, Cap'n Bill, a one-legged sailor; and Betsy Bobbin brought her mule, Hank), and have all made homes in Oz.
* Scraps, the Patchwork Girl. Made from a patchwork quilt to be the servant of a magician's wife, she proved to be too independent and saucy for that, so she went off on her own instead. Her lightheartedness and silly rhymes make everyone glad to see her, but her manner can be trying at times.
* The Woozy. A strange animal, fond of eating honeybees, he's the only one of his kind. He is made up entirely of cubes and blocks, with a square head and rectangular body. He is also a true and loyal friend, willing to help all in need.
* Sir Hokus of Pokes, the Yellow Knight of Oz. Dorothy found this gentle Medieval knight in an enchanted city, and once she rescued him he proved to be brave and loyal, rendering assistance to Ozma a number of times.
* Kabumpo. Royal elephant of the court of Pumperdink, a small kingdom in the central Gillikin Country, Kabumpo has had his fair share of adventures in service to his country, and later to his friends in neighboring kingdoms and the Emerald City. His elegance and aloof demeanor do a poor job of hiding his loyalty and compassion.
* Jinnicky, the Red Jinn. Living in his own castle far from Oz, on the seacoast of Ev, Jinnicky has nevertheless become involved in a number of Ozian affairs. He is a good friend of Kabumpo's, despite their good-natured bickering. Although encased in a red ginger jar, he is a powerful magician, who has even topped the Wizard once or twice. His hearty disposition causes all to meet him to become his friends.

Of course there are many, many other characters, some of whom only appear in one book, some in several. To meet them, start reading!

5.2. What is Dorothy's last name?

Gale. Interestingly enough, Dorothy's last name isn't given in the original novel of "The Wizard of Oz." Her last name is first mentioned in the 1902 stage version of the story Baum wrote a few years later: "My name is Dorothy Gale. I'm one of the Kansas Gales." To which the Scarecrow replies, "Well, that explains your breezy manner." In the later Oz books, Baum kept the name but mercifully spared his readers the pun. The last name was also used in The Movie, "Return to Oz," and other adaptations of the story.

5.3. Was Dorothy named or modeled after a real child?

There were a number of women during Baum's lifetime, and even after he died, who claimed to be the inspiration for the heroine of "The Wizard of Oz." But the Baum family always had a chuckle at these claims, and said it was just a name Frank liked. There's even some speculation that he'd hoped to have a daughter and name her Dorothy, but he and his wife Maud had only four sons. The family always claimed that Dorothy was named after no particular person. Baum also used the name for characters in two of his other early books. The heroine of a short story in his first published book of fiction, "Mother Goose in Prose," is named Dorothy, and both Dot and Dolly, characters in "Dot and Tot of Merryland," are diminutives of Dorothy.

Some recent research into the Baum family, however, has turned up an interesting find. Baum's sister-in-law, Sophie Jewell Gage, gave birth to a daughter in July of 1898. Maud Baum, Frank's wife, doted on the child, but sadly, Dorothy Louise Gage died only four months later. Sally Roesch Wagner, biographer of suffragette and Baum's mother-in-law, Matilda Joslyn Gage, speculates that naming his most famous character Dorothy was Frank's way of keeping the baby's memory alive. This idea was strengthened by the discovery of Dorothy Gage's tombstone by Wagner in a Bloomington, Illinois graveyard in 1996. (In the 1990 television movie "The Dreamer of Oz," Dorothy is depicted as Baum's seven-year-old niece, and dies in the film. While based on the real events surrounding Dorothy Gage, this Dorothy is an invention of the filmmakers.)

5.4. What happened to Dorothy's parents? How did she come to live with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry?

It's never explained, in the books or any other source, who Dorothy's parents are, how they died, or how she came to live with her aunt and uncle -- only that Dorothy is an orphan. The only comment in the books about them is in "The Emerald City of Oz": "As for Uncle Henry, he thought his little niece merely a dreamer, as her dead mother had been..."

5.5. How is Dorothy related to Uncle Henry and Aunt Em?

It's never been clearly stated just which of Dorothy's parents they were related to, nor which is the blood relative. "Glinda of Oz" does say that Uncle Henry was "...Dorothy's own uncle," and Aunt Em is referred to as his wife, which some have taken to mean that Dorothy is most closely related to Uncle Henry, and Aunt Em married into the family (this would make sense in light of Uncle Henry's comments about Dorothy's dead mother in "Emerald City," if Dorothy's mother was Henry's sister -- see the previous question); but this is ambiguous enough to be interpreted in more than one way -- or ignored. Some Ozmologists have even speculated that, based on their apparent ages, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em may be Dorothy's great uncle and great aunt. But their appearances have been an invention of the illustrators, not Baum himself.

5.6. What color are Dorothy's famous shoes in "The Wizard of Oz"?

They are silver in the book. When writing the script for The Movie, Noel Langley originally left them that color, but because it was being filmed in Technicolor, it was decided to change them to something more colorful. (Script pages even exist with "silver" crossed out and "ruby" written above it.) So, the shoes became ruby. Most versions of the story now use silver, but some use ruby, not knowing that they are a Hollywood invention -- and still legally protected. For "Return to Oz" in 1985, Disney paid MGM a fee to use the ruby slippers.

5.7. What is Uncle Henry and Aunt Em's last name?

This is a difficult question to answer, but the short answer is, nobody knows. They are never given a last name in the books. In The Movie, Miss Gulch refers to Uncle Henry as "Mr. Gale," but in "Return to Oz," Dr. Worley calls Aunt Em "Mrs. Blue." Since these come from movies, and not the books, the question is still unanswered.

5.8. Does Dorothy have any other relatives?

Yes -- sort of. In "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz," Dorothy meets up with Zeb, the closest thing she has to a living relative other than Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. Uncle Henry is visiting with Zeb's Uncle Bill, and as Zeb explains it to her, "Uncle Bill Hugson married your Uncle Henry's wife's sister; so we must be second cousins." Of course Zeb isn't really Dorothy's second cousin, he just used the term to indicate that he and Dorothy must be related somehow. Throughout the rest of the book, they just refer to each other as cousins. (It is not clear what Zeb's last name is. Although often referred to by Ozmologists as Zeb Hugson, he is not given a last name in the book itself. And since he refers to his uncle more than once as "Uncle Hugson," it's entirely possible that Hugson is not his last name.) Also of note, in "Return to Oz," Aunt Em's sister Garnet is mentioned, which would mean Garnet was also Dorothy's aunt (she's still living, so she's not Dorothy's mother).

5.9. Where in Kansas did Dorothy live?

It's never made clear. In the books, the only clue given is in "The Road to Oz," where it is revealed that she lives near Butterfield. Only trouble is, there is no real town named Butterfield in Kansas. Another clue Baum gave us -- but not in the books -- comes from some publicity material for his 1904-05 comic page, "Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz." In a letter to her old friends, Dorothy's address is given as "Uncle Henry's Farm, Near Topeka." Aunt Em also refers to a Topeka hotel in "The Emerald City of Oz," which some Ozmologists have taken to mean that the farm was near there, but all it tells me is that Aunt Em once stayed in a hotel in Topeka. No clue is given in The Movie, but in "Return to Oz," she lives just outside of Franklin, and Dr. Worley's clinic is located in Cottonwood Falls. Both of these town really do exist in Kansas -- but Cottonwood Falls is about halfway between Topeka and Wichita, in east-central Kansas, while Franklin is in the southeastern part of the state, over one hundred miles away, so they're not neighboring communities as implied in that movie.  (A newspaper ad for Dr. Worley also mentions Black River Falls and the Town of Brockway, neither of which appears to actually exist.) There is a tourist attraction, Dorothy's House, in Liberal, Kansas, in the southwestern part of the state near the Oklahoma border. Some of the folks there say that Dorothy is from their town, but there is no basis for that claim. (It should be noted that many Kansans are not happy with Baum's unflattering portrayal of their state, and claim that he was actually describing South Dakota, where he lived for a few years before writing the book.)

5.10. How old is Dorothy?

Baum wrote Dorothy as a generic child, with few descriptors, and never gave her a specific age. She could be as young as five or as old as twelve if you go by the illustrations in different books. In the 1902 stage adaptation, she was probably quite a bit older, as some of the characters expressed a romantic interest in her. In The Movie, Judy Garland was sixteen during filming (by the time the film premiered, she'd turned seventeen), but her costume included a corset to flatten her bosom so as to make her appear younger. Studio publicity of the day usually gave the character's age as twelve. An earlier film adaptation from 1925 had Dorothy celebrating her eighteenth birthday -- and discovering that she was a lost princess of Oz! In "The Wiz" on Broadway, Stephanie Mills was in her teens (but played her a bit younger), while in the film version, Dorothy was played by Diana Ross and was twenty-four (!). Fairuza Balk was ten when she made "Return to Oz," but Dorothy's age was never given. And in the novel "Visitors from Oz," author Martin Gardner gives her age as seventeen, but this book is considered apocryphal by many Oz scholars. Best guess on how old she is in the books? In "The Lost Princess of Oz" it is stated that Betsy Bobbin is a year older than Dorothy, and Trot is a year younger. Then, in "The Giant Horse of Oz," Trot declares that she is ten years old. If that's the case, then Dorothy would be eleven, and since nobody ages in Oz who doesn't want to, she's probably going to remain eleven. Of course, she would have been even younger on her first visit to Oz in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

5.11. What breed of dog is Toto?

It depends on your source. In "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Baum describes him as "a little black dog, with long, silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose." He never said what breed he was, but Denslow drew him as looking somewhat like a Cairn terrier or a Scottie. When Toto next appears in an Oz book, John R. Neill drew him as a Boston terrier or French bulldog (Neill had a French bulldog himself at the time), even though he was well aware of Denslow's depiction. In one illustration in that book, Neill's Toto laughs at a statue of himself, which Neill drew in Denslow's style, complete with signature seahorse. As Neill drew Toto more in later books, however, he got shaggier, and ended up looking more like Denslow's depiction, a convention other Oz illustrators have pretty much stuck with. For The Movie, Scotties were initially looked at, but when Carl Spitz brought in Terry, a Cairn terrier, she got the job, and Toto became a Cairn to many. In other movies, and some newer illustrated editions of "The Wizard of Oz," Toto has been depicted as other breeds.

5.12. Is Toto a male dog or a female dog?

Male. But he was played by a female in The Movie.

5.13. Does Toto talk?

Not at first. When he wrote "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," L. Frank Baum hadn't created all the rules that he would later use in the Oz stories. So Toto didn't talk in that book. Baum kept Toto mute in his appearances in "The Road to Oz," "The Emerald City of Oz," and "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" as well, even though other animals from the Outside World could talk in those and other books. Finally, at the end of "Tik-Tok of Oz," Baum addressed the problem at last. Dorothy confronted Toto and asked him to speak, and Toto finally spoke for the first time. He's been speaking in the Oz books ever since, but he often prefers to stay quiet and use his native barks and growls instead. In the Russian books, Totoshka spoke from the beginning, however.

5.14. What's the name of Dorothy's cow?

This seems to be a popular trivia question in radio contests. Dorothy doesn't have a pet cow in the books nor in any of the movie versions of "The Wizard of Oz." But in the 1902 stage production, Toto was replaced by Dorothy's pet cow Imogene, probably because it was easier to fit an actor inside a cow costume than a little black dog costume. A cow named Imogene appears in the Oz books in Eric Shanower's "The Giant Garden of Oz," but other than the name and species, there is no relationship between the two characters, as Shanower's Imogene is an Ozian native who gives magic milk.

5.15. What are the names of the Wicked Witch of the East and the Wicked Witch of the West?

In the official Oz books, neither witch is given a name. Nor are they named in The Movie, although an early draft of the script called the Wicked Witch of the West "Gulcheria" (an obvious reference to her Kansas counterpart, Miss Gulch). Some of the unofficial Oz books have given the Wicked Witch of the West a name, but there is no consistency, she's had several -- most notably "Elphaba" in "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West," and "Allidap" in a number of books from both The Wiz Kids of Oz and Buckethead Enterprises of Oz. Some books have also used Bastinda, the name Aleksandr Volkov used for his wicked witch in "The Wizard of the Emerald City" (Volkov's equivalent of the Wicked Witch of the East was called "Gingemma"). In "The Wiz," the Wicked Witch of the East was named Evvamean on stage and Evermean in the film, and her sister in the west is Evillene both on stage and screen.

5.16. Are the wicked witches sisters?

It depends on what version of the story you're enjoying. While many people seem to think so, no relationship between them is ever given in the book. The first mention of their being sisters probably comes from The Movie, and it's a kinship that many people have used ever since, including in "The Wiz" (in the play script, all four witches, good and bad, are described as sisters, but this may be the African-American use of the word to mean fellow African-American women). Two examples that further add to this: In the animated movie "Journey Back to Oz," Mombi the Witch is the cousin of both witches. And in the book "The Wicked Witch of Oz," written by Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Singra, the titular character, is also the cousin of both witches. But neither of these stories, written after the idea was first raised that the wicked witches are sisters, are seen as official by many Oz researchers.

5.17. Why does water melt the Wicked Witch of the West?

There is no explanation given in "The Wizard of Oz" as to why water dissolved and destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West. The only indication might be in an incident when Toto bites her: "The Witch did not bleed where she was bitten, for she was so wicked that the blood in her had dried up many years before." Many believe that she had extended her life through magical means for so long that there was actually very little of her left, and so the water was enough to finally break her down into her component atoms. (Some people have remembered that she was made of brown sugar, which is why she melted so easily -- but I don't think she could be considered to be anywhere near that sweet! The book actually described her melting this way: "...Dorothy...was truly frightened to see the Witch actually melting away LIKE brown sugar before her very eyes [emphasis mine].") Similarly, the impact of Dorothy's house landing on the Wicked Witch of the East caused her to turn to dust. Some speculate that water is dangerous for all Oz witches, as buckets of water are kept around the palace in the Emerald City in case of emergencies (as seen in "The Cowardly Lion of Oz"), Mombi was washed out with water in "The Lost King of Oz," and Singra in "The Wicked Witch of Oz" took the precaution of enchanting herself so that water would not affect her. In one made-for-record original sequel to "The Wizard of Oz" that I am aware of, water even washes out the Good Witch of the North, so water may not affect just WICKED witches!

5.18. What is the name of the good witch -- and how do you spell it?

One of the most common misspellings I've encountered for an Oz character is the character played by Billie Burke in The Movie. She was the Good Witch of the South (later a sorceress) in the books, and Burke's character in The Movie was the Good Witch of the North, but no matter where she's from, her name is Glinda. That's G-L-I-N-D-A with an I, not G-L-E-N-D-A with an E. In "The Wiz," the name was kept, but she was restored to being from the south. In Russia, the Good Witch of the South is named Stella. And in case you were REALLY curious, in the books the Good Witch of the North, a separate character, is named Tattypoo in "The Giant Horse of Oz." Baum named the Good Witch of the North Locasta (sometimes also spelled Locusta) in the 1902 stage version of "The Wizard of Oz." Some scripts for this play also give us the alternative spelling Galinda for the Good Witch of the South. In Russia, the Good Witch of the North (also the Witch of the Yellow Country) is Villina, and in "The Wiz" she is Addaperle on stage, and Miss One on film. Finally, the good witch in the 1905 play "The Woggle-Bug" was named Maetta, after a good witch in Baum's book "A New Wonderland"/"The Magical Monarch of Mo." Maetta took the role given to Glinda in "The Marvelous Land of Oz," the book on which "The Woggle-Bug" is based.

5.19. What is the origin of the name "Munchkin"?

There is no known source of the name, it just appears to be a name Baum made up. But he was the first to use the word, which has now become a part of the English language and appears in several dictionaries. Most dictionaries even cite Baum and "The Wizard of Oz" as the source of the word. In Russia, the characters are constantly chewing, which is how they got the name Zhevuny, or Munchers, from "munching" all the time. This is an invention of Volkov's, based on Baum's word.

5.20. What are the names of the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion?

Sadly, two of Dorothy's original friends on the Yellow Brick Road don't have names. The Scarecrow is just called "Scarecrow," and the Lion is just called "The Cowardly Lion." But the Tin Woodman does indeed have a name. It wasn't given in the original book, but in the 1902 stage play he was given the name Niccolo Chopper. This was shortened to Nick Chopper in the play. The shortened version of this name then appeared in the book "The Marvelous Land of Oz," and Nick Chopper he's been ever since. The Cowardly Lion was given the nickname "Cowy" in Ruth Plumly Thompson's book "The Enchanted Island of Oz," but it doesn't seem to have caught on with him, his friends, or the readers. In Russia, the Scarecrow is named Strasheela (literally, "Little Scary One"), and the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion go unnamed, although the former becomes the more-apt-to-rust Iron Woodchopper, and his pre-iron name was Goode Kerly. In the 1961 television series "Tales of the Wizard of Oz" and 1964 television movie "Return to Oz," both produced by Rankin-Bass, they are named Socrates the Scarecrow, Rusty the Tin Man, and Dandy Lion -- but these names should not be taken at all seriously. In the film version of "The Wiz," the Cowardly Lion is named Fleetwood Coupe de Ville -- Fleet for short.

5.21. What are the flying monkeys called?

Most people who ask me this question have already answered it, since they don't have an unusual or exotic tribal name. In the books, they're just called the flying monkeys or winged monkeys. In the books they aren't given individual names, but in The Movie their leader is named Nikko (see question 11.16). He is actually referred to as Nikko in some Movie-based play scripts. In the 1990 "Wizard of Oz" cartoon series, based on The Movie, the leader of the winged monkeys is called Truckel (I'm not sure exactly how that's spelled), but this could be a different monkey. In the Russian books, the leader of the Winged Monkeys is named Worra.

5.22. What's the Wizard's name?

Like so many other characters, the Wizard didn't have a name in the original novel. But in his second appearance in the Oz books, "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz," he reveals that his name is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Issac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs. Of course, this meant that the poor man's initials were O. Z. P. I. N. H. E. A. D. When he grew up, he shortened this to O. Z., and thus became Oz professionally. (The rest of the initials spelled "pinhead," which he felt reflected badly on his intelligence.) He worked in a circus as a magician, ventriloquist, and balloonist, and put his new name on all of his possessions, including his balloon. When an accident brought him to the land of Oz, the citizens, seeing the name of their country on the balloon, thought he was their new ruler. He's now generally called Oz or Wizard. In Russia, he is named James Goodwin. In the film version of "The Wiz," he was named Herman Smith.

5.23. Where is the Wizard from?

In the books, and the stage version of "The Wiz," the Wizard is from Omaha, Nebraska. In The Movie, he says he's "an old Kansas man myself," and his balloon reads "State Fair Omaha." In the film version of "The Wiz," he's from Atlantic City, New Jersey. In the Russian books, James Goodwin is from Kansas. In the 1902 stage play, an "ethnic" comedian was often cast as the Wizard, so depending on which performance you saw, he could have been Irish, Dutch, or German.

5.24. Was the Wizard modeled after anybody?

There has been much speculation on this by Ozmologists. Some have made a compelling argument that the Wizard could have been based on turn-of-the-century stage magician Harry Kellar. Others have made an equally compelling case for the Wizard being based on circus impresario P. T. Barnum. Still others claim that the Wizard was modeled after Washington Harrison "Professor" Donaldson, a ventriloquist, magician, tightrope walker, and balloonist who worked for Barnum -- and disappeared in his balloon during a storm over Lake Michigan in 1875. Others have mentioned Civil War balloonist and engineer T. S. C. Lowe as a possible Wizard model. The Wizard has also been compared to Thomas Edison, Dr. William P. Phelon (leader of a Theosophical society of which Frank and Maud Baum were members), confidence man John A. Hamlin, and even L. Frank Baum himself. Whether Baum had any contemporary figure in mind when creating the Wizard, we will probably never know with any degree of certainty.

5.25. What's the name of the Soldier with the Green Whiskers?

This is a bit complicated. The Soldier with the Green Whiskers first appears in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," and also takes part in the action in the next book, "The Marvelous Land of Oz." He doesn't appear again until "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" -- until one discovers that he appeared in three books without the green whiskers! In "Ozma of Oz," the one private in Ozma's army is named Omby Amby. Omby Amby also has a large part in "The Emerald City of Oz," and reveals that when he was a private, he once cut off his long green whiskers to disguise himself from an army of rebels. The Soldier with the Green Whiskers in "The Marvelous Land of Oz" even mentioned that he would do just that so he could escape. The Wizard, upon returning to Oz in "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz," also recognizes the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, even though he has shaven off his beard (this soldier's name is not given, but it is clearly the same character). So, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers is named Omby Amby, right? Maybe not! Throughout the rest of the Oz books by Baum and Thompson, he has his green whiskers again, but isn't called by any name until "Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz," when Ruth Plumly Thompson gives him the name Wantowin Battles. Is this a new name Omby Amby is using? It's doubtful, as Thompson mentions that the soldier is from a Munchkin family named Battles. (In Thompson's defense, it's quite likely that she overlooked the connections between Omby Amby and the Soldier with the Green Whiskers that Baum made. It is subtle, and mentioned in passing, in both "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz" and "The Emerald City of Oz." It has also been speculated that the name was not created by Thompson, but by a Reilly and Lee editor who was finishing up Thompson's incomplete book.) John R. Neill also used the name Wantowin Battles for the character, but Jack Snow gave him back the name Omby Amby -- and was, in fact, the first writer to use the name with the character when he was actually wearing green whiskers. The difference between the two names is still unexplained at this point, but many Ozmologists have chosen to overlook the name Wantowin Battles. To add to the mix, he is named Din Gior in Russia.

5.26. What's the connection between Jack Pumpkinhead and Jack Skellington from "The Nightmare Before Christmas"?

Many Oz fans have noticed some similarities between the Oz character Jack Pumpkinhead, first introduced in "The Marvelous Land of Oz" in 1904, and Jack Skellington, the main character in the 1993 Tim Burton animated movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas" -- namely, both are named Jack and both have a pumpkin fixation (the latter's most famous line is probably "I am the Pumpkin King!"). Some have even wondered if the existence of Jack Pumpkinhead influenced Tim Burton and the creation of Jack Skellington. However, the two are not as similar as one might think. The Oz character has a wooden body and a pumpkin for a head, and is a farmer in the Winkie Country. The movie character is a living skeleton, and is the king of Halloween Town. Jack Pumpkinhead is not generally considered to be very bright (you try being intelligent if your brains were nothing but pumpkin seeds) and is a bit rustic, while Jack Skellington is quite smart, in both thought and manner. So they really aren't all that similar. Remember, jack o' lanterns carved from pumpkins predate both characters. A much stronger similarity can be seen between Scraps, the Patchwork Girl of the Oz books, and Sally in "The Nightmare Before Christmas," so if there is a connection between the Oz books and "Nightmare," my money would be on that. But I also wouldn't be putting very much down.

6. L. Frank Baum, the Royal Historian of Oz

6.1. Who was L. Frank Baum?

Born in Chittenango in upstate New York on May 15, 1856, Lyman Frank Baum was the son of wealthy parents. He had a happy childhood, but Frank was a dreamer, and for a long time after leaving home he was not much of a success at anything. He tried acting, selling machine oil and crockery, managing a department store, and newspaper editing and reporting, but nothing seemed to work well for him, or hold his interest for long. He finally started writing when his mother-in-law encouraged him to write down the fanciful tales he'd been telling his four sons and their friends for years. Although he initially had trouble finding a publisher, his works eventually caught the attention of the public, and he was able to finally make a decent living. Although he also dabbled in theater production and the fledgling motion picture industry, he kept on writing books for the young at heart until his death at Ozcot, his Hollywood home, on May 6, 1919.

6.2. What did the L. stand for?

Lyman. It was a name he hated, and he went by Frank all of his life. As an actor, he sometimes used the name Louis F. Baum, and as a newspaper editor he usually signed his editorials L. F. Baum. He used L. Frank Baum on all of his published works (except for those published under a pen name, of course.)

6.3. How did he come to write "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"?

Like most of his early writings, it started off as a story he was telling his sons and their friends in 1898. At that time in Frank's Chicago neighborhood, a number of children would come to the Baum's house to listen to his stories in the evening. He came to Dorothy meeting the Scarecrow when one of his listeners asked, "Mr. Baum, where did they live?" He thought about it for a moment, and replied, "The Land of Oz," and continued the story. (For details on how he may have come up with the name so quickly, see question 1.2.) Later that night, his wife, who had also been listening as she worked on her sewing, urged Frank to write the story down, and he quickly produced a manuscript. His friend W. W. Denslow agreed to illustrate it, and they tried to find a publisher. But at that time American publishing firms were only interested in children's stories from European, and especially British, writers. Nobody was interested in an American fairy tale. Finally, Baum and Denslow struck a deal with the publisher of their previous book. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was published May 15, 1900, and became the biggest selling children's book of the year. (There is a story that late in 1900, Baum, needing money for Christmas, asked the publishers for his royalties to date in December, and took the check from them without looking at the amount. When he got home and gave it to his wife, she nearly collapsed, because it was over $3000, a small fortune in those days.)

6.4. What were Baum's political beliefs?

I think I see where you're headed here, you want to know what political agenda Baum was trying to write into his book. For more information (including Baum's political background), see question 2.15.

6.5. Was Baum a racist?

There's no simple answer to this question. Baum's writings contain ethnic caricatures and opinions that would be shocking and unacceptable if first written and published today. But to understand his values we need to compare his words to those of other Americans at the time.

In Baum's fiction, some passages clearly reproduce racial stereotypes of his day. His "official" Oz books are fortunately free of these, with the notable exceptions of short passages in "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" and "Rinkitink in Oz" (see the second paragraph of question 2.19 for details). But some of the adventure stories Baum wrote for teens contain now-unacceptable words and sentiments. Set in an American city, "The Woggle-Bug Book" is a veritable parade of ethnic stereotypes, complete with speeches written in dialect. There's a disparaging remark about servants made of chocolate in "Dot and Tot of Merryland," and ethnic caricatures in some poems in "Father Goose: His Book." The original illustrations in these books also include racial caricatures; though Baum wasn't responsible for that art, he seems to have raised no objections.

We can see Baum's writings reflect the racism of his society in another way by looking at what they leave out. All the heroes and heroines of his books appear white -- indeed, judging by their last names, nearly all the Americans are of British ancestry. All the ordinary humans we meet in Oz (except the Tottenhots) appear white. This pattern is less obvious than broad racial caricatures, but still exclusionary. Like most Americans of his time, it seems, Baum considered white skin to define the norm. But as illustrations of her in other countries and the success of "The Wiz" stage musical  (see question 9.1) show, Dorothy Gale can be depicted successfully as being of any ethnic background.

At the same time we acknowledge those patterns, we should note that Baum's Oz books generally champion the value of folks learning to live together. Sometimes this message comes in the same passages that contain offensive stereotypes. The Tottenhots episode in "Patchwork Girl of Oz" ends with them and Dorothy agreeing, "you let us alone and we'll let you alone." When Baum's movie studio filmed that book (see question 9.4), the Tottenhots were played by white men made up to reflect stereotypes of "African savages"; yet one Tottenhot sits on an Emerald City jury alongside the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman -- at a time when many parts of the U.S. excluded African-Americans from jury pools.

Baum's attitude stands out when we look at how the American culture around him depicted blacks. Racial stereotypes far nastier than the Tottenhots pervaded popular literature, theater, and early film. Few white authors wrote about African-American children, and those who did usually rendered them as clowns. Compared with many contemporaries, Baum's use of racist stereotypes appears mild and infrequent.

Much more disturbing, however, are two short newspaper essays on Native Americans that Baum published years before he started writing for children. In January 1890 Baum bought the weekly "Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer" in Aberdeen, South Dakota. That new state contained several shrinking federal reservations for the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota peoples (also collectively called Sioux). Later that year, many Native Americans joined the "Ghost Dance" religious movement, which prophesied the return of Jesus as a Native American. Alarmed by this cult and the independence it inspired, federal police officers went to arrest the retired general Sitting Bull and ended up killing him on December 15. Two weeks later, the U.S. Army massacred hundreds of Sioux camped at Wounded Knee. On December 20, 1890, and January 3, 1891, Baum wrote short editorials about these events. He lamented Sitting Bull's death but declared all remaining Indians to be "a pack of whining curs" and called for their "extirmination" [sic]. You can read these editorials in their entirety on the WWW at http://lupus.northern.edu:90/hastingw/baumedts.htm.

For these writings, some have compared Baum to Adolf Hitler. His defenders, on the other hand, have argued that Baum wrote satirically, as Jonathan Swift did in "A Modest Proposal," for example. Baum usually did write with a great deal of irony, especially in his "Our Landlady" columns (see question 6.8). When a group of Dakota had visited Aberdeen for Independence Day, he'd poked fun at both them and the locals, including himself. As late as December 6, he'd supported the Indians' freedom to worship how they pleased. But if Baum meant his December 20 editorial to be ironic, it's hard to explain why he repeated and amplified the same message after learning that the U.S. army had actually killed men, women, and children at Wounded Knee.

Let's be honest here: What Baum wrote about Native Americans in late 1890 and early 1891 is short-sighted, bigoted, and repugnant. This was also the only time he ever advocated what we've come to call genocide. As described above, his earlier newspaper writings and later children's books promoted tolerance. So the real mystery is why Baum suddenly expressed so much hostility toward Native Americans. To understand that, we have to examine the context in which Baum wrote. Our best sources are "Baum's Road to Oz: The Dakota Years" and "Our Landlady," both books edited by Nancy Tystad Koupal.

To begin with, Baum was far from the only South Dakotan expressing racial animosity in late 1890. The sentiment that all noble Indians had died, leaving a degraded race, was unfortunately deep-rooted in American culture; it appears in writings by Thomas Jefferson, James Fenimore Cooper, H. Rider Haggard, and many others. Friction between the Sioux, forced to live on a small portion of the land they'd once controlled, and white settlers was inevitable. The "Ghost Dance" movement promised that all whites on the continent would soon be buried under a thick layer of new topsoil. In late 1890 Aberdeen was filled with rumors of Sioux groups on the move and farmers feeling besieged. The dominant "Aberdeen Daily News" argued for arming white settlers and said, "Put it in the hands of practical men and the Indians who were not 'good' would be few and far between without much ado, or waste of time." Baum's essays thus went farther than anything his neighbors said in print, but they came at a time when hostility and fear were widespread. So far as we know, no one in Aberdeen condemned his remarks.

The second important factor is what was going on in Baum's own life. South Dakota's crop failures and the state Republicans' loss in November meant that the "Saturday Pioneer" was losing subscription and ad revenue (the "Pioneer" had always been a Republican-leaning paper). Maud Baum was pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Baum also seems to have become seriously ill around that time. Those pressures must have affected Baum's outlook as he wrote. And his columns weren't like newspaper editorials today, debated and reviewed by boards. Baum wrote his comments quickly to fill empty space left by the news, perhaps even composing remarks off the top of his head.

Baum had long been "noted for being contrary," according to the "Daily News," but at the end of 1890 he seemed to lose much of the optimism and humor that had lightened his essays. In February he stopped writing "Our Landlady." His 1891 editorials picked fights with the town's ministers, fire department, school administrators, and eventually high school students. By April, Baum sold the newspaper and moved to Chicago. He never again wrote about Native American policy. Baum's editorials on Sitting Bull and Wounded Knee therefore seem less like deep-seated convictions and more like the remarks of a man under stress expressing anger and fear in a way that his society allowed.

Baum was a product of the nineteenth century, born five years before the Civil War began. During his life, and long after, the United States was a segregated society in which European-Americans held power and set policy. People of all other ethnic backgrounds were denied equal services, opportunities, and respect. Within that society, many of Baum's beliefs were progressive, but since then our values have become much more inclusive. For example, Baum and his relatives spent decades advocating women's suffrage, and today no politician would conceive of saying that only one sex should be allowed to vote. We therefore can't judge Baum solely by twenty-first century standards.

When we understand the intellectual environment of Baum's time, it's no surprise that his stories occasionally portray non-white people as inferior. His newspaper remarks on Native Americans may still come as a shock, but they also appear to be an aberration within his writings. Baum expressed racism, but simply labeling him as racist neglects how he differed from his contemporaries. It also overlooks how his best-loved books show young readers a society of many peoples, differing greatly in culture and tastes and even physical makeup yet living together with happiness and mutual respect.

(Many thanks to J. L. Bell for his assistance and comments in writing the answer to this question.)

6.6. Why did Baum write a whole series of Oz books?

Frank had many, many ideas for stories, and he tried to tell as many as he could. But none of his books sold as well or generated as much interest as "The Wizard of Oz." The success of the 1902 stage show also made Oz a recognized name. So when he changed publishers in 1904, the first book they wanted from him was a new story about Oz. Originally entitled "The Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman," the publishers wanted Oz in the title, so it became "The Marvelous Land of Oz" (later shortened to "The Land of Oz," now available under both titles -- see question 2.8). While this kept readers happy for a while, they wanted to know more about Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion (neither of whom had appeared in the new book), so Frank wrote a third Oz book, "Ozma of Oz," and then some more ideas for other Oz books came to him, some from his fans' letters. He tried to end the series with "The Emerald City of Oz" in 1910, but bankruptcy and the failure of his new books to sell very well prompted him to return to Oz in 1913, and from then on he wrote an Oz book every year for his demanding readers for the rest of his life. ("The Magic of Oz" was in production when he died, and "Glinda of Oz" was published posthumously a year later.)

6.7. What other Oz stories did Baum write?

In addition to his fourteen Oz novels, Baum wrote a number of short stories and one related book, all dealing with the Oz characters. First came "Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz," a series of Sunday comic pages, illustrated by Walt McDougall and published in a number of newspapers from late 1904 to mid-1905. These were not comic strips as we know them today, but a full page, containing an illustrated short story. Some of McDougall's illustrations show elements of the modern comic strip, however, most noticeably word balloons for dialogue. There were twenty-six installments. In the comic the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Sawhorse, the Wogglebug, and the Gump, all from the book "The Marvelous Land of Oz," have a number of strange experiences and exciting adventures in a far-off land called America. They even met Dorothy in Kansas. A book that was spun off from this series, "The Woggle Bug Book," illustrated by Ike Morgan, tells of the Wogglebug's adventures on his own, after being separated from his companions (this was at the time of a short-lived Wogglebug craze). It is much poorer than the Oz books, has not dated well at all, and did not remain in print very long. And the only character from the Oz books is the title insect. It is available in a reprint edition from Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints, and as part of the anthology "Oz-Story 5" from Hungry Tiger Press.

Nobody knew of the "Queer Visitors" comic for a long time, until Oz historian, collector, and artist Dick Martin rediscovered it in some newspaper archives in the late 1950s. He immediately saw the potential for a book, and convinced Reilly and Lee to publish it. Some of the stories were adapted by editor Jean Kellogg, and "The Visitors from Oz," illustrated by Martin, came out in 1961 under Baum's name. It is no longer in print. (Another book called "Visitors from Oz," written by Martin Gardner, was published in 1999. Other than the title and the basic premise of Oz characters visiting America, there is no relation between the two books. Gardner's book is entirely his own creation.)

More recently, all of the original "Queer Visitors" stories and a slightly edited version of the text of "The Woggle Bug Book" were collected into "The Third Book of Oz," called that because it must logically take place after "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Land of Oz" in the series, but before "Ozma of Oz." It was illustrated by Eric Shanower, with an introduction by Martin Williams. It is currently out of print.

In 1913, to publicize the relaunching of the Oz series after a three year hiatus, Baum wrote a series of six short stories, intended for somewhat younger children, which were each published as separate books, similar in style to today's Little Golden Books, and they came out under the series title "The Little Wizard Stories." They were titled "The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger," "Little Dorothy and Toto," "Tiktok and the Nome King," "Ozma and the Little Wizard," "Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse," and "The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman." A year later, Reilly and Britton collected them into one volume, "The Little Wizard Stories of Oz." The stories remained in print for a number of years in various forms (four of them were given out as pamphlets as premiums during the 1933 radio show, for instance), but then went out of print for a very long time. In 1985 Schocken Books reissued "The Little Wizard Stories of Oz" (a paperback version of this book was issued by Bantam in 1988), and in 1994 Books of Wonder also reprinted the book. This latest edition is still currently available.

One other Oz story by Baum that has been published was the inscription he wrote in the copy of "The Road to Oz" he gave to his first grandson, Joslyn Stanton Baum. Twenty numbered copies, under the title "A Short, Short Oz Story," were printed in 1994 by Buckethead Enterprises of Oz (a second edition has been published, available from Tails of the Cowardly Lion and Friends). Baum also wrote a short story, "The Littlest Giant: An Oz Story," but other than its subtitle there is no connection to Oz. It wasn't published until 1975, when it appeared in "The Baum Bugle."

6.8. What other books did Baum write? Did he write under any pen names?

Baum was a prolific writer, and the Oz books were only part of his body of work. A number of his characters later show up in his Oz books, and in one case two Oz characters appear in one of his non-Oz fantasies after they first visit Oz. So, here is a list of Baum's books, roughly divided into categories, with some annotations and explanations:

I. Fantasies that are part of the world of Oz

* "A New Wonderland" (1900) -- later edited, including changing the country's name from Phunnyland to Mo, with new material added, and reissued as "The Magical Monarch of Mo" (1903), currently available from Dover Publications. This was the first children's book Baum wrote.
* "Dot and Tot of Merryland" (1901) -- the last collaboration between Baum and Denslow. Currently available, with new illustrations and some minor text alterations, from Books of Wonder.
* "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" (1902) -- a fictitious biography of Santa Claus, and the only one of Baum's non-Oz books still generally available from a number of publishers. It was turned into a 1985 animated TV special by Rankin-Bass, a Japanese cartoon series, and a 2000 direct-to-video animated film from Sony. It was also adapted into a graphic novel by Michael Ploog.
* "Queen Zixi of Ix" (1904) -- considered by many to be Baum's best book. Available from Dover Publications.
* "John Dough and the Cherub" (1906) -- this story is currently out of print, but Dover published a paperback edition in 1974, which may be easier to find in libraries or used book stores than older editions.
* "The Sea Fairies" (1911) -- introduces Trot and Cap'n Bill, who later travel to Oz in "The Scarecrow of Oz." Available from Dover and Books of Wonder.
* "Sky Island" (1912) -- another Trot and Cap'n Bill adventure, which also includes Button-Bright and Polychrome, both of whom first appeared in "The Road to Oz." Available from Dover and Books of Wonder.
* "A Kidnapped Santa Claus" (1969) -- a short story with many characters and taking place in the same locales as "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," published as a picture book in 1969. The story is also available in "The Best of The Baum Bugle 1967-1969," available from IWOC.
* "The Runaway Shadows and Other Stories" (1980) -- six Baum short stories, including "A Kidnapped Santa Claus," published by IWOC. Four of these stories take place in, or otherwise involve, the Forest of Burzee, which also appears in "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," "Queen Zixi of Ix," and other Baum stories, as well as Jack Snow's "The Magical Mimics in Oz."

II. Fantasies that appear to have little or no connection to Oz

* "Mother Goose in Prose" (1897) -- short story collection of the stories behind some of the famous Mother Goose rhymes. Not only was this Baum's first published book for children, it was the first book illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. Some of these stories were adapted by Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, for video and cable broadcast under the title "Jim Henson's Mother Goose Tales," but not all of Henson's stories are based on Baum. Currently available from Dover Publications.
* "The Master Key" (1901) -- the closest Baum has come to science-fiction, although even then it takes a magical demon to get things going. Currently available from Books of Wonder.
* "American Fairy Tales" (1901) -- short story anthology. Most of these stories take place in America, but a few take place in fairy countries. It is currently available from Dover Publications. Three additional stories were added to a later printing with a slightly altered title, "Baum's American Fairy Tales." The latter, with new illustrations, is available from Books of Wonder.
* "The Enchanted Island of Yew" (1903). Currently available from Books of Wonder and other publishers.
* "Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies" (1953) -- an adaptation by Madeleine Kilpatrick, with input from Jack Snow, of one of Baum's "Animal Fairy Tales" (see below), published as a picture book.
* "Animal Fairy Tales" (1969) -- anthology of fairy tales with animals in the lead roles. Originally printed serially in the magazine "The Delineator" in 1905, this was the first collection in book form, which is still available from IWOC. Another book edition came out from Books of Wonder in 1989, reprinting the original magazine layouts and illustrations, but it is not currently available.

III. Non-fantasy works, including poetry collections and short story anthologies

* "The Book of the Hamburgs" (1886) -- Baum's first book, about raising chickens, reprinted from some early periodical articles. Reprinted by Books of Wonder in the 1990s, but not currently available.
* "By the Candelabra's Glare" (1898) -- a privately published collection, Baum supplied the verse, friends donated the illustrations and materials, and Baum printed and bound the ninety-nine copies himself. It has been reprinted by Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints.
* "Father Goose: His Book" (1899) -- a collection of Baum's humorous verse and Denslow's drawings, and the biggest selling American children's book of 1899.
* "The Army Alphabet" (1900).
* "The Navy Alphabet" (1900).
* "The Art of Decorating Dry Goods Windows and Interiors" (1900) -- a technical book for window dressers, reprinting articles from Baum's own magazine, "The Show Window."
* "The Songs of Father Goose" (1900) -- selected verses from "Father Goose," set to music by Alberta N. Hall.
* "Father Goose's Year Book" (1907) -- an illustrated desk calendar with new verses.
* "L. Frank Baum's Juvenile Speaker" (1910) -- a collection of pieces from his previous works, designed for public speaking. It was later reissued as "Baum's Own Book for Children."
* "The Daring Twins" (1911) and "Phoebe Daring" (1912) -- these two books were adventure books aimed at older readers.
* "The Snuggle Tales" (1916 and 1917) -- six small volumes reprinting some of his previous works, most from the "Juvenile Speaker." They were "Little Bun Rabbit," "Once Upon a Time," "The Yellow Hen," "The Magic Cloak," "The Ginger-Bread Man," and "Jack Pumpkinhead." They were reissued in 1920 as "The Oz-Man Tales."
* "Our Landlady" (1941) -- a collection of some of Baum's early newspaper columns.
* "The Musical Fantasies of L. Frank Baum" (1958) -- a collection of Baum's scenarios for unproduced plays, and an essay by editors Alla T. Ford and Dick Martin on Baum's theatrical ventures.
* "Our Landlady" (1996) -- a collection of all of Baum's "Our Landlady" columns from his newspaper days, edited and annotated by Nancy Tystad Koupal.

Mention should also be made here of "In Other Lands Than Ours," privately printed for the Baum family and their friends in 1907. It is essentially Maud Baum's journal of the trip she and Frank made to Egypt and Europe in 1906. Frank wrote an introduction, edited, and took the photographs reproduced in the book. It was republished by Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints in 1983.

IV. Baum's pseudonymous and anonymous works -- these were mostly adventure stories for older children. The "author" name and date are given.
* "The Last Egyptian" (Anonymous, 1908).
* "Sam Steele's Adventures on Land and Sea" (Capt. Hugh Fitzgerald, 1906) -- reprinted in "Oz-Story No. 1" in 1995 under Baum's name.
* "Sam Steele's Adventures in Panama" (Capt. Hugh Fitzgerald, 1907).
* "The Boy Fortune Hunters in Alaska" (Floyd Akers, 1908) -- a reissue of "Sam Steele's Adventures on Land and Sea."
* "The Boy Fortune Hunters in the Panama" (Floyd Akers, 1908) -- a reissue of "Sam Steele's Adventures in Panama."
* "The Boy Fortune Hunters in Egypt" (Floyd Akers, 1908).
* "The Boy Fortune Hunters in China" (Floyd Akers, 1909).
* "The Boy Fortune Hunters in Yucatan" (Floyd Akers, 1910) -- reissued under Baum's name in 1998 by Hungry Tiger Press.
* "The Boy Fortune Hunters in the South Seas" (Floyd Akers, 1911) -- reissued under Baum's name in 1998 by Hungry Tiger Press.
* "Bandit Jim Crow," "Mr. Woodchuck," "Prairie-Dog Town," "Prince Mud-Turtle," "Sugar-Loaf Mountain," and "Twinkle's Enchantment" (Laura Bancroft, 1906) -- a series of short books collectively called "The Twinkle Tales." They were later printed in one volume as "Twinkle and Chubbins," which is currently available under Baum's name from IWOC.
* "Policeman Bluejay" (Laura Bancroft, 1907) -- later reissued as "Babes in Birdland" in 1911, and again in 1917 with a new introduction by Baum and crediting Baum as author for the first time. Also published under Baum's name by Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints, and in "Oz-Story No. 2" (1996).
* "Tamawaca Folks" (John Estes Cook, 1907).
* "Annabel" (Suzanne Metcalf, 1906) -- reprinted under Baum's name in "Oz-Story 6."
* "The Fate of a Crown" (Schuyler Stanton, 1905).
* "Daughters of Destiny" (Schuyler Stanton, 1906) -- reprinted under Baum's name in "Oz-Story 4" (1998).
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces" (Edith Van Dyne, 1906).
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad" (Edith Van Dyne, 1906).
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville" (Edith Van Dyne, 1908).
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work" (Edith Van Dyne 1909).
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces in Society" (Edith Van Dyne, 1910).
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces and Uncle John" (Edith Van Dyne, 1911).
* "The Flying Girl" (Edith Van Dyne, 1911) -- reprinted under Baum's name in "Oz-Story No. 3" in 1997.
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces on Vacation" (Edith Van Dyne, 1912).
* "The Flying Girl and Her Chum" (Edith Van Dyne, 1912) -- reprinted under Baum's name in 1997 by Hungry Tiger Press.
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces on the Ranch" (Edith Van Dyne, 1913).
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West" (Edith Van Dyne, 1914).
* "Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross" (Edith Van Dyne, 1915) -- a new ending was added to this story for its 1918 reprint.
* "Mary Louise" (Edith Van Dyne, 1916).
* "Mary Louise in the Country" (Edith Van Dyne, 1916).
* "Mary Louise Solves a Mystery" (Edith Van Dyne, 1917).
* "Mary Louise and the Liberty Girls" (Edith Van Dyne, 1918).
* "Mary Louise Adopts a Soldier" (Edith Van Dyne, 1919)
As Edith Van Dyne, Emma Speed Sampson wrote three more "Mary Louise" books after Baum's death -- "Mary Louise at Dorfield" (1920), "Mary Louise Stands the Test" (1921), "Mary Louise and Josie O'Gorman" (1922) -- and also wrote two titles for a brief "Josie O'Gorman" series, "Josie O'Gorman" (1923) and "Josie O'Gorman and the Meddlesome Major" (1924).

(The "Aunt Jane's Nieces" books were almost as popular as the Oz books at the time -- so popular that other publishers wanted to issue books by "Edith Van Dyne." One publisher was so insistent on meeting Miss Van Dyne that a female Reilly and Britton employee was sent to meet with him, playing the role of Edith Van Dyne. She very graciously turned him down. Frank and Maud Baum also attended the meeting, under other names.)

In addition to all these books, Baum wrote numerous short stories and poems that appeared in newspapers and magazines, song lyrics, plays (most unproduced), introductions, and essays on his work, as well as the screenplays produced by the Oz Film Manufacturing Company.

6.9. Has anyone ever written a biography of Baum?

Yes indeed. Baum's eldest son, Frank Joslyn Baum, collaborated with Russell P. MacFall on the first, "To Please a Child," published by Reilly and Lee in 1961. It is long out-of-print, and can be difficult to find. Although an important book, it suffers from gaps and inaccuracies, and much of it has been surpassed by subsequent research. More recently, three biographies for young readers have been issued, "L. Frank Baum: Royal Historian of Oz" by Angelica Shirley Carpenter and Jean Shirley (1992), "L. Frank Baum, Author of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'" by Carol Greene (1995), and "Frank Baum" by Jill C. Wheeler (1997). All three should be currently available. Another biography, "L. Frank Baum: Creator of Oz" by Katharine M. Rogers, is due out late in 2002. Chapters on Baum have been issued as part of biographical anthologies as well. Baum and Oz scholar Michael Patrick Hearn is working on a new biography of Baum, and his research was the basis for a 1990 American television movie about Baum, "The Dreamer of Oz."

7. The Other Royal Historians and Illustrators of Oz

7.1. Who was W. W. Denslow?

William Wallace Denslow was born in Philadelphia on May 5, 1856. By the time he turned twenty, he was drawing advertising art and working for magazines and newspapers all over the country. He gained a national reputation, and set up shop in Chicago in the 1890s. There, he met L. Frank Baum, and the two helped inspire each other's creativity on a number of projects. He also did illustrations for Elbert Hubbard at his famous Roycroft Shop, and in general became one of the most well-known, prolific American artists of the turn of the century. He fell upon hard times after a while, however, and eventually died in obscurity in 1915. (It was falsely rumored at the time that he had committed suicide.)

7.2. Why was "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" the only Oz book Denslow illustrated?

Baum and Denslow had shared the copyright on "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and the rest of the books they had worked on together. Unfortunately, after a few years they found they didn't always see eye-to-eye on everything, and also that they could both succeed without the other -- both had many successful post-"Wizard" solo projects. Denslow also did some of his own work with Baum's characters, which did not please Baum. But the final nail in the coffin of their relationship proved to be over the 1902 musical stage version of "The Wizard of Oz." Baum wrote the script, many of the songs, and was instrumental in lining up a producer. Denslow only designed the sets and costumes, and created some promotional art. Nevertheless, he contended that, as joint holder of the book's copyright, he should get half of the play's royalties. While he didn't get quite that much, he did get more than Baum felt he deserved. After his problems with Denslow, Baum vowed not to work with him again, nor to allow any of the artists on his books to hold any sort of rights to his characters and creations.

7.3. What else did Baum and Denslow collaborate on?

Baum and Denslow first woked together on Baum's privately printed book of verse, "By the Candelabra's Glare," for which Denslow contributed two drawings. Their first joint public publishing project was "Father Goose: His Book," a collection of Baum's verse illustrated by Denslow. Generally, Denslow drew a picture to go with Baum's poem, but in some cases it worked in reverse -- Baum would write a poem to go with one of Denslow's illustrations. The book was a surprise best seller in 1899, but many give Denslow's art and design more credit for its success than Baum's poems. In 1900, "The Songs of Father Goose" came out, which was a volume of some of Baum's poems set to music by Alberta N. Hall; Denslow's illustrations were retained. (A third "Father Goose" book, "Father Goose's Year Book," came out in 1907, but did not contain any artwork by Denslow.) In 1901, Denslow illustrated Baum's fantasy novel "Dot and Tot of Merryland." Denslow also provided a new cover design, title page, and endpapers for Bobbs-Merrill's 1903 edition of "The Wizard of Oz."

7.4. What other Oz projects did Denslow work on?

As joint copyright holder of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Denslow felt he was just as entitled to use the characters in his own work as Baum was, and so produced Oz projects of his own. He first used Baum's characters as his own in two "Father Goose" comic pages, published in newspapers in 1900. The first appearance of Oz characters in his own work was in a series of picture books. "Denslow's Night Before Christmas" shows a toy Tin Woodman peering out of Santa's bag. "Denslow's A B C" used the Scarecrow for the letter S, and the Tin Woodman for T (standing for tin). And "Denslow's House That Jack Built" shows the Scarecrow in the background as Jack works. In 1903, a small pamphlet entitled "Pictures from the Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was published, with Denslow's name prominent on the cover. This was made up of the unused color plates after the original publisher of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," George M. Hill, went bankrupt. A new non-Oz story by Thos. H. Russell, tying the pictures together, was printed on the blank sides. In 1904, "Denslow's Scarecrow and the Tin-Man" was the latest addition to the Denslow collection of picture books, and details an incident where the pair escaped from the theater where they were performing (!) to go out on the town. This story was published both on its own and in a collection, "Denslow's Scarecrow and the Tin-Man and Other Stories." Finally, Denslow wrote a comic page, "Denslow's Scarecrow and Tin-Man," which ran for several weeks in 1904-1905. (During this time, Baum's "Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz" page -- see question 6.7 -- was also running.) The comic starred the Scarecrow, Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and, for its first two installments, Dorothy. The first two stories took place in Oz, but soon the characters found their way to America and had a number of adventures in that strange land. The series ended with them on their way out west. (Two unfinished pages depict their adventures with cowboys, and at a California flower show.) On all of these projects, Denslow received sole credit, and Baum was not mentioned at all.

7.5. Who was John R. Neill, and how did he get involved in Oz?

John Rea Neill was born in 1877, and took to drawing at an early age. He was asked by Reilly and Britton to illustrate the new Oz book, "The Marvelous Land of Oz," in 1904, and he went on to illustrate the rest of Baum's Oz books, some of his non-Oz titles, and all of Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz books. Many Oz fans consider him to be the definitive illustrator of the Oz books, and he drew literally hundreds of characters. He also illustrated books for a number of other publishers, and drew for magazines, newspapers, and advertisements. When Thompson stepped down as Royal Historian of Oz, the publishers asked Neill if he'd like to write a book as well as illustrate it. He accepted, and wrote three more titles in the series (although an overenthusiastic editor at Reilly and Lee apparently rewrote much of his books). He had written the manuscript for a fourth book when he died in 1943. As sales of the Oz books had been dropping, and America's entrance into World War II brought about paper rationing, Reilly and Lee decided not to publish Neill's fourth book, and to put the series on hold until after the war.

7.6. What are Neill's other Oz works?

The first Oz book to come out under Neill's name was "The Oz Toy Book" in 1915, a series of character portraits printed on cardstock so they could be cut out and made to stand. Unfortunately the publishers didn't clear this with Baum, causing some bitterness between Baum and Neill, despite the book being the publishers' idea. Baum feared that Neill, like Denslow, was trying to take credit for the creation of his characters. Reilly and Britton were able to placate Baum, and "The Oz Toy Book" was not reprinted and largely forgotten, although it has been reprinted in black and white, currently available from IWOC. The manuscript for Neill's fourth novel was kept by his family, and in 1995 it was edited and illustrated by Eric Shanower, and published as "The Runaway in Oz" by Books of Wonder. It is currently available from both Books of Wonder and from Shanower through Hungry Tiger Press.

7.7. Who was Ruth Plumly Thompson?

Ruth Plumly Thompson was born in Philadelphia in 1891 (although later in life she claimed to have been born in 1900). She was always good at entertaining younger children, and began writing nonsense stories and verse at a young age. She soon got a job writing a children's page for the "Philadelphia Public Ledger," and became a prolific writer, mostly of short stories and poems. She left the "Ledger" to write the Oz books, turning out a book a year for nineteen years. She stopped writing Oz books as her imagination ran out, and out of frustration with Reilly and Lee for not publicizing the series enough (she also had a small pay dispute with them). After retiring from Oz, Ruth went on to write for magazines. She created Perky Puppet for "Jack and Jill" magazine, and was an active writer the rest of her life. She died in 1976.

7.8. How did she get the job of continuing the Oz series?

William F. Lee, one of the partners in Reilly and Lee, was looking for someone to continue the Oz series after Baum's death. He saw Ruth's work in the "Ledger," and offered her the job. Since this meant a steady income and support for her invalid sister, she accepted, a deal was struck with Baum's widow, and Ruth turned out nineteen books in nineteen years before her retirement as a regular contributor to the series. Since Thompson never met Baum, there is no truth to any of the rumors that she was Baum's niece or secretary, or otherwise got the job through her connection to him.

7.9. What other Oz stories has Thompson written?

Sometime in the 1960s, she had an idea for a new Oz story involving an astronaut dog. By that point, however, Reilly and Lee had all but vanished, and they felt the Oz series was too long, anyway. (She was not terribly happy when Reilly and Lee published "Merry Go Round in Oz" instead.) The manuscript lay forgotten for a few years until IWOC expressed interest, and they published it in 1972 as "Yankee in Oz". Four years later IWOC published "The Enchanted Island of Oz" (which was in production when she died), an Ozzified expansion of one of Ruth's previously unpublished non-Oz novels. In 1992 IWOC published "The Cheerful Citizens of Oz," a collection of her Ozzy poetry. Some of her Oz poems were also published by IWOC in "The Wizard of Way-Up," a collection of her short stories and poems. All of these books are currently available from IWOC.

In addition to the books published by IWOC, Thompson wrote "A Day in Oz," also known as "Scraps of Oz," a play for department store book departments to use for advertising, in 1924; the script, adapted from Baum's "Ozma of Oz," for the 1928 Jean Gros marionette show, "The Magical Land of Oz;" and numerous poems, short stories, and articles in "The Baum Bugle," the IWOC journal. Oz fans may also be interested in one of her few non-Oz novels, "The Curious Cruise of Captain Santa," as it was published by Reilly and Lee in 1926 and illustrated by John R. Neill. And yes, IWOC has reprinted it.

7.10. Who was Jack Snow, and how did he get involved in Oz?

Born in 1907 in Piqua, Ohio, Jack Snow was a lifelong fan of L. Frank Baum, and upon Baum's death Snow offered to take over writing the Oz series. Reilly and Lee turned him down, as he was only twelve at the time. Snow went on to write for radio, and worked for NBC for some time, but he never lost his interest in Baum and Oz, and amassed one of the finest Baum collections of the time. He finally got to see his own Oz book published in 1946, and three years later his second one came out. By this time the Oz series had fallen out of favor, however, and Snow's books did not sell well. Jack Snow died in 1956.

7.11. What are Snow's other Oz writings?

Reilly and Lee convinced Snow to write "Who's Who in Oz" in 1954. It was not a novel, but an encyclopedia of Oz characters, with short biographies and illustrations, as well as profiles of the authors and illustrators of the series to that point. It was the first Oz reference work, and one of the earliest non-fiction books about Oz. Although officially out of print, a reprint edition is currently available from IWOC. Snow also wrote a short story, "A Murder in Oz," which was originally written for, but eventually rejected by, "Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine." It was serialized in IWOC's journal, "The Baum Bugle," after Snow's death, and published as a small pamphlet by Buckethead Enterprises of Oz in the 1990s (currently available from Tails of the Cowardly Lion and Friends). It is also included, along with some of Snow's short horror stories, in the anthology "Spectral Snow," published in 1996 by Hungry Tiger Press. "The Baum Bugle" also published "The Crystal People," believed to be an excised chapter from "The Shaggy Man of Oz." There have been persistent rumors of an unpublished Snow manuscript, "Over the Rainbow to Oz," which involves either Polychrome (the rainbow's daughter, who first appears in "The Road to Oz") or the early history of Oz, but if Snow wrote such a story, no part of the manuscript has ever been found.

7.12. Who is Frank Kramer, and how did he get involved in Oz?

Very little is known of Frank Kramer. He was born in New York City in 1909, and after a career in business he turned to the more enjoyable profession of art. He first became known for his sports illustrations, and in 1946 became the first new illustrator of the Oz books in over forty years. He died in 1993.

7.13. Who was Rachel R. Cosgrove, and how did she get involved in Oz?

Rachel R. Cosgrove was born in 1922 in Maryland into a family of book lovers. Among the many books they read were the Oz books, and so despite working as a pharmacologist, it only seemed natural to her to write an Oz book for her own and her mother's enjoyment. On a whim she sent a copy of the manuscript to Reilly and Lee, and although they weren't adding any new books to the series at the time, they gave her encouragement and comments. She made a few changes, then Reilly and Lee asked if they could publish it after all. "The Hidden Valley of Oz," published in 1951, was Rachel Cosgrove's first published book, but far from her last, as she continued to write mysteries, romances, juveniles, and science-fiction. After marrying Norman Payes in 1954, her books were published under several variations of the name Rachel Cosgrove Payes, with some of her sci-fi published under the name E. L. Arch, an anagram of her first name. Rachel Cosgrove Payes died in 1998.

7.14. What are Cosgrove's other Oz writings?

Shortly after "Hidden Valley" was published, she wrote another Oz story, but Reilly and Lee decided to pass on it, and it lay in her files for years until IWOC published it in 1993 as "The Wicked Witch of Oz," under the name Rachel Cosgrove Payes. She also wrote an afterword to the IWOC reprint edition of "The Hidden Valley of Oz." In 1995 she contributed a short story to "Oz-Story 1," an anthology of Oz material edited by Eric Shanower, who illustrated "Wicked Witch," and David Maxine. Another of her short stories appeared in "Oz-Story 3" in 1997, and part of her original manuscript for "The Hidden Valley of Oz" was published in "Oz-Story 6" in 2000.

7.15. Who was Dirk, and how did he get involved in Oz?

Dirk Gringhuis was born September 18, 1918 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From a very early age, he wanted to be an artist. He studied in Chicago and New York, then returned to Michigan to take up his trade. He was first approached to illustrate "The Shaggy Man of Oz," but his first and only published Oz work was for "The Hidden Valley of Oz." At the time, he was also the head of the art department at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. He went on to a number of freelance jobs, worked as both a teacher and curtor at Michigan State University, wrote some books of his own, and produced an educational television show about his home state. He died in 1973.

7.16. Who are Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Lauren McGraw Wagner, and how did they get involved in Oz?

The McGraws are a mother and daughter from Oregon. Eloise Jarvis McGraw was an accomplished children's book writer, who won three Newbery Honor Awards and an Edgar from the Mystery Writers of America. She had been writing for about twenty years when she and her daughter, while reading "The Scalawagons of Oz" together, thought, "This isn't a proper Oz book," and the two of them set about to write one of their own. They submitted the manuscript to Reilly and Lee, who were interested to see how a new Oz book would be received after a dozen years, and in 1963 "Merry Go Round in Oz" was published, the fortieth Oz book. While Lauren McGraw Wagner -- now using her maiden name, Lauren Lynn McGraw, both personally and professionally -- went on to a career in art, Eloise continued to write until her death in 2000.

7.17. What other Oz writings have the McGraws produced?

After the success of their two new books by Ruth Plumly Thompson, IWOC asked Eloise if she'd be interested in writing a new Oz book for them. Since she had no other major projects going at the time, she agreed, contacted her daughter, and the McGraws wrote "The Forbidden Fountain of Oz," published in 1980. Eloise also wrote a slightly fictionalized account of Baum's creation of Oz for "Childcraft" in the 1960s, called "The Magic Land" (reprinted in "Oz-Story 2" in 1996), and submitted a story to "Oziana," IWOC's fiction magazine, for its 1990 edition. A few Oz references have slipped into Eloise's other works, and she's contributed some articles to "The Baum Bugle," and the introduction to a new edition of "The Wizard of Oz" published by Aladdin in 1999.  Eloise Jarvis McGraw's first solo Oz novel, "The Rundelstone of Oz," was first published in "Oz-Story 6" in 2000, and as a book in 2001 (the latter with an introduction by her daughter), both from Hungry Tiger Press. She also edited Gina Wickwar's "The Hidden Prince of Oz," published in 2000, for IWOC.

7.18. Who was Dick Martin, and how did he get involved in Oz?

Dickinson Payne Martin was born June 29, 1927 in Chicago, and was a lifelong resident of the Windy City. Inspired by John R. Neill's illustrations in the Oz books, he studied at several art colleges while still in high school. Martin's art appeared in magazines and newspapers, on greeting and playing cards, and on posters and advertisements, but he especially enjoyed illustrating books. He did a lot of illustrating work for Reilly and Lee in the 1960s, including "The Visitors from Oz," adaptations of some of Baum's Oz books, and "Merry Go Round in Oz." He also redesigned the Baum Oz books and wrote and illustrated an advertising newspaper, "The Ozmapolitan." For IWOC, he illustrated a set of Oz maps (which he also helped to research and design), "Yankee in Oz," "The Enchanted Island of Oz," "The Forbidden Fountain of Oz," and "Animal Fairy Tales," as well as assembling two books of his own sketches, and writing and illustrating the novel "The Ozmapolitan of Oz." He co-authored "The Oz Scrapbook" with David Greene, and Dover published three Oz-themed cut-out-and-make-it books that he designed. He was also an active Oz fan, who served IWOC as president, vice-president, editor of "The Baum Bugle," convention auctioneer, and on the board of directors, among other roles. He amassed an amazing collection of Oz books and memorabilia, and he pioneered the bibliography of the Oz books that would result in the book "Bibliographia Oziana." He died on Valentine's Day, 1990.

7.19. Who is Eric Shanower, and how did he get involved in Oz?

Although not an author or illustrator who has worked on any of the FF, Eric Shanower has illustrated Oz books by four of the Royal Historians, and written and illustrated many other published Oz works. Born  in Florida on October 23, 1963, Eric Shanower wanted to write and draw Oz stories and comic books ever since he was six. After attending art school, he got his chance to do both with "The Enchanted Apples of Oz," a graphic novel published by First Comics in 1986. This was soon followed by "The Secret Island of Oz," "The Ice King of Oz," and "The Forgotten Forest of Oz." (A fifth graphic novel, "The Blue Witch of Oz," was put on hold when First ceased operation; it was later published by Dark Horse Comics.) Shanower also began to do work for IWOC, including writing and illustrating stories for "Oziana," but most notably illustrating the Rachel Cosgrove Payes novel "The Wicked Witch of Oz." He also wrote and illustrated "The Giant Garden of Oz," and edited and illustrated John R. Neill's unpublished Oz book "The Runaway in Oz," for Books of Wonder. He and David Maxine founded Hungry Tiger Press, which from 1995 to 2000 published the annual "Oz-Story" anthology of new and reprinted Oz work. They have also reprinted some of Baum's and Thompson's rarer works, sheet music from old Oz stage musicals, and other items of interest to Oz fans, including two novels illustrated by Shanower, "Paradox in Oz" by Edward Einhorn, and "The Rundelstone of Oz" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. Besides his Oz work, Shanower has inked and drawn several comic books, including his own "Age of Bronze," published by Image, for which he won the comics industry's Eisner award as best writer/artist in 2001. He now lives in San Diego, California. You can find out more at his website, http://ericshanower.com/es/index.shtml.

7.20. Who else has written Oz books?

Lots and lots of people. Two of Baum's sons wrote books of their own ("The Laughing Dragon of Oz" by Frank J. Baum, published in 1935 as one of the earliest Big-Little Books; and "The Dinomonster of Oz" by Kenneth Gage Baum, which finally saw print in 1991, published by Buckethead Enterprises of Oz), and his great-grandson Roger S. Baum has now written a number of Oz books as well. Most authors of Oz books today, however, are just fans who write for fun, since there isn't enough of an audience anymore to actually make a lot of money off the books.

8. Writing, illustrating, and publishing your own Oz book

8.1. I have an idea for an Oz book. How do I write it?

There is a saying in Oz circles: Scratch an Oz fan and you'll find an Oz book. Despite the large numbers of new books coming out now, many more books are written than are ever published, so don't get your hopes up -- especially if you expect to make a lot of money writing Oz books, because it just isn't going to happen. But if you have an Oz story to tell, go ahead and write it down. There are no real hard and fast rules for how to write an Oz book, just do it. And remember the cardinal rule on becoming a writer (of anything): Write. The more you write, the better writer you will become.

8.2. What should I write about? Is there anything I SHOULDN'T write?

That depends, mostly on who you want to read and enjoy your book. Some Oz fans want their Oz stories to conform to strict limits of acceptability -- and of course they can't always agree on what those limits are! Other fans are more forgiving of stories that may be a little offbeat or different. Some write just for themselves, while others want as many people to read their stories as possible. In the famous words of singer Ricky Nelson, "They say you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." In other words, write the kind of Oz story you want to read.

Some areas to avoid: Too many books have been published (and undoubtedly countless more written) that presume the reader will only be familiar with "The Wizard of Oz," and go from there, totally ignoring the rest of the books. In some cases, one must wonder if the writers even knew there were other Oz stories. There are already dozens of sequels to "The Wizard of Oz," both the book and The Movie, out there, so unless you have a REALLY good, original idea, anything involving Dorothy all grown up, or her children or grandchildren, has probably already been done. This is also a good way to alienate a built-in audience.

Don't try to be consistent with every Oz book ever published or that may be published in the future. It can't be done. Even the FF contain some inconsistencies (see question 2.17), and most other books have been written without trying to do this, so they often contradict other books without ever intending to. It is a difficult enough task to just gather them all together and read them, and most Oz fans don't have them all anyway. Don't worry about it, and don't let continuity or canonicity straitjacket you. If you are consistent with the FF, or even just the Baum books, your story will probably turn out all right. If you can also be consistent with other books that you have read and enjoyed, so much the better.

Don't let previous books constrain you so much that you can't tell the story you want. Because Oz is a magical land, any number of things can happen. Just because it hasn't been shown before doesn't necessarily mean it can't ever happen in Oz. But don't go too far. If you want to write a story, but it doesn't seem like it could fit in Oz, maybe it shouldn't be an Oz story. Perhaps the worst review an Oz fan can give of an Oz book is that it's not Ozzy. (If you're not sure what that means, you may not be quite ready to write an Oz book yet.)

Bearing all this in mind -- and yes, it's a lot -- go ahead and write your Oz story. Just remember that it should be as much fun, or more, for you to write it as it is for other people to read.

8.3. What characters can I use? Are they all in public domain?

The basic rule of thumb is, if a book is in public domain, then everything that book says about its characters is public domain as well. For instance, you could have the character of Ojo appear in your book, since he first appears in "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," which is now public domain. But you shouldn't use information about Ojo revealed in "Ojo in Oz," since that book is still under copyright. (To see which books are in public domain, see question 2.12.) The good news is, the vast majority of Oz characters are in public domain, including all of those created by L. Frank Baum. Even those characters first introduced in a book still under copyright, but who also appear in a later book now in public domain, can be used -- just be careful not to use any copyrighted information about them. If you have your heart set on using a character who's still under copyright, however, you're out of luck, and you may want to think about using another character, or perhaps even creating a new one. The handful of characters still under copyright belong to the writers who created them, and their estates are not known to let just anyone who asks to use them.

8.4. I've written my book. Now what?

It's no fun having a new Oz story if nobody else can read it! So, you have two real options here: Either make a few copies and share it with friends, or get it ready for publication. In the current electronic age, to do the latter -- and, increasingly, the former -- means to put your story on a computer disk or other electronic medium. It depends on your publisher or printer, but for the most part you will want to put it on a 3 1/2" floppy disk as either a text file or Microsoft Word document. Don't worry about pagination or any other technical considerations, these will be taken care of later. All you need in your file are your words. Make sure that all spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct, because neither your publisher nor your readers want to correct them for you.

8.5. Should I have someone else read my book before submitting it for publication?

Most certainly. A writer can sometimes get so wrapped up in a story while writing it that he or she may not notice small errors, gaps in plot or logic, or anything else that might detract from the story. So if you can find a willing test audience, by all means make use of it. Remember, however, that they may be brutally honest. If they criticize your work, don't take it personally. It's not a reflection on you as a person, or even as a writer, merely problems with that particular story. Take it to heart, and learn from any remarks your story may get.

Be careful with whom you choose to read your story, however. It's very easy to find fellow Oz fans online, for instance, and many of them will be willing to read and criticize your story -- but many others are not. This is not a reflection on you. Rather, it demonstrates not only how busy other people are with their own lives, but that they may also be safeguarding themselves. A lot of Oz fans are also writers (and not just of Oz books), and will routinely turn down any requests to review other people's work. (I happen to be one of them.) This is because, should they write something similar, now or in the future, they don't want to be accused of plagiarism, even if it's unintended or coincidental. If you are looking for someone to read and critique your story before it's published, make sure it's someone you know well and trust. Do not, under any circumstances, send a story, on paper or electronically, to someone whose permission you don't already have to send it to. This is to protect yourself from plagiarism, and the recipient from accusations of plagiarism -- as well as letting them live their own lives.

8.6. Who can I submit my story to for publication? 

First word of caution here: Don't get your hopes up! There are an awful lot of Oz writers out there now, and you are competing with all of them. Publishers need to be choosy now. Also, if you intend on making money writing Oz books, don't quit your day job. While Oz fans are dedicated, they are also a small audience, and you just can't make a lot of money, if any, from Oz book royalties. For that matter, most Oz fans stick pretty much to the FF and closely related books; they don't all collect every book whose title ends in "Oz." But if you still want to go through with it, here are your chances with each of the three major current publishers of new Oz books:

The International Wizard of Oz Club: Don't even try. Over the last three decades they've published only six original books, five of them written by established Oz authors, and all at IWOC's instigation. However, if you're interested in submitting a short story or poem to the Club's literary magazine, "Oziana," contact the interim editor, Joel Harris, via e-mail at joelharris@aol.com. But every year "Oziana" gets more submissions than it can print, so there is no guarantee that they will publish your work.

Emerald City Press, the division of Books of Wonder that publishes new Oz stories, is a professional publishing house, with editors and readers and all that, and so the process is similar to pitching a manuscript to just about any other publisher. They have published several books, but they also haven't put out a new book for several years. Before sending them a manuscript, write to them (c/o Books of Wonder -- see question 3.2 for contact information), and ask for submission guidelines, what they're looking for, etc. Then carefully read whatever they send you and follow all of their instructions to be sure that your manuscript will be considered.

Tails of the Cowardly Lion of Oz will publish just about any book that's sufficiently Ozzy, and they put out three or four titles a year. But they also have a huge backlog, and no money to speed up production, so if you want your book published through them, you will have to be patient. Again, before sending a manuscript, write to them. Since this is a non-profit, we-do-it-for-the-love-of-Oz set-up -- no, they don't pay royalties -- it would be REALLY nice to send them a SASE with any correspondence you send so they won't have to spring for postage for your reply. Their address is 1606 Arnold Palmer Loop, Belen, NM 87002, or you can e-mail them at LionCoward@aol.com.

Hungry Tiger Press has published only two original Oz novels, and in both cases they commissioned the works and got the ball rolling. You're unlikely to get your book published through them, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

There is another option -- self-publishing. But this takes money and knowledge of the printing business, and if you want pictures for your book, you're going to have to draw them yourself or find your own illustrator. Even then, you have to find some way to get the word to Oz fans that your book is out there. But it has been done, so if you're feeling really ambitious and can afford to spend some money, you may want to seriously consider this option. You could also look into a vanity press, which will print it for you, but little else, for the right price. One such press to check out online is Xlibris, at http://www1.xlibris.com/ on the WWW. You may even want to consider "publishing" your work on the WWW.

You could always approach another publisher, but it's extremely unlikely that they'd want to publish an Oz book. As mentioned before, the audience for Oz is extremely small, and most of the bigger publishers don't want to cater to such a niche market, or compete with other Oz publishers (nor, for that matter, with the Oz books that are already out on the market, including the FF). And remember, they already have dozens, if not hundreds, of other manuscripts under consideration.

For more details on the children's book market in general, you may wish to track down a copy of the annual "Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market" book. Many booksellers and libraries carry it.

8.7. Who's going to illustrate my book?

That depends, but if you buck the odds and your book is picked up by a publishing firm, you have less say in the matter than you might think. If you are publishing your own book, no problem, you can provide whatever illustrations you want. But if you've submitted your book to someone else to publish, it's out of your hands. You're welcome to make suggestions, of course, or submit your own illustrations if you can draw, but the publishers are under no obligation to listen to you unless it's in your contract -- and first-time authors don't have that kind of clout.

8.8. I'm an artist, and I like drawing Oz scenes and characters. Where can I go to get my work published?

Your options are basically the same as for writers (see question 8.6 above for more details). IWOC makes its own contacts for book illustrations, but "Oziana" can always use artwork. The Oz Club has published an annual calendar in the past with fan art. Tales of the Cowardly Lion and Friends always needs illustrators for their books. Emerald City Press usually hires professional artists, but you can always write to them and see if they'd be interested, maybe sending along a few copies of your work (NOT the originals) as examples.

8.9. Why does my publisher want me to make so many changes?

Because they are taking the bigger risk. When you think about it, the actual story is a very small component of putting a book together. All you are providing are the words. The publisher is taking care of printing, binding, publicity, marketing, and all other aspects of turning your words into a book and getting it into the hands of readers. This costs them a lot of money, which they have to pay up front. The author, on the other hand, has only lost the time it took to write it. That's also why your royalties, if any, are such a relatively small amount of the price of the book, and the publisher gets to choose the illustrator. So naturally the publishers are going to want to make changes if they think it will improve the book, or it needs to be shortened, or for any other reason.

8.10. Is there anywhere else I can show off my Oz writing or artwork?

IWOC, at its three main conventions (Ozmopolitan, Winkies, Munchkins), has an Oz Research Table, where stories, articles, and art in all media can be displayed. During each convention, two winners in each category are chosen, and yes, there is a small amount of prize money. For more information, contact IWOC.

9. Dramatic presentations of Oz

[A word here about video formats: All references to home video in this section, unless otherwise stated, refer to what's been released in North America on the NTSC VHS format. Anything released on DVD is available on a Region 1 (United States and Canada) encoded disc in NTSC. Outside of the United States and Canada, you will probably have to do some looking on your own. I'd love to include anything you find out in future editions of this FAQ, so please write me if you have information.]

9.1. Was "The Wizard of Oz" or any other Oz story ever performed as a play?

Most certainly! In fact, almost as soon as it was published, there was talk of turning it into a play. Under the guidance of stage manager Julian Mitchell, "The Wizard of Oz" debuted in Chicago in 1902, and a year later it was playing on Broadway, where it racked up one of the longest runs of its day. Touring productions of the play were on the road as late as 1909, regional theaters were putting it on as late as 1918, and its original stars, Fred Stone and David Montgomery, who played the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, went on to become successes in other shows. Despite bearing little resemblance to the book -- Dorothy's pet dog Toto became her pet cow Imogene, for instance, other characters were added, there was no Wicked Witch of the West, the Lion's part was greatly reduced and he couldn't talk, and many musical numbers that had nothing to do with the plot were thrown in -- it was a great success which Baum tried to duplicate twice. His first attempt was "The Woggle-Bug" in 1905, a dramatization of "The Marvelous Land of Oz," which "failed to woggle," as one observer put it. The critics said it was too similar to "The Wizard of Oz," and not as good, and it failed to draw an audience. It only played a few weeks in Milwaukee and Chicago. In 1913, Baum tried again with a dramatization of the third Oz book, "Ozma of Oz," but he made enough changes to make an entirely new story called "The Tik-Tok Man of Oz." Although successful in its Los Angeles and Chicago runs, it never made it to Broadway, and so Baum used the story instead as the basis for his next Oz book, where it became "Tik-Tok of Oz."

With the exception of the 1928 Jean Gros marionette show "The Magical Land of Oz," which was an adaptation of "Ozma of Oz" written by Ruth Plumly Thompson, and the Junior League adaptations of several Oz books in the 1920s and 1930s, for the most part that was it for Oz stage shows for some time. The success of The Movie, however, changed that, and in 1940s the St. Louis Light Opera put on a version of "The Wizard of Oz," adapted by Frank Gabrielson and with songs from The Movie, and it was successful enough that other regional theaters put it on as well, and are continuing to do so to this day.

In 1974, producer Ken Harper put on a new staging of "The Wizard of Oz" with all new music and an African-American cast. The storyline of "The Wiz" stayed fairly close to the original book, and after out-of-town tryouts, it opened on Broadway in 1975, where it picked up seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Director of a Musical. It has been revived, performed in community theaters, and loosely adapted into a movie.

Since then, the only major stage productions have been tied in with The Movie. A lavish arena show toured much of North America in 1989, and in 1995 a one-time show, "The Wizard of Oz in Concert," emphasizing the music, was presented in New York City with an all-star cast to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The latter was recorded and broadcast on American cable channel TNT, and has been released on videotape and reshown on PBS stations and VH1. In Great Britain, the Royal Shakespeare Company staged "The Wizard of Oz," a closer adaptation of The Movie than the St. Louis Light Opera show, for several Christmas seasons beginning in the 1980s, and this version has now been performed on both sides of the Atlantic, and is available for companies to perform. "The Wizard of Oz on Ice" toured a number of North American cities in the 1990s, and there were also Oz productions in many earlier editions of the Ice Follies and Ice Capades. And a major new production, produced by Madison Square Garden and featuring Mickey Rooney as the Wizard, recently toured throughout the United States and Canada. 

There have also been several school, community, and children's theater stage productions of not only "The Wizard of Oz," but also "The Land of Oz," "Ozma of Oz," "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," "The Yellow Knight of Oz," "Merry Go Round in Oz," and probably other books as well, over the years, as well as new Oz stories written especially for the stage. "Volshebnik Izumrudnovo Goroda" (see question 2.14) has also been performed on stage in Russia. 

9.2. Our school/local community theater wants to put on "The Wizard of Oz." Where can we get a script and the rights to do it?

The current source for the amateur stage rights of The Movie is Tams-Witmark. You MUST go through Tams-Witmark and pay their royalties if you want to use the music from The Movie, even if you don't use their script. They have two different versions, one based on the 1940s St. Louis show (http://www.tamswitmark.com/musicals/wizard.html), and one based on the Royal Shakespeare Company's adaptation (http://www.tamswitmark.com/musicals/wizardrsc.html). They can be reached at:

Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc.
560 Lexington Ave.
New York, NY 10022

or by calling 212-688-9191, or on the WWW at http://www.tamswitmark.com. Music Theatre International also has a musical version of "The Wizard of Oz" available to theater companies, but the music is not that of The Movie. They can be contacted at:

Music Theatre International
421 West 54th Street
New York, NY 10019

or by phone at 212-541-4684, by FAX at 212-397-4684, or by e-mail at licensing@mtishows.com, and they have a web page about their version at http://www.mtishows.com/InfoBase/MTInfobase.asp?showid=1105. The MTI website includes contact information, including for countries outside North America, at http://www.mtishows.com/contact.htm. Another version is available through Classics on Stage (http://www.classicsonstage.com/scriptswizardofoz.html), and Pioneer Drama Services (http://www.pioneerdrama.com/headings/catalog.html) has five (!) different versions available. Yet another version (I believe the non-musical Junior League version from the 1920s), along with "The Wiz," is available through Samuel French (http://www.samuelfrench.com/). Still more versions of "The Wizard of Oz" and other Oz scripts can be found through Dramatic Publishing (http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/).The original 1902 version has recently been revived, and a script for it will probably be available for performances soon. A number of scripts for "The Wizard of Oz" and other Oz shows are available for sale through (TMOHH) the Online Wizard of Oz Shop, aisle 8 (http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/aisle8.html), and these generally contain performance and royalty information. If you are willing to forego the famous songs from The Movie, the story itself is in public domain, so you can always write your own script, as long as it's not a direct rip-off of The Movie or any other script.

9.3 How can we make sets, costumes, and so forth for our production of "The Wizard of Oz"?

That's a very big, long question, and difficult to answer in a document of this type. Let's just say that it all depends on your performance area, budget, available materials, what crafts people you have available and what they can do, and what the director wants. You'd be better off looking around for books and websites on stagecraft rather than trying to get answers here. Some Oz-specific suggestions can be found, however, at http://www.beyondtherainbow2oz.com/stagethewizard.html. Some sketches, plans, and scene designs used by the St. Louis Municipal Light Opera are available at http://www.trinity.edu/sgilliam/sd/oz.html. And the approach of a British school show touring Germany are detailed in an article beginning at http://www.schoolshows.demon.co.uk/resources/articles/oz.htm. Moonstruck Dramatic Books has pages on their site devoted to both "The Wizard of Oz" (http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/albm6.htm) and "The Wiz" (http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/albm59.html). Information on Oz costumes and costume patterns can be found in question 19.7. Good lu... -- er, I mean, break a leg!

9.4. Have there been any Oz movies?

Oh, yes! Thanks to television, and now home video, for many people Oz IS a movie, shown annually on American television and one of the most famous, beloved, and watched films of all time. Yet from the earliest days of filmmaking there have been Oz movies. In 1911 the Baums moved to a sleepy little suburb of Los Angeles called Hollywood, and Frank got caught up in the fledgling movie industry there, going so far as to organize his own film studio. Here is a partial, annotated list of Oz movies that have been made over the years:

* "The Fairylogue and Radio Plays." This was an elaborate multimedia show that toured the midwestern and eastern United States in 1908, and it was presented by L. Frank Baum himself. Using hand-tinted films, slides, live actors, and a full orchestra, Baum presented dramatizations of "The Wizard of Oz," "The Land of Oz," "Ozma of Oz," and "John Dough and the Cherub," and a preview of his then-forthcoming new book, "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz." No film from this show is known to exist, but the slides and scripts do.
* "The Wizard of Oz," "Dorothy and the Scarecrow of Oz," "The Land of Oz," "John Dough and the Cherub." When the Fairylogue ran into financial trouble, Baum assigned the film rights to some of his books to the Selig Polyscope Company, which had made the films, and as a result these one-reelers were released in 1910. These are not the Fairylogue films, but new versions. Thought lost for years, portions of the first film turned up at the Kodak Film Archives in Rochester, New York, in the early 1990s. Clips were featured in the made-for-video documentary, "Oz: The American Fairyland."
* "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," "The Magic Cloak of Oz," "His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz." These were produced by Baum's own Oz Film Company in 1914, and were not terribly successful. They were based on, respectively, "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," "Queen Zixi of Ix" (with its location changed from Ix to Oz), and a number of elements of Baum's other books. The latter was written up a year later as the novel "The Scarecrow of Oz." These are currently available on home video, and the last one is also available on DVD. ("The Magic Cloak of Oz" was released as two two-reelers in Great Britain, "The Witch Queen" and "The Magic Cloak," and the only prints currently available just give the title as "The Magic Cloak"; while "His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz" was later released as "The New Wizard of Oz.") The Oz Film Company also made some films based on Baum's non-Oz writings, none of which are now known to exist.
* "The Wizard of Oz." This 1925 release, co-written by Baum's eldest son, had a character named Dorothy living in Kansas and a house transported to Oz via cyclone, but the resemblance to the book ends there. This is a slapstick farce that served mainly as a vehicle for comedian Larry Semon, who played the Scarecrow. This film is most notable today for a set of farmhands who later become Dorothy's three friends in Oz, an idea MGM may have borrowed for The Movie; and the appearance of a young Oliver Hardy, somewhat slimmer than when he teamed up with Stan Laurel two years later. Hardy played the farmhand who disguised himself as a Tin Man. Currently available on home video and DVD. (This movie and the three Oz Film Company movies are all available on VHS, individually or in an attractive boxed set, from American Home Entertainment. Their phone number is 1-800-422-6484.) There's also a British DVD in PAL format, paired up with the Laurel and Hardy movie "Hustling for Health."
* "The Wizard of Oz." A 1933 cartoon short directed by Ted Eshbaugh, it was originally made in Technicolor. Unfortunately, soon thereafter, Walt Disney signed an exclusive agreement with the Technicolor corporation, thus holding up release of Eshbaugh's short. Black and white copies eventually made it into the hands of collectors, and in the late 1980s it was finally released on home video, with computer colorization. (Look in the bargain bins at your local discount or video store, with the cartoon collections. It's often on a tape with other public domain cartoons.) An excerpt was included on the 1998 DVD release of The Movie.
* "The Wizard of Oz." The big one, MGM's 1939 Judy Garland vehicle, the most watched movie in history. For many people, this IS Oz. There have been so many questions, legends, rumors, half-truths, and speculations surrounding this movie that the following six (!) sections of this FAQ are devoted to it. Besides its annual television showings, it's been released on home video, laserdisk, and DVD in several versions.
* "The Wonderful Land of Oz." A 1969 low-budget musical adaptation of Baum's second book, poor acting and poor production values let this one down. More information about this production, including downloading and ordering information, are available on the WWW at http://movietv.com/tape_main.asp?tid=0. It is also available on VHS from Something Weird Video, http://www.somethingweird.com/. (It is not recommended that children be allowed to visit this website unsupervised.)
* "Journey Back to Oz." Released in Europe in 1972 and North America in 1974, this was the first full-length animated Oz theatrical release, and boasted a stellar cast of voices, including Liza Minnelli as Dorothy, Mickey Rooney as the Scarecrow, and Ethel Merman as Mombi, the Wicked Witch. Although loosely based on "The Land of Oz," it introduced a number of its own elements, including an army of marauding green elephants. To date, probably the most successful animated Oz film, although it still leaves much to be desired. Available on home video.
* "Oz" (North American title: "Twentieth Century Oz"). A 1976 Australian film that transplanted the story of "The Wizard of Oz" to Melbourne and environs, with the Scarecrow becoming a dim surfer, the Tin Woodman a greasy mechanic, the Lion a braggart biker, and the Wizard a rock star. It was rated "R" in the United States, so this is not a film for kids! Not available on North American home video, but it has been shown on local television in Canada.
* "The Wiz." The 1977 movie version of the Broadway play, although Oz is transplanted to New York City, and much of what made the play a success is lost. Stars Diana Ross as a rather mature Dorothy, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, and Richard Pryor as the Wiz. Available on home video and DVD.
* "Return to Oz." This 1985 film was Disney's attempt to get in on Oz. (An elaborate "Oz" production number, starring the Mousketeers, was shown on the "Disneyland" television show in the 1960s as a preview for "The Rainbow Road to Oz," which was never made). Loosely based on "The Land of Oz" and "Ozma of Oz," it was too dark and gloomy for many, and critics unfamiliar with the books made unfavorable comparisons to The Movie. It has been released on home video and DVD, and been shown on the Disney Channel, the Family Channel, premium movie channels on cable, and independent television stations around America.
* "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," "The Marvelous Land of Oz," "Ozma of Oz," "The Emerald City of Oz." These animated films, made by Cinar Films Inc. in Canada in 1987, were released direct to videotape in North America, but were shown in theaters in several other countries around the world. These were edited compilations of the TV series (see question 9.10), but they've also been shown by themselves on cable.

You can find more information about these and many other Oz and Oz-related films at Scott Andrew Hutchins' Oz Filmography website at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scottandrewh/OZFILMS.HTM.

Oz and Ozian themes have also been a part of other films, most notably "Zardoz," "Wild at Heart," and "Under the Rainbow," a poor Chevy Chase comedy about Nazi spies infiltrating Hollywood during the filming of The Movie. Oz jokes and references, usually referring to The Movie, often pop up in other films, such as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" "Batman" (1989), "Kentucky Fried Movie," "Top Secret," and "One True Thing," to name but a few. And if you look carefully, you can see Oz books in "Rambling Rose," "You've Got Mail," and perhaps other movies.

9.5. Why doesn't Hollywood make more Oz movies?

In a nutshell, it's already been done. The Movie is so well known that studio executives are generally reluctant to even consider another movie based on the Oz books. The generally poor reception of "The Wiz" and "Return to Oz" only adds to the perception. Plus, Oz just doesn't seem to fit into the current Hollywood movie-making climate, which expects lots of aliens, laser battles, car chases, and the like for a movie -- at least one that would cost as much as a live-action "Oz" film -- to be even considered for production.

9.6. I've heard about a new Oz movie being made. What can you tell me about it?

It looks as if enough time has passed since "The Wiz" and "Return to Oz" for Hollywood to think about Oz movies again, because several potential Oz movies have been rumored to be in the works. One was entitled "Somewhere," and was to feature Elizabeth Taylor playing Dorothy, now a grandmother, returning to Oz. Another project, overseen by Drew Barrymore, was called "Surrender, Dorothy," and would feature Barrymore playing Dorothy's great-granddaughter, who went to Oz and faces the Wicked Witch's granddaughter. And "Pamela West" has been mentioned, which would make the Witch the heroine and Dorothy the evil interloper. One may note that at least some of these projects appear to be sequels to The Movie, rather than based on the books or any other version of Oz. It must be emphasized that, as of this writing (September, 2002), none of these films has actually gone before the cameras, and it appears unlikely that any of them will be made. You'll just have to keep watching your local movie listings to see if any Oz movies get made and come to your local theater.

9.7. I hear there's a big scene with lots of other Oz characters in "Return to Oz." Where is it, and who's in it?

Right at the end of the 1985 Disney movie, once the Emerald City has been restored, there is a joyous celebration that leads up to Ozma's liberation and Dorothy returning home. The makers of "Return to Oz" paid homage to the Oz stories by slipping in many, many characters from the books into the crowds in these scenes, all based on the original Denslow and Neill illustrations. Sharp-eyed viewers can find the Guardian of the Gates, the Shaggy Man, the Patchwork Girl, Polychrome, the Bumpy Man, the Braided Man, Tommy Kwikstep, the Frogman, Rinkitink, and probably a few others as well. And by the way, those short people with the fur hats? Those are the Munchkins, sporting a new design for this film.

9.8. Was there ever an Oz radio show?

Yes. Back in 1933, Jell-O sponsored a fifteen minute "Wizard of Oz" radio show on NBC's red network, which was broadcast Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons. It ran for six months, but then Jell-O decided to switch their sponsorship to Jack Benny instead, so that was it for Oz. The series pretty much followed the books, getting as far as "The Emerald City of Oz," with some allowances made for radio, and lots of songs and advertisements for Jell-O thrown in. No episodes of this series are known to survive, but NBC's archives still hold the scripts. Also, there exists two episodes of an adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" from the same era, broadcast on CBS, but nobody's been able to find out any more about them. More recently, the BBC produced its own version of "The Wizard of Oz" for British radio. This is currently available in Great Britain on two cassettes under the BBC Radio Collection imprint. And during the holiday season in 2000, many public radio stations in the United States broadcast a new radio adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" with an all-star cast, including Michelle Trachtenberg as Dorothy, Harry Anderson as the Wizard, Rene Auberjonois as the Scarecrow, Nestor Serrano as the Tin Woodman, and Robert Guillaume as the Cowardly Lion. This production is available as a four-CD set from LodesTone Audio Theatre, http://www.lodestone-media.com/wizard.html, and other outlets. Mention should also be made here of the Colonial Radio Theatre's audio adaptations of the first five Oz books. Although never actually broadcast on radio, they're presented, on ten audio cassettes, as if they were. You can find information about this set, and hear some samples, at http://www.colonialradio.com/titles.html.

Two Oz-related episodes of radio shows also need to be mentioned here. An installment of the "Maxwell House Good News" show broadcast in June of 1939 was devoted to a sneak peek at The Movie, which was due to be released later that summer. It featured Judy Garland, Frank Morgan (a regular "Good News" cast member), Ray Bolger, and Bert Lahr, and was the public debut of the songs from The Movie. It featured many behind-the-scenes vignettes (mostly made up for the show), a "Baby Snooks" routine where her Daddy reads the story to her, and an appearance by Fred Stone, who played the Scarecrow in the 1902 stage play. (A snippet of this show can even be heard in the opening audio montage of the science fiction movie "Contact," as it's one of the few examples of radio from that time period that's been preserved.) The CD version of the "Good News" episode includes the original commercials, and MGM's "Wizard of Oz" edition of "Leo Is On the Air," an extended radio advertisement. Both shows are also available as audio-only tracks on the current American DVD release of The Movie. On Christmas Day, 1950, Judy Garland recreated her role as Dorothy for an adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" on "The Lux Radio Theater." Garland was the only original cast member, but her then-four-year-old daughter, Liza Minnelli, makes a cameo appearance at the end. Both of these radio episodes have been released on record, audiocassette, and CD, the latter available from Radio Spirits at http://www.radiospirits.com/.

9.9. Have there been talking book versions of any of the Oz books?

Yes, quite a few. Most have been adaptations of the story for very young children of "The Wizard of Oz," many of which are still available today. One, from Caedmon, was read by Ray Bolger, who also read adaptations of "The Land of Oz," "Queen Zixi of Ix," and some of the "Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz" comic stories. These are currently available on cassette in a boxed set as The Oz Audio Collection. Another notable version came out from Columbia Records in 1969, with the entire book recorded on seven records, read by George Rose and Mildred Dunnock. More recently, Piglet Press has put out large cast readings of "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Emerald City of Oz" on cassette. In the 1960s, Disney put out book-and-record editions of "The Wizard of Oz," "The Scarecrow of Oz" (narrated by Ray Bolger), "The Tin Woodman of Oz," and a new story called "The Cowardly Lion of Oz" -- not to be confused with the Ruth Plumly Thompson story of the same name, despite the claims of the album notes that it is an adaptation. And there have been many other audio adaptations of "The Wizard of Oz" on records, cassettes, CDs, and now CD-ROM.

9.10. Has there ever been an Oz TV show?

Yes, quite a few now. Again, here's an incomplete checklist of what's been shown:

SERIES:
* "Tales of the Wizard of Oz." A series of 130 short (less than five minutes each) cartoons about the adventures of Socrates the Straw Man, Rusty the Tin Man, Dandy Lion, and other characters very loosely based on "The Wizard of Oz," with many liberties taken. Produced in 1961, these were probably shown between other cartoons on Saturday mornings or on local independent stations. They seem to have been especially widespread in Canada, as many people have written to me having seen them there. I've heard that some episodes have been released on home video, but these aren't generally available any more. You can find out a little more at http://www.toonarific.com/t/talesofwizardofoz.html.
* "Off to See the Wizard." This series was MGM's answer to "The Wonderful World of Disney," in that it was an anthology of old movies, short subjects, etc., from the studio's archives. The animated Oz segments were used to introduce the show and as bumpers going into commercial breaks. The animation was done by Chuck Jones, and voices included Mel Blanc, June Foray, and Daws Butler. Some examples are included on the latest American release of The Movie on DVD. More information is available at http://www.toonarific.com/o/offtoseethewizard.html.
* "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." This 1987 animated series, made by Cinar, Inc. in Canada, was actually made up of four stories: "The Wizard of Oz," "The Land of Oz," "Ozma of Oz," and "The Emerald City of Oz." In the United States the fifty-two episode series has been shown on HBO and other cable channels.
* "The Wizard of Oz." In 1990, to capitalize on the publicity surrounding The Movie's fiftieth anniversary, Turner Entertainment Co. and DIC produced this thirteen episode animated series, based on The Movie. In the Unites States it ran on ABC Saturday mornings during the 1990-91 TV season. Some episodes have been released on home video, but now aren't generally available. More recently, three episodes were released on DVD. The series is currently being shown weekends on the Toon Disney channel (not the Disney Channel) on cable in the United States. You can check out the Toon Disney schedule at http://psc.disney.go.com/abcnetworks/toondisney/schedule/index.html, and more information about the show is available at http://www.yesterdayland.com/popopedia/shows/saturday/sa1673.php and http://www.toonarific.com/w/wizardofoz.html.
* Some time in the 1990s, Tokyo Broadcasting Service broadcast "Shonen Santa no Daibouken," or "The Adventures of Young Santa Claus," an animated adaptation of Baum's "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus." This ran for twenty-four episodes. More information (but not much!) can be found at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rllew/santa.html.
* As of this writing (July 2002), "Lost in Oz" is being talked about as a possible mid-season replacement series on the WB. But this may never get shown. Watch your local listings for more information.

SPECIALS:
* "The Land of Oz." This adaptation of the second Oz book was an episode of Shirley Temple's weekly 1960 NBC series, and featured Temple as Tip and Ozma, Jonathan Winters as General Nikidik, and Agnes Moorehead as Mombi. (It was this role, incidentally, that convinced the producers of the series "Bewitched" to cast Moorehead as Endora, Samantha's mother, on that series.) Although a few other episodes of the Temple series have been released on home video, this was not one of them. It is held at the Museum of Television and Radio, however, and can be viewed there. For more information about the Museum's two branches, in New York City and Los Angeles, visit their website at http://www.mtr.org/welcome.htm.
* "Return to Oz." The producers of "Tales of the Wizard of Oz" used many of the same characterizations for this 1964 animated TV movie, shown on NBC. It has previously been released on home video, but currently not generally available. (This productions should not be confused with the Disney movie of the same name.) You can find out more about this special, and Susan Conway, who did the voice of Dorothy, at http://www.rankinbass.com/schome.html.
* "The Making of 'The Wizard of Oz.'" Aljean Harmetz, author of the book of the same name, hosted this short 1979 documentary, shown on PBS in the United States, about the making of the movie. Includes interviews with Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Margaret Hamilton, among others.
* "Thanksgiving in Oz" (AKA "Dorothy in the Land of Oz," "Christmas in Oz," "Dorothy and the Green Gobbler in Oz," or just plain "Oz"). Animated holiday special first shown in 1980. Very loosely based on "Ozma of Oz." Available on home video.
* "The Whimsical World of Oz." 1985 documentary about the Oz phenomenon, partly used to publicize Disney's film "Return to Oz," and shown on PBS stations.
* "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" (1985). Another holiday special, this one made by Rankin-Bass and faithfully adapted from Baum's book of the same name. The animation uses stop-motion puppets, like other famous Rankin-Bass specials such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Available on home video, and shown during the Christmas season on the ABC Family Channel.
* "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic." As part of The Movie's fiftieth anniversary, Angela Lansbury hosted a documentary about the history and making of The Movie, shown after the movie's TV broadcast in 1990 and 1996, and in conjunction with some of The Movie's recent cable airings. It has also been shown on its own on PBS stations, and was released on video as part of "The Ultimate Oz" collector's set of The Movie, and the 1999 DVD reissue of The Movie. The home video version is a bit longer, featuring more material.
* "The Dreamer of Oz." A 1990 TV movie biography of Baum's life, starring John Ritter as Frank and Annette O'Toole as Maud. While some of the details are wrong, this was, overall, a faithful telling of Baum's early life and career and how he came to write "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." It has been reportedly rerun on the Lifetime cable network, but is not available on home video (see question 9.12).
* "In Search of Oz." In 1994, the BBC's "Arena" documentary series produced this examination of Oz, which concentrated more on the books than most others. Shown in the United States, with a few cuts, on A&E.
* "The Wizard of Oz in Concert." A 1995 concert, filmed for television, to benefit the Children's Defense Fund, shown on TNT. It is available on home video, and has since been shown on VH1 and some PBS stations. Performers include Jewel as Dorothy, the Harlem Boys Choir, Joel Grey as Professor Marvel and the Wizard, Jackson Browne as the Scarecrow, Roger Daltrey as the Tin Man, Nathan Lane as the Cowardly Lion, Natalie Cole as Glinda, and Deborah Winger as the Wicked Witch of the West.
* "The Wizard of Oz on Ice." This 1996 production, shown on CBS, was an abbreviated version of the touring production of the same name, with Oksana Baiul as Dorothy and Viktor Petrenko as the Scarecrow (neither of whom appeared in the touring show), and narrated by Bobby McFarrin, who does the same on tour. McFarrin also played the Wizard in this production, the only non-skater in the cast.
* "Lion of Oz." This animated movie was made by Sony in 2000, and is based on the book "Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage" by Roger S. Baum. It's a prequel about how the Wizard and the Lion came to Oz. It was shown on the Disney Channel and Toon Disney, and released on home video and DVD.
* "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" (2000). This is a different animated version of the Baum story, produced by Sony, released on VHS, and shown on Cartoon Network.

Numerous Oz references have made their way into any number of TV series, movies, and specials, and some shows have even had special "Wizard of Oz" episodes, such as "Fame," "Alf Tales," "Beetlejuice" (the cartoon), "The Guiding Light," and "That 70s Show," to name but a few. A 1970 episode of "Death Valley Days" entitled "The Wizard of Aberdeen" featured L. Frank Baum as a character, dramatizing an incident that took place while he was editing a newspaper in South Dakota. The soap opera "Passions" devoted an entire week to a "Wizard of Oz"-themed storyline in the summer of 2002. And in Russia, at least two television versions of "Volshebnik Izumrudnovo Goroda" have been shown, one live-action (which may have also had a theatrical release), one stop-motion animation.

You can find more information about these and many other Oz and Oz-related television shows at Scott Andrew Hutchins' Oz Filmography website at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scottandrewh/OZFILMS.HTM.

9.11. I remember an Oz cartoon, can you tell me more about it? It had a catchy theme song that started out, "They're three sad souls, Oh me, oh my..."

"No brains, no heart, He's much too shy..." Yes, I'm familiar with that song. That's the theme song for "Tales of the Wizard of Oz" (see question 9.10 for more information). Despite what many people think, it's not a Canadian show, but American, produced by Rankin-Bass in the United States in the early 1960s. It just seems to have been shown in Canada more often in recent years. The complete theme song lyrics are:

They're three sad souls
Oh me, oh my,
No brains, no heart,
He's much too shy.
But never mind you three,
Here's the Wizard as you can see.
He'll fix that one, two, three
In that funny place called the world of Oz.
Oh the world of Oz is a funny, funny place
Where everyone has a funny, funny face.
All the streets are paved with gold,
And no one ever grows old.
In that funny land lives the Wizard of Oz.

More information about "Tales of the Wizard of Oz" can be found on the WWW at http://www.toonarific.com/t/talesofwizardofoz.html.

9.12. Where can I find "The Dreamer of Oz" on home video?

Trust me, I wish someone would release it so I could give you a positive answer! But unfortunately, it has yet to happen. There has been no American home video or DVD release of "The Dreamer of Oz," the 1990 television movie about L. Frank Baum. (The rights holder to this could make a lot of money if they found out how often I was asked this question!) However, there was apparently a short-lived Australian release, available only for rental from Southern Star Video. If you can find an Australian video dealer who has a copy and is willing to sell it to you -- and your VCR and television can handle the PAL format -- you might be able to get a copy for yourself.

9.13. Have any Oz productions been directly released to home video?

A few animated versions of "The Wizard of Oz", and one of "Ozma of Oz," have been released straight to video. These are of varying quality, from so-so to all right, with some being straight adaptations and some a little more irreverent. One of the most notable of these is a Japanese version of "The Wizard of Oz," which was released on home video in North America with a dubbed English soundtrack, featuring Aileen Quinn as Dorothy and Lorne Greene as the Wizard. A series, "The Oz Kids," was also released straight to video, from Paramount. The main characters are the sons and daughters of the familiar Oz characters (Dorothy's children Dot and Ned, Scarecrow Jr., Tin Boy, and so on), but the stories are based on Baum's books, including some of his non-Oz writings. Characters from later books -- or rather, their children -- appear, such as Jackie Pumpkinhead, Nome Prince Otto, and the Patchwork Baby. The videos are available through Paramount Home Video, and the titles are "Toto, Lost in New York," "The Nome Prince and the Magic Belt," "Virtual Oz," "Who Stole Santa?" "Christmas in Oz," "Journey Beneath the Sea," "Underground Adventure," "The Monkey Prince," and "The Return of Mombi." Two plays have been recorded and released on video, the 1981 Minneapolis Children's Theater production of "The Marvelous Land of Oz," and a Mexican production entitled "1985 Mago de Oz Cuento Frank Baum" ("1985 Wizard of Oz Story by Frank Baum"). Also, two documentaries were released on video in 1997, "Oz: The American Fairyland" and "Charles Santore Illustrates 'The Wizard of Oz'" Both were produced by Leonard A. Swann and released by Sirocco Productions, Inc. Those interested in these videos can write to Sirocco Video, 5660 East Virginia Beach Blvd., Suite 105, Norfolk, VA 23502, call them at 757-461-8987, or check out their website at http://www.siroccovideo.com.

Besides movies and television, Scott Andrew Hutchins' Oz Filmography website at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scottandrewh/OZFILMS.HTM also has information about Oz and Oz-related direct-to-video releases.

10. The Movie - Preproduction

10.1. How did The Movie get started? Why did MGM make it?

In the early days of talking pictures, Hollywood rarely made fantasy movies because movie studio executives thought the public wouldn't accept them, and the few they made usually didn't do well. But in 1937 Walt Disney released "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," and it became the all-time biggest money-making film up to that time. The other Hollywood studios took notice, and scrambled to make their own fantasy projects. MGM songwriter Arthur Freed, who wanted to break into producing, was looking for a vehicle for Judy Garland. A fan of the Oz books, Freed found out that independent producer Samuel Goldwyn owned the film rights to "The Wizard of Oz" and convinced MGM to buy those rights, beating out four other studios. Mervyn LeRoy was a producer that MGM had just hired away from Warner Bros., and he, too, was interested in making "The Wizard of Oz." As a studio, MGM also wanted to make "The Wizard of Oz" a full-color, special effects spectacular so that they could show off what the studio could do -- it was a "prestige" project.

10.2. Who was the producer of The Movie?

Since "Oz" was felt to be too big a project for a first-time producer like Arthur Freed to manage (see the previous question), Mervyn LeRoy was named producer, with Freed as his assistant. Freed received no onscreen credit in the finished movie, but the experience he gained would lead to his becoming a producer in his won right who would oversee some of MGM's biggest musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, including "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "Singin' in the Rain."

10.3. What was the MGM studio production code for The Movie?

Officially, it was MGM Production #1060.

10.4. How much did the movie rights cost?

MGM paid $75,000 to Samuel Goldwyn for the rights. This was an unusually large amount for the day. By comparison, David O. Selznick paid Margaret Mitchell $50,000 for the film rights to her book "Gone with the Wind," also a larger-than-usual sum for its day. 

10.5. Was there any hidden meaning to the film?

Some folks, looking back with over sixty years of hindsight, seem to think that there was some deeper or hidden meaning to The Movie, such as a call for American isolationism in light of the troubles going on in Europe at the time, or a parable on the benefits of President Roosevelt's New Deal policies. But like the book (see question 2.15 of this FAQ), any message is there if you look hard enough, but it is extremely doubtful that any one particular message was ever intended. The film was made merely to entertain. (It's possible that some people, erroneously hearing that there is some special meaning to the story, have created a meaning for The Movie, not realizing that this theory deals with the book.)

10.6. Who wrote the screenplay?

A number of writers had a hand in developing the screenplay. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf received the official credits, Langley was credited with the adaptation, and most of what appeared on screen is their work. But Herman J. Mankiewicz (who would win an Oscar a few years later for writing "Citizen Kane"), Ogden Nash, William Cannon, Irving Brecher, Herbert Fields, Samuel Hoffenstein, Jack Mintz, and Sid Silvers all worked on The Movie at one point or another. John Lee Mahin did some uncredited clean-up writing and quick scene rewrites during production, and lyricist E. Y. Harburg provided some of the segues into the songs and other bits of dialogue, including most of the Wizard's speech to Dorothy's friends as he gave them what they wanted.

10.7. Why is The Movie so different from the book?

That's Hollywood! Baum's book contained a number of scenes that just couldn't be done by the special effects of the time, or they would have made The Movie too long, or cost more than even MGM could afford, so they were not included in the script. Other changes were made (combining the unnamed Good Witch of the North and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South into one character, for instance) to simplify the story for the screen, the Wicked Witch of the West was brought in much earlier as a unifying thread for an otherwise episodic plot, and the whole story was made into Dorothy's dream because it was felt that audiences wouldn't believe the story any other way. And the book's silver shoes became ruby slippers because The Movie was one of the few films made at the time in color, and MGM wanted to show off the color process. Considering how many odd ideas were proposed at one point or another (see the next question), it could be seen as a triumph that the final results are as close to the book as they are!

10.8. How did the screenplay change as different scripts were written?

The writers often created new incidents to liven up the story. The original idea was to turn the story into a slapstick musical comedy, so there were a few deviations from what was written in the book. Some of the earlier scripts included a son for the Wicked Witch of the West whom she wanted to put on the throne of Oz, a stuck-up niece for Miss Gulch, a rescue from the Wizard's balloon by the Munchkin fire department, a singing princess and her cowardly suitor who gets transformed into a lion, a rainbow bridge that the witch constructs as a trap for Dorothy, and a romance between Dorothy and one of the farmhands. When the script got too bogged down, however, Langley, Ryerson and Woolf would turn to Baum's book for inspiration, and the results were generally an improvement.

10.9. Why was Oz a dream?

This is probably the most controversial change that MGM made in The Movie, at least among fans of the book. In the books, Oz is a real place, where Dorothy and her family eventually go to live forever. But in The Movie, it was all a dream induced by a bump on Dorothy's head. MGM executives were skittish about the fantasy elements of The Movie, and didn't think that the majority of the public would accept the story as it stood on its own. So it was made into a dream to make the incredible seem that much more believable.

10.10. Where can I find a copy of the script?

In 1989, in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of The Movie, the screenplay was published by Delta Books, edited by Michael Patrick Hearn. This book includes a number of scenes not in the finished film, several notes, and complete lyrics. Although it's now out of print in America, the book can be found at many libraries, or bought from IWOC. It is also still available in a British edition. At least two other editions of the script have been published, and one was also included in the 1993 collector's set, "The Ultimate Oz," and the gift set edition of the 1999 video and DVD releases. It can also be read on the WWW at ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/pictures/tv.film/Wizard_of_Oz/ms_wizoz.html or http://www.westol.com/~wizardoz/script.htm.

10.11. What are the words to "Over the Rainbow," or any of the other songs?

I get asked this often enough that, if I could, I would include lyrics in this FAQ -- except for one problem: The Movie, including the song lyrics, is still under copyright, and I cannot legally put the lyrics in this document without permission. However, they can be found, if you're willing to do a little leg work. First, the lyrics are available in the published editions of the screenplay (see the previous question). Second, not only the words, but the music as well are available in a song folio from your local music store (if they don't have it, they should be able to special order it), or (TMOHH) in my online Oz bookshop, http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/aisle6.html. Third, you can find them on the WWW at the official website of The Movie at http://thewizardofoz.warnerbros.com/movie/cmp/r-lyrics.html, and also at  http://www.westol.com/~wizardoz/writlyric.htm and http://www.angelfire.com/pa/maryanne/lyric.html.

10.12. How much did it cost to make The Movie?

For it's time, "The Wizard of Oz" was an expensive movie. The final tally came to around $2.77 million . Most major feature movies, by comparison, cost around $1 million at the time. "The Wizard of Oz," however, was not the costliest movie of the year -- "Gone with the Wind" cost a whopping $4 million to make.

11. The Movie - Cast

11.1. How many actors, overall, appeared in The Movie?

There's no exact number available, but this is a reasonable breakdown based on what's currently known:

* Principals (the ones actually listed in the credits): 10 (and the little dog, too!)
* Munchkins (124 little people and about 8 children in the background): 132
* Winged Monkeys (as best as can be made out, there are about a dozen): 12
* Winkie Guards (around 16 or 20): 18
* Emerald Citizens (between 300 and 350): 325

This makes for a grand total of 497, so it's probably safe to say "around 500."

11.2. Who played who in The Movie?

Here's the official cast list, as shown in The Movie's closing credits:
Dorothy -- Judy Garland
Professor Marvel -- Frank Morgan
Hunk -- Ray Bolger
Zeke -- Bert Lahr
Hickory -- Jack Haley
Glinda -- Billie Burke
Miss Gulch -- Margaret Hamilton
Uncle Henry -- Charley Grapewin
Nikko (see question 11.16) -- Pat Walshe
Auntie Em -- Clara Blandick
Toto -- Toto
The Munchkins -- The Singer Midgets

Not all of the Munchkins came from Leo Singer's vaudeville troupe, however. For some of them it was their first show biz job, for some it was their ONLY show biz job, and a few came from Europe and didn't even speak English.

Other cast notes: Some of the Munchkin voices, and the voices of the two apple trees, were provided by Pinto Colvig, better known as the original voice of Goofy, as well as  Sleepy and Grumpy in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"; and the "Voice of Snow White," as it's called in the script, in "If I Only Had a Heart" ("Wherefore art thou, Romeo?") really was the voice of Snow White from the Disney movie, Adriana Caselotti. The Winged Monkeys were little people who did stuntwork, and some also played Munchkins. MGM contract player Mitchell Lewis played the captain of the Winkie Guards, probably best known for the line, "She -- she's dead! You KILLED her!"

11.3. Which characters in Kansas became which characters in Oz?

To make the dream motif more believable, characters from Dorothy's real life in Kansas became fantasy characters in Oz, an idea possibly borrowed from the 1925 film version. For some reason, they were listed in the credits by their Kansas names, even though their Oz parts were much larger and more memorable. So, to help those who may be a bit confused:

* Hunk became the Scarecrow
* Hickory became the Tin Woodman
* Zeke became the Cowardly Lion
* Miss Gulch became the Wicked Witch of the West
* Professor Marvel became the Wizard (and a few others -- see question 11.12) in Oz

Aunt Em and Uncle Henry had no equivalent characters in Oz, and Glinda is the only major character in Oz without a Kansas counterpart.

11.4. Did any of the actors use stage names, and what are their real names?

As it turns out, most of the major actors in The Movie did not use the same names with which they were born. Judy Garland's real name was Frances Gumm, Frank Morgan was born Francis Wupperman, Ray Bolger's real name was Raymond Wallace Bulcao, and Bert Lahr's was Irving Lahreim. Jack Haley's real first name was John (Jack being a nickname, of course), and Clara Blandick's real name was Clara Dickey. Billie Burke used her real name -- sort of. Her full name was Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke, and the Billie would have been a variant of Billy, the diminutive of her second name. She was also named for her father, Billy Burke, a well-known clown for Barnum and Bailey. Toto's real name was Terry, but her name was changed to Toto after making The Movie. Several of the actors playing Munchkins also used professional names different than their birth names.

11.5. Who were the stand-ins and stunt doubles?

Judy Garland's on-camera double was Bobbie Koshay, but Caren Marsh-Doll also helped out with blocking and camera tests. Stafford Campbell doubled up Ray Bolger, Harry Masters for Jack Haley, Jim Fawcett and Pat Moran both stood in for Bert Lahr, Betty Danko was Margaret Hamilton's main stunt double (Eileen Goodwin finished the broom flying when an accident put Danko in the hospital), Paul Adams was Frank Morgan's double, and Freddie Retter stood in for Pat Walshe.

11.6. Are any cast members still alive?

Sadly, time has taken its toll on The Movie's cast, and none of the principal players are with us any more. Frank Morgan died in 1949, Bert Lahr in 1968, Judy Garland in 1969, Billie Burke in 1970, Jack Haley in 1979, Margaret Hamilton in 1985, and Ray Bolger in 1987. The only cast members known to still be alive are Lois January, who was one of the Emerald Citizens, and about a dozen actors who played Munchkins, many of whom still make public appearances. Among the most visible of these are Jerry Maren (middle Lollipop Guild kid), Margaret Pellegrini (various Munchkin women), Clarence Swenson (soldier), and Meinhardt Raabe (the Coroner). Some of the young girls who played Munchkins are also still alive, as is Judy Garland double Caren Marsh-Doll.

11.7. Wasn't Shirley Temple originally cast to play Dorothy?

Not really. From the beginning, The Movie was meant by LeRoy and Freed to be a vehicle for Judy Garland. Garland had been on contract at MGM for about four years, and the movie-going public was beginning to take notice. She'd already been a success in some second-string MGM pictures, and The Movie seemed an ideal vehicle to show off her talent and really launch her into stardom. However, the New York-based executives of MGM's parent company, Loews, realizing the scope and expense The Movie would require, wanted a proven big name star to ensure box office success. So 20th Century Fox was approached -- after The Movie and Garland's casting had already been announced to the press -- about loaning Temple to MGM for The Movie. (One story claims that MGM offered to loan Jean Harlow and Clark Gable to Fox for the filming of "In Old Chicago" as compensation, but this is probably not true, as Harlow died in 1937, before work ever began on The Movie.) Fox didn't want to loan the biggest box-office attraction in America out to anyone, however, and LeRoy and Freed were not impressed with her abilities. There are some stories that MGM also tried to borrow child stars Deanna Durbin from Universal and Bonita Granville from Warner Bros., but if true, the studios turned MGM down, and so the executives settled for Garland. But the earliest press releases, when the project was first announced, all list Garland in the cast, so there is no truth to the notion that she was the studio's second choice, winning the part by default. It also appears that some of the talk of Temple as Dorothy was wishful thinking on the part of some Hollywood columnists. Fox would later feature Temple in their own big-budget Technicolor fantasy, "The Blue Bird," in answer to similar projects from the other studios, but it didn't do nearly as well as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" or The Movie.

11.8. Is it true Buddy Ebsen was originally cast to play the Tin Woodman?

Not exactly. While Ebsen, later known for his television roles as Jed Clampett in "The Beverly Hillbillies" and the title role in "Barnaby Jones," was originally cast in The Movie, it was as the Scarecrow. Ray Bolger was cast as the Tin Woodman, as the Scarecrow was the bigger part and Ebsen the bigger star. But Bolger protested, as he felt his fluid style of dancing was better suited to the Scarecrow. LeRoy agreed, and switched Ebsen and Bolger's roles. After two weeks filming, however, Ebsen found that he suddenly couldn't breathe one night, and was rushed to a hospital and put in an iron lung. He had developed a reaction to the aluminum dust used to tint his face silver. (At the time, aluminum dust was erroneously thought to be safe to breathe.) As all of the footage shot to that point was later abandoned anyway (see question 12.1, about The Movie's directors), it meant the part of the Tin Woodman could be recast. Ebsen doesn't appear in the finished film, but his voice can still be heard in some of the ensemble songs. MGM borrowed Jack Haley from 20th Century Fox to play the Tin Woodman, and the make-up was reformulated into a paste. Haley didn't get away unscathed, however; he developed an eye infection from the make-up, and he was off the set for a few days while he recuperated.

11.9. What other actors were considered for parts in the film?

Some other actors slated to be in The Movie at one point or another were Gale Sondergaard as the Wicked Witch, when the character was first envisioned as sophisticated and glamorous, like the Queen in "Snow White" (when it was decided to remake the Witch in a more traditional mode, tests were done to make Sondergaard look ugly, but she was just too beautiful to pull it off, and didn't want to play "ugly" anyway); and Ed Wynn and W. C. Fields were both approached to play the Wizard. Fields wanted more money than MGM was willing to pay, and he was soon busy making "My Little Chickadee" anyway, so he didn't take the part. There was even some early talks about Leo, MGM's trademark lion who roared at the start of every picture, playing the Cowardly Lion, with his dialogue dubbed in.

11.10. How much did everyone earn on The Movie? Is it true Judy Garland received the lowest salary of all the cast members?

To answer that second part first, sort of. Back in the old days of the Hollywood studio system, actors were usually paid weekly during the production of a picture, rather than a set amount per film and/or a portion of the box office as happens today. Judy Garland's contract at the time stipulated that she would receive $500 per week, which was therefore her salary for The Movie. In comparison, Charley Grapewin and Clara Blandick were paid $750 per week, Billie Burke $766.67, Margaret Hamilton $1000, Buddy Ebsen (while he was working on the film ) $1500, Bert Lahr and Frank Morgan $2500, and Ray Bolger and Jack Haley $3000. However, Terry and her trainer, Carl Spitz, were paid $125 per week, and the little people playing the Munchkins $100 each, half of which they had to give to their manager, Leo Singer. So while Garland's weekly salary was the lowest of the principal human cast, it wasn't the lowest of the entire film.

There are two factors to consider, however, when calculating the actors' salaries. One is that many of the cast did not work every week, and thus did not get paid for the entire time of production. For instance, because the Kansas scenes were filmed last, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em weren't even cast until well into the film's production; once cast, Grapewin and Blandick only worked one week. Garland, however, was there every week, as she was in nearly every scene. (Terry, too.) And as a result of her success in The Movie, Garland's original and standard MGM contract was torn up, and a new contract with a much more lucrative salary structure was drawn up, so it had far-reaching benefits for her earning power.

There's an amusing story about the salaries and guarantees of work on the film. Initially, MGM offered Bert Lahr a five week contract, but Lahr held out for six weeks. MGM countered with five, Lahr said six. This went back and forth for some time. Finally, MGM caved in and gave him six weeks. (An internal MGM memo still exists that gives credence to this story -- "five" is crossed out and "six" typed in next to it.) Lahr ended up working on the film for nearly six MONTHS.

11.11. How old was Judy Garland when she made The Movie?

Judy was sixteen during the production of The Movie. By the time it premiered, however, she had turned seventeen.

11.12. How many parts did Frank Morgan play?

In addition to Professor Marvel and the Wizard, Morgan also played the Guardian of the Gate ("Who rang that bell?"), the cabbie driving the Horse of a Different Color, and the palace guard ("I had an Aunt Em myself once!"). He was also the voice of the Wizard's fiery head, but it appears another heavily made-up actor actually made the head's onscreen appearance.

11.13. Who was Ray Bolger's childhood hero?

As a boy, Bolger caught a performance of Fred Stone in the play "Jack O' Lantern" in Boston, and from that time on he wanted to become a dancer like Stone -- and he did. Perhaps Stone's most famous role -- which Bolger probably never got to see -- was the Scarecrow in the original 1902 stage version of "The Wizard of Oz." The "Good News" radio show episode about The Movie, broadcast in June 1939, included Stone as a guest and a scripted meeting between Bolger and Stone.

11.14. How old was Billie Burke when she made The Movie?

Older than you might think! The widow of show-biz impresario Flo Ziegfeld, she was fifty-five during production (she'd just turned fifty-six only days earlier when The Movie premiered.)

11.15. Is Cher the daughter of Billie Burke?

Nope. This is a story that briefly flared up when "TV Guide" published an interview with Cher in its August 21-27, 1999 issue. One question contained this answer:

"TVG: Did your own mom offer parenting advice?"
"CHER: [A sudden, explosive laugh] No, my own mom is like my own child! She pretends to be helpless, but she's not really. If I get in a crunch, if I get into deep trouble, I call her. Otherwise, she's really flighty. She's Billie Burke [who played Glinda the Good Witch in "The Wizard of Oz"]. But she can be babbling and babbling and babbling, and all of a sudden say something really smart I'll keep with me for five years."

Cher was using Burke's portrayal of Glinda as a metaphor for her own mother's actions, she did not mean it literally. Burke did have one daughter, Patricia Burke Zigfield, who was born in 1916. Cher wasn't born until 1946, when Billie Burke would have been 62. And Burke died in 1970, but Cher's mother is still alive as of this writing.

11.16. Who is Nikko?

For some reason, the character of Nikko is listed in the end credits, even though his character is never named in The Movie. Nikko is the chief of the Witch's winged monkeys, who is always hanging around while the Witch is checking things out in her crystal ball. He was played by Pat Walshe.

11.17. Is it true that Aunt Em committed suicide?

Sadly, yes. Actress Clara Blandick killed herself in 1962 by a combination of a sleeping pill overdose and putting a plastic bag over her head. She was 80 at the time.

11.18. Whatever became of Toto?

There are two conflicting reports. The more likely one, in my opinion, is that when Terry, a show business veteran who appeared in a number of films, died, she was buried in the backyard of her trainer, Carl Spitz. Later, Spitz's property was sold to the city of Los Angeles, and the Ventura Freeway was built over it, so Terry is now under either the roadway or an apartment complex. I have also been alerted, however, to a report in "The Guinness Book of World Records" that Toto's stuffed remains were auctioned off in 1996 for $3,680. I have not been able to confirm this story.

11.19. How many "Munchkins" were there?

In the book, Dorothy was greeted by only three Munchkins, but MGM decided to put in a few more than that! In total, 124 little people were hired to portray the Munchkins, although a small number of them didn't make it all the way through shooting, for many reasons. Since there was a much higher proportion of men to women in that group, about eight young girls were also hired to fill out the ranks of the Munchkins townswomen. They mostly stayed in the background. And a few of the actors, especially the women, played more than one part.

11.20. Who played the Munchkin mayor and coroner?

For some reason, these are the only two Munchkin parts that people ask about. The Mayor was played by Charley Becker, and the Coroner by Meinhardt Raabe.

11.21. Did Billy Barty, Patty Maloney, or Zelda Rubinstein play a Munchkin in The Movie?

No, none of these now well-known actors appeared in The Movie, as they were all too young. Barty came close, but was turned down when it was discovered that he was only thirteen. Maloney and Rubinstein didn't even begin their acting careers until much later. All three appear in "Under the Rainbow," however, a 1981 Chevy Chase comedy that was, in part, a highly fictionalized account of the Munchkins' arrival at MGM and the making of The Movie. Barty, in fact, had one of the lead roles, and it was Rubinstein's first film.

11.22. I've heard of someone who claimed to have been one of the Munchkins. How can I check if they're telling the truth?

There have been a few people in the last few years who claimed to have played Munchkins in The Movie, but didn't. Fortunately, it's not difficult to check. The list of actors who did play Munchkins is well known, and has been published in several books. Probably the best source is "The Munchkins of Oz" by Stephen Cox, published by Cumberland House in 1996 and updated in 2002. This book is about nothing BUT the Munchkin actors, both during production and afterwards, and includes profiles and biographies on most of them. Your local bookstore or library should be able to find this for you. The list is also available in "The Wizardry of Oz" by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman, published in 1999 by Gramercy. Another place to look is on the WWW, at http://www.ozclub.org/reference/mgmmunch.asp. This list may be incomplete, however, so you may also want to ask on one of the many online "Wizard of Oz" forums, many people can find out for you there.

11.23. Is it true that the Munchkins were all drunkards?

No, of course not. True, Judy Garland joked about this with Jack Paar once on television, but that was Judy's sense of humor. There were 124 little people who played the Munchkins, and while many of them were show business veterans, others had never acted before. Many were still teenagers, away from home for the first time. They were so busy making The Movie that they really didn't have much time or energy for partying, although apparently a few of the older men did try at one point or another. One even hit on Judy Garland. The movie "Under the Rainbow" is based on this legend, but it is not a docudrama, and CERTAINLY not a documentary!

11.24. Was a community built for the Munchkins in La Jolla, California?

From what I hear, there is a housing complex of some sort built for little people in La Jolla, a seaside community near San Diego. But while some of the actors who played the Munchkins may have lived there at one time or another, I would be very surprised if the houses were built specifically for them. La Jolla is too far away from Los Angeles to be handy during filming, and the majority of the actors stayed in hotels in the Culver City area. After the Munchkin scenes were finished, there would have been no need for such a complex, as the actors all had homes elsewhere to return to.

11.25. How can I contact the Munchkins?

Mickey Carroll's agent is Ralph Zellem, and you can contact him at ozagent@aol.com. The remaining Munchkins can be contacted through Steve Wallach at eta@mindspring.com.

11.26. What other films have the actors in The Movie been in?

This is a little outside the scope of this FAQ, and the answer would probably double its length. So I won't answer that here, but I will point out that the Internet Movie Data Base (http://www.imdb.com/) can tell you nearly everything an actor or crew member has appeared in. You can start at the IMDB's page for The Movie at http://us.imdb.com/Title?0032138, or The Movie's complete list of credits at http://us.imdb.com/Credits?0032138, click on any name, and it will give you a filmography.

12. The Movie - Production and Crew

12.1. Who was the director?

The director initially assigned to The Movie was Norman Taurog, but before shooting began he was replaced by Richard Thorpe. Thorpe worked on The Movie for only ten days, however, before LeRoy, dissatisfied with the scenes Thorpe had shot to that point, decided to replace him. George Cukor took over, but didn't shoot any film. He did redesign some of the sets, costumes, and make-up, especially for Judy Garland. Thorpe had put her in heavy baby-doll make-up and a long blond wig, but Cukor changed that to the look used in the finished film. Once Cukor was done with The Movie -- he began directing "Gone with the Wind" only a few weeks later -- Victor Fleming came on board. Although known as a "man's film" director who worked on many pictures with his close friend Clark Gable, Fleming also had a reputation for saving troubled pictures, and he had two young daughters he wanted to make a movie for. Fleming did most of the work on the film -- Cukor's changes meant scrapping the Thorpe footage, so Fleming started from scratch -- until Clark Gable and David O. Selznick asked that he come work on "Gone with the Wind," which was also running into trouble. King Vidor came in to finish The Movie and his work included the Kansas scenes. Fleming, who at one point was directing "Wind" during the day and supervising the editing of The Movie at night, was given final screen credit. Vidor was offered co-directing credit, but turned it down, claiming Fleming had done all the real work.

12.2. Who did the music? The sound effects? The costumes? The make-up? The sets? The...

Whoa, all right, I get the idea. Who were the creative folks behind the camera, and what did they do, right? Okay, here we go:

* The songs were written by lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg and his collaborator, Harold Arlen. They are probably most noted, outside of their songs for The Movie, for writing the Broadway hit "Hooray for What?" and the popular songs "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" and "I've Got the World on a String." The background music was composed, compiled, and orchestrated by Herbert Stothart. Ken Darby was the vocal arranger.
* The costumes were designed by MGM designer Adrian (his first name was Gilbert, but he used only his surname professionally). Yes, he designed the Ruby Slippers.
* The make-up was designed and supervised by Jack Dawn.
* The sets were designed by William Horning and Jack Martin Smith, although MGM Art Department head Cedric Gibbons also had a hand in the process, as he did with every MGM picture at the time.
* The special effects were designed by A. Arnold "Buddy" Gillespie, whose team had to design a tornado, a falling house, a sky-writing witch who later melted, flying monkeys, a disembodied head floating among flames, and a bubble to transport the good witch.
* The cinematographer was Harold Rossen, but he had the aid of two cameramen lent to the production by Technicolor, and Henri Jaffa was the Technicolor Color Director, essentially a consultant.
* Bobby Connolly was the main choreographer, although Busby Berkeley did some work towards the end of shooting, after he signed with MGM.
* Blanche Sewell was the editor.
* Douglas Shearer, brother of MGM actress Norma Shearer, was in charge of the MGM sound department, and was thus responsible for the sound effects.

12.3. How did the Munchkin voices get so high?

Vocal arranger Ken Darby used the then-unusual technique of speeding up the recordings -- actually, slowing the tape down during recording and playing it back at normal speed -- to get the high pitched voices for the Munchkins. Most of the actors playing Munchkins were not singers, and some had thick accents, so they did not perform their own singing or dialogue. Instead, Darby hired other singers, and the Munchkin actors would lip synch to the prerecorded words. A similar technique was used for the Winkies, the Witch's guards, to lower their voices for the reprise of "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead" after the Wicked Witch of the West is melted. This time, however, the tape was speeded up during recording, making the voices lower when played back at normal speed. This scene was not used in the final film, but the recordings are still around and available on the soundtrack album.

12.4. What kinds of sound effects were used?

The Sound people had quite a challenge, putting in up to twelve tracks of sound in some scenes at a time when most movies had three. At one point they went to Catalina Island and recorded thousands of birdcalls, then played them at different speeds and backwards to achieve the spooky sounds of the Witch's haunted forest. Other special sound effects included the rustle of the Scarecrow's straw, the Tin Woodman's metallic clanks, the Lion's roars, and Toto's growls and barks.

12.5. What were the costumes made from?

Unlike most other films made by MGM, costumes for The Movie had to be made almost entirely in house by hand. Among the materials used were real straw for the Scarecrow, buckram and silver-painted leather for the Tin Woodman, two real lionskins for the Cowardly Lion (see question 12.7 for more about the Lion's costume), and yards and yards of felt for the Munchkins. Five women in the Wardrobe Department spent several days doing nothing but dying material and clothes green for the people of the Emerald City to wear.

12.6. Is it true that the Wizard's coat originally belonged to L. Frank Baum?

No, but you're close. For the Kansas scenes, made towards the end of the film's shooting schedule, a shabby old coat that had once been quite elegant was found at a local thrift shop for Frank Morgan to wear as Professor Marvel. While idly examining the coat one day Morgan found the name "L. Frank Baum" stitched into a pocket. The discovery caused quite a stir on the set, and Baum's widow and the Chicago tailor who had made it later confirmed that it had belonged to Frank (the Baum's had moved to Hollywood in 1911, and Maud Baum still lived there). At the end of filming LeRoy presented the coat to Mrs. Baum.

12.7. What was the Cowardly Lion's costume made from?

Lahr's costume was made of two real lionskins, weighed over fifty pounds, and was extremely hot and uncomfortable to work in. He claimed it was like "working inside a mattress." When Lahr was on the set, the lights would be turned off and the soundstage doors opened for fresh air every half hour so he wouldn't suffocate. One of the costumes was recently found and restored, and featured on the program "History's Lost and Found" on the History Channel. It is now in a private collection.

12.8. What were the Ruby Slippers made from?

Certainly not rubies! They were ordinary red shoes, with red silk sewn onto them, and red sequins sewn onto the silk. Should you be fortunate enough to see a real pair, you'll notice that the sequins are a darker color than seen in the film. This is because the color process of the time couldn't record true colors, so colors were adjusted so that they would appear onscreen as the desired color. Had the sequins on the Ruby Slippers actually been the same bright red as seen in The Movie, they would have looked orange on screen.

12.9. What unusual make-up techniques were used on this film?

Because of the unusual nature of some of the characters, much of the make-up in The Movie was groundbreaking, and many of the techniques developed are still being used today. In 1933 Paramount had released an all-star version of "Alice in Wonderland," but most of the stars were unrecognizable behind the heavy, concealing masks used to create the characters. So to utilize the faces of The Movie's actors and make them more recognizable, Jack Dawn developed a way of using foam rubber prosthetics. Dawn pioneered the use of prosthetics for the 1937 film version of "The Good Earth" -- unfortunately to make European-American actors look Chinese -- but The Movie was the first true test of prosthetics to create the make-up for entire characters. A rubber bag, with holes cut out for eyes and mouth and textured to look like burlap, became the Scarecrow's head, and over one hundred of these were baked for the film. The Lion's make-up involved a number of different pieces, and the Wicked Witch and the Winkie guards had false noses and chins attached before green make-up was applied. (There is no truth to the story that Hamilton lost her false metal nose on Hollywood Boulevard, since it wasn't metal, and she wouldn't have been allowed to take it with her anyway.) Jack Haley's Tin Woodman had a rubber strap placed across his chin, a false aluminum nose, and individual rubber "rivets" applied each day. And the Munchkins were made up in assembly line fashion in a rehearsal hall, with MGM training dozens of people in make-up application for The Movie as there weren't enough people already on staff or otherwise available. While other materials are often used today, a similar technique is still being used for movies such as the "Star Wars" series, and TV programs such as the numerous "Star Trek" shows and "Babylon 5." For more information about the make-up techniques used in The Movie, "Make-Up Artist Magazine" devoted an entire issue to it in 1999. To order it, look for issue 16 in the back issues section of their website, http://www.makeupmag.com/.

12.10. Where were the sets, and how were they built?

The Movie was made entirely in the studios of MGM, so all of the sets -- around sixty in all -- had to be built on soundstages. Every set had a backdrop that, if designed and lit properly, would look like the outdoors. In other cases, only a portion of the set would be created for the actors to appear on, and then the shot would be joined with a matte painting in post-production. The mattes were painted by Warren Newcombe.

12.11. Are the sets still standing? Can I go see them?

No, sorry. Once a set was finished being used for filming, it would be struck as quickly as possible so that the soundstage could be used for another scene -- or for production of another movie. The set pieces and props were often used in other movies, and the backdrops would be stored for possible reuse if a scene had to be reshot. Once the film was finished, however, there would be no reason for MGM to hang on to anything. It's most likely that the backdrops were eventually thrown away, but there have been rumors that some of them were saved from a landfill in the 1970s. If any of the backdrops do exist, I don't know where they are.

12.12. Was the Witch's castle a real castle?

The "castle" was all done in the studio, and the special effects department. Much of what is seen in the finished film is a detailed matte painting, and a partial set that the actors could appear in would be combined with the painting in post-production to make it look as if the actors were on a much larger set. It is possible that the paintings and set designs were based on a real castle, but I don't know which one.

12.13. Was there any location filming done for The Movie?

No. The Technicolor process of the time was rather primitive by today's standards, and sets had to be VERY brightly lit to register on the film. As a result, The Movie had to be made entirely on soundstages, as there was no economical way to light any location so brightly at the time. (While "The Wizard of Oz" was in production, Technicolor developed color cameras that could film outside in natural light. It was too late to use them on The Movie, but they were used in making "Gone with the Wind" later in the year.) The Kansas scenes could perhaps have been done on location if the crew had wanted to, but location shooting was still unusual for a major studio feature at the time, and the MGM designers did just fine creating Kansas on a soundstage, anyway. There is, however, one shot in The Movie that was filmed outdoors: The clouds behind the opening and closing credits.

12.14. How did they do the special effects?

Remember, The Movie was released in 1939. This was long before the days of synchronized cameras, multi-film techniques, blue-screen effects, and computer animation so common today. Buddy Gillespie had several weeks and MGM's deep pockets to work with, however, and was encouraged to experiment. For the most part he was quite successful. The biggest problem proved to be the cyclone. A miniature Kansas set was built, and a funnel-shaped tube of cloth was anchored to a dolly on the stage. The two ends could be rotated and moved around at different speeds. The first attempt used rubber, which didn't work well, so that was scrapped in favor of muslin, which did the trick. (Some of the tornado footage was recycled in another MGM movie four years later, "Cabin in the Sky," and other productions.) Most of the flying monkeys were working models, with a few actors in costumes and harnesses. To melt, all Margaret Hamilton had to do was stand on a small elevator built into the set. Dorothy's window during the cyclone was a rear projection screen, and the Witch's crystal ball and the steam in the Wizard's throne room served as front projection screens. Glinda's bubble was a silver ball, and the camera tracked towards it while filming. The Witch's skywriting was actually a hypodermic needle spreading black ink across the bottom of a glass tank filled with tinted water. And the "smoke" coming from the Tin Woodman's hat was the result of compressed air and talcum powder. Test footage for some of the special effects are available on the current North American DVD release of The Movie.

12.15. How did the Lion's tail move?

Look carefully in some scenes, and you can see how it moved -- it was on a fishing line, and there was a man in the stage rafters with a fishing pole who would swish it around. Lahr would sometimes hold the tail, and those are the scenes where the line was let loose.

12.16. What did they use for snow?

As you may have already discovered, it was dangerous business making movies in the late 1930s! And the snow during the poppy scene was no exception. Small chunks of white gypsum, the mineral used in plaster of Paris and other products, were used. Powdered gypsum is dangerous when inhaled, so the actors were told not to inhale too deep! The use of gypsum in this fashion was outlawed soon afterwards.

12.17. Was The Movie originally made in color or black and white? Were the Oz scenes colorized later?

The vast majority of The Movie was originally shot in color, and those were all of the Oz scenes. They were not shot in black and white and later colorized. The Kansas scenes were filmed in black and white, but processed so that they appeared in sepia tones -- essentially brown-and-white. For a time, the sepia tones were dropped, and Kansas was shown on television, in theaters, and on videotape in black and white, and the only sepia in The Movie was Aunt Em's appearance in the Witch's crystal ball. For The Movie's fiftieth anniversary in 1989, the sepia was restored, and has been there ever since.

12.18. Was The Movie the first film made in color?

Not even close! There had been several experiments with color films in the silent era. L. Frank Baum was even involved with one of them, the hand-tinted films of his "Fairylogue and Radio-Plays" multimedia show (see question 9.4 for more information). The first true color feature movie, however, shot in the same three-strip Technicolor process used on The Movie, was "Becky Sharp" in 1935, an adaptation of the novel "Vanity Fair." Shorts and cartoons had used Technicolor even earlier. After "Becky Sharp," the studios gradually made more and more color pictures -- although black and white was still the rule, and color used for only the most prestigious films. One color film that pre-dates The Movie and is still well-known today: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," released in 1937. For more information about the history of Technicolor, and The Movie's place in it, check out http://www.technicolor.com/aboutus/about-history.html.

12.19. Why were the Kansas scenes filmed in black and white?

The Kansas scenes were filmed in black and white as a contrast to the bright colors of Oz, and also as a way to show on film a technique Baum and Denslow had created in the book, of using different colors in the pictures to show different locations. It is not true at all that MGM ran out of money, and had to resort to black and white as a cost cutting measure. MGM was the biggest, richest movie studio of its day, they could easily afford to film Kansas in color if they chose to.

12.20. What's this I hear about a dance number called "The Jitterbug"?

When it was first previewed in the summer of 1939, The Movie was nearly two hours in length, which some believed to be too long. So a number of scenes were shortened, and several dropped entirely, such as the return to the Emerald City after melting the Wicked Witch of the West (including a reprise of "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead"), an extended version of Ray Bolger's dance during "If I Only Had a Brain" (which was recovered complete in the 1980s), and a scene where the Wicked Witch really DOES turn the Tin Woodman into a beehive, complete with animated bees. Also cut was "The Jitterbug," an elaborate song-and-dance number that came right before the Winged Monkeys captured Dorothy and her friends in the Haunted Forest. It's still referred to in The Movie when the witch tells the monkeys, "I've sent a little insect on ahead to take the fight out of them!" No one is exactly sure why it was cut, since it took several weeks to choreograph, rehearse, and film, and cost quite a bit of money, but the best guess is that it was too lighthearted for the dramatic tension of the story at that point, and unlike the rest of the musical numbers, it was extraneous and didn't advance the plot. It was also felt that it would date the film, as "jitterbug" had already become slang for a hot dancer at that point, and the studio hoped the film would have long-lasting appeal, for at least ten years. (If only they'd known...) While the footage is now lost, Harold Arlen did take some home movies on the set during rehearsals, which have now been made available on television (the "Ripley's Believe It or Not" show on ABC in 1983 was the first public appearance of the entire film), video, and DVD. And numerous school and community theater productions have put "The Jitterbug" back into the story, either in its intended place in the Haunted Forest or as a replacement for the poppy field.

12.21. Were there any problems in making The Movie?

Many! The film took six months to shoot, used MGM's biggest sound stages, stretched the studio's resources to their limits, and the bright lights needed for the color photography generated a lot of heat, so something was bound to go wrong. Besides the problems of Buddy Ebsen and Jack Haley's make-up (see question 11.8), two major accidents happened, both involving the Wicked Witch:

* Margaret Hamilton, on the fourth take of the Witch's disappearance from Munchkinland, caught on fire. The green make-up used at that time contained copper and was highly flammable, and only quick thinking and immediate first aid kept her alive. Even so, Hamilton was off the set for several weeks, and the skin on her right hand was so badly burned that she had to wear a tight-fitting green glove instead of make-up for the rest of the film, there was so little skin there. The shot of the Witch's fiery exit used in the movie was an earlier take. Look carefully and you can see the smoke start up before Hamilton hits her mark.
* Naturally enough, Hamilton wanted nothing to do with fire for the rest of the film -- even setting the Scarecrow on fire later on made her extremely nervous, despite the asbestos lining in the Scarecrow costume's arm. So Hamilton's double, Betty Danko, made a number of the broom flights. And at one point, the prop broom exploded, seriously injuring Danko and embedding bits of the costume into her leg, and causing the costume's hat to fly into the rafters above the stage.

Haley and Lahr also had general problems with their costumes and make-up (see question 12.7 for details on Lahr's costume woes; Haley, meanwhile, couldn't sit down, so he had to lean against a reclining board to relax), and Ray Bolger had trouble going to the restroom without spilling straw all over the place. None of them were allowed to eat in the studio commissary as they looked so grotesque -- Lahr could barely open his mouth to eat anyway, and had to drink soup and other liquids through a straw -- and Hamilton had to carefully eat her sandwich wrapped in waxed paper, else the make-up would rub off onto the food.

12.22. Is it true that you can see a man hanging himself in The Movie?

No, of course not. It's true that you can see a shadowy figure fluttering in the background at the end of the scene in the Tin Woodman's forest, just as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman are marching offscreen to the strains of "We're Off to See the Wizard." And if you ever get a chance to see the film projected onto the big screen of a movie theater, you can quite clearly see that it is a bird flapping its wings. (A number of birds were rented from the Los Angeles Zoo for this scene. Other birds sharp-eyed viewers can also see in that forest are a toucan and a peacock.) Let me say that again to make it perfectly clear to those who still believe it's a hanging man: IT IS A BIRD FLAPPING ITS WINGS. (There is some disagreement as to what kind of bird it is. For a long time Oz fans presumed it was a stork, as a stork actually does appear in the original book. But many people have also told me it was a crane, and a member of the International Wildlife Coalition even told me it was a Crowned Crane, or "Balearica pavonina." I'm beginning to come around to the idea that it's a crane, but I'd rather show the scene to an ornithologist before I say for sure.)

So why do so many think that this innocent bird is a hanging man? The problem is, most people today don't see The Movie on the big screen, they watch it on television or videotape. And the scan lines that make a TV picture possible do the disservice of making the picture less clear than on a movie screen. The small size of most TV screens and the lack of clear prints before 1989 doesn't help, either. So on a television screen, the stork is not very clear. Some have thought it was a stagehand accidentally caught in the shot, or the Wicked Witch still lurking in the background, but for some reason this shadowy figure passed into urban legend as a hanging man. But it can't be. Studio security was tighter than usual on The Movie, and it's extremely unlikely that a major studio like MGM wouldn't notice such a macabre sight, or allow it to be included in one of its highest profile pictures. Besides, most of those trees were on a painted backdrop, and the rest were artificial, and thus too fragile to hang from. And towards the end of the scene, all three principal actors look directly at the object in question. If it was something that wasn't supposed to be there, especially something so gruesome, doesn't it make sense that at least one of them would alert the crew and stop filming right then and there? Don't forget, there were a LOT of people on the set watching what was going on, with the director and his assistants, the cameramen, the lighting crew, and so forth. Would ALL of them not notice something suspicious? Could all of them not say anything about it for so long?

Some amusing variants of this story have surfaced:
* The hanging man was one of the Munchkin actors -- which is unlikely, as the forest scenes were actually shot before the Munchkinland scenes, and the little people playing the Munchkins hadn't arrived in town at that point.
* A Munchkin actor hanged himself after being rejected by one of the Munchkin actresses -- see above.
* The man hanging himself is the director's son, upset that he didn't get a part in The Movie or on the crew -- which is impossible, as Victor Fleming only had two young daughters at the time.
* MGM was forced to leave the shot in, as they couldn't afford to reshoot the scene -- which is extremely unlikely, as MGM was the biggest studio of the day, and could well afford another take.
* The man who hanged himself was the grandfather of the boy who became the ghost in "Three Men and a Baby," another popular Hollywood urban legend. Since the "ghost" is actually a cardboard cutout of Ted Danson, this is not terribly likely.
* The "hanging" was actually a technician who got entangled in some cables or ropes and accidentally fell into the scene, strangling himself -- I think somebody is confusing the stagehand and hanging legends.
* The bird was added in later to mask the hanging -- well, then, couldn't they have made the stork clearer? Or erased the hanging man entirely?
* The hanging was still in the original videotape release of The Movie, but replaced by the bird in the 1989 fiftieth anniversary rerelease -- the only change made from the early '80s release and the 1989 one was to finally change the Kansas scenes back to their original sepia tones.
* The hanging is really somewhere else in the scene, or the next one -- look, if people can't even figure out where the hanging is, could it possibly be that it isn't really there?
* I'm just part of some conspiracy to cover up the truth -- if I am, I wish someone would let me in on the secret! I have no reason to hide the truth, I am in no one's employ or thralls, and I don't see what good it would do me or anyone else to hide it now. But the truth is, there is no hanging.
* "I know who the hanged man was" -- yet every time someone has told me this, they clam up when I ask for a name or details. If there is truly a hanging in The Movie, I and Oz and film researchers around the world are going to need a lot more evidence than "It looks like a hanging man" or a man with no name.

13. The Movie - Post-Production and Premiere

13.1. When and where did The Movie first premiere?

The Movie was first seen outside of the MGM studios in mid-June, 1939, where it was sneaked into theaters in southern California to gauge audience reaction. This version was not completely edited, however (it was after a sneak preview in either Santa Barbara or San Bernardino that "The Jitterbug" was cut, for instance -- see question 12.20 for more about that number -- and one sneak preview may not have had "Over the Rainbow" in it). The first publicized showing of the final, edited film was at the Strand Theatre in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin on August 12, 1939. No one is sure exactly why a small town in the Midwest received that honor. The official premiere was at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on August 15, attended by most of the cast and crew and a number of Hollywood celebrities. Notably absent, however, was Judy Garland -- she was on the East Coast with Mickey Rooney, rehearsing a vaudeville act. They were preparing for the New York City premiere of The Movie at the Capitol Theatre, where they would perform after each showing, and publicize their forthcoming movie, "Babes in Arms," beginning August 17. After those openings, it continued to open throughout the United States. The Movie was first shown in Canada on September 14, 1939, and Spanish- and Portuguese-language versions opened in Latin America on November 19. The first European release was in December of 1939 in Great Britain.

13.2. Have any scenes been cut from The Movie since it was released?

Once in a while, I'll run across someone who remembers a scene that they think was in The Movie, but isn't now. These scenes usually involve Dorothy finding the Ruby Slippers on her feet or under her bed once she's back in Kansas. No such scene was ever written or filmed, however. The fact is, The Movie that you see now is the same as The Movie audiences first saw in 1939, and nothing has been altered. A few cuts were made for television in the 1970s (all scenes without dialogue), but they have since been restored. If you remember a scene that's not there anymore, you were either at one of the pre-release sneak previews (see question 13.1 above), or you had a vivid imagination as a child.

13.3. Is it true that "Over the Rainbow" was cut out at one point?

Almost. After one preview, "Over the Rainbow" was slated to be cut out, as it was felt it slowed the movie down, and there was some concern about one of MGM's rising stars being seen singing in a farmyard. There may have even been one sneak preview without it at all. Fortunately, LeRoy and Freed stepped in and argued that it should be kept in.

13.4. Are there any flubs or bloopers that made it into The Finished Movie?

Plenty! You may not notice these the first time or two, but watch The Movie a few more times, and you start to notice the little details, errors, and unintended gaffs. So, to keep you amused, here are some -- but by no means all -- bloopers and other interesting bits that folks have found over the years:

* Why is Dorothy perfectly clean after having fallen into a pig sty?
* "Over the Rainbow" seems to have been put together from at least two different takes. After a cut down to Toto, Dorothy's make-up is subtly different.
* What kind of flowers are on the wallpaper in Dorothy's room? Poppies. Professor Marvel was going to comment on this later on, but the line was cut.
* In the cyclone, Dorothy's bed spins around, but the table and linens by the window stay perfectly still.
* When Glinda's bubble arrives, Dorothy's hand sticks into it for a brief moment.
* As the Munchkins "Come out, come out," wherever they are, one climbs out of a manhole. Later, however, the manhole is nowhere to be seen. Also, some of the doors are even shorter than the Munchkins, and the actors have to duck to get in and out of the houses.
* The death certificate of the Wicked Witch of the East tells that the Witch died on May 6th, 1938 -- nineteen years to the day after L. Frank Baum died. (This can't be read by watching The Movie, only in publicity stills.)
* Terry must have been freaked out by the Witch's entrance, because Toto runs off and hides among the Munchkins. Dorothy has to leave Glinda's side on the steps and go get her dog.
* Note Dorothy's pigtails as she leaves Munchkinland and meets the Scarecrow. They keep growing and shrinking about six inches throughout the scene! Some retakes of the scene were filmed several months after the first version, and it looks as if nobody was actually paying attention to the length of Judy's hair pieces.
* At the end of "If I Only Had a Heart," the oilcan bounces out of Dorothy's basket, and she never gets a chance to retrieve it. Good thing she has a spare, which she pulls out of her basket in the close up...
* Not far from the Tin Man's cottage, in the background, you can see another Oz character, the Sawhorse, first introduced in "The Marvelous Land of Oz".
* Right after the Wicked Witch disappears from atop the cottage, somehow the Tin Man is reversed (look at the ring on his funnel hat) and everything is fuzzy. Because the beehive sequence was edited out, the negative for this part of the scene was flipped over and processed from the wrong side so as to keep the three characters in the correct order throughout.
* When Dorothy first meets the Lion, Judy Garland had a TERRIBLE time keeping a straight face opposite Bert Lahr. Even in the take used in the finished film, she nearly loses her composure before blurting out, "My goodness, what a fuss you're making."
* In several scenes, the fishline holding up the Lion's tail is visible.
* When it's snowing in the poppy field, why aren't Dorothy and the Lion shivering or otherwise acting cold?
* In the Emerald City, the purple version of the Horse of a Different Color seems to be trying its darnedest to lick the color off. The horses were all colored with Jell-O, and this one must have liked grape.
* In getting their makeovers, the Tin Man, who's been rusty all this time, is now well polished, the Lion gets a permanent and a bow for his mane, and Dorothy gets not only a new hairstyle, but a subtly more puffed up dress.
* The guardian at the gates of the palace has his mustache turned up when our friends approach him -- but then it suddenly turns down. This is due to a "changing of the guard" scene that was cut.
* During "King of the Forest," Bert Lahr can be heard singing after the instrumental bridge, even though the Lion's mouth isn't moving right away. Neat trick, that. Also, his "crown" in the close-ups is different than the one placed on his head in the long shot. Oh, and Dorothy trips on the red carpet.
* Climbing the rocks to the Witch's castle, the Tin Woodman hangs on to the Lion's tail at one point -- where you can see the outline of a board or something reinforcing the Lion's costume. The Lion looks like he has a square bottom.
* After rescuing Dorothy from the room the Witch has trapped her in, our friends try to leave the castle, only to have the door slam in their faces. In the long shot, the order is (from left to right) the Scarecrow, Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Lion. But when the scene cuts to a close-up, Dorothy and the Tin Man have mysteriously swapped places. One sharp-eyed correspondent noticed a similar switch in the Wizard's throne room.
* When the Scarecrow chops down the chandelier in the Witch's castle, the candles go out. But moments later, the candles are lit again.
* When Dorothy first takes the Witch's broomstick, the burnt bristles are all ragged and uneven. But it looks like they've had some time to trim and straighten them by the time they give it to the Wizard.
* How does the Wizard's balloon leave so easily after Toto chases that cat? The Tin Woodman is undoing the ropes! Maybe this is his way of telling Dorothy to give back his oil can, since she still has it as she's about to leave.

There are, of course, many others. See how many you can find! Some examples can be found on movie blooper websites, such as http://www.nitpickers.com, http://www.movie-mistakes.com/, and http://www.movie-mistakes.co.uk. The entry for The Movie at the Internet Movie Database lists some as well at http://us.imdb.com/Goofs?0032138.

13.5. Why didn't they go back and refilm the messed-up parts?

Because they weren't considered to be messed-up enough to do again. Making a movie is a complicated process, involving many, many artists. During production of The Movie, once a set was put up, all of the scenes for that set were filmed, and then the set was taken down and a new set built, while the actors and crew went to another soundstage. If a mistake was discovered after a set was used, there was little chance to go back and reshoot. Also, remember that a movie is not made continuously, but as a series of short scenes that are then edited together. Sometimes two adjoining takes were actually filmed days or even weeks apart, and nobody would have noticed small errors until the film was put together. And some of the errors came about as a result of parts being cut out. These would have crept in during the editing process, after the actors and most of the crew were finished and all the sets put away. So Victor Fleming and Blanche Sewell did their best with what they had, hoping that most people wouldn't notice or care. Even if they'd known that sixty years later, people could buy a copy of The Movie to play at home over and over again and analyze each and every scene, there wasn't a lot they could have done about most of these errors. (This is hardly unique to The Movie. There are books and websites devoted to pointing out these sorts of movie mistakes, and just about any film you'd care to name has some flubs.)

13.6. Why didn't they keep the parts that were cut out?

Because nobody had any idea that people would want to, or could, see them. Back in 1939, the only way to see a movie was to go to a movie theater. There were no movie channels on television, videotapes, laser disks, or DVDs on which people could watch their favorite movies over and over again. There was also little interest in film preservation or the moviemaking process, even in Hollywood. So nobody saw any need to keep the unused takes or cut scenes. While many people involved with The Movie suspected they were making something special, nobody had any idea that it would become the most watched movie of all time, and that people would actually want to see the unused portions.

13.7. Wasn't The Movie a flop at the box office when it opened?

That depends on how you look at it. It cost nearly three million dollars to make The Movie in a day when most big movies were made for around a million, so MGM knew it would be tough to make back its costs. Nevertheless, it was one of the biggest hits at the box office in 1939, earning over three million dollars and breaking attendance records in many cities. It officially lost money, however, because of the high cost of publicity (The Movie was one of MGM's most ballyhooed films up to that point), prints, and other related expenses. Other factors that cut into The Movie's earnings include the high number of children attending screenings, who paid less than adults; the high turnover rate for movies that year, as there were so many other films being made in 1939 that none of them could stay at one theater for very long; and the start of World War II in Europe, which cut heavily into its earnings abroad. This was all right with MGM, however, as "Oz" was their "prestige" picture of the year, and wasn't expected to make a profit anyway. MGM was able to recoup its costs on "Oz" with a successful, high-profile rerelease in 1949.

13.8. Didn't the critics pan The Movie when it first came out?

Not really, no. In fact, the film was nearly universally acclaimed by critics, who often singled out Judy Garland and Bert Lahr's performances. But the praise was not universal. Some of the positive reviews were guarded or reserved in their judgment, and of the very few bad reviews, most came from the more well-known, influential critics of the time. It wasn't until The Movie's 1949 rerelease that the reviews became generally enthusiastic in their praise.

13.9. How many times has the film been rereleased to theaters?

In the United States, the film was first rereleased in 1949, when it did almost as well as upon its initial release. MGM tried once again in 1955, but it was too soon after its last release, and television was making too many inroads into the nation's free time, so it didn't do as well. Later, it was released for children's matinees in 1970 and 1972, and became a staple in college theaters and revival houses around the country. In 1998, the "Special Edition" of The Movie, with its color and sound digitally restored, was shown in theaters all over North America. The Movie has also been released a number of times in other countries.

13.10. Did The Movie win any Oscars?

If The Movie had been released in just about any year other than 1939, it might have gotten more attention from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But that was the year of "Gone With the Wind." Victor Fleming's other big 1939 film dominated the Academy Awards by winning eight Oscars, two honorary awards, and a special citation for producer David O. Selznick. In the same year, Hollywood released many other high-quality films now considered classics -- among them "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," "Wuthering Heights," "Ninotchka," "The Women," "Gunga Din," "Beau Geste," "Stagecoach," "Jesse James," "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell," "Young Mr. Lincoln," "Babes in Arms," "Love Affair," "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex," "Of Mice and Men," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Intermezzo," "Dark Victory," "Destry Rides Again," and "Drums Along the Mohawk." Many movie historians, in fact, consider 1939 to be the best year ever for the American film industry. Therefore, The Movie would probably have done very well at the Oscars if "Gone With the Wind" had come out a year later, but even so it faced other strong competition.

The Movie was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, along with "Dark Victory," "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," "Love Affair," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Ninotchka," "Of Mice and Men," "Stagecoach," and "Wuthering Heights." The Movie was also nominated in four other categories: Special Effects (the first time an award was ever given in the category), Original Score, Best Song, and Art Direction. The Special Effects Award went to "The Rains Came," and "Gone with the Wind" won the Art Direction and Best Picture awards. The only category in which The Movie won over "Gone with the Wind" was for Original Score, where Herbert Stothart was presented the Oscar. Under present day Academy rules, songwriters Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg would have also shared in the Original Score award, but they did receive an Oscar for writing the best movie song of the year, "Over the Rainbow." Judy Garland was also presented with a scaled-down Oscar, a special award for outstanding performance as a screen juvenile in 1939. Garland later referred to it as "The Munchkin Award," but it was the only Oscar she would ever receive. Had Best Make-up been a category at the time, it's likely The Movie would have won. Victor Fleming picked up the Oscar for Best Director, but it was for "Gone with the Wind," not The Movie.

13.11. Where can I see a widescreen version of The Movie?

You can't. Like most movies of it's time (including "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Gone with the Wind," "Casablanca," "Citizen Kane," and numerous others), "The Wizard of Oz" was made with a 4:3 screen ratio -- nearly square, and very similar in shape to a regular television screen. It wasn't until the 1950s that widescreen movie formats were introduced. So if you should ever see any sort of widescreen presentation of "The Wizard of Oz," odds are the top and bottom of the picture are being cut off!

14. The Movie - The Legend

14.1. Has there ever been a soundtrack release?

The songs from The Movie have been a popular subject for record albums ever since it was released. There were a few different versions in 1939, the most famous being one by Ken Darby and his orchestra, with Judy Garland singing "Over the Rainbow" and "The Jitterbug." This was not a true soundtrack, however, as these were specially recorded sessions for the album, not songs taken directly from The Movie's soundtrack. It was available on record and cassette well into the 1990s, most recently coupled with songs from Walt Disney's "Pinocchio," but it is currently unavailable. In conjunction with The Movie's television debut, MGM released a soundtrack album on November 3, 1956, taken directly from The Movie itself, with some dialogue interspersed with the songs to tell the story. This was later expanded upon for a CD release in the late 1980s. In the 1990s the original, unedited film soundtracks were discovered, allowing a true musical soundtrack of The Movie to be released for the first time. Rhino Records issued a deluxe two-CD set in 1995, which includes outtakes, some alternate and rehearsal tracks, the background score, and other extras, as well as an illustrated booklet. Rhino also released a standard one-CD version without the extras in two different packages, one aimed at children. The Lux Radio Theater performed "The Wizard of Oz" on its Christmas, 1950 edition, with Judy Garland playing Dorothy, and it's been released on record, audiocassette, and CD. And a 1939 edition of the Maxwell House "Good News" radio show, which featured a number of actors from The Movie and the public debut of its music, has been released on record, audiocassette, and CD (in the latter format with the original Maxwell House commercials, and an extra radio advertisement from MGM), as well as part of the current DVD release of The Movie.

14.2. When was The Movie first shown on American television?

In the early 1950s, MGM began leasing some of its films to individual television stations, but held back some of its biggest films, including "Gone with the Wind" and The Movie. CBS expressed interest in a national showing of "Gone with the Wind," but MGM turned them down. So CBS countered with an offer to show The Movie, and the television rights were sold for $225,000 each for two showings. The Movie was first shown as part of the "Ford Star Jubilee" on Saturday, November 3, 1956. The broadcast was introduced by Bert Lahr, Judy Garland's ten-year-old daughter Liza Minnelli, and thirteen-year-old Oz collector Justin Schiller, who had loaned CBS a first edition of the book for Lahr to read to Minnelli on air. (Schiller would go on to found IWOC two months later.) It was watched by an estimated audience of forty-five million. CBS next showed The Movie on December 13, 1959, and from then on it was shown every season on CBS until 1967, when NBC acquired the film for the next eight showings. CBS got it back again in 1976, and showed it on average once a year after that. Before the advent of cable and videotape, The Movie was regularly one of the highest rated shows of the season, and often the highest rated movie, rarely slipping out of the top twenty for the week it was shown. In 1998, The Movie was shown on network television for an unprecedented thirty-ninth time, but this would also be the last for some time. When that contract expired, the rights reverted to Time Warner (see question 14.13), who decided to show it on one of their own cable channels. The Movie made its first cable showing on Superstation TBS in November of 1999, was shown without commercials on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) in July 2000, 2001, and 2002, and broadcast on TNT in November 2000 and 2001. (An interesting side note: The Movie was not the first Oz movie shown on television. The 1925 silent version of "The Wizard of Oz" was shown over three nights on early television station W2XCD in Passaic, New Jersey, June 8, 9, and 10, 1931 -- eight years before The Movie was released to theaters!) As of this writing, however, the WB network has announced that it will show The Movie during the 2002 holiday season.

14.3. At what time of year has it usually been shown?

At first The Movie was a Christmas movie, shown in December. Gradually, however, showings got pushed further back, until it became an Easter staple. For a very long time it was shown in the spring, but in later years CBS showed it around Thanksgiving as well. Now that it is on cable, it seems that it will regularly be shown in July on TCM, and in November on TBS or TNT. The 2002 WB showing will be during the holiday season, but no exact date has been given yet.

14.4. Why is it being shown on cable now?

Because the current controllers (see question 14.13) own cable channels as well as the WB network. Naturally they'd rather show it on one of their own channels than share the advertising revenues with another broadcaster. More and more, cable has become the home for movies on television, and "The Wizard of Oz" is just one of them. It's still a special event, with only two or three annual showings on TCM in early July and during the holiday season on commercial cable. (It's not known yet how the WB showings will affect the annual Thanksgiving showings on TNT.)

14.5. Who have been the hosts for the television broadcasts?

Until more time was needed to show commercials, each showing had a host to introduce The Movie. Besides Lahr, Minnelli and Schiller in 1956 (see question 14.2), the hosts have been Red Skelton and his daughter Valentina in 1959, Richard Boone (the star of "Have Gun Will Travel") and his son Peter in 1960, Dick Van Dyke and his children in 1961 and 1962, and Danny Kaye from 1964 to 1967. The 1970 broadcast, the first since Judy Garland's death, was prefaced by a brief tribute to Garland by Gregory Peck. And in 1990 and 1996, Angela Lansbury hosted a behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Movie and its lasting popularity. This and other specials have also been shown in conjunction with the cable showings on TNT and TCM.

14.6. Is The Movie shown on TV in other countries?

While it seems not to have quite gripped the collective imagination abroad as it has in America, The Movie has been a staple on television in other countries, such as Canada, shown on the CBC, and Great Britain, shown on the BBC.

14.7. How many American video releases have there been?

Several. The Movie is one of the all-time best selling movies on home media in America (over twelve million copies, and growing), and it has been issued in a number of different packages. There have been at least four different versions of The Movie on VHS tape. The initial release was pretty straightforward, with just The Movie. In 1989, in commemoration of The Movie's fiftieth anniversary, a new edition was released, with the Kansas sequences rendered in sepia for the first time since The Movie's early theatrical releases, and about twenty minutes of extra behind-the-scenes footage added at the end. This included Arlen's home movies of "The Jitterbug," Bolger's extended "If I Only Had a Brain" dance, film of Garland and Mickey Rooney at the 1940 Oscars ceremony, and some early publicity film, with Buddy Ebsen still playing the Tin Woodman. The original packaging for this edition included a booklet of behind-the-scenes information, which was dropped in later issues. In 1993, Turner Home Entertainment released a deluxe collector's edition, "The Ultimate Oz," that included a new cleaned-up print of The Movie; a second cassette with the 1990 Angela Lansbury documentary, including extra material not shown on television, and more behind-the-scenes footage, including test film of the actors and special effects; a hardbound copy of the script; and a folio of publicity photographs. A new video edition, with a digitally restored picture and soundtrack remastered in THX, was released in late 1996, which in 1997 became one of the first movies ever released in the DVD format. This first North American DVD release includes soundtracks and subtitles in English, Spanish, and French. The digitally restored Special Edition seen in theaters was released on VHS video in 1999, both as a stand-alone single tape and on two tapes (the second tape with the Angela Lansbury special and other footage, much of it similar to what was in "The Ultimate Oz"). This version was also released on DVD, again in both standard and gift sets. This second DVD edition includes the same extras as on the second videotape and a number of DVD exclusives. The gift set includes the script book and photographs. (There is a false rumor going around that there is a "rare" black-and-white-only release that shows the alleged "hanging man." There has never been a black-and-white release of The Movie is any format or medium. The rumor might refer to the Kansas scenes, however. But there's still no hanging man in it.)

Five different editions have also been released on videodisk, most with a separate audio program on the second sound channel. One from Criterion in the early 1980s included an inaccurate commentary from film historian Ron Haver. One from MGM at roughly the same time came with an audio track that had been found without most of the dialogue for use in foreign dubbed versions. An edition from Turner in the disk version of "The Ultimate Oz" included better, more accurate commentary by "Oz" historian John Fricke. One version also had Spanish and French soundtracks on two different channels. 

14.8. What's this I hear about the Ruby Slippers being auctioned off for a lot of money?

Dorothy's shoes from The Movie have gone on to be one of the most famous and recognized pieces of movie costuming -- and the most sought after, considering how much money pairs have fetched at auction. The first pair auctioned off was at MGM's studio auction in 1970, when they went for $15,000. This pair now belongs to the Smithsonian Institution, and toured America in the 1990s as part of the Smithsonian's 150th anniversary celebration. Since then, other pairs have turned up. Like other Hollywood costumes, there was more than one pair of Ruby Slippers -- and Bobbie Koshay, Garland's stand-in, had a different shoe size, meaning some had to be made to fit her as well. At least five pairs are known to exist, and they have fetched higher and higher prices at auctions. The last pair known to be sold went for $660,000 at Christie's auction house in New York City in 2000. This pair, by the way, had been given away as a contest prize in 1939, and the winner had kept them for nearly fifty years before putting them up for auction. The first auction for this pair of Ruby Slippers, in 1988, brought a price of $165,000, and the buyer put them on display at the Disney-MGM Studio park at Walt Disney World before putting them up for auction again.

14.9. Where are the Ruby Slippers now? Can I go see them?

One pair is on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. In fact, that's one of the Smithsonian's most popular attractions. One pair has been displayed at times at the Philip Samuels Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri. A test pair with a different design that never appeared in The Movie is on exhibit at Debbie Reynolds' movie memorabilia museum in Las Vegas. And another pair may also be in Las Vegas, at the Planet Hollywood in the Caesar's Palace hotel. One pair often goes on tour to shopping malls. And one pair, owned by a private collector in California, is locked away in a safe deposit box.

14.10. Is it true that Ted Turner wants to colorize the Kansas sequences?

Ted Turner, the Atlanta television mogul who launched TBS, TNT, CNN, and other cable channels, became the owner of The Movie when he bought all of MGM's back library in the 1980s. He then immediately negotiated a deal with CBS, extending their rights to show The Movie through 1998, in exchange for the television rights to his all-time favorite film, "Gone with the Wind," which CBS also held at the time. While Turner has caused a stir among movie purists with his use of modern technology to add color to previously black-and-white films, he has stated that The Movie must have its Kansas scenes in black-and-white. In fact, Turner should be commended by "Oz" and movie fans for restoring the original sepia tones to the Kansas sequences, which had previously only been seen during the film's early theatrical releases. Besides, the whole idea of colorizing movies seems to have been a fad, as very little has been done about it of late. Nowadays, movie fans are much more knowledgeable and vocal, and thus movies are generally shown as close as possible to their original forms. Some movies are shown in letterboxed format (with black bars at the top and bottom) to simulate widescreen presentations, for example, and movies are sometimes shown in a longer time slot. In recent years, broadcasts of The Movie have lasted two hours and ten minutes or longer, so as to preserve the original film as much as possible yet still show enough commercials to make some money, just to give one example.

14.11. Is The Movie on the National Film Registry?

In 1988, in response to colorization and other alterations made to movies, several prominent filmmakers lobbied the United States Congress to do something to preserve their rights as artists and the integrity of the original films. While Congress couldn't actually come out and make these changes illegal, they did establish the National Film Preservation Board (http://lcweb.loc.gov/film/), and a National Film Registry, administered by the Library of Congress. Every year, twenty-five American movies are added to the list as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant. A pristine, unaltered print of each movie is preserved by the Library of Congress for posterity, and broadcasters and video producers are requested (although not required) to state that a film on the registry has been altered and in what way if shown in a different form. The first year that films were announced for the registry was 1989, and among them was The Movie. Other films added to the registry that year include "Casablanca," "Citizen Kane," "The Grapes of Wrath," "High Noon," "The Maltese Falcon," "Singin' in the Rain," "On the Waterfront," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Some Like It Hot," "Sunset Boulevard," "Star Wars" -- and of course "Gone with the Wind." You can find out more about the National Film Registry at http://lcweb.loc.gov/film/filmnfr.html and http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/clamen/misc/movies/NFR-Titles.html.

14.12. Where does The Movie rank on the AFI's Top 100 list?

In 1998, to celebrate the first century of American filmmaking, the American Film Institute polled movie makers, film historians, and others to come up with the top one hundred American films up to that time. The Movie placed at number six, and it was the highest ranked musical, fantasy, and family movie on the list. Ahead of it were "Lawrence of Arabia" at number five, "Gone with the Wind" in fourth place, "The Godfather" in the third position, "Casablanca" at number two, and "Citizen Kane" at the top. You can see the whole list at http://www.AFI.com/tv/movies.asp. A year later, the AFI put out lists of the top twenty-five American movie actors and actresses. Judy Garland placed eighth among the actresses (Shirley Temple, who was briefly considered for Dorothy -- see question 11.7 -- and later played Tip and Ozma on television, ended up at number eighteen). You can see this list on the WWW at http://www.AFI.com/tv/stars.asp. And in 2001, the list was of the one hundred most thrilling American films, on which The Movie placed forty-third. This list is at http://www.AFI.com/tv/thrills.asp.

14.13. Who owns The Movie now?

Okay, let's see if we can keep this straight. For a long time, of course, The Movie was owned by MGM -- actually, by the studio's parent company, Loews, Inc. -- since they made it. In the 1940s, when it was determined that theater chains owning studios were illegal monopolies, MGM was spun off from Loews and became its own company, and it retained the rights to The Movie. There may have been a few ownership changes I'm not aware of in the intervening years, but in 1986, Ted Turner bought the rights to hundreds of old MGM and RKO movies, including The Movie and his all-time favorite film, "Gone with the Wind." As a result of buying these films, Turner created the Turner Entertainment Company (TEC).

Now, this is where it gets complicated and murky. In 1995, Turner merged his media empire with Time Warner, which then merged with America Online (AOL) in 2000. During all the mergers, however, Turner retained ownership of The Movie and his other movie holdings through TEC. After the Turner-Time Warner merger, however, TEC turned around and farmed out the licensing, merchandising, and other rights to The Movie to Warner Bros., which is currently a division of AOL Time Warner. This is why The Movie has been shown on Time Warner owned networks in recent years (TBS, TNT, TCM, the WB), and why Warner Bros. is carrying a lot of Movie-based merchandise, and why some people think The Movie is currently owned by AOL Time Warner. The Movie is still ultimately owned by Ted Turner, however.

(My thanks to Jim Whitcomb for investigating the answers to this question.)

14.14. Where can I find other fans of The Movie?

Many Oz fans are also fans of The Movie, and Movie fans sometimes become fans of the books. So if you can find Oz fans in general (see sections 17 and 18 of this FAQ), you can probably find fans of The Movie. There may be options available through (TMOHH) the links page of the WWOOW. Take a look at http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/links.html, there is a whole set of links devoted just to The Movie there. If you are familiar with Usenet newsgroups, there is one set up for The Movie, alt.movies.wizard-of-oz, but it seems nobody is visiting it.

15. The Movie - Trivia and Miscellany
[NOTE: Among these questions are many about the characters in The Movie -- but only for characters who appear in just The Movie. For questions about characters who appear in the books or other theatrical presentations as well as The Movie, see section 5.]

15.1. Does Miss Gulch swear in The Movie?

In 1939? With the Hayes Commission, the Legion of Decency, and city censorship boards? In the same year David O. Selznick was fined $5000 for Rhett Butler's parting words to Scarlett O'Hara ("Frankly, my dear, I don't give a...")? In a movie that millions of children would see? Not likely. No, the line that people mishear and think includes a mild swear word is: "If you don't hand over that dog, I'll bring a DAMAGE suit that'll take your whole farm." (Emphasis mine.)

15.2. What is Miss Gulch's first name?

Almira. Aunt Em reveals it to us in her tirade against the old hag after taking Toto ("Almira Gulch, just because you own half the county..."). And yes, that is the proper spelling, as given in the script.

15.3. Isn't Miss Gulch out there somewhere, ready to take Toto away again?

Probably. But it's never explained in The Movie where she is, whether or not she survived the cyclone, or what Dorothy and her family and friends are going to do when she comes back for Toto. An explanation was given in The Movie, but it was cut from the final release. Dorothy decided to give Toto to one of the farmhands, so he could look after Toto but Dorothy could still play with him.

15.4. What's the name of Professor Marvel's horse?

Sylvester. Professor Marvel reveals this as the cyclone is approaching: "There's a storm coming, Sylvester, a whopper!"

15.5. Where does the Red Brick Road go?

Many people have spotted the Red Brick Road intertwined with the more famous Yellow Brick Road, and asked about this. There is no definitive answer, however. The Munchkin Army enters the city via the Red Brick Road, so that may be the way to the barracks. Also, Glinda's bubble appears to head in that general direction as she leaves, so that may be the way to her home in the north. (This was, in fact, the basis for an amusing story, "Follow the Other Brick Road" by Frederick E. Otto, in the 1989 edition of "Oziana," IWOC's annual fiction anthology.) It does appear, however, that Glinda's bubble ENTERS Munchkinland from the opposite direction.

15.6. What's a "ding-a-derry"? Or a "gizzard"?

Let's just say that lyricist E. Y. Harburg was more concerned with how his words fit together and rhymed than that they were all real words and used properly! These are two examples of lyrics he made up for the songs, both sung by the Scarecrow. "Ding-a-derry" is something good, but I have no idea how clever a gizzard is. (I doubt that this is the same gizzard that is a part of a bird's digestive system!)

15.7. What is that the Scarecrow is carrying in the Witch's forest?

When you go off into a strange forest to fight a wicked witch, be prepared. That's what's up with all the strange devices Dorothy's three friends are carrying. The Tin Woodman, besides his ax, wields a large monkey wrench. The Cowardly Lion has a butterfly net and an old-fashioned chemical sprayer. And the Scarecrow has a very large stick and -- this is the one that is hardest to notice, and causes the most alarm when people do see it -- a pistol. Dorothy is only carrying her basket, so I guess she thinks the others will protect her. Some have thought that it might be a water pistol -- what better way to deal with an aquaphobic wicked witch? -- but close-up examinations of freeze-frames of the DVD show that is is not a water pistol, but a standard one. (Don't forget, our friends don't know that water will melt the witch until Dorothy throws that bucket of water.) The Wicked Witch later caused these items to disappear in a portion of the scene that was cut during editing.

15.8. What are the Wicked Witch's guards called?

Although not named in The Movie, those tall, green-skinned men she has enslaved to be her guards are the Winkies. This name goes back to the book, as the Winkies are the people who live in the west and are enslaved by the Wicked Witch there as well. Some have speculated that, since the Winkies and the Wicked Witch are both green-skinned and long-nosed in The Movie, the Wicked Witch is herself a Winkie. The Winkies in the book, it should be added, are not tall and green, they're rather ordinary Ozites like the Munchkins.

15.9. What is it that the Wicked Witch's guards are chanting?

The Witch's Winkie guards, while parading outside her castle, are chanting something that sounds almost like it might actually mean something. Some have speculated that they're saying "All we own, we owe her," or "Oh we love (or loathe) the old one," or just nonsense, like "ooh ee ooh, ee ooh ooh." According to the screenplay, they're chanting, "O-Ee-Yah! Eoh-Ah!"

15.10. What is wrong with the Scarecrow's math? Doesn't he know the Pythagorean Theorem?

No, he doesn't. In The Movie, when he receives his diploma, the Scarecrow quite clearly but rapidly states: "The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side." But this is mathematical nonsense. The Pythagorean Theorem, which I assume he is trying to say, states that the sums of the squares (not square roots) of the legs (not just any two sides) of a right triangle (not an isosceles one) is equal to the square of the hypotenuse -- which WOULD be the remaining side, so the writers didn't get it ENTIRELY wrong... At any rate, the Scarecrow's diploma isn't as effective as he or his friends believe it to be, at least not in that scene. (In the book, the Wizard fills the Scarecrow's head with bran, pins, and needles, thus making his bran-new brains sharp. But they actually seem to work in the book, as he is wise enough not to recite any math equations at all.)

15.11. What's this I hear about a connection between The Movie and the classic Pink Floyd album "Dark Side of the Moon"?

There seems to be one, if you look for it. Nobody seems to know how this phenomenon was discovered, but if you start "Dark Side of the Moon" on Leo's third roar at the very start of The Movie, you can observe some unusual coincidences. Sometimes the action in the album matches the action on the screen, sometimes the characters seem to be lip synching or dancing to the music, and sometimes other odd things happen, such as the cash register for "Money" starting up just as The Movie changes to color. Since "Dark Side of the Moon" is shorter than The Movie, people have tried a variety of ways to extend the effect, either by repeating "Dark Side" or by putting on another Pink Floyd album. Others have even tried starting the album at different points in The Movie. All seem to have found some success.

This raises the question, was it deliberate? Did Pink Floyd plan to match the album up with The Movie? Probably not, since there was no home video version of "The Wizard of Oz" in 1973, the year "Dark Side of the Moon" was released, that the musicians or writers could have consulted for the timing. The variety of different ways people have found to play the two together, and the other albums people have tried to play with The Movie -- or other movies with "Dark Side of the Moon" -- also casts doubt on any sort of plan. The members of Pink Floyd also have denied any knowledge of this, claiming The Movie never came up once during recording.

There are a number of WWW sites that delve into this phenomenon, and they can be found on my own web site (TMOHH) at http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/links.html. Some of these go into the wider topic of album/movie synchronization, with a variety to try out.

16. Oz toys, games, dolls, and other merchandise

16.1. What Ozzy toys, dolls, and games have been made over the years?

In a word, LOTS! Even before The Movie, there were many toys, games, dolls, and other Ozzy products. This FAQ would be much, much too long if all of them were listed here, and more are coming out all the time. Here are a few of the more important or well-known ones:

* Baum's son, Frank J. Baum, manufactured and tried to market a series of stuffed Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Jack Pumpkinhead, and Patchwork Girl dolls in 1924. He was unable to make a go of it, however, and eventually sold his stocks to Reilly and Lee, who gave them away as premiums with some of the Oz books.
* Among the many toys that came out in 1939, in conjunction with the release of The Movie, was a Judy Garland as Dorothy doll (in several sizes), which is sought after not only by Oz collectors, but doll collectors and Garland fans as well; a Scarecrow doll which, while claiming to look like Ray Bolger, looked more like Fred Stone, the Scarecrow in the 1902 stage play; and a plush stuffed Cowardly Lion.
* In 1975, Mego issued a line of Oz dolls, based on the characters in The Movie, with accompanying playsets.
* In recent years, Susan Effenbee, Madame Alexander, World Doll, Ideal, the Franklin Mint, Presents of California, and Mattel, among other doll makers, have all come out with collectible Oz dolls.
* Multi Toys became one of the first to produce tie-ins for the fiftieth anniversary of The Movie, with a dozen different dolls coming out in 1988, as well as Oz clothes and costumes for other dolls.
* Mattel has issued collector's editions of Barbie dressed as Dorothy and Glinda, and Ken dressed as the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. They've also introduced another line designed more for play, including an Emerald City playset and Kelly and Tommy dressed a Munchkins.
* Warner Bros. has issued many products and sold them through their now closed chain of Warner Bros. Studio Stores, their online store (http://www.wbshop.com/), QVC, and other outlets. Among the Warner Bros. products have been bean bag dolls, a Movie-themed version of "Monopoly," a trivia game, clothes and costumes, prints, figurines, pins, doormats, cookie jars... (Many of these products are still available from other retailers.)
* Parker Brothers put out "The Wogglebug Game of Conundrums," a game of riddles (none having to do with Oz), in 1905.
* "The Wonderful Game of Oz," with a board showing a map of Oz and many characters from the Baum books, was first issued by Parker Brothers in 1921 (with pewter figurines of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion as markers), and reissued a number of times up until 1939.
* Tie-in games have been produced for "Off to See the Wizard" and "Return to Oz," as well as games based on The Movie.
* "The Wizard of Oz Waddle Book" was issued in 1934. This was the book, with punch-out cardboard figures bound in that could be assembled into dolls that waddled down a ramp. This was recently reprinted by Applewood Books.

There have also been numerous puppets, arts and crafts projects and patterns, cards and stickers, etc. If anyone has ever put a character's face on something, chances are there was a version with an Oz character.

16.2. What Ozzy comic books have been printed over the years?

Oz seems to be popular with comic book writers. Baum himself wrote one of the earliest newspapers comics, "Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz" (see question 6.7) and his collaborator, W. W. Denslow, issued a competing comic, "Denslow's Scarecrow and Tinman" (see question 7.4). Here is a partial checklist of published Oz comic books:

* "The Wonderland of Oz." Adapted and drawn by Walt Spouse in 1932 and 1933, these newspaper comic strip adaptations of "The Land of Oz," "Ozma of Oz," "The Emerald City of Oz," "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," and "Tik-Tok of Oz" were later reprinted in "The Funnies" (Dell) from 1938-1940. More recently, the annual "Oz-Story" anthology from Hungry Tiger Press reprinted some of the Spouse strips (along with some of the Denslow comic stories and other Oz-related comics, both old and new).
* Both "Dell Junior Treasury" #5 and "Classics Illustrated Junior" #535 were adaptations of "The Wizard of Oz."
* "Tales of the Wizard of Oz" -- a one-issue tie-in with the TV series, part of the "Four Color" comic series from Dell.
* "MGM's Marvelous Wizard of Oz" -- an oversized comic book adaptation of the MGM movie, and the first ever collaboration between Marvel and DC.
* "Marvel Treasury of Oz" #1 -- another oversize adaptation, this time without DC's involvement, and adapting the book instead of the movie, in this case "The Marvelous Land of Oz." Marvel had planned a series of adaptations of the Oz books -- the back of this issue advertised "Ozma of Oz" -- but copyright problems and poor sales put a stop to those plans.
* "The Oz-Wonderland War Trilogy." DC put their own Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew in the middle of a war between Oz and Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, with the Nome King stirring things up for good measure.
* Eric Shanower has written and illustrated five Oz graphic novels: "The Enchanted Apples of Oz," "The Secret Island of Oz," "The Ice King of Oz," and "The Forgotten Forest of Oz" were all published by First Comics (now available from IWOC). "The Blue Witch of Oz," in preparation when First went out of business, was later published by Dark Horse, and is still available through their reseller, Things from Another World (http://www5.tfaw.com/).
* "Mad" magazine has spoofed The Movie in issues 128 and 300 -- and lots of Oz references have popped up elsewhere in the magazine, of course.
* Both DC and Marvel have sent popular superhero teams to Oz. "Legion of Super-Heroes" Annual #5 (1994) was a DC Elseworlds story in which Ayla is accidentally transported to a strange new world; and "What If...?" (second series) #100 (September 1997) from Marvel features the Fantastic Four in Oz, with Sue Storm taking Dorothy's role.
* Patchwork Press published "Oz Squad," which was rather untraditional, and not well received among Oz fans. Dorothy is all grown up and a secret agent working both in Oz and on Earth. It contains graphic violence and swearing. There was even a "Little Oz Squad" special, detailing some of the events of the "Oz Squad" characters as children. The regular series ended with issue #10.
* "Oz" from Caliber Comics. While it is a more grown-up comic than most of the others on this list (some issues contain violence or adult language), it is more traditional than "Oz Squad," in that the characters are more in keeping with their counterparts in the books. The series details the adventures of three friends from our world and their dog who are transported to Oz, where they come to the aid of freedom fighters trying to overthrow the Nome King, who has conquered Oz and taken Ozma prisoner. In addition to the regular series, there have been a number of one-off specials and two three-issue mini-series, and some of the earliest issues have been reissued in graphic novels ("Mayhem in Munchkinland" collects the first five issues, while "A Gathering of Heroes" features the sixth through tenth issues). The creators of "Oz" left Caliber and took their ideas to a new publisher, Arrow Comics. They wrapped up the Caliber series with a "Dark Oz" mini-series, then relaunched the series with a new title, "Land of Oz." This series was eventually canceled due to outrageous demands from the distributors. You can get both Caliber and Arrow Oz comics at the Arrow Comics website's marketplace, http://www.arrowcomics.com/maketplace.html.
* Mention should also be made of Hand of Doom Publications, which has put out three books in the "Peter Pan and the Warlords of Oz" series by Robert Hand, in which Peter Pan emigrates to Oz and has adventures there. Although not nearly as violent as the early issues of "Oz Squad," parents would be wise to preview these books for their children. You can contact Hand via e-mail at blkscnce@aol.com.

16.3. What other Ozzy stuff is out there?

Lots and lots. There have been at least six sets of collector plates and some single plates. Advertising gimmicks and flyers, coloring and activity books, pop-up books, buttons, music boxes, stamps (including a 1990 US commemorative for The Movie), costumes and masks, sheets and pillowcases, party goods, clocks, watches, calendars, pens and pencils, notepads, soap, magnets, jigsaw puzzles, glasses, cups, mugs, valentines, posters, Christmas ornaments, figurines, maps, jewelry, POGs, T-shirts, and sunglasses are just some of the items over the decades to have featured Oz characters or logos. The vast majority have featured characters from The Movie, but there have also been some based on the books (although often with new character designs), and some with tie-ins to other movies, television shows, and even the NBC radio series.

16.4. Gee, there must be a LOT of stuff! Is there any way I can get more details?

Indeed there is! Two of the leading authorities on Oz collectibles, Jay Scarfone and William Stillman, have compiled a book, "The Wizard of Oz Collector's Treasury," with hundreds of color photographs of Oz items, descriptions, a history of Oz collectibles, and other useful information. It was published in 1992 by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. If your bookstore can't order it for you, it can be ordered from the publisher by sending $59.95 plus $2.95 for postage to Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1469 Morstein Road, West Chester, PA 19380. It can also be ordered online through most WWW-based bookshops. Scarfone and Stillman also write a semi-regular column in "The Baum Bugle" on Oz collectibles, which mostly covers new items.

16.5. How can I get my hands on some of this Oz stuff?

There are lots of places to find Oz items. First, check your local mall or other shopping center, many specialty shops carry Oz items. Also check mail order catalogs, as there are often Oz items there. But if you're looking for more unusual, older, or rarer items, here are a few suggested places to write to and, in parentheses, what they carry. "Miscellaneoz" is used in this list as an abbreviation for "miscellaneous Oz collectibles." (Please note that the author of this FAQ provides this list for informational purposes only, and does not necessarily endorse or vouch for any of these merchants.)

* Annie M's Collectibles (Miscellaneoz), PO Box 70, Dept. WWW, Welton, IA 52774, 1-800-944-8333, http://www.anniems.com
* Anthony Grandio (Checks and Checkbook covers), P.O. Box 23098, Jacksonville, Florida 32241-3098, 1-800-472-6346, http://www.anthonygrandio.com/grandio/index.html
* The Best of Oz (Miscellaneoz), 6360 S Kansas Ct., Wichita, KS 67216-4303, 316-529-TOTO, 1-800-593-5566
* Beyond the Rainbow (Miscellaneoz), PO Box 31672, St. Louis, MO 63131-0672, fax 314-909-6617, e-mail elaine@beyondtherainbow2oz.com, http://www.beyondtherainbow2oz.com
* Books of Wonder (Oz books and Miscellaneoz), 16 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011, 1-800-207-6968, http://www.booksofwonder.com -- also a regular store
* Collectibles Today, an online consortium of several stores, http://www.collectiblestoday.com/ct/
* Crystal River Gems (Oz ornaments and collectibles), Station Square, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 412-391-5310, http://crystalrivergems.com/wizard/productpages/ozhome.html
* Diane Steele (Oz lithograph),  323 E. Matilija St. PMB 169, Ojai, CA 93023, 805-646-5702, http://www.dianesteele.com/
* Follow the Yellow Brick Road Doll and Toy Museum (Miscellaneoz), 34 S. Main St., Mullica Hill, NJ 08062, 1-856-478-6137
* Franklin Mint (Music boxes, dolls, figurines), 1-877-THE-MINT, http://www.fmint.com/
* FuntoCollect.com (Miscellaneoz), 1-888-732-9949, http://www.funtocollect.com/wizardofoz.html
* Gasoline Alley Antiques (Vintage Miscellaneoz), 6501 20th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98115, 1-206-524-1606, http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/ -- also regular store
* Griffin Pewter (pewter figures and other collectibles), http://www.griffinpewter.com/oz_fr.htm
* Hand & Hammer Collectors Club (Silver jewelry, charms, bracelets), 2610 Morse Lane, Woodbridge, VA 22192, 1-800-SILVERY
* Hallmark Card Shops (Calendars, greeting cards, stickers, puzzles, ornaments), just about everywhere, including online at http://www.hallmark.com/
* The Heather & The Holly (Miscellaneoz), 7504 Wynndel Way, Elk Grove, CA 95758
* Just Kids Nostalgia (Vintage Miscellaneoz), 310 New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, 631-423-8449, http://www.justkidsnostalgia.com/
* Kansas Wizard of Oz Store (Miscellaneoz), 102 East Miami, Paola, KS 66071-1744, 913-557- 2739, http://www.kansasoz.com/ivan.htm
* Legendz (Oz prints, Judy Garland prints), Holz Designs, 809 Holz Road, New Albany, IN 47150
* The Lighter Side (Miscellaneoz), 1-800-664-4030, http://www.lighterside.com
* Miles Kimball (Oz Ornaments), 41 West 8th Avenue, Oshkosh, WI 54901, http://www.mileskimball.com/
* Munchkin Made Wizard of Oz Collectibles (Miscellaneoz, all made by Donna Stewart-Hardaway, a child Munchkin in The Movie), P.O. Box 777, Pinch, WV 25156 - 0777, 304-965-3634, http://www.kansasoz.com/donna.htm
* The Music Stand (Miscellaneoz), 2921 Peak Avenue, Longmont, CO 80504-6221, 1-877-275-0965, http://www.themusicstand.com/
* The Oz Bazaar (Miscellaneoz), http://www.icollectoz.com/id129.htm
* Oz Central (Miscellaneoz), 888-TOTO-TOO, http://www.oz-central.com/
* Ozma Productions (Oz prints),  Suite 155, 15 Albert Avenue, Broadbeach, QLD 4218, Australia, http://www.oz-realm.com/
* Puppet Artists (Oz puppets), 6930 Nez Perce Road, Darby, MT 59829, 1-888-746-2438, http://www.puppetartists.com/storybook.htm
* Rick's Movie Graphics (movie posters, lobby cards), PO Box 23709, Gainseville, FL 32602-3709, 1-800-252-0425, http://www.ricksmovie.com/
* The Smithsonian Catalogue (Oz ornaments), 7955 Angus Court, Springfield, VA 22153-2846, 1-800-322-0344, http://www.smithsonianstore.com/
* The Soldier Factory (pewter collectibles), PO Box 1809, Atascadero, California, 93423, 1-800-549-1428, http://www.soldierfactory.com/
* Storyland Collectables (Miscellaneoz), 14767 Westpoint, Taylor, MI 48180, okstryland@aol.com, http://hometown.aol.com/okstryland/myhomepage/business.html
* Taylor Gifts (metal Oz signs), 600 Cedar Hollow Rd., Paoli, PA 19301-1753, http://www.taylorgifts.com/home.htm
* Warner Bros. Shop, online at http://www.wbshop.com
* Wyatt Collectibles at Martin & Co. Antiques (Miscellaneoz), PO Box 883, Marina, CA 93933, 831-632-0100
* The Yellow Brick Road (Miscellaneoz), 109 E 950 N, Chesterton, IN 46304, 219-926-7048 -- also regular store

There are also a large number of Oz stores on the WWW, and many of them are listed (TMOHH) on the WWOOW links page, http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/links.html. There is a whole section of the links list devoted to commercial sites with items that you can buy. You might also want to check out the Oz Collectors' Society links to Oz shops and products, at http://icollectoz.com/id58.htm.

Also highly recommended for Oz collectors is eBay (http://www.ebay.com/) and other WWW-based online auction sites, where individuals can post items of all sort for sale, and conduct their own online auctions. There are usually many Oz items available on these sites. Another auction site that might be of interest is Hakes Americana, at http://www.hakes.com/index.asp. They often have a number of Oz items in their auctions.

16.6. Is there any sort of organization for people who collect Oz things?

Why, yes, there is. The Oz Collector's Society is a free, online community for those interested in collecting Oz memorabilia. To to find out more, go to http://icollectoz.com/.

16.7. I have some old Oz stuff. How much is it worth?

As with old Oz books (see question 3.7), it all depends on what items you have, when they were made, what condition they're in, and how much someone else is willing to pay for them. You might have much better luck finding someone who specializes in whatever type of item you have, rather than trying to ask only Oz fans, as doll collectors have a much better idea of what the doll market is like, comic collectors the comic book market, and so forth. If you can, find several people who can help you and get more than one value estimation. (Please do not e-mail the author of this FAQ to ask him, as he does not consider himself to be an expert in this sort of area, and couldn't even begin to tell you how much items are worth.)

If you're looking to sell your Oz stuff, bear in mind that most dealers will try to buy from you for a lower price so they can sell it to someone else at a price closer to its market value. Selling straight to collectors, on the other hand, may give you a price more in line with its actual worth. You may want to consider selling it yourself through E-Bay or another online auction site, or through IWOC (see question 3.8).

16.8. I remember a poster called "Everything I Ever Need to Know I Learned from The Wizard of Oz." What did it say?

Imagination can take you anywhere -- even over the rainbow.
Sometimes you have to leave home to find it.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road, but always be ready for a detour.
Faith, hope and love can work wonders, but ruby slippers couldn't hurt either.
When friends stick together, they can work miracles.
Having the courage to ask for what you want is half the battle.
Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable.
The grass is always greener on the other side of the rainbow.
All you need is right there inside you.
Keep home in your heart and you can always return to it.
When you go out into the world, remember stand up for yourself, but always be kind to the little guys.

17. Oz fans

17.1. Is there any sort of Oz fan club?

If you've been reading this FAQ to this point, you already know the answer to this one! The International Wizard of Oz Club (IWOC) was founded in 1957 with sixteen charter members, and now boasts a membership of about five hundred Oz fans worldwide. Their main publication is "The Baum Bugle," a triannual journal of all things Ozzy. Recent issues (as of summer 2002) have covered such subjects as remembrances of the late Eloise Jarvis McGraw, the Club's new novel "The Hidden Prince of Oz," the original magazine serialization of "Queen Zixi of Ix," examinations of Baum's "The Master Key" and "Ozma of Oz," Eric Shanower's adventures in illustrating three Oz books by three Royal Historians, John R. Neill's pencil sketches for his novel "The Runaway in Oz," the 1931 Meglin Kiddies film "The Scarecrow of Oz," Oz games and puzzles, Frank and Maud Baum's tip to Egypt and Europe in 1906, and the appeal of Oz to gay men. The "Bugle" also regularly features short stories by Baum, reviews of new Oz books and other products, Ozzy news from around the world, bibliography on Baum's books, a regular column devoted to The Movie, and many other items. All members of IWOC also receive two newsletters, "The Oz Observer," with news about IWOC members and local events, and "The Oz Gazette," with stories, articles, and art by and for children. As well as all this, IWOC members get early word on conventions and new publications, and some special offers.

IWOC also publishes "Oziana," an annual literary magazine of original fiction by IWOC members; has reprinted a number of Oz books by Ruth Plumly Thompson, Jack Snow, and Rachel R. Cosgrove; has published six new Oz novels; prints an annual calendar, with Ozzy dates and original art; has published anthologies of short stories by Baum and Thompson; printed Oz art books from John R. Neill and Dick Martin; has issued a series of Oz playing cards; made Eric Shanower's graphic novels and Del Rey's line of Ruth Plumly Thompson Oz books available for resale; compiled and printed a set of Oz maps; and all kinds of other Ozzy things.

Currently (2002), membership in IWOC is US$25 for United States and Canada residents (US$15 for Oz fans seventeen and younger) and US$35 (US$25 for younger members) for people in other countries. Send membership dues and other correspondence to 1407 A Street, Suite D, Antioch, California 94509. E-mail can be sent to membership@ozclub.org, and IWOC's WWW site is at http://www.ozclub.org/.

Books of Wonder has started their own Oz club as well, the Royal Club of Oz. Members of the Royal Club of Oz receive a bimonthly newsletter, "The Emerald City Mirror," with news from Oz characters on the latest happenings in Oz, stories, games, puzzles, and contests that Royal Club members can enter. Unlike IWOC, the Royal Club of Oz is aimed more towards children and young adults, but they let the grown-ups in on the fun as well. Membership is $9.95 per year, and dues can be sent to The Royal Club of Oz, Box 714, New York, NY 10011. Or you can find out more, and join, online at http://www.booksofwonder.net/mybow/memberships.jsp?content=Royal%20Club%20Membership.

17.2. Are there any Oz conventions?

One of the main activities of IWOC is sponsoring conventions around the country. The Ozmopolitan Convention, IWOC's premiere event, has been held every year since 1961, and regional conventions have also popped up around the United States. At conventions, there are presentations, shows, conversations and panels with Ozian celebrities (such as authors, members of the Baum family, and some of the Munchkins from The Movie), quizzes, treasure hunts, games, costume contests, and auctions of rare Oz books and other items. The general schedule for IWOC conventions in a year is:

* April: Quadling Convention, Oklahoma
* June: Ozmopolitan Convention, in the greater Chicago/Milwaukee area
* July: Winkie Convention, Pacific Grove, California
* August: Munchkin Convention, in the greater New York/Philadelphia area
* October: South Winkie Convention, Dana Point, California

For more information on IWOC conventions, contact IWOC, or check out the conventions page of their website, http://www.ozclub.org/iwocconv.asp.

Other annual Ozzy events are also held around the country. Here are some of them:
* May: Yellow Brick Road Festival, Sedan, KS. Contact Nita Jones, 150 East Main, Sedan, KS, 67361.
* May or June: L. Frank Baum Day, Chittenango, New York (Baum's home town). Contact Barbara Evans, 1004 Tuscarora, Chittenango, NY 13037, or see http://www.ozfest.com.
* June: Judy Garland Festival, Grand Rapids, MN (Garland's home town). Contact John A. Kelsch, PO Box 724, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, or call 1-800-664-JUDY, or see the website at http://www.judygarlandmuseum.com (this is also the website for the Judy Garland Museum).
* June: L. Frank Baum Oz Festival, Aberdeen, South Dakota. Contact Karelyn Farrand, Festival Director, PO Box 2076, Aberdeen, SD 57402, or see http://www.aberdeenozfest.org.
* September: Wizard of Oz Festival, Chesterton, Indiana. Contact the Duneland Chamber of Commerce, 303 Broadway, Chesterton, IN 46304, or see http://wpl.lib.in.us/chamber/Oz/oz.htm.
* October: Oztoberfest, Dorothy's House, Liberal, Kansas. Contact Dorothy's House, 567 Yellow Brick Road, Liberal, KS 67901, or call (316) 624-7624.
* October: Autumn at Oz Party, Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Held at the site of a now-closed Wizard of Oz theme park. See the sponsor's website at http://www.emeraldmtn.com/autumn.htm for details.

While not exactly a convention, a group of fans in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, around the Seattle area, meet four or five times a year in an event known as an Oogaboo Rendezvous. These informal one-day affairs are mainly social, but they do have quizzes and show the occasional video. To get on the mailing list to receive notice of future events, send a brief note and your address to Lynn Beltz, 3559 Toroda Bridge Customs Road, Curlew, WA 99118, or e-mail her at ferrywa@televar.com.

17.3. How else can I get in touch with fellow Oz fans?

Younger Oz fans can take advantage of a free service to match them up with Ozzy pen pals. Oz fans aged from 7 to 17 can send their name, address, birthday, gender, number of pen pals desired, and a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) to The Oz Pen Pal Association (TOPPA), c/o Susan M. Higbee, 811 Mountain View Drive #204, Gillette, WY 82716, or via e-mail (no SASE needed) at toppa@webtv.net. Oz fans can also be found online (see next section).

17.4. What are Oz fans called, anyway?

There is no one agreed-upon name for Oz fans, like "Star Trek" fans calling themselves "Trekkers." So fans are generally free to choose whatever name they like. Among the more well-known are Ozmologists, Ozites, Ozzies, Ozzers, Ozmatologists, Ozoids, and Ozmaniacs.

17.5. What's the appeal of Oz to homosexuals? Are all Oz fans gay?

To answer the second part first, no, of course not. Those who attend Oz events are of all types -- young, old, families, and of many socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. And yes, some are also members of the gay community. (But no, not all gays are Oz fans.) There is nothing in the Oz books or movies that is specifically aimed at gays, but it is a place where the heroes are not all macho he-man types. Look at it this way: The protagonist of "The Wizard of Oz" is a young girl who is lost and trying to find her way home. She is accompanied by three friends who are all male, yet flawed and labeled by society as incomplete or outcasts. Nevertheless, she accepts them for what they are, and all four of them help each other to get what they want. There is a lot there that can appeal not only to homosexuals, but to anyone who has ever been labeled as different and shunned as a result.

17.6. Have there been any famous Oz fans?

Oh, yes, quite a few. Among the many famous Oz fans you may have heard of are writers Poul Anderson, Ray Bradbury, Carol Ryrie Brink, L. Sprague de Camp, John Dickson Carr, Edward Eager, Harlan Ellison, Nora Ephron, Philip Jose Farmer, Martin Gardner, William Lindsay Gresham, Robert Heinlein, Diana Wynne Jones, Phyllis McGinley, Russell B. Nye, Ellery Queen, Salman Rushdie, James Thurber, Gore Vidal, Philip Wylie, and Jane Yolen; movie directors James Cameron, Martha Coolidge, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg; singer Gloria Estefan; songwriter Stephen Sondheim; ice skater Tai Babilonia; actors Kevin Costner, Whoopi Goldberg, Mark Linn-Baker, Bronson Pinchot, Shirley Temple, and Betty White; talk show hosts Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O'Donnell; and astronomers James Christy, Frank Drake, Jay M. Pasachoff, and Carl Sagan.

18. Oz on your computer

18.1. Are there any "Wizard of Oz" computer programs or CD-ROMs?

Quite a few. Some examples:

* "The Legends of Oz" came out in 1993 from Multicom Publishing, and has a number of different elements: The complete text of "The Wizard of Oz," animated storybooks of three SillyOZbul picture books by Roger S. Baum, pictures and film clips from The Movie, a matching game, background information, and more. It does not seem to be generally available any more, but searching might turn it up.
* QVision Publishing has put out a number of CD-ROMs based on the Oz books of L. Frank Baum. Each of Baum's fourteen Oz novels has been released on its own CD-ROM with the complete text, narration, and illustrations. They are for sale individually or as a set, and there is also one CD-ROM that holds just the texts of all fourteen novels. For more information, check out QVision's website at http://www.qvision.net.
* "Reading Adventures in Oz," an educational game issued by Davidson and Associates around 1993 (I have yet to locate a copy of this).
* "The Wizard of Oz Audioclips" -- sounds from The Movie -- from Sound Source Unlimited around 1993.
* In 2000, DK put out "Oz: The Magical Adventure," an edutainment game for young children in which the player guides the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion through various areas of Oz to rescue Dorothy from the Wicked Witch of the West. This was followed up in 2002 with "The Oz Interactive Storybook."
* A CD-ROM of the first edition of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is available from http://www.ebookcdrom.com/Classic/Oz.html.

18.2. Have there been any "Wizard of Oz" video games?

A few. There was an adventure game entitled "The Wizard of Oz," which combined elements of the first two books, for the Apple, Commodore 64, PC, and possibly other platforms in 1985. This was issued by the Telarium Corporation as part of their Windham Classics series. More information about the Telarium Corporation and their products can be found online at http://www.lysator.liu.se/adventure/Telarium_Corporation.html, and you can even download the game and instructions at http://www.commodorezone.com/mainf.htm. (You will probably need to find a Commodore emulator program for your computer to successfully run this game.) The PC version can be found at http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=1273. More recently, "Twisted," for the Macintosh, a graphic adventure game, has been made available for download at http://www.semitech.com/marc/ray.html, and the deluxe version at http://www.tmisnet.com/~md/raygames.htm. (A Windows version of "Twisted" is supposed to be in development.) In 1993, Seta issued a "Wizard of Oz" game based on The Movie for the Super Nintendo (SNES) system. And "Yellow Brick Road" (ISBN 1-888158-09-3) is a CD-ROM adventure game, in which you control 3-D animated versions of the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion as you search for the missing Scarecrow. It was released in 1996 from Synergy, Inc. "Yellow Brick Road 2" has reportedly been issued, but I have not seen it. Available for download online is Zim Greenleaf's Laboratory, based on a character in the Seven Blue Mountains of Oz trilogy by Melody Grandy (available from Tails of the Cowardly Lion and Friends). On the web page http://www.ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXgamesXsourceXagt.html, scroll down to the file zimlab.zip. And see the previous question for information on DK's "Oz: The Magical Adventure," an educational program with many game elements. Finally, a new Oz-themed video game is in the works at Carbon6 Entertainment, the company that developed "American McGee's Alice" for Electronic Arts. You can find out more about this new project as it develops on Carbon6's website, http://www.carbon6.com/. Some players might also be interested in an online Oz role-playing game. You can find out more and sign up at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Emerald_City_RPG/.

18.3. Where can I find some "Wizard of Oz" clip art?

A long-term goal of mine for WWOOW is to add an Oz art gallery, including clip art. But I have no idea how soon I'll be able to do this. So right now, the only site I know of on the WWW that is dedicated exclusively to Oz clip art is at http://endor.cybrzn.com/ozbeaner/clipart.html. The art is primarily from The Movie, but there is also a section of Denslow's art from the book. You may also want to look at the WWOOW links page (see question 18.6). There is one section set aside for sites with Oz art, and there may be something there that you can copy or download to suit your needs. You might also want to search online image archives or search engines (an example of the latter is http://images.google.com/). If you are interested in just The Movie, and are willing to do a little digging, Corel put out a "Wizard of Oz" version of its Print House Magic program, for Windows-based systems only, a few years ago. You may be able to find a used copy somewhere.

18.4. Where can I get "Wizard of Oz" screensavers or desktop accessories?

These are available on the WWW, free for downloading. For Windows-based desktop accessories, point your browser to http://www.theunleashed.com/. A whole bunch of different Oz screensavers can be found at http://www.kfu.com/~scarlet/oz_screensavers.htm. Some wallpaper and border images, and a screensaver, can be found at http://endor.cybrzn.com/ozbeaner/. Some desktop images, and a set of Oz dingbats, can be found at http://www.wonderfulwizardofoz.com/free.html. And the Hungry Tiger Press website has some non-Movie based wallpaper at http://www.hungrytigerpress.com/tigertreats/index.shtml. If you don't find exactly what you are looking for, you may want to think about making your own Oz-themed desktop accessories, which is not as difficult as you might think -- but it's also beyond the scope of this FAQ, so if you want to try this, you'll have to look for resources on desktop accessories.

18.5. How can I get in touch with other Oz fans on the Internet?

A mailing list service, the Tik-Tok Talk Mailing List (TMOHH), is available through WWOOW. This is a free service. Members sign up for a subscription, and then may write any Oz messages to the list they choose to. All messages are screened, then sent to everyone on the list. You can reply to messages as well, and the list has produced many interesting discussions. The Tik-Tok Talk List even helped write this edition of the FAQ. You can elect to receive the messages one at a time, when they are sent out to the list, or in a digest, sent out once a day and containing several messages. For more information and to subscribe, see the Tik-Tok Talk Mailing List page at http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/maillist.html. Oz fan Dave Hardenbrook hosts a similar mailing list, Nonestica. Topics and discussions cover all areas of Oz, and often other areas as well. For more information or to subscribe, see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nonestica. You can also find many Oz fans on message boards. Oz message boards are hosted by IWOC at http://members3.boardhost.com/OZCLUB/, and by Beyond the Rainbow at http://www.beyondtherainbow2oz.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.html. Some other Oz sites (see next question) also have message boards, and even chat rooms, so feel free to explore.

18.6. Are there any WWW sites having to do with Oz?

Oh, yes! There are now far too many to list here, and they're being added to and removed from the WWW all the time. A very good place to start looking for Ozzy WWW sites is (TMOHH) WWOOW's links page at http://links.thewizardofoz.info. The page lists over three hundred links to other sites, and many of those sites have links to even more sites. Plus, some of those sites, along with WWOOW, are part of Oz Webrings, allowing you to connect directly to other sites. So if you're looking for Ozzy websites, break out your browser and take a look. (Note that, while there are many sites on that links page, it is far from complete, and probably never will be. If you're looking for information on a specific Oz topic, you may want to try a search engine -- or better yet, several of them -- and provide as many keywords as possible.)

18.7. Is there an Oz newsgroup in Usenet?

There is. Check out alt.books.wizard-of-oz and alt.movies.wizard-of-oz. The trouble is, nobody seems to be using these groups -- the few times anyone posts to them, it generally is an advertisement for something particularly non-Ozzy. Still, maybe someone will say something substantial in them some time. And there's always rec.arts.books.childrens, which many Oz fans read. If your local Internet service provider doesn't carry these newsgroups, you can access them for free through the Google Groups service at http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=alt.books.wizard-of-oz, http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=alt.movies.wizard-of-oz, and http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=rec.arts.books.childrens.

18.8. Where can I find the texts of Oz books online?

A number of public domain Oz books, and some other books by Baum, have been made available to read online. Project Gutenberg is trying to get as many public domain works online as possible, and these include many books by Baum. For a list of what's available, check out the official Project Gutenberg site (http://www.gutenberg.net/) or the Online Public Library (http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books), or any other site you may find by typing "Project Gutenberg" into a search engine. Several other sites have these texts as well, and some sites have other Oz and Oz-related books not published by Project Gutenberg, such as some of those on http://www.emeraldcityofoz.com/library/. Other sites carry some books in other languages. For a list of Oz and Baum works known to be online, check the WWOOW links page (http://links.thewizardofoz.info).

18.9. Where can I find "Wizard of Oz" MIDI or other sound files on the Internet?

I know of no such resource for JUST Oz-related MIDIs or other sound files. Your best bet might be to use the keywords "Wizard of Oz MIDI" in your favorite search engine. Or try http://www.musicrobot.com for a search engine that specializes in MIDI and other sound files. Those looking for Oz music from the earliest Oz stage shows can find some samples, as either MIDI or MP3 files, at http://www.hungrytigerpress.com/tigertunes/index.shtml. I also have a few sites listed on my links page -- see question 18.6.

19. Miscellaneous questions

19.1. I'm a teacher. Are there any "Wizard of Oz"-related lesson plans or ideas?

Yes, there are. Check out (TMOHH) the Oz Lesson Ideas page of WWOOW at http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ozteach.html. In addition to some general lesson plan ideas, there are some links to more comprehensive sites and resources. (If anyone has information on other Oz lesson plans or teacher resources, on or off the WWW, I would appreciate hearing about them.)

19.2. I want to throw a "Wizard of Oz"-themed party for my son/daughter/self. What can I do?

There are many sources of Oz party supplies (mostly based on The Movie). Check your local party supplies store or variety store. If you can't find them locally, try Beyond the Rainbow (http://www.beyondtherainbow2oz.com), Annie M's Collectibles (http://www.anniems.com), and Birthday Express (http://www.birthdayexpress.com) as online sources.

Of course, with a little creativity, you are not limited to just prepackaged party goods. Some examples and suggestions are available online at http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ozparty.html. And a few more tips are:

* Use Ozzy greeting cards or postcards, or ones with rainbows, for invitations.
* Decorate with poppies, sunflowers (the Kansas state flower), bunches of straw, small metal funnels, paw prints, diplomas, hearts, medals, green balloons with baskets hanging from the bottom, big pink bubbles...
* Paper cups and name tags can have Oz stickers put on them (available from both Hallmark stores and Dover Publications), or decorated with rainbows or Oz rubber stamps.
* Got a walkway up to the front door? Use yellow street chalk to turn it into a yellow brick road. Put the appropriate shoes (silver or ruby) on a pair of socks stuffed with newspaper and have them sticking out from under the house.
* Does the guest of honor want to dress as Dorothy? All it takes are braids, a blue checked dress, and a stuffed dog in a basket. And don't forget the shoes -- either wrapped in foil or sprayed in glue and rolled in red glitter (use old shoes, of course).
* Find partyware and streamers in Ozzy colors (yellow, blue, purple, red, and especially green).
* For party favors, besides anything you can think of that's Ozzy (bubbles, rainbows, hearts, etc.), Dover has a set of miniature Oz activity books (coloring, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc.) at extremely reasonable prices. Check at your local bookstore, or you can find them (TMOHH) in aisle seven of the online Oz bookshop at http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/aisle7.com.
* For an activity, get strips of colored card stock, green yarn, crayons, and Oz stickers, and make Oz bookmarks. Or, use paper lunch bags, create Oz puppets, and put on a show.
* There is a red shoe pinata out there that looks suspiciously like a ruby slipper. Any good party supply store should be able to order it.
* Try a yellow brick road treasure hunt, with clues on each brick leading up to a group prize.
* Oz themed games could include Pin the Tail on the Lion/the Heart on the Tin Man/the Diploma on the Scarecrow, etc., ring toss around a witch's hat, or whatever other party game you can Ozzify. With large pieces of yellow paper you can play Musical Yellow Bricks.
* For another Ozzy variant on musical chairs, use pictures of different Oz characters as "chairs." Then, when the music stops (use the soundtrack from The Movie, of course), choose a character at random (spinner, names from a hat, or some such way), and whoever is standing on that character wins.
* For drinks, try frothy pink Good Witch shakes, green Melted Witch punch (green punch with scoops of lime sherbet floating on top), or bright green Emerald City punch. You can also make rainbow ice cubes by freezing different colors of drinks in layers (freeze a thin layer of cherry, then pour some orange on top of that and freeze it, then some lemon... oh, you get the idea).
* Use a star-shaped cookie cutter and carrot sticks to make Glinda's Wand Sandwiches. Makes pigs in a blanket and call them Totos in a basket. Or just give all of your food Ozzy names.
* For a cake, any good bakery should be able to decorate a sheet cake with an illustration from one of the books or a picture from The Movie. Or decorate a yellow cake with a brick design. Or something with rainbows.

The following ideas are adapted from the January/February 1999 issue of "American Girl" magazine, and are copyright 1998 by Pleasant Company.

* Make paper poppies. Cut red tissue paper into circles of three different diameters: 4 1/2 inches, 3 1/2 inches, and 2 1/2 inches. Make a stack of six circles, two of each size, with the largest on the bottom and smallest on the top. Cut two small lines across the fold to make slits. Push a black pipe cleaner up through one slit and down through the other. Twist the pipe cleaner ends together, and pull the paper through your closed hand to make a flower shape.
* Make ruby slipper invitations. Create a shoe pattern about five inches long. Fold a piece of red construction paper in half and trace your pattern, with the heel on the fold so that when it's open, you have two shoes connected at the heels. Glue yellow ovals on the shoes for the foot opening. Decorate your invitations with red glitter and ribbons. (Yes, this idea can also be adapted for silver shoes.)
* For a simple Melted Witch punch, sprinkle one envelope unsweetened lemon-lime Kool Aid into a large clear bowl. Gently pour in two liters chilled lemon-lime soda and stir. To make a witch hat to float on top, tape a black conical party hat to a seven-inch black plastic plate.
* For Munchkin Mix, combine eight cups popcorn, three cups pretzel sticks, one cup M&Ms (for "Auntie M"), 1/2 cup animal cookies (especially lions, tigers, and bears -- oh my!), and 1/4 cup green gumdrops (for emeralds). Serve in metal funnels (like the Tin Woodman's hat).
* Make a cake that goes from black and white to color! Make a batter from one box of white cake mix. Divide the batter into four equal parts. Stir one tablespoon Jell-O mix into each part (use four different colors, and don't use grape). Bake each part in a round eight-inch cake pan. Once each of these is cool, use yellow frosting between each layer. Then frost the whole thing with white frosting. Draw tornadoes on the cake with black decorating gel.
* Make a rainbow arch with different colors of helium balloons and different lengths of string.
* Use rainbow candies, a bottle of bubble solution, or bubble gum as party favors, so guests can take part in the stunts (see next item).
* While watching The Movie, guests can eat rainbow candies while Dorothy sings "Over the Rainbow," blow bubbles whenever Glinda pops up, link arms and dance around the room during every chorus of "We're Off to See the Wizard," cackle whenever the Wicked Witch appears, and pretend to fall asleep when Dorothy is in the poppy field.
* For a game, split the guests into teams. Each team gets a stack of newspaper, rubber bands, clothespins, gloves, socks, a small flannel shirt, a small pair of pants, a hat, and a paper bag with a face drawn on it. The teams race to make their Scarecrow first. (Use the rubber bands to attach the gloves and socks, and clothepins to attach the shirt to the pants.)
* Play "Brains, Heart, Courage." On three paper bags, draw a diploma, a heart, and a medal. These are the brains, heart, and courage bags. Each guest gets three slips of paper. On the first one, everyone writes down something he or she knows how to do, and that goes in the brains bag. On the second slip of paper, everyone writes down something they love, and that goes in the heart bag. On the third slip, everyone writes something they are afraid of, and that goes in the courage bag. Then, one person picks a slip from one bag and reads it aloud. Everyone tries to guess who wrote it. If someone guesses correctly, that person picks the next slip of paper. If nobody guesses correctly, whoever wrote it gets to pick next.

19.3. What's this Project Ozma I've heard tell about among astronomers?

Oz seems to be popular in the astronomical community. So it seemed only natural that one of the first SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) programs, in 1960, should be called Project Ozma, named for the ruler of Oz. Frank Drake called it that because he knew that distant planets, like Oz, were "very far away, difficult to reach, and populated by exotic beings." Using one of the earliest radio telescopes, in West Virginia, Drake examined a whole whopping two stars, Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani, for radio signals that could indicate intelligent, technologically advanced beings living on a planet orbiting those stars. Of course, he didn't find any, although there were a few false alarms. In 1973, Ben Zuckerman of the University of Maryland and Patrick Palmer of the University of Chicago initiated a follow-up search, Ozma II, which scanned 600 stars, but with no greater success. For more information about Project Ozma, check out http://www.bigear.org/vol1no1/ozma.htm.

19.4. Has there ever been any sort of "Wizard of Oz"-themed amusement park or tourist attraction?

The earliest plans for an Oz amusement park were mentioned by L. Frank Baum himself. In an interview, he mentioned buying Pedloe Island off the coast of California to turn it into an Oz park. Trouble is, not only did he not buy Pedloe Island, nobody has ever been able to find any island whose name even resembles Pedloe in that area. There was a Land of Oz Park in Banner Elk, North Carolina some years ago, but it's long since been converted to a resort (which still hosts an annual Oz event -- see http://www.emeraldmtn.com for more information). An Oz-themed resort complex, including an amusement park, was in the works for the Kansas City, Kansas area, but they never could get the local government to approve it, and the company closed up shop in 2001.

There have also been Oz attractions at other parks and fairs. The earliest was at The Chutes in Chicago, the world's first amusement park. In 1905, there were attractions called "The Fairies of Oz" and "The Poppy Fields of Oz," and Oz scenes were also included in The Mystic Rill, a darkened boat ride through various locales. At the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, a giant Scarecrow and Tin Woodman stood guard outside the entrance to Enchanted Island, the children's play area. Inside, the Junior League and the Jean Gros Marionettes performed, and both included Oz dramatizations at times. "The Land of Oz" was part of the children's amusement area of Cincinnati's Coney Island from 1934 until the park's closure in 1971. Ray Bolger mentioned a "Wizardland of Oz" park in interviews in the 1960s. And an Oz ride was planned and designed for Disneyland in the 1960s, but never built.

Ozzy tourist attractions include Dorothy's House in Liberal, Kansas. It's a reproduction of the house from The Movie. More information is available at http://www.liberal.net/info/events/oz.html. The MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada (http://www.mgmgrand.com/lv/pages/index_home.asp) had an Oz theme to it a few years ago, complete with giant animatronic Oz characters and an Oz casino, but it has since been remodeled. Now the only remnant is a small Oz souvenir shop. Two parks in Aberdeen, South Dakota, have Oz characters in them, as does Oz Park in Chicago.

19.5. Have there been any "Oz"-themed music videos?

Here are the ones that I am familiar with:
* "Reunited" by the Greg Kihn Band features Kihn's car being whisked off by a cyclone and landing in Munchkinland. Soon thereafter, a house lands on a wicked witch, who had just turned Kihn's band members into the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Cowardly Lion, and a Winged Monkey. The video ends with Kihn and the Good Witch of the North driving off together!
* "Runaround" by Blues Traveler features a nineteen-year-old Dorothy, complete with Kansas ID, trying to get into a club  with her three friends (ordinary young men in very Ozzy costumes). They sneak in, and discover that the band onstage is not Blues Traveler when Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal the real performers. It was in heavy rotation at one point on both MTV and VH1.
* "Oooh!" by De La Soul Art Official Intelligence. This hip-hop video may be unusual in that Dorothy actually wears silver shoes, not the MGM-inspired Ruby Slippers. This video seems to owe more to "The Wiz" than to any other version of the story, as "Dorothy" finds herself in a very urban version of Oz. It was played on MTV.
* "Born to Fly" by Sara Evans. This country video was very clearly inspired by the Kansas scenes of The Movie, as it features an elderly couple (reportedly portrayed by Evans' real parents), three farmhands, a cross old lady who wants to take away Evans' cute little dog, and a tornado whisking her house away at the end. Unfortunately, the video ends with the house still in the air, so we never get to Oz in this one. It has been played on CMT. A clip is available on Evans' official website, http://www.saraevans.com. Look in the "Sights and Sounds" section.

19.6. I want to decorate my child's room (or my own) with a "Wizard of Oz" theme. What resources are available for this?

At this time, there seems to be no specific "Wizard of Oz" decorating items, wallpaper, or room furnishings, although there have been in the past. In the 1998 Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog, a fully furnished Oz room was described this way:

"It's the ultimate child's bedroom. This one-of-a-kind design is an amazing re-creation based on one of the most beloved films in history, 'The Wizard of Oz.' In celebration of its Special Edition re-release in theaters this holiday season, Neiman Marcus, in association with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, will create a child's room based on this legendary film, complete with custom-designed furniture and bed linens, hand-painted murals on the walls, a hand-blown glass tornado lamp, and wall-to-wall hand-carved carpeting depicting the Yellow Brick Road. Furniture includes a hand-painted alderwood bed, a maple dresser with hand-painted detailing, an upholstered chair inspired by the main characters in the film, and a tree-design 'play' station with two stools."

The price? Only $150,000. That season, Neiman Marcus also offered other, less costly Oz items, which appear to be the same products available from Warner Bros. at the same time.

You may want to check out the Warner Bros. shop (http://www.wbshop.com), as they may carry some items that might help give Movie-themed Ozzy accents to a room. Books of Wonder also carries many Ozzy items, so check out their online catalog at http://www.booksofwonder.net. And those with a flair with needle and thread, or who know someone who does, might be able to do something with Oz fabrics, based on the original W. W. Denslow illustrations for the book, that are now available at many fabric stores. You can get some ideas for using these fabrics at http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/6396/ozquilt.htm. Also, Oz fan Marie Hopkins has made some Oz children's furniture upholstered in the new fabrics, and may be willing to make some for you. You can e-mail her at mhopkins@lcs.net to see if this will work for you. And Lipper Industries sell some nice, Denslow-based "Wizard of Oz" children's furniture. You can order them online at http://store.yahoo.com/dmart2/lipwizofoz3p.html for the table and chair, and http://store.yahoo.com/dmart2/lipwizofozea.html for the easel and chalkboard.

19.7. Where can I find Oz costumes?

Simplicity has a number of Oz character patterns available. For some more information, check out http://www.simplicity.com/s2d_bf.cfm?id=1020. You can also find some Movie-themed licensed costumes for sale at many costume shops, or check out Costume Holiday House's online Oz catalog at http://www.costumeholidayhouse.com/retailcostume/wizardofoz.htm for adult costumes and accessories, or http://www.costumeholidayhouse.com/retailcostume/wizardofOzCC.htm for children's costumes. Costumes can also be found at http://www.clicket.com/costume/woz/woz.html, http://www.scarepros.com/catalog1284.html, http://www.anniescostumes.com/wizmen.htm (for adults) and http://www.anniescostumes.com/wizboys.htm (for children), http://www.halloweencostumes4u.com/, or http://www.buycostumes.com/Home.asp, or http://hollywood-costumes.com/. Or check out Cristee's hand-made Dorothy dresses and Scarecrow and Tin Woodman outfits at http://www.cebunet.com/cristees/index.htm. If you're just looking to rent an Oz costume, you may want to take a look at Broadway Costume's "Wizard of Oz" catalog at http://www.broadwaycostumes.com/themes/wizard.htm, or at Magic Maker's catalog at http://www.magicmakers.com/internet%20jpg%20W/wizard%20of%20oz.html.

19.8. Where can I find "Wizard of Oz" checks?

There are two sources for "Wizard of Oz"-themed personal checks, depicting scenes from The Movie. One is the Deluxe Corporation (http://www.deluxe.com/), which specializes in banking services. The first order for these checks must be placed through your bank, but reorders can be placed through the Deluxe website. You can see more information about their Oz checks, and even download an order form to take to your bank, at http://www.deluxe-check-order.com/check-catalog.jsp, clicking on "Select a design by name," and then clicking on "The Wizard of Oz." The other company offering Oz checks is the Anthony Grandio Company, and these can be ordered directly from the company. Information can be found at http://www.anthonygrandio.com/wizard/order_woz.html.

19.9. What's the connection between Oz and Frank Oz, or any other celebrity with an Ozzy name?

None. Movie director and Muppet performer Frank Oz did not get his name from the Oz books (he was born Frank Oznowicz). So far as I know, neither did wine expert Oz Clarke, Israeli writer Amos Oz ("Oz" is a common Hebrew word, meaning strength), athletes Ozzie Newsome or Ozzie Smith, actor Ozzie Nelson, nor rock singer Ozzy Osbourne.

19.10. Why is the country of Australia sometimes called Oz, and the people who live there Ozzies?

So far as I know, "Oz" came about as a nickname for Australia because, in an Australian accent, it sounds sort of like the first syllable of the country's name, or is one way to pronounce the abbreviation "Aus." (The connotation of a wonderful, far away place isn't bad, either.) And "Ozzies" is used as a nickname for the people who live there because it sounds a bit like "Aussies." I don't think there's a direct relationship between the nickname for Australia and the land of Oz, although I have heard stories of Australian soldiers singing "We're Off to See the Wizard" on their way to fight in World War II.

19.11. Can I use "The Wizard of Oz" as a theme for a corporate or charity event, or for publicity purposes? Do I have to pay anyone to do so?

The original novel of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is in public domain (see question 2.12), so you can use Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and anything else from the book with no problems. However, if you want to base your characters on the portrayals by Judy Garland and the rest of the cast of The Movie, or the costumes, set designs, and songs from The Movie, you're going to have some more difficulties, as those are still under copyright. The Movie and all its components -- and yes, that includes the Ruby Slippers -- are currently controlled by AOL Time Warner (see question 14.13). So to use those particular versions, you will need their permission, and they will probably charge you a fee to do so. (And no, I'm afraid I don't know who to contact at AOL Time Warner or how to contact them.) If you want to use "Over the Rainbow" or any of the other songs, you might be able to find a version by another artist and make arrangements through the artist or the music company that issued the recording, but again there will probably be royalty payments involved.

19.12. Wait! This CAN'T be the last question! You didn't answer the question *I* have!

Well, this is a list of FREQUENTLY asked questions about Oz, not every possible question. If this FAQ doesn't answer any question you have, nor point out where you can possibly find the answer yourself, feel free to ask me, Eric Gjovaag, by e-mail (webwizard@thewizardofoz.info). I'll do my very best to answer, and if I can't answer it, I may know of someone who can. And who knows! If enough people ask the same question -- or it's just really good -- your question may be in the NEXT edition of this FAQ.

20. Bibliography/Oz writings/Finding out more

This FAQ only covers the main points about Oz. Much more information is available from these resources, many of which were consulted during the compilation of this FAQ. Anyone looking for more detailed information is encouraged to seek out some of these books, magazines, and videos. (Those seeking out even more resources, especially newspaper, magazine, and journal articles, should check out the bibliographies of these books, notably Hearn's "Critical Heritage" edition of "The Wizard of Oz.") The bibliography is divided into general categories.

Introductory and general information about Oz

* "The Baum Bugle." The International Wizard of Oz Club, 1957-present.
* Carroll, Williard, and John Fricke. "100 Years of Oz." Stewart Tabori and Chang, 1999.
* Eyles, Allen. "The World of Oz." Black Pig Editions (UK) and HPBooks, Inc. (USA), 1985.
* Greene, David L., and Dick Martin. "The Oz Scrapbook." Random House, 1977.
* "Oz: The American Fairyland." Video documentary, Sirocco Video, 1998.

About the Land of Oz and its citizens

* Clarke, Peter B. "Who's Who, What's What, and Where's Where in Oz." Arcus Company, 1994. (An updated and expanded edition is reportedly in the works.)
* Haff, James E., and Dick Martin. "Maps of Oz and the Surrounding Countries." The International Wizard of Oz Club, 1964 (with several subsequent revisions).
* Haff, James E., with descriptions, additions, notes, and a gazeteer by Ruth Berman. "Who's Who in Oz: An Appendix." Privately published by Berman, 1994.
* Manguel, Alberto, and Gianni Guadalupi. "The Dictionary of Imaginary Places" (updated and expanded edition). Harcourt Brace, 1999.
* Pattrick, Robert R. "Unexplored Territory in Oz" (second edition, annotations by Patrick Maund). The International Wizard of Oz Club, 1990 (the first, unannotated edition is also available).
* Snow, Jack. "Who's Who in Oz." The Reilly and Lee Co., 1954.

About L. Frank Baum and his works

* Attebery, Brian. "The Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to LeGuin." Indiana University Press, 1980.
* Baum, Frank Joslyn, and Russell P. MacFall. "To Please a Child: A Biography of L. Frank Baum, Royal Historian of Oz." The Reilly & Lee Co., 1961.
* Baum, L. Frank, edited and annotated by Nancy Tystad Koupal. "Our Landlady." University of Nebraska Press, 1996. (While much of this book is made up of Baum's "Our Landlady" columns of 1890 and 1891, Koupal's introduction and notes are of value for those researching Baum's life and early writings.)
* Carpenter, Angelica Shirley, and Jean Shirley. "L. Frank Baum, Royal Historian of Oz." Lerner Publications Company, 1992.
* "The Dictionary of Literary Biography," vol. 22. Gale, 1983. (Includes critical essays by Michael Patrick Hearn of both Baum and Ruth Plumly Thompson.)
* Ferrara, Susan. "The Family of the Wizard: The Baum's of Syracuse." Xlibris, 1999. (A look at Baum's early years in upstate New York and the rest of his family.)
* Ford, Alla T., and Dick Martin. "The Musical Fantasies of L. Frank Baum." The Wizard Press, 1958.
* Gardner, Martin, and Russel B. Nye. "The Wizard of Oz and Who He Was." Michigan State University Press, 1957.
* Golding, William, and Harold Bloom. "Classic Fantasy Writers." Chelsea House, 1994.
* Greene, Carol. "L. Frank Baum, Author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Childrens Press, 1995.
* Hearn, Michael Patrick. "The Annotated Wizard of Oz." Clarkson N. Potter, 1973.
* Koupal, Nancy Tystad, ed. "Baum's Road to Oz: The Dakota Years." South Dakota Historical Society, 2000. (A collection of essays about Baum's time living in South Dakota, and how it may have affected his later writings.)
* Leach, William R. "Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture." Pantheon Books, 1993. (The title says it all -- but it turns out that L. Frank Baum was a part of the process.)
* Riley, Michael O. "Oz and Beyond: The Fantasy World of L. Frank Baum." University Press of Kansas, 1997.
* Rogers, Katherine M. "L. Frank Baum: Creator of Oz." St. Martin's Press, 2002.
* Rylant, Cynthia. "Margaret, Frank, and Andy: Three Writers' Stories." Harcourt Brace and Company, 1996.
* Wheeler, Jill C. "Frank Baum." Abdo and Daughters, 1997.

Criticisms and interpretations of Baum and his works

* Bausch, William J. "Yellow Brick Road: A Storyteller's Approach to the Spiritual Journey." Twenty-Third Publications, 1999.
* Brousky, Samuel. "The Wizard of Oz Revealed." Writers Consortium, 1995.
* Dighe, Ranjit S., ed. "The Historian's Wizard of Oz : Reading L. Frank Baum's Classic As a Political and Monetary Allegory." Praeger Publishing, 2002.
* Earle, Neil. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in American Popular Culture: Uneasy in Eden." The Edwin Mellen Press, 1993.
* Greene, Joey. "The Zen of Oz: Ten Spiritual Lessons from Over the Rainbow." Renaissance Books, 1998.
* Hearn, Michael Patrick, ed. "The Critical Heritage Series: The Wizard of Oz." Schocken Books, 1983. (This is the original story, plus twenty essays by a number of writers covering a number of aspects of Oz. Includes an extensive supplemental reading list of still more Oz writings.)
* Main, Darren John. "Spiritual Journeys Along the Yellow Brick Road." Findhorn Press, 2000.
* Marvel, Richard. "The New Oz: The Wizard Revisited." Valkyrie Publishing House, 1992.
* Moore, Raylyn. "Wonderful Wizard, Marvelous Land." Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1974.
* Morena, Gita Dorothy. "The Wisdom of Oz." Inner Connections Press, 1998. (An examination of the psychological and spiritual meanings of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum's great-granddaughter.)
* Peaston, Monroe. "Story Patterns in Some Great American Classics." Fithian, 1999.
* Rahn, Suzanne. "The Wizard of Oz: Shaping an Imaginary World." Twayne Publishers, 1998.
* Wagenknecht, Edward. "Utopia Americana." University of Washington Book Store, 1929.

About collecting Oz books

* Greene, Douglas G., and Peter E. Hanff. "Bibliographia Oziana" (revised and enlarged edition). The International Wizard of Oz Club, 1988.
* Hinke, C. J. "Oz in Canada." William Hoffer, 1982.

About The Movie

* Fricke, John, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman. "The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History." Warner Books, 1989.
* Harmetz, Aljean. "The Making of The Wizard of Oz." Alfred A. Knopf, 1978. (Updated editions appeared in 1989 from Delta Books, and in 1999 from Hyperion.)
* Langley, Noel, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf, edited by Michael Patrick Hearn. "The Wizard of Oz: The Screenplay." Delta Books, 1989.
* McClelland, Doug. "Down the Yellow Brick Road: The Making of The Wizard of Oz." Pyramid Books, 1976.
* Nathanson, Paul. "Over the Rainbow: The Wizard of Oz as a Secular Myth of America." State University of New York Press, 1991.
* Rushdie, Salman. "BFI Film Classics: The Wizard of Oz." BFI Publishing, 1992.
* Stillman, William, and Jay Scarfone. "The Wizardry of Oz." Random House, 1999.
* "The Wizard of Oz." Designed by Peter Ward, forward by John Russell Taylor. Portland House/Limpsfield (USA) and Dragon's World, Ltd. (UK), 1989. (A lavish coffee table book edition of the script, with many, many photographs from The Movie.)
* "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Fifty Years of Movie Magic." Television documentary, 1990.

About the Ruby Slippers

* "The E! True Hollywood Story: The Trail of the Ruby Slippers." E! Television production, 2000.
* Thomas, Rhys. "The Ruby Slippers of Oz." Tale Weaver Publishing, 1989.
* "Treasure! The Search for the Ruby Slippers." A&E television/video documentary.

About the cast and crew of The Movie

* "Biography: Judy Garland." A&E television/video documentary.
* Burke, Billie. "With a Feather on My Nose." Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1949. (Another book by Burke of interest is "With Powder on My Nose," published by Coward McCann in 1959. It is not an autobiography, however, but a book of make-up tips.)
* Carroll, Willard. "I, Toto: The Autobiography of Terry, the Dog Who Was Toto." Stewart Tabori & Chang, 2001.
* Clarke, Gerald. "Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland." Random House, 2000.
* Cox, Stephen. "The Munchkins of Oz." Cumberland House, 2002. (A second, updated edition of the 1996 edition, which was itself an updated and expanded version of Cox's first book about the Munchkins and the people who played them, "The Munchkins Remember: The Wizard of Oz and Beyond." E. P. Dutton, 1989.)
* Denton, Clive. "The Hollywood Professionals: King Vidor, John Cromwell, Mervyn LeRoy." A. S. Barnes and Co., 1976.
* Ebsen, Buddy. "The Other Side of Oz." Donovan Publishing, 1994.
* Finch, Christopher. "Rainbow." Grosset & Dunlap, 1975. (Considered by many to be the definitive biography of Judy Garland.)
* Frank, Gerold. "Judy." Harper & Row, 1975. (Another highly regarded Garland biography.)
* Fricke, John. "Judy Garland: World's Greatest Entertainer." Henry Holt and Company, 1992. (A thorough, objective examination of Judy Garland's life and career.)
* "Harold Arlen: Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Video documentary, 1998.
* Haley, Jack. "The Heart of the Tin Man." Seven Locks Press, 2001.
* Jablonski, Edward. "Harold Arlen: Rhythm, Rainbow, and Blues." Northeastern University Press, 1996. (An earlier book about Arlen, "Happy with the Blues," also by Jablonski, was published by Doubleday in 1961.)
* Lahr, John. "Notes on a Cowardly Lion." Alfred A. Knopf, 1969.
* LeRoy, Mervyn. "Mervyn LeRoy: Take One." Hawthorn, 1974.
* LeRoy, Mervyn (as told to Alyce Canfield). "It Takes More Than Talent." Alfrd Knopf, 1953.
* Meyerson, Harold, and Ernie Harburg. "Who Put the Rainbow in 'The Wizard of Oz'? Yip Harburg, Lyricist." University of Michigan Press, 1993.
* Vidor, King. "A Tree Is a Tree." Longmans, Green, 1954.
* "We're Off to See the Munchkins." Video documentary, hosted by John Fricke.
* Wehr, Wesley. "The Eighth Lively Art: Conversations With Painters, Poets, Musicians, and the Wicked Witch of the West." University of Washington Press, 2000.
(There are, of course, many other biographies of Judy Garland available, but this list would be far too long if I were to name them all.)

About other dramatic interpretations and the people involved

* Anobile, Richard J. "The Wiz Scrapbook." Berkley Publishing Corp., 1978. (Primarily a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie, but with an extensive look at "The Wiz" on Broadway as well.)
* Baum, L. Frank, Frederic Chapin, and Arthur Gillespie. Introduction by David Maxine. "Complete Sheet Music from the 1905 Musical Comedy The Woggle-Bug." Hungry Tiger Press, 2001.
* Baum, L. Frank, Paul Tietjens, Vincent Bryan, and Robert B. Smith, annotated by David Maxine and James Boyle. "The Illustrated Libretto and Complete Vocal Score for the 1903 Musical Extravaganza The Wizard of Oz." Hungry Tiger Press, 2002.
* Fields, Amond. "Fred Stone: Circus Performer and Musical Comedy Star." McFarland and Company, 2002. (His big break was playing the Scarecrow in 1902.)
* Goldschmidt, Rick. "The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass." Miser Bros. Press, 2001. (Includes information on three Oz-related Rankin/Bass projects: "Tales of the Wizard of Oz," "Return to Oz" (1964), and "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" (1985).)
* Stone, Fred. "Rolling Stone." McGraw-Hill, 1945. (Autobiography of the actor who played the Scarecrow in the 1902 stage production.)
* Swartz, Mark Evan. "Oz Before the Rainbow : L. Frank Baum's the Wonderful Wizard of Oz on Stage and Screen to 1939." Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.

Miscellaneous

* "Charles Santore Illustrates the Wizard of Oz." Video documentary, Sirocco Video, 1998.
* Greene, Douglas G., and Michael Patrick Hearn. "W. W. Denslow." Clarke Historical Library, 1976. (Biography of Baum's "Wizard of Oz" collaborator.)
* Martin, Dick. "An Oz Picture Gallery." The International Wizard of Oz Club, 1984.
* Martin, Dick. "The Oz Sketchbook." The International Wizard of Oz Club, 1986.
* Moser, Barry. "Forty-Seven Days to Oz." The International Wizard of Oz Club, 2002.
* Scarfone, Jay, and William Stillman. "The Wizard of Oz Collector's Treasury." Schiffer Publishing, 1992. (A catalog of Oz items.)