Screen Wizardry

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 296, 15 December 1939, Page 9

Screen Wizardry

AMAZING CHRISTMAS PICTURE In America ono of the best-loved children’s book is 11 The Wizard of Oz, ’ ’ by Frank L. Baum, a fairytale fantasy which has become more or less a national tradition. In other parts of the world the book is probably unknown, but the super-technicolour screen version of the story produced under the book title should appeal to children of all nations and possibly grown-up audiences, too. It is an amazing film, something like Disney's “Seven Dwarfs,” with humans instead of painted figures, and has been produced with every accent on the fantastic detail of the story. There are winged monkeys, trees that come to life in a haunted forest, a Good Fairy (Billie Burke), a Bad Witch (Margaret Hamilton), a Wizard (Frank Morgan) who can do anything and does it, and a quaint colony of tiny people called the Munchkins, who live in tiny houses in a tiny city. Judy Garland plays Dorothy, the little girl who falls asleep and in a dream goes off with her dog to the Land of Oz, meeting on the way a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger doing eccentric dancing) and a Tin Man (Jack Haley). Judy sings, Jack Haley sings, hundreds of extras sing and dance in choruses and the bewildering happenings are enough to make the children’s hair stand on end unloss they are sophisticated and bored with fairytale stuff. Apart from being a technicolour extravaganza, the film is a triumph for technicians, make-up men, producer, director and tho art department. Because it’s an oddity you will want to see it. “The Wizard of Oz” is due for screening at the Regent Theatre, Palmerston North, commencing next weekend.