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The Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day will get you, my pretty. And your little dog, too!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with today’s Behind the Scenes Pic!
Like many films featured in this column, The Wizard of Oz was very influential in making me the movie geek I am today, which is quite astounding, really. Considering how most young people feel about vintage movies and “ugly” black and white (yes, I’ve heard people say that and yes, I should have murdered them on the spot and I apologize for my inaction allowing them to keep on sucking air away from the rest of us) the fact that this movie is still a family film staple is quite incredible. The film hasn’t lost any of its luster and may even have grown more impactful over the years.
From the transition from black and white reality to the dazzling Technicolor fantasy to the fantastic musical numbers and the playful skirting of some truly terrifying imagery The Wizard of Oz has proven to be a legitimate timeless classic. So, it’s only natural we get some Oz love here.
And so we have this nice shot of director Victor Fleming (at least I’m pretty sure that’s him) organizing a shot with Dorothy and the munchkins. Here’s the picture, once again courtesy of reader Pat Barnett. Click to embiggen!
Ask tomorrow’s Behind the Scenes Pic how it got so good at killing people.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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Readers Talkback
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April 15, 2011, 6:03 p.m. CST
My high school english teacher looked just like Glinda, the good witch of the whatever.
by Playkins
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Oh well, I love the Wizard of Oz. Such a great movie. I would like to see another good version though since a number of great things were cut out of the book like the porceline people, the mice and other things. It would be great if a good director came along and did one or two in the series and then they got different directors for the rest and made as many of the books as were profitable. But this one if pretty awesome.
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is angry at the mayor and Victor Fleming is trying to hold him back from beating the crud out of him!
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And I'm thinking tomorrow's pic is "A History of Violence."
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I bought the DVD a few years back but never got around to viewing it.
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April 15, 2011, 6:32 p.m. CST
Don't know if anyone has mentioned it but that google Chaplin thing is crap
by MooseMalloy
Why the hell didn't they just show an actual Chaplin clip?!
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Thanks Patton
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April 15, 2011, 6:47 p.m. CST
I was just talking with a someone today how weird it would have been...
by WriteForTheEdit
...if Shirley Temple had played Dorothy, as was originally planned...
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April 15, 2011, 6:47 p.m. CST
"...And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes...
by WriteForTheEdit
"I'll see you on the dark side of the moon."
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April 15, 2011, 6:59 p.m. CST
Jed Clampett was originally signed on as the Tin Man . . .
by DrMorbius
. . . but had a bad reaction to the silver paint they used on him.
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April 15, 2011, 7:22 p.m. CST
Uh oh, I SEE A HANGED MAN ON A TREE IN THE BACKGROUND!
by Tigger Tales
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Oz HAS grown in its impact since its release. If I'm not mistaken, it was a box office bomb when it was released - and then with the advent of TV it's popularity soared... showing that it was much more meaningful in the personal sort of atmosphere that watching at home with the family offered. Read the books! The Wizard of Oz had SO many parallels to the Populist flavor of politics that were stirring things up in the Mid-West during the late 1880's & 1890's!
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April 15, 2011, 8:02 p.m. CST
I've probably seen this over a thousand times, never get tired of it!
by brocknroll
I enjoy this movie when I was a kid, and still enjoy it now!
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You gotta get down off that cloud and get a closer look...you made them too damn small.
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I mean, she's barely taller than the munchkins. How tall could she have been? 5'2" tops?
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Does that make me gay?
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Wanting to wear those fabulous red shoes = Gay
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Judy Garland's height is 5 ft 0.5 in (http://www.celebheights.com/s/Judy-Garland-1523.html)
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It's just that: Talk There's a reason he got to wear the big watch, folks.
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April 15, 2011, 9:03 p.m. CST
Cue munchkin suicide caught on film debate in...3.....2....1
by spire_walk
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The film worked more for me as a kid before I knew what "gay" was. Now I watch it and just see a flaming gay tin man and lion. The tornado sequence is still tops and has yet to be surpassed by cg technology. Anyone else have the old Wizard of Oz view master slides? That's some weird shit!
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April 15, 2011, 10:02 p.m. CST
Playing tomorrow in Florida for 25 cents at the Beach Theatre
by Beach Theatre
If you like this movie and are in the area, this is news you can use... The Beach Theatre in St. Pete Beach is running WIZARD OF OZ as part of their "1939 Day" for 25 cents admission. Two shows in the afternoon, and a capper of GONE WITH THE WIND at night, also for 25 cent admission. http://beachtheatre.com/1939day.html Everybody's seen this a million times on cable or video, but it's a whole new thing with a big crowd in a theatre.
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...that I named my daughter Dorothy. For real real.
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April 15, 2011, 10:48 p.m. CST
Got to see this and The Dark Side Of The Rainbow about 2 months ago at the Alamo Drafthouse in Viginia for a total of 6 bucks. Great Experience!
by MRJONZ72
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April 16, 2011, 12:10 a.m. CST
We Represent, the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day, and we welcome you to Munchinland.
by little_lebowski
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now that I'm older is kind of hot and creepy at the same time
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV7ttZueyq8&feature=player_embedded
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As the best EVER, this would be my number one pick!
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I'm going to send my mom to that tomorrow. She's a big fan of the film.
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in 7th grade. Mr Benion, I think his name was. but he's the guy in the pic. There was an article in the local paper about him so know it to be true. But of course we asked him about Judy Garland and he said she was nice.
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Watchin The Wizard of Oz or GWTW while drinkin a beer in the theater? Priceless. Wish I didn't already have plans tomorrow. <p> Saw Coen's True Grit there at Christmas time. Truly a slice of Americana, that theater.
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... that's what I heard anyway. They were all getting it on because they had never put so many little people all in the same place at the same time. Apparently they were screwing behind stages etc... "We represent the horny-fuck guild, the horny-fuck guild..."
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Watched every annual showing of Oz on TV as a kid growing up. Dorothy (Judy Garland) was also my first crush, and the very reason why I enjoy older women (and subsequently married one) today. True story.
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I was a wee little lad when I saw Oz for the first time, and Dorothy was much older than I was (of course). I don't know, I've always gravitated towards older women as opposed to those closer to my own age. I give credit to that first Dorothy crush. Maybe I should talk about this with my therapist.
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I think it was the 'coroner' character. He was up in his 90s and using a cane. Some time in the past decade- maybe six years ago or sooner.
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She was DG in Sci-fi's TIN MAN!!!!!!!!!!! ZOOEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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April 16, 2011, 9:11 a.m. CST
It's surprising that no one ever mention the curse of this movie
by RedBull_Werewolf
almost everyone who acted or worked on this film has past away, almost as if the film is cursed
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She said "They were drunks".
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All the people who filmed "Gone with the Wind" should get together and talk about the curse of "The Wizard of Oz" (both filmed 72 years ago.)
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April 16, 2011, 11:11 a.m. CST
Nice pic! But have you seen the first "The Hobbit" blog?
by L.H.Puttgrass
Follow the link: http://movies.msn.com/paralleluniverse/peter-jackson-tour-of-hobbit-set/story/feature/?gt1=28140
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April 16, 2011, 3:37 p.m. CST
C'mon, I know some troll out there is salivating over the thought of bashing this classic...
by SAILOR_RIPLEY
Don't be scared, you know you want to.
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A six pack could get a dozen of them fucked up.
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Has anyone ever watched this on YouTube?
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Why isn't this film higher than #126? You mean to tell me that films like "The Matrix," "Forrest Gump," "American History X," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Back to the Future," "Black Swan," "Gladiator," "Gran Torino," "The Elephant Man," "Die Hard," & "Slumdog Millionaire" are better than "The Wizard of Oz"? Don't get me wrong, all of those are amazing films, some of the best ever, but "The Wizard of Oz" has often been called the most influential film of all time. I've read several articles that trace back nearly every film made after 1939 to Oz.
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It never pussed out once and said you couldve gone home the whole time
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I think you're missing the point. The film never "pussed out." Dorothy's trip to Oz was a spiritual journey. Her finally going home was her completing the journey.
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Whatevs. That's one of the biggest cheats ever. Marty mcfly learned who he was, granted it took him three films (in film time it was a week or two)-- regardless, Dorthy went back to Kansas and was close to getting mcmurphy'd in the sequel so I really don't think she spiraturally found herself. The dog saved the day anyway. Dorthy just happened to ve in the right place at the right time
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Under those extremely hot lights it must have been difficult to work. They were all business back then!
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April 16, 2011, 9:52 p.m. CST
If you reverse this picture, it is identical to the Pink Floyd PRESENCE Album!
by Drunken Busboy
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Now are they flying monkeys or gargoyles??
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Larry Semon (a very popular comedian back then) directed and starred in it. If you thought the 1939 version took liberties with the story, then for gods sake don't watch this one. It's awful. It's only of interest because Oliver Hardy played the Tin Man ( a couple of years before he teamed with Laurel ).
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That shot of The Wicked witch taking off from her castle still today stands out amazingly and hands down beats the ass off of any of the flying neo-smith scenes for example, or anything else i could think of off the top of my head, that might be aiming to produce a similar effect, no contest... (the long shots of Raimi's Power Ranger Green Goblin is much closer there than The Matrix, funnily enough, really cool long shot) ... for a child watching something eerie and magical and awe inspiring as hell.... The Munchkins are pretty cute too i guess... not as cool as the flying monkeys of course, but...
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the Tim Burton version with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter? Just a matter of time.
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Quite a few of the actors playing Munchkins were former members of Stanley Graham's Midget Circus. In May, 1937 they got stranded in San Antonio, Texas when the circus ran out of money and the sheriff confiscated all their gear. The entire city chipped in to help, giving them jobs and holding charitable events so that they could get enough money to get to their various homes. Here's a silent newsreel clip about it: http://www.texasarchive.org/library/index.php?title=Midgets_Conquer_Tough_Luck Ever since finding out about it, I've wondered if this event was the basis of the old San Antonio "Midget Mansion" legend, which nobody seems to have heard of now. Kids today never pay attention to the classics...
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although i always wondered if a part of 'Being John Malkovich' and its story might be inspired by that legend