The Whimsical World of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story

This iconic American story was written in 1900 by L Frank Baum, a Chicago businessman, journalist, chicken breeder, actor, boutique owner, Hollywood movie director and lifelong fan of all things innovative and technological. His life spanned an era of remarkable invention and achievement in America and many of these developments helped to fuel this great storyteller's imagination. His ambition was to create the first genuine American fairytale and the story continues to fascinate, inspire and engage millions of fans of all ages from all over the world. This documentary explores how The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has come to symbolise the American Dream and includes previously unseen footage from the Baum family archives, still photographs and clips from the early Oz films, as well as interviews with family members, literary experts and American historians as it tells the story of one man's life in parallel to the development of modern America.
Movie Star Rating : 7  Read More

A Statue for The Sandpiper

Promotional short for the film "The Sandpiper".
Movie Star Rating : 0  Read More

The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story

Dore Schary presents clips from upcoming Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films.
Movie Star Rating : 2  Read More

The Secret of Oz

It is well known in economics academia that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum in 1900 is loaded with powerful symbols of monetary reform which were the core of the Populist movement and the 1896 and 1900 president bid of Democrat William Jennings Bryan. The yellow brick road (gold standard), the emerald city of Oz (greenback money), even Dorothy’s silver slippers (changed to ruby slippers for the movie version) were the symbol of Baum’s and Bryan’s belief that adding silver coinage to gold would provide much needed money to a depression-strapped, 1890s America. We believe Baum’s symbols represent the only solution to relieve the growing economic hardship here in America – and the rest of the world. Practically speaking, 2009 marks the 70th anniversary of the 1939 MGM release of the The Wizard of Oz movie, so interest will be very high. Even Oz websites put up by kids get millions of hits.
Movie Star Rating : 5.6  Read More

In Search of Oz

BBC 2 produced this documentary on the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and the films and fantasies that they inspired, particularly the first book `The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'. Includes clips from the several silent film versions of the stories produced by Baum that have survived as well as the 1939 film with Judy Garland, and interviews with such enthusiasts as Salman Rushdie, Gore Vidal, Ray Bradbury, Geoffrey Ryman and Nora Ephron.
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Who Stole the Ruby Slippers?

A classic Hollywood whodunnit mystery. “Who Stole the Ruby Slippers?” is an investigative look into the 2005 theft of an original pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz”.
Movie Star Rating : 6  Read More

The Romance of Celluloid

Several behind the scenes aspects of the movie-making business, which results in the enjoyment the movie going public has in going to the theater, are presented. They include: the production of celluloid aka film stock, the materials used in the production of which include cotton and silver; construction crews who build sets including those to look like cities, towns and villages around the world; a visit with Jack Dawn who demonstrates the process of creating a makeup design; the screen testing process, where many an acting hopeful gets his/her start; the work of the candid camera man, the prying eyes behind the movie camera; a visit with Adrian, who designs the clothes worn by many of the stars on screen; and a visit with Herbert Stothart as he conducts his musical score for Conquest (1937). These behind the scenes looks provide the opportunity to get acquainted with the cavalcade of MGM stars and their productions that will grace the silver screen in the 1937/38 movie season.
Movie Star Rating : 7  Read More

A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz

A tribute to the characters and makeup artists from the Wizard of Oz, as performed and created by some of the top makeup people in Hollywood. On September 12, 1998, a group of top makeup artists gathered in Studio City, CA, to pay tribute to Jack Dawn and his team from the seminal 1939 classic, The Wizard of Oz.
Movie Star Rating : 4  Read More

Roger Wonders Why

A church-made amateur film which sees two Christian biker youths visit the legendary 59 club, where they meet its founder, Reverend Bill Shergold.
Movie Star Rating : 0  Read More