One of the best of all time.....Lean-n-Mean III

With recent showings of 1939's The Wizard of Oz peppering the television, I finally gave in and watched one a few nights ago. Not having seen it in close to 10 years, I was amazed at how much I still enjoyed it. Everything about this film is pure wonder and imagination and I realized why as a child, I never missed it when it was on TV. Nominated for 6 Academy Awards, it won Best Musical Score and Best Original Song for Over the Rainbow.

The film tells the story of young farm girl, Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) who dreams of someday experiencing excitement and adventures somewhere far away from home. Her dreams are fulfilled when one day when a tornado sweeps her away to the magical land of Oz. Once there she soon meets up with a talking Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion. They then embark on an adventure filled quest to see the all powerful Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan) who is the only one who can help Dorothy get home. But first she must overcome the The Wicked Witch of the West, who is played to absolute perfection by Margaret Hamilton, who stands in the way.

Directed by Victor Fleming, The Wizard of Oz is one of those rare films that is able to capture and hold the imagination of both children and adults alike. There is a theme that speaks to kids and adults in similar but different ways. It's the dream of almost all children to experience adventures in far away lands and Dorothy is no exception. But when she finds herself in the mystical, magical world of Oz, she realizes that all she wants to do is get back home. As adults, The Wizard of Oz takes us on a nostalgic trip in remembering our own journey from childhood to adulthood.

I was surprised to find that that the 1939 version of this film was not the first. There were at least two silent movies made one of which starred Oliver Hardy (from Laurel & Hardy) as the Tin Man. Despite this, Flemings version is by far the most definitive and accepted one. When one thinks of The Wizard of Oz, they envision Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch.

The special effects for this film are, at times, both good and bad. The effects employed during the tornado scenes were, for the time, astounding. As were the famous flying monkey scenes. On the other hand, you can clearly see, at numerous points throughout the film, where the set ends and the matte paintings begin. There are other small effect issues but overall, you don't really care. You are too busy taking in the stunning and vibrant colors that abound everywhere to notice. I remember seeing this film for the first time as a child and staring wide eyed with wonder when Dorothy steps into the world of Oz for the first time. The colors seemed to explode off the screen.

No review of this film would be complete without touching on the music. Nearly every song in this film is a classic. Who can forget songs such as We're Off to See the Wizard, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Over the Rainbow, We Welcome You to Munchkin Land, and If I Only Had.... Every one of them is memorable.

I can't imagine anyone who hasn't seen this movie, but if for some reason you haven't, you are missing out on one of the most beloved films ever made. Not only is it wonderfully entertaining, it's a part of American culture. One that remains as fresh and as charming as it was the day it was released nearly seventy years ago.

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This is another entry into Sleeper54's Lean & Mean III Write-Off. Way to go movies, we are in the lead!!!!!!!!