Herb Kane
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The Wizard Of Oz
Three-Disc Collector's Edition
Studio: Warner Brothers
Year: 1939
Rated: G
Film Length: 103 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Standard
Audio: DD 5.1/Mono
Color/B&W: Color & Sepia Tone
Languages: English & French
Subtitles: English, French & Spanish
MSRP: $39.92
Package: 5 panel gatefold/Digipak in a cardboard slipcover case
The Feature:
Just like last year's release of Gone With The Wind and the recently released Ben-Hur, Warner Brothers is poised to release one of their most beloved and cherished catalogue possessions in a Three-Disc Collector's Edition, the 1939 hit classic, The Wizard Of Oz. The film was voted by the American Film Institute (AFI) as the The Best Family Film. The film was produced in 1939 - arguably, the year to see some of the best films ever produced, come out of Hollywood. On October 25th, two versions of the film will be released – a Two-Disc Special Edition and a Three-Disc Collector’s Edition. For the very first time, these versions of The Wizard Of Oz will boast a stunning new digital transfer of the original film, using Warner’s "Ultra-Resolution" technology, plus a newly remastered soundtrack.
The Wizard Of Oz Three-Disc Collector’s Edition includes an additional disc of special content, featuring a new documentary about Oz author L. Frank Baum and a newly restored transfer of the 1925 feature-length silent version of The Wizard Of Oz starring Oliver Hardy and Larry Semon with a fresh score by Robert Israel. Disc three is also highlighted by several additional rare Oz film features and shorts, originally produced between 1910 and 1933. In addition to the bonus disc, the Collector’s Edition DVD will include reproductions of the original eight-page Grauman's Chinese Theatre Oz souvenir program from August 15, 1939, the invitation to that premiere; the sixteen-page Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio News magazine from August 14, 1939, celebrating The Wizard Of Oz; nine beautifully restored natural color Kodachrome portraits and publicity photos from the film. The Wizard of Oz Two-Disc Special Edition will be available for $26.99 list and the Three-Disc Collector’s Edition will list for $39.92.
For veteran director Victor Fleming, who began making movies during the black-and-white, silent era, 1939 represented the pinnacle of his career. Not only did Fleming's Gone with the Wind claim the Best Picture Oscar, but his other big feature, The Wizard Of Oz, took its first steps towards becoming one of American cinema's best-known and most beloved motion pictures. (It's worth noting that Fleming had help from several other directors on Gone with the Wind and The Wizard Of Oz, but, in the end, he was given sole credit for both.) Indeed, The Wizard Of Oz is one of only a handful of films that nearly everyone is familiar with.
Throughout the years, there have been dozens of live-action films, stage plays, animated features, and TV programs based on L. Frank Baum's classic Oz stories. To one degree or another, almost all have been influenced by Fleming's telling of the tale. Although the 1939 version was not the first filmed adaptation of the book it is without a doubt the definitive one. When anyone thinks of The Wizard Of Oz, they see Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, and Jack Haley, and hear "Somewhere over the Rainbow" and "Follow the Yellow Brick Road."
Probably the most interesting aspect of The Wizard Of Oz comes from interpreting what really happens during the bulk of the film.
The story opens by introducing us to Dorothy Gale (played by Judy Garland), a young girl in Kansas who finds her wanderlust stirred by dreams of going "somewhere over the rainbow." When a tornado strikes the farm where she lives with her aunt and uncle, she is knocked unconscious. Upon waking up, she finds herself in the magical land of Oz, where she journeys in the company of a Scarecrow (played by Ray Bolger), a Tin Man (played by Jack Haley), and a Cowardly Lion (played by Bert Lahr) to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Margaret Hamilton) and find the all-powerful Wizard (played by Frank Morgan), who has the power to send her home. But is this a real trip, or is it all a dream? Whichever way you lean, it doesn't detract from the movie's boundless capacity to entertain.
It was not an easy film to make. Quite the contrary. Buddy Ebsen, the original Tin Man, suffered severe metallic poisoning from his make-up and had to be replaced by Jack Haley. Margaret Hamilton, the wicked witch, sustained first degree burns when a fire effect went wrong. Bert Lahr, the Cowardly Lion, experienced severe discomfort from his costume and could only sip liquid food through a straw. The adolescent Garland at 16 was far too buxom to play Dorothy (who was meant to be around 12) and wore a tightly binding garment under her dress to flatten her bust. Some of the small people who played the Munchkins turned out to be lecherous drunks and ran amok when not in front of the camera. The director, Richard Thorpe, was fired after two weeks shooting and his footage scrapped. His replacement, George Cukor, lasted only a week. Victor Fleming shot the bulk of the film, but King Vidor (uncredited) filmed the Kansas sequences, including the song "Over the Rainbow", which was deemed by studio executives as too gloomy for children, and nearly cut from the finished print.
Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale, The Wizard Of Oz opened at Loew’s Capitol Theatre in New York on August 17, 1939. The film was produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. The Wizard of Oz received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and captured two Oscars® – Best Song ("Over the Rainbow") and Best Original Score -- plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Judy Garland.
The Wizard Of Oz was an overwhelming popular and critical success upon its initial release and repeated its ability to captivate audiences when M-G-M reissued the film in 1949 and 1955. The film made a new kind of history with its network television premiere in 1956 on CBS. Nearly 45 million people tuned in for this initial telecast, marking the beginning of a tradition. Ever since, The Wizard Of Oz has been shown virtually annually on network (and then cable) television; its magical story and heartfelt performances have enabled it to grow from a perennial classic to its current status as a treasured icon of popular culture.
The Feature: 5/5
:star::star::star::star::star:
Video:
The Wizard Of Oz, is the latest entry in Warner’s proprietary usage of the Ultra Resolution process. If you’re familiar with classic Technicolor releases of Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc SE), The Adventures of Robin Hood, Meet Me in St. Louis, Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc SE), Easter Parade and The Band Wagon, then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Another aspect of The Wizard Of Oz that immediately arrests the attention is the film's use of black-and-white (actually brown-and-white known as sepia tone) which clashes starkly with the vivid hues of Technicolor. All of the scenes that transpire in our mundane world are presented in the drabbest manner possible, but, when the setting shifts to Oz, the browns are replaced by brilliant reds, blues, oranges, and yellows. It takes a rare movie to make a viewer even think of it as "black and white" or "color," but, because The Wizard Of Oz puts meaning into appearance, the nature of the visual composition become crucial.
That said, the colors on the new Collector’s Edition are brighter, slightly more vivid and vibrant. Projected via DLP on a 92” screen, saturation looks better. Without question, there is a greater presence of yellow. The “yellow brick road” no longer looks like the “golden brick road”. In many of the scenes, the previous version’s colors looked slightly tired and even dull. The Collector’s Edition seems to have injected them with new life. Blacks were truly deep and flesh tones are more accurate looking.
Where this new transfer shines is in the level of depth, texture and dimensionality. Check out the screen cap of the Cowardly Lion below. The costume looks tired and flat. The new version is clearly layered with a greater sense of dimensionality. And that very quality is the highlight of the new edition, particularly when projected on a fairly large screen.
That’s not to say this new version is perfect. I was slightly disappointed with the level of image detail. We’ve to come to expect a greater level of improved detail with the UR process. In this case, it exists, but you have to look hard to find it. To keep things in perspective, perhaps we shouldn’t find fault with this new release, but up the praise for the previous version which was excellent to begin with.
You’ll notice slightly more grain in the newer version – not necessarily a bad thing and perhaps accounts for the greater level of detail. Also noticeable is the improved level of contrast as the first version seemed slightly too bright. The CE seems slightly warmer.
The previous version screencaps are on top while the new Collector’s Edition (Ultra Resolution) are on the bottom.
It is the opinion of this reviewer that the new CE version is improved however, given the nature of the already fine previously released version, your display equipment will be key in determining any substantial improvement. In short, you’ll find improvements with color, texture, contrast and slightly better detail.
Video: 4.5/5
:star::star::star::star:
Audio:
Not only does the new CE come with the previous 5.1 DD track but now includes the original monaural track as well. Oddly, this has to be accessed by entering the special features menu on disc one, but either way, it’s a welcome addition.
Since my previous experiences with the disc were with the 5.1 track, I decided to utilize the new monaural track which did not disappoint. It seems as though Warner did an admirable job at going back and cleaning things up, leaving the fidelity intact. The track is clean and virtually free of any hiss or other distracting noises.
The dialogue was always bold and intelligible and never became fatiguing or thin. Given the limitations of the period (65+ years old), there is as much heft to the track as we might imagine. Judy sounds wonderful as usual and the track delivers a near perfect monaural rendering. No doubt, purists will want to utilize the newly added original track, however, the slightly more filling and enveloping 5.1 track is a welcomed inclusion.
Audio: 4.5/5
:star::star::star::star:
Special Features:
This package is absolutely jam packed with special features. Not only are all three discs loaded, but the package is filled with souvenir memorabilia. The set looks like this:
Disc One:
[*] First up is a Commentary With John Fricke which is interspersed with various archival clips from various cast and crewmembers including Barbara Freed-Saltzman, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, John Lahr, Jane Lahr, Hamilton Meserve, Dona Massin, William Tuttle, Buddy Ebsen, Mervyn LeRoy and Jerry Maren. The track is introduced by Sydney Pollack. If you’re familiar with Fricke’s previous Garland commentaries, you’ll know that there is probably no one on earth more qualified to comment on Judy Garland and her career. A number of things are discussed including the location shoot as well as the various casting choices who were in line for various roles. You’ll even learn a great deal about Toto. A superb track.
[*] The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz Storybook is read by Angela Lansbury accompanied by various illustrations. Duration: 10:27 minutes.
[*] In Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration Of Oz, Ned Price and Rob Hummell appear from Warner Brothers as they discuss the restoration process from start to finish, including discussion on the elements that were used as well as the Ultra-Resolution 4K process that was used for the CE of Oz. Duration: 10:27 minutes.
[*] We Haven’t Really Met Properly… is a series of brief biographies narrated by Angela Lansbury. Duration: 21:19 minutes.
[*] An isolated Music And Effects Track is also included – a great inclusion for the film/music/effects fans of Oz.
[*] And finally, the Original Mono Track is included in this section which I comment on in the audio section.
Disc Two:
[*] The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz: The Making of a Classic is the terrific documentary dedicated to the making-of the film. Directed by Angela Lansbury, you’ll see archival clips of the cast-members who discuss their experiences working on the film. You’ll also see deleted scenes and hear the reasons they were edited. Duration: 50:52 minutes.
[*] Memories Of Oz is a TCM production where various OZ fans, cast-member relatives and aficionados appear and offer their opinions as to why the film has achieved the level of status it has. Duration: 27:36 minutes.
[*] The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz is another feature narrated by Sydney Pollack – discussed here is a brief history of the MGM studio and the production of the film. Duration: 29:44 minutes.
[*] Because of the Wonderful Things It Does: The Legacy of Oz John Fricke and Drew Casper make appearances here as the discuss the airing of the film on network television and the impact it would make for years to come. Duration: 25:04 minutes.
[*] Harold Arlen’s Home Movies is a compilation of the composer’s own home movies. Duration: 4:39 minutes.
[*] Outtakes and Deleted Scenes contains 5 deleted scenes including the infamous Bolger dance sequence shown in it’s entirety. Duration Total: 14:19 minutes.
[*] It’s a Twister, It’s a Twister: The Tornado Test includes actual raw footage of twisters, footage that was used for the Kansas sequence. Duration: 8:16 minutes.
[*] Off To See The Wizard includes 4 cartoon segments that were shown on ABC in 1967, animated by Chuck Jones. Duration: 3:56 minutes.
[*] From The Vault includes three segments; Electrical Power (10:29), Excerpts of ’39 Academy Award presentations which features Mickey Rooney presenting Judy with hers (2:14) and a group of Texas contest winners who wind up meeting the cast of Oz during a tour of the studio lot (1:25).
[*] The Audio Vault consists of the following audio clips:
- Jukebox – contains 18 various audio clips spread out over three pages consisting of various rehearsals, sequence recordings, voice tests and underscores. Duration: 4:46 hours.
- Leo Is On The Air Radio Promo is just that; a promotion of the “MGM miracle extravaganza”. Duration: 12:13 minutes.
- Good News of 1939 Radio Show is an installment of the ’39 show featuring the castmembers from the film. The show is hosted by Robert Young and sponsored by Maxwell House. Duration: 60:53 minutes.
- 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Radio Broadcast features Judy Garland in the hour long episode. Compared to many of the previous WB Lux Broadcast inclusions on other sets, the audio on this version is crystal clear. Duration: 60:46 minutes.
[*] Stills Galleries contains dozen of various photographs all of which are contained in eighteen various sub-folders.
[*] And finally, six Theatrical Trailers have been included here on the 2nd disc. Duration: 11:20 minutes.
Disc Three:
The third and final disc is dedicated to Oz Creator, L. Frank Baum, who published his first Oz book in 1900. Fans of silent film, are going to spend a great deal of time with this disc.
[*] L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind The Curtain is an in depth documentary on the writer. The feature touches upon the hopeless-romantic and his numerous dreams. It’s interesting to hear the various childhood experiences that would eventually go on to influence Oz. Duration: 27:43 minutes.
[*] A copy of the The Wizard Of Oz (1910), a print from the George Eastman House is also included here. Aside from the amateurish looking sets and backdrops, this print looks terrific considering its vintage etc. Duration: 13:17 minutes.
[*] The Magic Cloak Of Oz (1914) appears, but unfortunately hasn’t faired quite as well in terms of its presentation. An interesting inclusion, however. Duration: 38:26 minutes.
[*] His Majesty, The Scarecrow Of Oz is another silent production written and directed by Baum. The print is fairly respectable looking, considering. Duration: 59:04 minutes.
[*] The Wizard Of Oz (1925) is a restored silent version featuring Oliver hardy and Larry Semon, with a new fully orchestrated score by Robert Israel. This is in reasonably decent shape showing marks and scratches as we would reasonably expect from a film of this age. Duration: 71:48 minutes.
[*] The Wizard Of Oz (1933) is an interesting Technicolor animated short. Although the colors look mostly good, the print is in pretty rough shape and is introduced with a brief history. Duration: 8:12 minutes.
Memorabilia and Collectables -
A number of reproduction collectables have been included here such as:
[*] The Wizard of Oz Comes to Life - Eight-page Grauman's Chinese Theater Souvenir Premiere Program from August 15, 1939.
[*] Studio's Invitation to The Grauman's Premiere and the envelope that included tickets to the original Opening Night – with a newly designed commemorative ticket.
[*] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio News is a sixteen-page edition of the studio’s internal "house organ" newspaper, celebrating the release of The Wizard of Oz for the week of August 14, 1939
[*] Photoplay Studies - Rare secondary-education study guide to the film -- Volume V, Number 12 (circa August 1939) -- completely devoted to The Wizard of Oz, with articles with articles revealing surprising insights from its producer, director, cameraman and scenarists.
[*] Deluxe Collectors' Portfolio includes reproductions of original 1939 Kodachrome publicity stills, including nine portraits and onset photographs.
WOW…!! Very rarely will you find me recommending a version based solely on special features, but in this case I might be so inclined. I might go so far as to say that if this package didn’t include the feature film itself, I’d probably offer the same recommendation. An absolute treasure trove for Oz aficionados.
Special Features: 5+/5
:star::star::star::star::star:+
**Special Features rated for the quality of supplements, not the quantity**
Final Thoughts:
I'm not really sure what I could say about the film, that hasn't already been said over the past 65 years. The film has more than proven the test of time and continues to be a fan favorite for children as well as adults who've grown up watching it.
In terms of the presentation, while you may require a higher-end display device to discern any differences from the near perfect previous release, the CE is an improvement. If you're on the fence, the special features alone here should be enough to tip the scales. All things being equal (or close), rarely will you find me recommending a disc based on special features alone. This just might be the exception. Any fan of this film will need to find hours, upon hours to go through what has been included here. Just like Gone With The Wind was last year's single release of the year, there should be no question that this year's Collector's Edition release of The Wizard Of Oz now holds that spot.
Overall Rating: 5/5 (not an average)
:star::star::star::star::star:
Highly Recommended...!!!
Release Date: October 25th, 2005
