Wizard Of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film mainly directed by Victor Fleming and based on the 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The film features Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Billie Burke as Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Frank Morgan as the Wizard. The film follows Kansas girl Dorothy Gale who lives on her aunt and uncle's depression-era farm while dreaming of a better place. A tornado transports Dorothy, her dog Toto, and the farmhouse to the magical Land of Oz. There, the Good Witch of the North advises Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City and meet the Wizard of Oz, who can return her to Kansas. During her journey, she meets a Scarecrow, Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion, who join her, hoping to receive what they lack themselves (a brain, a heart and courage, respectively). Initially, The Wizard of Oz was considered a commercial flop in relation to what was then considered its enormous budget, although it made a small profit and received largely favorable reviews. Its songs became widely popular, however, with Over the Rainbow receiving the Oscar for Best Song of the Year, and the film itself garnering several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The film received much more attention after frequent television screenings and has since become one of the most beloved films of all time. It is often ranked among the top ten best movies of all-time in various critics' and popular polls, and has provided many indelible quotes to the American cultural consciousness. Its signature song, "Over the Rainbow," sung by Judy Garland, has been voted the greatest movie song of all time by the American Film Institute.