Adaptations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Appearance
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland. Many of the adaptations have themselves been adapted for pantomime or amateur productions.
Film adaptations
- The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays is a 1908 multimedia presentation made by L. Frank Baum which featured the young silent film actress Mildred Harris.
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1910 film, based on the 1902 stage musical, directed by Otis Turner, and may have featured Bebe Daniels as Dorothy.
- His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz is a loose 1914 adaptation by L. Frank Baum with so many new ideas that it became the basis for The Scarecrow of Oz.
- The Wizard of Oz is a 1921 film, directed by Ray C. Smallwood, never completed.
- Wizard of Oz is a 1925 film, directed by Larry Semon in collaboration with Frank Joslyn Baum and notable mostly because it features a young Oliver Hardy.
- The Land of Oz, a Sequel to the "Wizard of Oz" is a 1932 film featuring the Meglin Kiddies.
- The Wizard of Oz is the 1939 musical film by MGM, directed by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, and Jack Haley.
- Journey Back to Oz is a 1971 animated film, begun in 1963, the official sequel to the 1939 film.
- Aysecik ve Sihirli Cüceler Rüyalar Ülkesinde is a 1971 Turkish film, directed by Tunç Basaran (known to bootleggers as "The Turkish Wizard of Oz").
- Oz is a 1976 Australian rock musical film, also known as Oz - A Rock 'n' Roll Road Movie or 20th Century Oz.
- The Wiz was a 1978 movie directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, based on the broadway musical of the same name.
- Return to Oz is a 1985 film by Walt Disney Pictures, an unofficial sequel to the 1939 film, directed by Walter Murch and starring Fairuza Balk
- It has been announced that director John Boorman will create a new CGI film of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It is set for release in 2010.
Television adaptations
- "The Land of Oz" is the 1960 premiere episode of The Shirley Temple Show, known in previous seasons as Shirley Temple Theatre, this adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz was written by Frank Gabrielson and directed by William Corrigan. William Asher produced. The cast included Shirley Temple, Ben Blue, Agnes Moorehead, Sterling Holloway, Jonathan Winters, and Arthur Treacher.
- Tales of the Wizard of Oz is a 1961 animated series of short episodes based on the Oz characters from the book
- Return to Oz is a 1964 animated television special sequel-come-remake of the 1939 film, based on the artistic renderings of the characters in the 1961 animated series.
- A feature-length anime adaptation of the story was made by Toho in 1982 and was directed by Fumihiko Takayama, with music by Joe Hisaishi (known for composing the music to many of Hayao Miyazaki's works). The English version of the movie stars Aileen Quinn as the voice of Dorothy. Like the 1939 Judy Garland film version, this anime take on The Wizard of Oz ends the story with Dorothy's trip home to Kansas after visiting the Wizard, and is a musical boasting original vocal songs such as "It's Strictly Up To You," "I Dream Of Home," and "A Wizard Of A Day," all sung by Aileen Quinn in the English version. The lyrics to these songs were by Sammy Cahn and Allen Byrnes. This film was seemingly made with the American market in mind, as it was released in the United States before it premiered in Japan. In the U.S., it was released on video and syndicated to local television stations.
- An anime adaptation of four of Baum's Oz books known as Oz no Mahoutsukai was created in 1986. It consists of 52 episodes and follows the story of Dorothy and her adventures in Oz with the Tin Woodsman, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow. It continues on to the story of Ozma and Mombi, and follows through the events of other Oz books. In 1987, HBO purchased the rights to the series and dubbed/edited together key episodes of the series into a series of movies. Production for the English version was done by the Canadian studio Cinar. Actress Margot Kidder was hired as narrator for the series, which aired as a mini-series.
- The Wizard of Oz is an animated series based on the 1939 film was broadcast on ABC network during the 1990–1991 TV season. The cartoon featured Dorothy returning to Oz, reuniting with her four friends, and journeying through the magical realm in an attempt to rescue the Wizard from a resurrected Witch of the West.
- The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz (Supêsu Oz no Bôken) is a 1990 anime series, involving Dorothy and the gang travelling the "Galaxy of Oz". Truncated to 76 minutes and dubbed for American release as The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz
- The Oz Kids is a 1996 animated series featuring the children of the original characters.
- Tim Burton's Lost in Oz is a 2000 television pilot script, written by Tray Callaway with Tim Burton as executive producer. Key scenes were filmed by Michael Katleman.
- Lost in Oz is a 2002 television pilot, never broadcast, aimed as an original sequel to the 1939 film
- The Muppets' Wizard of Oz is a 2005 telefilm, directed by Kirk Thatcher and starring Ashanti and The Muppets.
- In December 2007, RHI Entertainment and Sci Fi released Tin Man. This three-part miniseries, directed by Nick Willing and starring Zooey Deschanel, Richard Dreyfuss, Alan Cumming, Raoul Trujillo, Neal McDonough, Kathleen Robertson, was advertised as a re-imagined version of the Wizard of Oz, and gave the story a heavy science fiction/fantasy emphasis and at first glance, gives only allusive references to most of the original story and the 1939 film.[1] However, the revelation in the third part of Tin Man that the heroine, DG, is a descendant of Dorothy Gale indicates that the series may portray a future version of Oz, rather than a re-imagining.
Stage adaptations
- The earliest musical version of the book was produced by Baum and Denslow (with music by composer Paul Tietjens) in Chicago in 1902, and moved to New York in 1903. It used the same characters, and was aimed more at adult audiences. It had a long, successful run on Broadway. Baum added numerous additional political references to the script. For example, his actors specifically mention President Theodore Roosevelt, Senator Mark Hanna, and John D. Rockefeller by name. (Swartz, Before the Rainbow, pp 34, 47, 56) He wrote a version more faithful to the book in 1901, but it has never been produced. Although it included many of the same songs, it featured far fewer interpolations of other songs (which had nothing to do with the story) than the 1902 version did.
- The Wizard of Oz is a 1945 stage play using songs from the 1939 film; adapted by Frank Gabrielson for the St. Louis Municipal Opera[2][3]
- The Wiz is a 1975 musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls, featuring exclusively African American actors.
- The Marvelous Land of Oz is a 1981 musical by Thomas W. Olson, Gary Briggle, and Richard Dworsky. The original production, which included Briggle as the Scarecrow, was taped and shown on television.
- The Wizard of Oz (1987 - 1989) is an adaptation by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company, also based on the 1939 film and hewing more closely to its script than the 1945 version did; this adaptation played in London's West End and starred Imelda Staunton as Dorothy[2][4]
- The Wizard of Oz Live (1989 - 1990) is an arena touring production in celebration of the film's 50th anniversary. The production featured a pre recorded soundtrack. Due to a lack of audience, many of the show's scheduled stops were cancelled towards the end of tour.
- The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True is a 1995 concert performance of the RSC's adaptation at Lincoln Center, featuring celebrity actors (such as Jewel as Dorothy, Roger Daltrey as the Tin Man, Joel Grey, Nathan Lane as the Lion, Debra Winger, Natalie Cole, Jackson Browne as the Scarecrow, and Lucie Arnaz )
- The Wizard of Oz on Ice (1995 - 1999) is a touring production produced by Kenneth Feld, that toured nationally & internationally around the world.
- The Wizard Of Oz on Tour is a 1998 touring production that originally played in the Madison Square Garden theatre in May 1997. Roseanne Barr was cast as the Wicked Witch, followed by Eartha Kitt in 1998, and JoAnne Worley and Liliane Montevecchi in 1999. Mickey Rooney was cast as the Wizard in 1998 & 1999. The production played at Madison Square Garden from May 1997 - May 1999. The touring production ran from May 1998 - late 1999.
- Wicked (2003 - Present) is a 2003 musical based on the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. It features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
- Der Zauberer von OZ is a 2005 stage play with music by Ralf Linke, performed by the Festspiele Balver Höhle
- The Wizard of Oz (2008 - Present) is a restaging of the RSC adaptation, first presented at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. International tour produced by Networks[1] and Columbia Artists Theatricals[2] and starring Cassie Okenka, finalist of Legally Blonde - The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods.
- On 23 July 2008, a new stage version of the film opened at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in London. Directed by acclaimed Artistic Director Jude Kelly, it stars Sian Brooke, Adam Cooper, Roy Hudd, Julie Legrand, Hilton McRae and Gary Wilmot.
- Andrew Lloyd Webber will direct a revival in the West End in 2010. A tv series that follows the search to find a brand new Dorothy will air on BBC.
Books
There are 40 "canonical" Oz books, including 14 by Baum, all of which are considered "official" sequels or prequels to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In addition, the following books use the Oz melieu as settings for their tales:
- MGM's Marvelous Wizard of Oz was the first joint publishing venture between DC Comics and Marvel Comics.[5]
- Was is a 1992 parallel novel by Geoff Ryman focusing on the lives of disparate individuals linked to one another by the original novel and the 1939 film.
- Wicked is a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, presenting "The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West". Wicked has two sequels: Son of a Witch (2005) and A Lion Among Men (2008).
- Dare is a 2007 novel by BET host Abiola Abrams is a loose adaptation with several references to the tale of Oz. The main character's middle name is Gayle, which was Dorothy's last name, and she is on a journey to find love, courage, and home. A record producer referred to as the wizard is named Ozzie Marvelous, and there is a wicked witch stylist and her "good" sister. The hotel Heretix is on a yellow bricked road and they leave Ohio in a tornado and land in beautiful sunshine the author refers to as Technicolor. There is also a frequent refrain that "no place was home."[6]
- The comic book series Oz Squad features an adult Dorothy and her original companions from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a covert operations group protecting Oz from threats both within its borders and from the "real world".
- The Oz-Wonderland War is a comics story in which the people of Oz battle the characters of Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.
- Dorothy of Oz (Korean: ??? Dorosi "Dorothy") is a manhwa (Korean comics) by Son Hee-joon (???) about an ordinary girl named Mara Shin who winds up in a science-fantasy realm called "Oz". She meets up with this realm's version of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion, and follows the Yellow Brick Road to find her way home.[7]
- The comic book Dorothy was launched by Illusive Arts Entertainment in November 2005. Presented in semi-fumetti style using digitally altered photographs, this retelling of Baum's story has been updated to 2005 and features model Catie Fisher as 16-year-old Dorothy Gale, a disaffected youth with dyed hair and piercings who steals her uncle's car and runs away from home ... until she encounters a tornado and is knocked unconscious. This version of the tale, created by Greg Mannino, written by Mark Masterson with artwork by Greg Mannino and Ray Boersig, is in part a retelling of Baum's tale and in part a retelling of the 1939 movie version of the story, as it incorporates elements of the Judy Garland film.
- The novel was adapted into a comic book in 2005, illustrated/painted by Enrique Fernandez and adapted by David Chauvel, with almost all dialogue and narration taken directly from Baum's original. The comic was originally published in 2005 in France, where it won the prestigious Grand Prix de La Ville De Lyon Award of Illustration. In 2006, it was adapted into English and published in America by Image Comics.
- An erotic re-telling of the story is featured in Lost Girls, a graphic novel by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie first published in its entirety in 2006. In this book an adult Dorothy meets Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Wendy Darling from Peter Pan and the trio recount the stories of their respective works as allegories for their sexual awakenings.
Games
- The Wizard of Oz is a 1985 text adventure game produced by Windham Classics for Apple II computers which combined elements of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz.
- The Wizard of Oz is a video game released on the Super NES based on the 1939 film.
- RIZ-ZOAWD is a Japanese role-playing game for the Nintendo DS.[8]
- Wizard of Oz Slots game found in Casinos. The game is a five-reel video slot machine with bonus feature rounds, produced by WMS (WIlliams Gaming), featuring
- Emerald City Confidential, a point-and-click adventure game developed by Wadjet Eye Games and published by casual game portal PlayFirst.
Other
- Todd McFarlane created a sinister toy series called Twisted Land of Oz that portrays all of the characters as more sinister (such as the monster Toto) and adult oriented (BDSM Dorothy)..[9]
References
- ^ Sci Fi Wire - Tin Man Previewed
- ^ a b Raymond, Kurt. "We're Off To Stage The Wizard of Oz". Beyond the Rainbow to Oz website. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ "Wizard of Oz (R.S.C. 1988)". Tams–Witmark Music Library, Inc. 2005. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ "Wizard of Oz (MUNY 1945)". Tams–Witmark Music Library, Inc. 2005. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ Rozakis, Bob. "Tabloid Talk," (Apr. 7, 2008).
- ^ Amazon.com: Dare: Books: Abiola Abrams
- ^ AnimeOnDVD.com review of Dorothy of Oz
- ^ [www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3170561 1up preview of RIZ-ZOAWD]
- ^ Twisted Land of Oz official site.