Wizard of Oz links!

Dorothy
Well, how can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
Scarecrow
I don't know. But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they?

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Since I do not have enough time to maintain an "all Wizard Of Oz" site, here is some links that will help you back to Kansas (and find some great info on the way!)

Wendy's Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The International Wizard of Oz club homepage

Some Oz links

Wizard of oz-Info about the connection between Wizard and Pink Floyd's "dark side of the moon" album.

The wonderful land of Oz


Hello there! Welcome to the Land of Oz...no not really. But here on this page you will find lyrics, trivia, and some wonderful links that I used as my sources. So follow the yellow brick road!

Lyrics from the movie
Trivia that will get discussions goin'
My experiences with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Oz Trivia

Here are some tidbits I picked up around the web. The sources are down below (to make sure they get the credit they deserve). Enjoy them, start discussions about your Oz knowledge!

When she was goin up that crazy brick road, that thing you see in the backround (which many people think is a munchkin who hung himself) is actually a bird from the San Diego Zoo! Wacky!

Did you know that Dorothy was originally supposed to be wearing a blond wig, and bright blue eyeshadow, and caked make up? When the director changed, he told Judy just to be herself.

In one version of the script, the Wicked Witch did not live in a castle - she had an office! The door to the office had this inscription "like that of a law firm":

WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST

Cruelties, Tortures and all kinds of Devilments

Decent People Keep Out!

This Means You!

One version of the script had the Horse-of-a-Different-Color talking until they decided that wouldn't be economically feasible (ever heard of Mister Ed?) and they gave the HOADC a cabbie to take over the dialogue.

"Over the Rainbow" was almost cut. The song "Jitterbug" which cost a lot of $$$ was cut, because of the cost and the popular dance craze that was sweepin the nation! (he he, macarena!)

Contrary to popular belief, the ruby slippers replaced the silver shoes not because of contractual problems, but due to the fact they decided the red slippers would show up better and show off better the Technicolor.

Guess what, Dorothy is supposed to be filthy after falling into that pig pen. She's not though (movie magic he he) and her hair noticeably changes length, who would've thought!

The second candidate for the part of Dorothy was Shirley temple!

Toto's real name was Terry

It took 10 months to film the movie.

In the first stage musical, "The Wizard", Dorothy was accompanied by what animal (instead of  Toto)? It was a cow!!!

Bird sounds played backwards were used to achieve the haunting sounds of the forest.

The tornado was a 35 foot long muslin stocking shot over miniatures, and the horses at Emerald City were colored with Jello crystals, and the relevant scenes had to be shot quickly so they didn't lick it all off.

HONORABLE SOURCES:

The unofficial Wizard of Oz page

Internet Movie Database

Oz lyrics

Let me guess. You came to this link because you want to sing sing
sing-a-long with all of your galpals to the swingin music of
Oz? Well here you go. More songs will be up soon.

Munchkinland

Come out, come out, wherever you are and meet the young lady,
who fell from a star.
She fell from the sky, she fell very far and Kansas, she says,
is the name of the star.
Kansas, she says, is the name of the star.
She brings you good news. Or haven't you heard?
  When she fell out of Kansas
A miracle occurred.
It really was no miracle. What happened was just this.
The wind began to switch - the house to pitch and suddenly
the hinges started to unhitch.
Just then the Witch - to satisfy an itch went flying
on her broomstick, thumbing for a hitch.
And oh, what happened then was rich.
*The house began to pitch. The kitchen took a slitch.
It landed on the Wicked Witch
in the middle of a ditch,
Which was not a healthy situation for the Wicked Witch.
... Who began to twitch and was reduced to just a stitch
of what was once the Wicked Witch.

Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead!

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked
Witch! Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.

Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead. She's gone where the goblins
go, Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the
bells out. Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know

The Wicked Witch is dead!

Over The Rainbow

Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high.
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue.

And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star and
wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
Away above the chimney tops.
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere, over the rainbow, bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow,
Why then - oh, why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow,
Why, oh, why can't I?

Brain

I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers
Consultin' with the rain.
And my head I'd be scratchin' while
my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain.
I'd unravel every riddle for any individ'le,
In trouble or in pain.
With the thoughts you'll be thinkin'
you could be another Lincoln
If you only had a brain.
Oh, I could tell you why The ocean's near the shore.
I could think of things I never thunk before.
And then I'd sit, and think some more.
I would not be just a nothin' my head all full of stuffin'
My heart all full of pain.
I would dance and be merry, life would be a ding-a-derry,
If I only had a brain.

Heart

When a man's an empty kettle he should be on his mettle,
And yet I'm torn apart.
Just because I'm presumin' that I could be kind-a-human,
If I only had heart.
I'd be tender - I'd be gentle and awful sentimental
Regarding Love and Art.
I'd be friends with the sparrows ...
and the boys who shoots the arrows
If I only had a heart.
Picture me - a balcony. Above a voice sings low.
Wherefore art thou, Romeo? I hear a beat....
How sweet.
Just to register emotion, jealousy - devotion,
And really feel the part.
I could stay young and chipper
and I'd lock it with a zipper,
If I only had a heart.

The Jitterbug

(Listen all you chillun to that voodoo moan,
There's a modern villun worser than that old boogie woogie,
When that goofy critter spots your fancy clothes,
He injects a jitter, Starts you dancing on a thousand toes,
There he goes!)

Who's that hiding in the tree top?
It's that rascal, The Jitterbug!

Should you catch him buzzing 'round you, Keep away from, The Jitterbug!
Oh! the bees in the breeze and the bats in the trees
have a terrible, horrible buzz,
But the bees in the breeze and the bats in the trees couldn't do what
The Jitterbug does!
So be careful of that rascal, Keep away from The Jitterbug!
The Jitterbug!
Oh! The Jitter! Oh The Bug!
Oh! The Jitterbug, Bug-a-bug, bug-a-bug, bug-a-boo.
In a twitter, in the throes, Oh the critter's
Got me dancing on a thousand toes, Thar' she blows!
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Aunt Em's experiences with Wizzy
Roughly 8 long years ago, I was in the play "The Wizard of Oz." I played a modest role, being a kindergartener and all. She was the shrunken witch. I had one line and it was this:

Soooo you think you can catch me, aye!!
so there's nothing I can do about you, aye!!!!
Well watch this scaaareeccrrroww!

Being 5 young years old, it was my first experience in the Wizard of Oz. I got up close and personal with all the elements, singing charmingly off-key to "Somewhere over the Rainbow." All children have some sort of moment like that, but it was probably the first time a whole audience laughed as I tinily came out of the cauldron. I became a star.

Since then I have had a love for the Wizard of Oz. Maybe it's just the mysticism and strength of all the characters in that warm play. Maybe it's the true songs. I doesn't know what it is, I'm just attached.

Just tonight I helped a group of elementary kids put on their glitter and green. I watched them teary eyed as she remembered how it was when I had been on that stage. It was not so long ago olive green stage makeup gleamed on her youthful face.

She's grown up. Every time I watch the movie, or see tapes of me in the play, she would watch intently almost as if she was looking through the magic picture herself. That strange creepiness of the movie had always shone through for her. The sorceress was always the glim glam girl of the century. Dorothy had such a pouty but brave character. I had always wondered which one she would like to be, but she could never decide. Maybe it was because every single character was made with such grace and care. It was as if it was a movie made for her. I didn't fit in that movie, I just looked through it. Related it to life.

Wizard of Oz represents all the hopeful things we had always wanted to happen, whether big or small. Dorothy had been over the rainbow, had seen what she had really wanted to see. It was then she discovered the Kansas farmlife wasn't always so bad, and that she really did miss Aunt Em.

I had always wanted to sing like the Scarecrow, own the duds of the sorceress, dance like the jitterbugs, cackle like the witch, and be as hopeful as Dorothy herself. There aren't many movies where you can be so many people. There aren't many movies where there is a place over the rainbow, where there is a place to go "When all the world is a hopeless jumble and the raindrops tumble all around."

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