Garlands for Judy Special Issue: The Wizard of Oz 75th Anniversary (Judy Garland)

“FOREVER DOROTHY” “THE MARVELOUS SETS OF OZ” “THE GIFTS OF OZ” “MARGARET HAMILTON, JUDY GARLAND & ME!” and much more!
Celebrating 75 Years of Marvelous Movie Magic!
Special Issue!!

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ARTICLES HOME MEDIA THROUGH THE YEARS FUN STUFF GALLERIES
Garlands for Judy - The Wizard of Oz 75th Anniversary Edition 2Garlands for Judy - The Wizard of Oz 75th Anniversary Edition 2
This webzine is dedicated to the memory of
Andy England, Steve Salgado, and Scott Schechter

Photoplay Magazine, September 1939

Garlands for Judy - The Wizard of Oz 75th Anniversary Edition 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD ....................................................
ARTICLES ........................................................
Forever Dorothy .............................................
The Marvelous Sets of Oz ...............................
Margaret Hamilton, Judy Garland, and ME! .....
The Gifts of Oz ..............................................
Judy on Oz ....................................................
The Munchkin Brick .........................................
Oz Memories .............................................
HOME MEDIA THROUGH THE YEARS ...............
Sheet Music ...................................................
Decca Records ...............................................
The Soundtrack Album ....................................
Home Video ..................................................
50th Anniversary ...........................................
The Ultimate Oz .............................................
1999 Boxed Set .............................................
2005 Deluxe Editions .....................................
70th Anniversary ...........................................
75th Anniversary ...........................................
The Digital Age .............................................
2013 Warmer Bros. official website artwork
Anytime you see this globe on a page, it’s a
link to more information online. Enjoy!
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18
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120
124
127
136
159
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FUN STUFF ...................................................
Puzzles .......................................................
Fan Favorites ..............................................
Print Media .................................................
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................
GALLERIES ...................................................
Posters .......................................................
Lobby Cards ...............................................
Photos .......................................................
2013 Warmer Bros. official website artwork
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Anytime you see this globe on a page, it’s a
link to more information online. Enjoy!
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Foreword
It all began on television. Like every other kid of my
generation (and quite a few adults, too), I was first
exposed to The Wizard of Oz via the annual airings
of the film on network TV. I was born at exactly the
right time, November 1960. 1959 brought the first of
39 years of annual network broadcasts. I was fortunate
to have that as the big annual event every single year
of my young life. And talk about an EVENT. I’m not
alone when I say that all us kids
anticipated those telecasts un-
like any other event, save may-
be Christmas or our birthdays.
The only thing in my life that
was comparable was our trip to
Disneyland. And even that was
different, although still magi-
cal in its own way. OZ was in a
class by itself, although I didn’t
recognize that at the time. Us
kids were excited for tons of
reasons, not least of which was
the fact that this was OUR film.
We ruled the TV that night. It’s
all we talked about at school for
weeks prior. I will never forget
one kid in our neighborhood
took a big roll of brown butch-
er’s paper and drew out the en-
tire Land of Oz as he saw it. It was like some mystical
scroll that showed the story from beginning to end. I
was fascinated that he could remember so much and
drew it all out. When he rolled it out on the lawn, it
seemed to stretch forever. I’ve often wondered what
happened to that kid and his scroll. Did he update it
each year? Did he keep it when he got older? Who
knows? But the fact that he went to that trouble is
a great example of just how im-
portant this film was to us kids.
Iresponded to the special ef-
fects early on. I loved the tor-
nado sequence. I thought that
was THE COOLEST thing ever.
In my naiveté I hoped for a tor-
nado to sweep in and take me
to OZ. Oh, wouldn’t that have
been great? I really thought it
could happen. As I got a little
older, I was amazed at how the
filmmakers achieved such real-
istic scenes. Some kids said it
was done with a woman’s silk
stocking. Others said it was a
big piece of cloth. Thus began
my personal search to find out
all about the film. I sought out
CONTINUED
Image provided by Kurt Raymond

magazines and books that told how that marvelous ef-
fect was achieved, as well as everything else about the
film. For a while, there was a sort of strange duality.
On the one hand I thought of OZ as a real place. On
the other hand I knew it was a movie. The power of
the film was such that it took a while realize that it was
all fantasy film about an imaginary place, not a real
place. I’m sure that was something that wasn’t easy
for many kids out there to come to grips with. Kind of
like finding out about Santa. Still, what emerged was
the realization that here was a film that was made in
a manner unlike any other. Sure, it was made in the
same way Hollywood made films back then, but OZ was
different. Everything was bigger and better, and more
colorful, than anything before. I soon discovered that
they really “don’t make ‘em like that anymore.” I also
discovered that, although I thought OZ wasn’t a real
place anymore, the film was - still is - quite magical.
Another aspect of the film which I responded to,
naturally, was its color and warmth. It was a safe
place, and Judy Garland as Dorothy was the per-
fect heroine for me. She was cute, spunky, and utterly
real. She wasn’t one of those overly affected, snarky
kids on sitcoms and in films. She was the embodiment
of what we all were, or at least what I thought we were:
Regular Mortals. She showed real courage when con-
fronted by adversity, the kind of courage we all wished
we had when facing life’s
adversities. The adversi-
ties of the kid world were
comprised of bullies,
dramas, kid worries, and
sometimes even more
adult-type issues like
family strife. Sometimes
these adversities were
imagined and sometimes
they were quite real. Yet,
Dorothy and her companions were always my friends.
They showed up each year and when they did, all of
my troubles, trials, and tribulations (whether real or
imagined) went away. Not just for the two hours it
was on TV but the rest of the night and into the next
day. Maybe even several days. The soundtrack record
helped with that. I could listen to it over and over and
imagine everything I had just seen. The fact that it
was very abridged only fueled my anticipation of the
next telecast. Then, and only then, was I able to enjoy
all of the film in all its glory. You see, all we had back
then was the MGM Records LP of the soundtrack.
For many enterprising kids, including myself, that
just wasn’t enough. Much later, I was happy to
find out that I wasn’t the only kid who took his little
cassette tape recorder, Scotch-taped the microphone
Foreword
2001 Artwork by Peter Ambush
CONTINUED

to the TV speaker, and proceeded
to record all of the movie. I did this
with the TV in our spare room. I’ve
been told by others that they shushed
everyone in their family while they
recorded it from the big TV in the liv-
ing room. The stress of stopping the
tape at the right commercial break to
flip it over and rewind that extra tape
then spool the lead in to fit so as not
to miss one second of the film was in-
tense! But it was worth it.
Iwas delighted to find out that I
was not alone in all of my experi-
ences above. Sure, I knew OZ spoke
to millions of others as it had to me,
that was obvious. But I didn’t know
that others had done just what I had
with their own tape recorders as well!
What fun to connect with people from
all over who shared my obsession (al-
though I’m loathe to use that word)
to the extent that they’d try to get as
much of OZ as possible. Nope, I’m
not the only person out there who
had the audio of the whole film mem-
orized by the time I was ten years old.
Still do!
There’s one more aspect of the
film that I responded to in the
biggest way possible: Judy Gar-
land herself. Again, like so many
others of my generation OZ was the
“gateway drug” to Judy Garland fan-
dom. Over the years people have
asked me: “Just what is it about her
that you like?” My answer: “Her
voice.” That’s what spoke to me
then and speaks to me now. That
unusual, lovely, velvet voice of hers.
The MGM Records soundtrack al-
bum to OZ was my first exposure to
Garland’s voice. Her rendition of
“Over the Rainbow” entranced
me. It’s still my favorite of all of
the versions by Garland and anyone
else. With OZ as my starting point,
I began collecting any Judy Garland
record I could get my hands on. This
was before the home video “revolu-
tion” - all that was available to a kid
saving up his allowance money were
records. That was fine with me be-
cause it was Garland’s voice that first
got to me. When I got older, videos
came along, and they were a natural
Foreword
Vintage Tape Recorder; 1960s MGM LP

extension to my enjoyment of Garland’s performanc-
es. Buying or renting her films was a dream come
true. No more trying to stay awake in the middle of
the night to catch a random broadcast of a bad print
of one of her films - only to fall asleep and miss half
of it anyway! I anticipated every new Garland video
release as I had anticipated every yearly broadcast of
OZ as a kid. Then laser discs, then DVDs, Blu-ray,
and now streaming.
The advancements in home media over the past
several decades have been staggering. The Wizard
of Oz has been gloriously restored (more than once!)
and is available in high definition for everyone to en-
joy in any setting at almost any location in the world.
We might miss the communal aspect of the once-a-
year TV airings, but that doesn’t mean the film won’t
continue its hold on our imaginations and our hearts.
Nor will it stop being a staple of childhood. What film
does every family have in their library for their chil-
dren? The Wizard of Oz, of course!
This issue of Garlands For Judy is a special ex-
panded edition in tribute to the 75th anniversa-
ry of OZ. Obviously, due to The Judy Room’s and
The Judy Garland Online Discography’s focus
on home media, the focus of this issue is also on home
media. So many
books have been
written about the
making of the film,
the psychology of
the film, the cos-
tumes (you name
it) that it would
be redundant to
relay all of that
information here.
Instead, this issue
is a celebration
of the film. Plus,
there are also
wonderful articles
by guest writers, photos, “fun stuff,” and more!
We will continue to enjoy and celebrate OZ for
years to come. Why? Because of the wonder-
ful things it does - to our hearts, our minds, and our
feelings. We will return again and again to pull open
that curtain to discover or rediscover the greatest,
most loved, most seen, most magically marvelous film
of all time.
Scott Brogan - July, 2014
Foreword
1955 Re-release Promotional Photo

If you’re looking for the best books
about the making of The Wizard of
Oz (and everything else you want-
ed to know) here are the four that I
think are the very best. The top two
are technically out of print, but can
be found very easily online. Click
on the images to order. There is also
The Judy Room’s Spotlight on OZ,
which you can access by clicking on
the screen grab below.

Margaret Hamilton,
Judy Garland, and ME!Forev e r Do r o thy
The Gifts of Oz
The Munchkin Brick
The Marvelous
Sets of Oz
Articles
J u d y o n O z Memories of Oz

Forever DorothyForever Dorothy
by Peter Mac

With the 75th anniversary just down the
yellow brick road, let me start off by
saying that The Wizard of Oz isn’t just
a film it is a way of life. It is something
that we are fed almost as soon as our
mother’s feed us our first spoonful of
applesauce. We learn to talk, we learn
to walk, we breathe it in and it becomes
part of our being, at that crucial tender
age when we are shown (if we are lucky
enough) MGM’s classic 1939 film based
on L. Frank Baum’s Beloved children’s
book.
What is the everlasting appeal of the
film? There are so many possible and
plausible answers. Yes, there is the
universal theme of L. Frank Baum’s story,
“There’s No Place Like Home” which is
certainly a component. We can all relate
to Dorothy’s three companions at one
time or another in our lives. Hoping to be
a little wiser, wanting to be a little more
compassionate and share love, and more
often than not trying to find our courage
and be a little braver. How many of us
know people who make great promises,
pretend to be more than what they really
are and turn out to be nothing but a
humbug? But at the helm, at the core of
all of it lies not with “the man behind
the curtain,” but rather in the girl behind
the gingham dress, the film’s star, Judy
Garland. I have said this many times
and with all due reverence but I do not
believe that we would be celebrating the
film as widely and lo these many decades
later had it starred the late, great Shirley
Temple.
“From now on you’ll be history!”
exclaims the Mayor of Munchkinland to
Dorothy Gale after her house squishes
the Wicked Witch of the East. Lyricist
Harold Arlen could not have known
just how prophetic he would be with that
one simple lyric. It’s everlasting and
definitive impact the role would
Forever DorothyForever Dorothy by Peter Mac
CONTINUED

have on Judy Garland’s career and her
legendary legacy ever after. Judy Garland
is to Dorothy Gale, what Julie Andrews
is to Mary Poppins, or Clark Gable is to
Rhett Butler. A perfect fit. And Judy’s
incredible talent notwithstanding so
pivotal was the crucial piece of direction
that she was given by the films (third
but brief) director George Cukor,
“Remember that you are just a little girl
from Kansas.” And so from that integral
piece of advice from director to Actress
we the audience are seeing everything
through Dorothy’s eyes; male or female,
gay or straight, 1 or 101 we are all, that
little girl from Kansas. We are on that
journey with her.
I do not believe that any of us ever quite
get over that feeling of being a frightened
child or an adolescent for that matter.
Whether it is living on the grey Kansas
prairies or in my case Elmont, Long
Island. A dreadful suburb for which I
cannot even give the credit of even being
black and white, let alone sepia toned!
It was too much to hope for a cyclone
to come and lift my house away. The
closest we ever got were some pretty
wild hurricanes. The Wizard could have
made just as easy an escape by filling his
balloon with all the hot air spewed from
the close minded, right wing conservative
bigoted homophobic Republicans in my
neighborhood.
I certainly identified with that little girl
in the blue gingham dress. Yearning to
escape the dullness of my surroundings
where I was not understood or
appreciated. And lord knows, I donned
one of my Grandma’s aprons on more
than one occasion and ruined several
pairs of sneakers by attempting to glue
red glitter to them, an old Easter basket
dangling over my arm just so I could skip
down the yellow brick road (our cement
driveway) in my imagination. I would
click those encrusted sneakers 300 times
and all I got was a red sparkly mess in our
driveway.
I was around 4 or 5 when I first saw OZ
on television for the first time. To say
that it was a religious experience would
be a gross understatement, but there is
some truth to that declaration, if you
consider the fact that for the last 12 years
I have been practicing, what several of
my friends jokingly refer to as, “Judy-
ism” on stage. Via my one person tribute
show “Judy Garland: Live in Concert
(www.FriendOfJudy.com)”.
Each and every time at one of my cabaret
shows without fail the audience springs to
life when “Judy” starts to recollect about
her time in OZ. A rush of enthusiasm
bursts through the audience as she leads
them into an impromptu a Capella sing a
long of “We’re Off to See the Wizard.”
August 27, 1938
Judy endured several hair, make-up and dress tests.
CONTINUED

I am convinced that it must trigger off the memories they have
of when they first saw the film or even the wonder they saw in
their little ones eyes as they watched it with them for the first
time.
I rarely don “Dorothy” regalia or more aptly “Re-Gale-ia”
when I perform as Judy. When the film had its first Blu-ray
release, a bunch of my friends urged me to attend a screening
in Burbank as Judy. Wearing Judy’s act two Carnegie Hall
outfit but trading out the black flats for red sequin pumps I
reluctantly indulged them. There was some murmuring when
we walked into the theater just before show time. But on
the way out we had a rush people wanting to get pictures
with “Judy” including Moms and Dads who asked if their
kids could take a picture with “Judy. The icing on the cake
was when actress Mary Jo Catlett (best known as Pearl the
housekeeper on Different Strokes) came up and asked for one.
She went on to say to the crowd of people who had gathered,
“Well, gang didn’t this just make the night?! We didn’t
just watch The Wizard of Oz we got to watch it with Judy
Garland in the audience,” and she gave me a big hug. I was
so honored to be a part of conjuring up Judy for them and to
quote the Cowardly Lion, “Shucks folks, I’m speechless!”
I recently watched an OZ documentary in which one of the
interviewees declared that Judy Garland was nothing like
Dorothy Gale in “real life” (whatever real life is). I beg to
differ. Dorothy Gale was not a far stretch from Judy’s own life
at all, now whether she was conscious of it or not may remain
to be seen. Let us examine the cold hard facts.
by Peter MacForever DorothyForever Dorothy
CONTINUED

Here we have a little country girl whisked
into the brilliant Technicolor world of
Hollywood, where there are all too many
phonies pulling the levers behind the
green velvet curtain and a plethora of
wicked witches armed with fireballs and
flying monkeys helping to carry out their
dirty work. Hmm, sound familiar?
As for The Wizard of Oz, one of the
“wonderful things it does” is that it
generally serves as a spring board for
future full-fledged ardent Judy Garland
fans. It is our introduction to her and
generally leads us to want to know more
about “Dorothy”. That certainly was
my experience. At the age of twelve I
came across an audio cassette. Anyone
remember those? Which simply read
“Judy Garland-Over The Rainbow.”
The lady on the case cover looked like
“Dorothy” but a little bit older and much
more glamorous and my Mom informed
me that yes, in fact, “Dorothy” went on
to make other movies, had a television
series, played Carnegie Hall, have
children and yes, a recording career.
My simple twelve-year-old response was,
“Dorothy made records? Like cool!”
And I was hooked!
Many a fan has asked
the question, would
Judy have catapulted
into such legendary
status if she hadn’t
played Dorothy? Well,
I can think of what
George Jessel said
when talked about the
changing of her name.
“You couldn’t have hid
that great talent if you
called her ‘Tel Aviv
Windowsill.’” Surely,
if she had been passed
over for OZ MGM
would have found
another property to show case her in.
There is no question that with that voice
and that ability Judy still would have rose
to stardom even if she had not played
“Dorothy.” But how fortunate for the
world that she did. I firmly believe that
being Dorothy was part of her destiny, it
was the star that had been hung over her
head. Corny though it may sound, it is
what we call fate.
Perhaps Carl Reiner summed it up best
when guesting on Judy’s television
series for a segment of her Tea for Two
reminiscences, “You can get to be 80
years old, lady and they’ll still think of
you as “Dorothy” and they’ll go “Oh,
Bubbeleh!” (where he proceeds to pinch
her cheeks). While Judy sadly did not
live to see her 80th year, Mr. Reiner’s
statement was anything but apocryphal.
Yes, she will always be “The World’s
Greatest Entertainer” and “Miss Show
Business” but above and beyond those
splendid and well deserved sobriquets
Judy Garland was, is and always will be
“Dorothy” forever.
CONTINUED

Peter Mac has been paying tribute
to Judy Garland via his cabaret show
“Judy Garland: Live in Concert!”
for over a decade. In 2002 he
penned his autobiographical play,
Judy and Me. The play recounted
his adolescence in a narrow minded
long Island suburb and the bullying
and homophobia he faced through
out, all of which was made bearable
through the music, wisdom and
wit of Judy Garland. In 2012 he
received the Southern California
Motion Picture Council Golden
Halo Award for “Outstanding
Achievement in Live Performances
of the Great Judy Garland”. He
was selected for the honor by
Miss Garland’s co-star in Meet Me
in St. Louis and Academy award
winner, Margaret O’ Brien and was
presented the award by both Miss
O’ Brien and Garland’s long time
friend the late great, Mickey Rooney. At the core of Mac’s
tribute to Miss Garland is his mantra “Imitation is supposed
to be the sincerest form of flattery, not battery !” Choosing
to celebrate Miss Garland’s career and legacy rather than get
cheap laughs off of her frailties
as a human being. He made his
Off Broadway debut at the age of
16 as Archie in the Jazz Musical,
Ferryboat. He returned Off
Broadway as Ricky in Ronnie
Larsen’s hit dramedy Making
Porn (a role he reprised in the
national tour). Other favorite roles
include Tony/West Side Story,
Judas/Godspell and Peter Van
Dam in the dramatic musical Anne
Frank: A Voice Heard. In 2007
he wrote his play Mrs. Scrooge
for Lara Parker (who starred
as Angelique Collins on Dark
Shadows). That same year he
published his first book, “Cinema
Salem”.He currently writes for
The Huffington Post. Being a
celebrity tribute artist is his first
love, aside from performing as La
Garland he impersonates 29 other legendary (and some not
so legendary) ladies. He shares his life with his husband, Dr.
John Schaefer and their two adorable 3 year old cats (Born
on June 10th !), Thelma and Louise.

The Marvelous Sets of Oz
MGM put all of its formidable resources behind The Wizard of Oz, including one of its most important
aspects, the sets. Everything was filmed within the confines of the easily controlled, MGM soundstages.
Cedric Gibbons and his army of artists and craftsmen came together to create the first live-action fantasy
masterpiece in color. In the end, every major soundstage at the studio was utilized. The following pages put
the spotlight on these wonderful, amazing, and marvelous sets.
Panorama created by Scott Brogan
L-R: Matte painting; soundstage; final screen image
by Scott Brogan
CONTINUED

The Marvelous Sets of Oz
Here is a map of the fabled MGM soundstages (courtesy of the book “MGM - Hollywood’s Greatest Backlot”), where endless hours
of fantasy and magic were created during Hollywood’s Golden Age. The list below notes all the soundstages (that we know of)
that were the locations of the various sets (including a few that were either never built or never used, or both). A few sets were located
on two different soundstages, which makes sense considering the various retakes that were required for some scenes/shots as well
as process/special effects shots. The information here has been gleaned from the multitude of Oz-related books, surviving studio
blueprints, and reference sheets.
STAGE 4
Witch’s Castle
(effects shots only)
STAGE 14
Various Effects Shots
STAGE 15 (the largest)
Emerald City
STAGE 25
Crossroads
(Stages 25 & 26)
Jitter Trees
(Stages 25 & 26)
STAGE 26
Apple Orchard & Tin
Woodman’s House
Cornfield
Crossroads
(Stages 25 & 26)
Draw Bridge
(Stages 26 & 28)
Exterior Hilltop
(Newcombe Shot)
Haunted Forest
STAGE 26 (continued)
Lion’s Forest
Palace Corridor
(Emerald City)
Top of Rocks
STAGE 27
Cottonwoods
& Spring
Emerald City
Munchkinland
Rock at Gates
STAGE 28
Draw Bridge
(Stage 26 & 28)
Wash & Brush Up
Company
Witch’s Entrance Hall
Witch’s Tower Room
Montage Song (Yellow
Brick Road)
STAGE 29
All of the Kansas sets
Poppy Field
CONTINUED

The set for the Gale Farm looks deceptively simple, yet
enormous at the same time. All the care that went into
the Oz sets also went into the Kansas sets. The farm took
up an entire soundstage, and included a barn (“...and a
running horse...”), farm animals, fences, and everything
else you would expect to find on a Depression-era farm.
What is brilliant about it is the fact that although it’s
supposed to be a Kansas farm circa 1939, it manages to
remain timeless.
Kansas - The Gale Farm
Above: A set reference
still of the road and
entrance to the Gale
farmhouse.
Right: An extended view
showing how the set
looks in the final film.
Widescreen image created by Scott Brogan
CONTINUED

Screenshots (above) and set reference stills (below) provide examples of
the size and scope of this marvelous set.
Kansas - The Gale Farm
Panorama created by Scott Brogan
CONTINUED

Kansas - The Ravine
Professor Marvel’s
wagon, both inside
and out, is peppered with
seemingly endless little
details, many of which
are barely seen in the final
film. It all adds immensely
to the slightly mysterious
tone of the sequence.
CONTINUED

The twister sequence is one of the most enduring of all
special effects sequences in film history. The realism still
holds up against today’s CGI effects.
At left is a screenshot that shows the side of the set with
the barn, below is a composite of screenshots showing the
cleverness of the twister effects.
Kansas - The Twister
Photo provided by Kurt Raymond
CONTINUED

Dorothy tries to get into the storm cellar, to no
avail. Lucky for us, or there wouldn’t be a
movie!
The shot at the right gives us a nice look
at Dorothy’s bedroom, complete with the
poppy wallpaper.
Kansas - The Twister
CONTINUED

Munchkinland was one of the largest sets built for the film (the Emerald City was the largest), occupying MGM’s
soundstage #27. The success of the set was pivotal because it’s the audience’s first look at the Land of Oz.
When Dorothy opens up her sepia door and steps into the Technicolored Munchkinland the effect is breathtaking.
This wonderful panorama image, created by Kurt Raymond from multiple screenshots, shows the size and beauty
of the set. Judy Garland as Dorothy looks almost as small as a Munchkin herself in comparison to the set. It
must have been a awesome sight to see in person!
Munchkinland
Panorama created by Kurt Raymond
CONTINUED

Munchkinland
Glinda (Billie Burke)
leads Dorothy
around the pond,
into the center of
Munchkinland, where
all of the action takes
place.
CONTINUED

Munchkinland
The celebration
really kicks
into high gear once
Glinda and Dorothy
reach the pond’s
podium.
CONTINUED

Munchkinland
The edge of the Munchkinland set as seen from two different vantage points. Above, a set
reference still and a reference frame. Below, the matte painting and the shot in the film
with the painting combined with the set.
CONTINUED

During the “Thorpe Reign” (the time original director Richard
Thorpe was on the film), the Scarecrow’s cornfield was a bit
different than how it looked in the final film.
First off, the yellow bricks were painted, oval bricks that had
a more fairy tale look. This is a reflection of Thorpe’s vision
for the characters and, allegedly, his approach to the actor’s
interpretations. Everything was played as a heightened fantasy.
Luckily, the film was halted, Thorpe was fired, and the costumes,
make-up, and sets went
through major changes.
Gone were the painted
oval bricks, replaced by the
rectangular real bricks as
seen in the final film. Curbs
were added to the road
as well which made more
sense for the more organized
looking rectangular bricks.
At right we see Judy in
her blonde wig and
different dress, and Ray
Bolger in his original face
mask and costume. The
alterations to both after these
scenes were shot made all
the difference in the world
to the film. Toto, naturally,
stayed true to himself!
The Cornfield
CONTINUED

This widescreen combination of screenshots shows the cleaned up set as it looks in the film.
The new bricks and the curbs make it appear much nicer and less messy.
The Cornfield
CONTINUED

Here is another screenshot combination, this time from Ray Bolger’s deleted “If I Only Had A
Brain” dance sequence.
The Cornfield
CONTINUED

The Cornfield
Before: Studio set reference still showing
the size and scope of the set.
After: The same area as seen in
the film.
Widescreen image created by Kurt Raymond
CONTINUED

Studio shots from Ray Bolger’s deleted dance sequence as well as the
duo’s initial skip to see the Wizard show more details of the set.
The Cornfield
CONTINUED

Clockwise from top left: A set
reference still; a candid shot of
Judy and Ray Bolger between takes;
the same angle as seen in the film.
The toucan on the branch of the
tree is just one of several birds
borrowed from the Los Angeles Zoo
to give the set extra flavor. Little
did they know the result would be
an urban legend that a Munchkin
hanged himself in the background.
Watching faded prints on old TV
sets and early video releases blurred
the reality that it was one of the big
birds spreading its wings!
The Apple Orchard
CONTINUED

Studio photographers captured some nice angles of the apple
orchard, as well as (top right) a set reference still.
The Apple Orchard
CONTINUED

The Tin Man’s Forest
Like the Scarecrow’s cornfield, the Tin Man’s
forest was filmed from a variety of angles. At
left is a still shot by a studio photographer during
a dress rehearsal, below is a set reference still and
a shot from the film of the same stretch of Yellow
Brick Road.
CONTINUED

Here are some studio shots showing more details of the apple orchard set
in all its glory, including before and after shots below.
The Tin Man’s Forest
CONTINUED

The Lion’s Forest set is the
most lush and I think, the
most underrated set, usually
overlooked in favor of the
Munchkinland or Emerald
City sets. The studio filled
the forest with all kinds of
wonderful vegetation and large
trees. Although the foursome
are fearsome of its darkness,
for us viewers it’s a pleasant
feast for the eyes.
Below, two set reference
stills frame a screenshot
from the film.
The Cowardly Lion’s Forest
CONTINUED

Left: The Cowardly
Lion begins his pounce
into movie legend in his
combination of screenshots.
Below: The darkened set;
the corresponding matte
painting; the final shot as seen
in the film. MGM magic at its
very best.
The Cowardly Lion’s Forest
CONTINUED

Poppies will put them to sleep! One of the most incredible tracking
shots in movie history introduced us to the gorgeous poppy field.
In this photo, you can see the split in the field of poppies allowing for
the camera (remember, these were big Technicolor cameras) to track
efficiently. You’ll never see sets like this again!
The Poppy Field
CONTINUED

The Poppy Field
Thanks to Kurt Raymond,
here is another great
image that illustrates the
scope of the set. Below, our
foursome waits between
takes; a set reference still.
Panoramic image created by Kurt Raymond
CONTINUED

Amatte
painting and
a screenshot from
the film show how
the breathtaking,
first look at the
Emerald City
(just prior to our
foursome’s run
through the Poppy
Field) was created.
The Emerald City
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
Here is the
second shot of
the Emerald City
on the horizon, as
our foursome (and
Toto, too!) make
their way through
the Poppy Field
(with some help
from Glinda).
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
More movie trickery: A matte painting, a partial set, a test combination, and the final
shot. Long before CGI, matte paintings were used extensively and in this case the
result is perfectly realized.
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
Acombination of screenshots and set reference stills show the scope of the massive Emerald City set,
the largest in the film. Top left to right: First look into the Emerald City; stand-ins wait on set in the
entrance; the Cabbie makes his entrance.
Bottom left to right: The Cabbie and the Horse of a Different Color greet our foursome; further down the
left side of the set our group makes their way to the Wash & Brush Up Company; the cast waits between
takes.
CONTINUED

Another combination of screenshots and set reference stills feature the fun “Wash & Brush Up Co.”
set. Top left to right: The camera begins its pan at the far right of the set; reference still of right
half of the set; almost identical angle seen in the film.
Bottom left to right: Dorothy’s makeover; reference still; the Cowardly Lion gets a “snip-snip here,
snip-snip there.”
The Emerald City
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
Set design stills and screenshots make for nice “before and after” pictures that again
demonstrate the creativity and genius of the set designs.
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
The hallway that leads to the mysterious
Wizard’s throne room is another matte
painting/set combination.
Who doesn’t remember the excitement, fear,
and anxiousness experienced when, as kids,
we first took that seemingly endless walk into the
unknown with Dorothy and her companions?
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
This widescreen image conveys the power and awe of the Wizard’s Throne Room set. Did you
know that the green columns that look like they might be emerald marble are actually white
sheets of cloth stretched and illuminated with green lighting?
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
The “Palace Hallway” with its highly buffed and
shined floor.
In the film, it’s a mysterious entrance complete
with doors opening ominously (above right), and
an hasty exit for the Cowardly Lion (below right).
CONTINUED

The Haunted Forest
Clockwise from top left: Studio set reference still of the Jitter Bug Forest; screenshot of the
Haunted Forest; promo photo taken during a “Jitterbug” dress rehearsal; screenshot briefly
shows the Jitter Bug Forest.
CONTINUED

The Witch’s Castle
The highly effective matte painting
of the Witch’s castle and how it
appeared on film.
CONTINUED

Here are two more
screenshots of the
castle. The brilliance
of the effect is the fact
that the castle is very
plain and dark. It’s not
overly ornate as some
might make it, but
rather it matches the
darkness of the Witch
herself.
CONTINUED

Original director Richard Thorpe’s version of the
Witch’s Tower Room was a bit different than the
final film version.
Seen here are two Thorpe set reference stills, plus
a shot taken during the Thorpe filming, with
both Judy and Margaret Hamilton in their original
costume, hair and make-up designs.
CONTINUED

The Witch’s Tower Room as seen in the final film. Aside from the obvious changes in
costume, hair, and make-up for both Judy and Margaret Hamilton, there are subtle changes
in the set as well. It also looks appropriately darker than the Thorpe version. However, not
having any Thorpe footage it’s unclear if the photos on the previous page are indicative of the
lighting in his version as it would have looked on film or if the sets were lit for stills.
CONTINUED

Above: The wonderful entrance to the Witch’s Castle; director Victor Fleming oversees
the crashed chandelier and a few unfortunate Winkie Guards. Below: The Thorpe
version of the Entrance Hall followed by the Fleming version.
CONTINUED

Before and after: The Thorpe version keeps
Dorothy’s companions in their Winkie
Guard disguises after her rescue while in the
final film they’re able to remove them while
chopping down the door to the Witch’s Tower
Room. The chandelier has also been changed
from metal to wood.
CONTINUED

This wonderful panorama created by Kurt Raymond shows the Entrance Hall set in all its
glory in the completed film. Brilliant!
CONTINUED

The courtyard of the Witch’s castle is
part massive set (below) and part matte
painting (right).
As the behind the scenes still below
proves, even a short chase scene such as
this was given the same care and attention to
detail as the bigger set pieces in the film.
CONTINUED

The “Tower & Battlement” that play such
a pivotal role in the film. The image at
the top left shows the care taken for just one
quick shot from that vantage point in the film.
Above right and below, the inside of the
tower.
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
The deleted “Triumphal Return” sequence only exists in studio stills (below); a matte
painting (above left); and a quick shot in the film’s trailer (above right).
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
The “Wizard’s Palace”
set is seen again,
this time revealing the
marvelous control panel
operated by a lovable
humbug.
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
Panoramic image created by Kurt Raymond
Another great panorama created by Kurt Raymond. Although the top part of the image consists
of a matte painting, the lower part illustrates just how huge the Emerald City set was. It was the
largest in the film, and that’s saying something!
CONTINUED

The Emerald City
Our final look at the Emerald City. Clockwise from top left: The Wizard’s balloon and
farewell; set reference still of the stairs that Glinda will float down; Glinda floats!
CONTINUED

Kansas - Dorothy’s Bedroom
Dorothy’s bedroom is warm and comfortable. Add in her family &
friends and the film ends on a warm and comfortable tone. The perfect
ending to the perfect film.

Margaret Hamilton, Judy Garland,
and ME!
By Kurt Raymond
CONTINUED

It’s common knowledge actresses Margaret Hamilton and Judy
Garland had a strong bond during the making of The Wizard of
Oz. So much so that Judy brought Hamilton her graduation dress
to show Hamilton during filming. They
would chat and talk between takes, and
you would never know that the most fear-
some villain in fantasy movie history and
the film’s protagonist got along famously
throughout the famously long shooting
schedule of the most beloved movie of
all time. Reading this information at an
early age (that Hamilton was so nice and
so different from her evil “alter ego”) lead
me to write to her at age 10, beginning
a long penpal-ship with her, and (inad-
vertently) creating the stepping stones to
what was to become (many years later)
my own career onstage and at countless
OZ events as her immortalized character
of Miss Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the
West.
After several network TV viewings of
The Wizard of Oz that began for me as
a 4 year old back in 1970, I realized that there really was not a
whole lot out there in terms of movie-related merchandise (ex-
cept the 1970 Singer/MGM LP/Book/Poster package heavily ad-
vertised on local TV stations from 1970-1976), but the MGM
soundtrack LP, a few “book and record sets” that told the story
(not the movie story), and a few different storybooks/noveliza-
tions of the L. Frank Baum story were really the only OZ toys,
etc., available to kids at that time.

But my world was to change in 1974. The
legendary toy giant MEGO Corp. re-
leased their line of film-accurate 8 inch
figures/dolls based on the MGM film,
including my beloved Wicked Witch.
I couldn’t believe my 10 year old eyes
when seeing the ad for them on TV. A
“WICKED WITCH DOLL!”… Well, my
mom and dad said a flat out “NO.” No
son of theirs was going to play with dolls.
Hmmmm....how would I get them to
buy me at LEAST the Wicked Witch. I
hemmed and hawed about the witch be-
ing the “bad villain guy” and not “a girl
doll named Dorothy” enough that finally,
when I happened to see a newspaper ar-
ticle about the dolls and Margaret Ham-
ilton was shown posing with them, my
mom said if I got three straight ‘A’s in a row, I’d finally get my
Witch doll. Well, it took a month but I did it! MEGO released
a Witch’s Castle play set soon after.
by Kurt RaymondMargaret Hamilton, Judy Garland, and ME! by Kurt Raymond
CONTINUED

I began writing to Hamilton in early 1976, much to my mother’s
chagrin, who tried to sway my OZ interest to ones that were
“better suited” for a little boy of the 1970’s, like Star Wars and
GI Joe. My dad was a little more accepting, as he was the one
who was able to obtain her address in Gramercy Park through
the courtesy of Fred Meyer, then Secretary of the International
Wizard of Oz Club. However, after my first letters and auto-
graphs from Hamilton began coming to me (it would take Ham-
ilton a few months to reply back, as she would travel from New
York to her summer home in Maine, and sometimes she would
be a little behind in fan mail). My first autograph was of Hamil-
ton melting, with the famous three looking on with Pat Walshe
and a Winkie Guard too. I had written to Hamilton that I would
run away from home had she not returned year after year during
annual OZ telecasts as the Witch I loved to hate. On the photo,
she wrote: “Don’t go, Kurt, I’ll be back, warmest wishes from
where I am! (in hell, presumably since she was melting), WWW
and Margaret Hamilton’.

The next year (and a couple Hamilton inscribed photos later),
my dad surprised me and said he would take a pic or two off
the TV during that years’ CBS telecast of the film with our new
Polaroid camera during the telecast of OZ. I was shocked, and
even though the couple of pics were very dark (and one had a
horizontal line through it), I treasured them until I got my own
Betamax copy of the film in 1980 (by selling my bicycle). In
1978-79, I hooked up my Panasonic tape recorder’s microphone
to the TV to tape the audio of the film’s CBS showings to listen
over and over again whenever I wished (and as an adult, I have
found that I was not the only fan to do this). There were no
DVD’s, VHS, or other such visual recording devices, so setting
the microphone to the TV speaker was the ONLY way to listen
Margaret Hamilton, Judy Garland, and ME! by Kurt Raymond
Hamilton poses with the Mego figurine set
CONTINUED

to the whole movie back then (something
the 35 minute MGM soundtrack could not
provide).

In addition, also in 1976-77, there was a
growth spurt of MGM-ness. Doug McClel-
land released his MGM photo book, the
fantastic “Down The Yellow Brick Road,
The Making of the Wizard of Oz” book.
Barnes and Noble AND Grossett and Dun-
lap both released storybook “movie tie-in”
editions of the film in hardcover and pa-
perback book form, and Aljean Harmetz
released her own “Making of the Wizard
of Oz” book in 1977. And, a series of OZ
Knowles Collector PLATES began in 1977
as well. All of a sudden, there was MGM
OZ everywhere! Even an OZ bed sheet
was released with all the characters in-
cluding the Wicked Witch on it! I was in OZ heaven.
A year or so before, I had been told that “Dorothy,” the in-
credible Judy Garland, had passed away a few years prior and
it resonated with me. The tragedy of losing someone so tal-
ented, so young. It was the first time a celebrity passing really
hit home, and soon after, I was given the book “JUDY” by an
aunt, so I could read just exactly who Judy Garland was. I was
saddened that I would never be able to write to Judy like I could
Miss Hamilton, and so I began writing to Hamilton more and
more, each time I would receive an autograph or a note back,
and I could tell that Hamilton DID read my letters, because they
always mentioned something special that had to do with some-
thing I wrote. That was Maggie.
I had no idea that many years later, I myself would carry on
Hamilton’s legacy of portraying her most famous role.
CONTINUED

It happened during an audition for an actual OZ stage produc-
tion, and many of us actors were waiting to audition. Back then
in the 1980s, it was unheard of for a male to portray a charac-
ter such as the Wicked Witch, so I was going to try out for the
Scarecrow. However, the other actors, to pass the time, began
talking - “What role would be your alternate if you didn’t get
what you wanted?” So, one by one, we all did impressions of the
characters. I chose the Wicked Witch, and as soon as my “I’ll
Get You My pretty, and
you’re little dog, too”
came out of my mouth,
the director and cast-
ing director walked by
and asked us; “WHO
just did the Wicked
Witch?” All the actors
pointed to me. The di-
rector came over, and
asked me what I was
auditioning for, and I
said “The Scarecrow,”
to which she replied
“Do you know how to
ride a broomstick, by
chance?” And the rest
is history.
Now, over 25 OZ productions and literally thousands of event/
party/TV/film appearances as the character later, including the
75th Warner Brothers DVD/Blu-Ray box set, here I am, still
continuing to portray the Wicked Witch of the West with every
bit of evil relish as Maggie did, and I must say, it’s been a thrill-
ing ride these last two decades.

One of the highlights of my career came in 2009, and I was
commissioned to per-
form, in Wamego, KS,
a t a 70th Anniversary
gala for the film. Miss
Hamilton’s son “Ham
Meserve” and his wife
Helen, were to attend
that weekend as well,
with Ham speaking
about his mother to a
very excited group of
OZ fans for the very
first time. During the
evening, Ham (on two
different occasions) at-
tempted to douse me
with water, first with a
glass of it, then with a full jug, much to the crowds roars
Kurt Raymond with “Ham Meserve”
CONTINUED

of laughter. It was so much fun, and a night I’ll never forget.
At the end of the night, Ham came up to me and warmly said
“Goodbye, Mom,” waved and left with Helen, who added “Your
resemblance is so perfect it’s uncanny.” Those statements nearly
made me fall over.
Thank you Maggie, Judy, Ray, Jack, Bert, Billie, Frank, Char-
ley, Clara, Jerry, Margaret P. and Terry/Toto, because of you,
I would not be who I am today.
Kurt Raymond is known in the Oz community as ‘The Master
Oz Impressionist’. For over 20 years, his portrayal of Margaret
Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of the West has been enjoyed by Oz
fans of all generations. In addition to over 25 credits as Miss
Gulch/Wicked Witch in large stage productions of The Wizard
of Oz, Raymond is currently featured on the recent 75th Anni-
versary edition of the Warner Brothers Wizard of Oz DVD/Blu-
Ray, appearing (in costume) as the Witch in the documentary/
featurette “Because of the Wonderful Things He Does, The
Legacy Of Oz” for his contribution to the everlasting legacy of
Hamilton in the 1939 film. In 2013, he appeared on the A&E TV
show “Storage Wars”, as an authority/appraiser of Oz collect-
ibles, and is an avid Oz collector himself.

The Gifts of Oz
By Dewey Mee
CONTINUED

THE FIRST TIME
I honestly do not remember the first time I saw MGM’s The Wizard
of Oz. I do know I first saw Judy Garland before I saw OZ. I first
saw Judy in The Harvey Girls, sometime between the ages of three
and four. Even at that young age, I knew someone special when I saw
them. I thought Judy was beautiful. I loved music and I loved her
singing voice. And something within me responded to the undaunt-
ed spirit of her character of Susan. When she lands in the “bare and
blistered end of creation” of Sandrock, Judy as Susan proclaims, “The
Constitution guarantees the pursuit of happiness, but it’s up to me to
do the pursuing.” I absolutely loved Judy. I think I loved her in an
instant.
When I first saw The Wizard of Oz, (certainly at a young age, during
an annual TV broadcast on CBS or NBC) I immediately recognized
Judy from The Harvey Girls. Now she was Dorothy. Still lovely,
singing and spunky. And smart enough to leave Kansas when her
dog Toto’s life was threatened. And she sang “Over The Rainbow,”
the most beautiful song I had ever heard. The Wicked Witch who
pursued Dorothy, Toto, and friends gave me serious nightmares, but
I was, nevertheless, hooked for life! I always adored the Coward-
ly Lion because Bert Lahr is so vivid, bright, and funny. But I am
most connected to Dorothy, Toto, and Judy Garland. What follows
is the story of my journeys through OZ (Baum and MGM) and the
power of emotional connections. As a movie mesmerized child, I had
no way of knowing how OZ would impact and effect my entire life.
MGM’s version of OZ, actually, sent me on alternate journeys that
went far beyond the rainbow and beyond the movie itself.
The Gifts of Oz By Dewey Mee
CONTINUED

THE EVENT OF THE YEAR
Before our “instant media” age, you could only watch OZ once a
year; during the annual TV broadcast. And every year as the broad-
cast date approached, I was hyper-excited, screaming “IT IS COM-
ING ON.” My mother usually replied with a stern, Auntie Em-like,
“Calm down, now!” Next to my birthday and Christmas and Santa
Claus, OZ was the EVENT of the year! My family was amused by
my OZ hysteria, so the annual OZ broadcast became a family event as
well. Growing up, my parents were separated. But Daddy, as I called
him, stayed in the same town and was just a phone call away at any
time. He always came to watch OZ with me.
You see, I needed to, literally, hide behind Daddy because Margaret
Hamilton’s Wicked Witch terrified me. One year, I was so freaked
out when the Witch snarled, “When I gain those Ruby Slippers, my
power will be the greatest in OZ!,” Daddy said, “This is only a mov-
ie. If you continue like this, I’ll turn it off.” “NO! DON’T TURN IT
OFF!”. Eventually, waiting for the annual TV broadcast became too
painful. So I HAD to have the MGM Soundtrack Album LP with
gatefold sleeve and dialogue and music excerpts. The charming LP
record album was great for an OZ fix, but it was only forty one min-
utes long! Years later, I learned I wasn’t the only OZ fan who placed a
tape recorder by the TV speakers to record the sound of the ENTIRE
movie; to play all year long. I was even more clever. Using multiple
tape recorders, I created multiple tapes with MY VOICE perfectly
dubbed over Judy’s, so I could play Dorothy. By the time I dubbed
my voice over Judy’s, my family knew I was “OZ CRAZY.”
1980 TV Guide Ad
CONTINUED

INSPIRED BY OZ
I grew up, but never far away
from “OZ.” I continued to watch
the movie, but now in my own
apartments, in college dorm
rooms, and even group homes. I
loved the OZ dolls issued in the
1970’s. Years later, I thrilled to
the OZ 50th and 75th Anniversary
books, and the release of OZ on
VHS, DVD, and, most recently,
stunning Blu-Ray. But growing
up, like most OZ and Judy fans,
I wanted more than the MGM
movie. I’m forever grateful that
the MGM movie led me to L.
Frank Baum and his original OZ
Books series. I always thought
the MGM movie “dream” ending
was a terrible lie. Judy even
says, with intense conviction, “It
wasn’t a dream. This was a real,
truly live place.” Baum’s books
told me that Judy was right. OZ
is “a real, truly live place” with
more adventures and characters not in a single movie. But the
MGM movie also took me to darker areas than OZ. I wanted
to know about Judy Garland. My mother, with understandable
caution, bought me a copy of
Christopher Finch’s biography
“Rainbow.” After that and a
barrage of other biographies had
dissected the ups and downs of
Judy’s roller coaster existence,
after the autobiographical highs
and lows in A Star Is Born and
I Could Go On Singing, after
wonderful record albums and
awe-inspiring performances on
video, I easily separated Judy
and Dorothy. Dorothy is a lovely
role, but only an aspect of Judy’s
deeper and richer legacy. Baum’s
OZ Books gave me a wonderful
place to dream and stay safe in
when real life was too much.
Judy became an inspiring muse
who taught me how to survive
and thrive when you must deal
with, and can not escape, real
life. Of course, Baum and Judy
never met. But they are forever
connected in an eternal time-
space continuum; their individual
legacies criss-crossing in 1938-1939. I like to think that Baum
knows all about MGM’s OZ and he is as deeply moved by Judy
Garland’s beautiful performance as we all are.
CONTINUED

HOME, FRIENDS AND MY LITTLE DOGS, TOO
Baum writes, “It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and
saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings.”
I had a complete connection to Dorothy. My dad was a veteri-
narian and he gave me my love of animals; especially dogs. We
also lived in a small, rural farming valley and, growing up, I
HATED it. I thought our valley was as dull, lifeless, and unin-
teresting as Kansas. I instinctively understood why Dorothy, in
MGM’s movie, would do anything to protect her “Toto darling”
dog baby from the clutches of awful Miss Gulch. I understood
why Dorothy wanted OUT of Kansas. Our valley was also rather
windy; with bitingly cold and powerful wind gusts. I wished our
wind gusts would blow up into a powerful Cyclone that would
blow ME and a little black dog to the Technicolor paradise of
OZ. And, once there, we would never return.
I’ve always had “little black dogs.” This may have been a direct
result of Baum’s influence. Tigger was my childhood dog, who
protected my family with the loyalty of a saint. Decades later,
Lucky Dog arrived, unplanned, into my adult life. Lucky Dog
changed everything. This was a life and soul connection. Lucky
Dog was my constant companion and protector through a dra-
matic, joyous, and turbulent decade. When Lucky Dog died so
suddenly in 2013, I was torn apart from the inside out. My sub-
sequent depression was so severe, it was life threatening. With
misgivings and duress, I finally visited a Humane Society. A
small black dog named Miss Emily was placed in my lap, She fit
easily and seemed comfortable there. “Oh, she looks like Lucky
and Toto,” I wept. “Toto??” the volunteer asked, “The dog in
The Wizard of Oz?” “Yes,” my friend told her. “It’s his favorite
story.”
Miss Emily and I have only begun our time together. I don’t
know yet what adventures we shall have. But, like Dorothy, I
have always had a small black dog by my side. Tigger, Lucky
Dog, and Miss Emily are all my “Toto darling.” After a turbulent
2013, my notions of myself, home, family and friends changed
drastically. I’m still in the same, small rural valley. But I appre-
ciate the security and stability of my life here. I value a small
group of friends. I don’t hate it anymore, because I can escape it.
CONTINUED

Baum eventually grew tired of bringing Dorothy back and forth
in the OZ books. So he put her in OZ forever in “The Emer-
ald City Of Oz” giving her the best of all worlds with her OZ
friends, and Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Ozzily enough, I travel
about twice a month to Seattle, WA. It is nicknamed “The Em-
erald City.” I have a totally different group of friends there who
work in the Seattle theatre community. A few of them have ap-
peared in stage productions of MGM’s OZ. In response to my
2013 holiday note, my dear friend Greg Allen, who I first saw as
the Scarecrow in 2004, wrote me, “Your Seattle family is grateful
for YOU, too.” This hit me as a full-force emotional revelation.
Home isn’t, and doesn’t have to be, one physical place. Home is
anywhere you know yourself, where you are loved and supported
unconditionally by friends who ARE family. As in Baum’s OZ
books, after a long journey, I do have the best of everything. And
I am eternally grateful for all The Gifts Of OZ throughout
my life.
50th Anniversary VHS wooden table-top promotional display
70th anniversary DVD/Blu-ray promotional photo

JUDY ON OZ
by Randy L. Schmidt 1980s Poster Art
CONTINUED

JUDY ON OZ
“A book for which publishers have been angling for years
has been signed and sealed,” proclaimed Random House
in a press release dated January 4, 1960. “We expect
that The Judy Garland Story will be our ACT ONE
for 1960,” added publisher Bennett Cerf. What
promised to be the book deal of the decade was
personally negotiated by Cerf during a visit to Judy
Garland’s room at Manhattan’s Doctors Hospital,
where she spent seven weeks near the end of 1959.
“Those great, hypnotic brown eyes of hers were
not there.” recalled Judy’s ghostwriter Freddie
Finklehoffe, a longtime friend and Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer scenarist. “Just little
dark spots, sunken in the fat and bloat of
her face. Those famous legs, the ankles
of a gazelle, were fat and heavy and she had
trouble getting into her shoes. . . . [The doctors]
announced the verdict. Sid [Luft] told me.
‘Hepatitis and very bad.’ That’s what he told Judy. But
he was lying to her as he lied to me. She had cirrhosis of the
liver—and very bad.” With physicians prescribing retirement
and saying she’d forever be a “semi-invalid,” the 37-year-old’s
career seemed at its end.
It has been said that husband Sid Luft pitched Judy’s
autobiography to Bennett Cerf as soon as he realized his
wife would not be fit to return to performing and
touring anytime soon, and maybe never. Upon
signing the book deal with Random House, Judy
was reportedly paid an advance in the amount of
$35,000. Cerf later recalled an advance of $20,000
to be split with Finklehoffe. Either way, Judy
never saw a dime. Some say it was later that same
day that Sid bet and lost the entire sum at the
horse races.
“There have been a lot of stories written
about me . . . some of them fantastically
distorted,” Judy announced in a press
statement made from her hospital bed.
“This book is going to set the record
straight.” Still terribly ill, she was discharged
on January 5, 1960, and returned to Los Angeles
to begin what promised to be a lengthy recuperation period.
Recalling the incident a year later, Judy said: “You want to
know something funny? I didn’t care. All I cared about was
that my children needed me. Suddenly the pressure was off.
I just laid there, watched TV, read novels, and thought, no
more pills ever, now I’m free. I’ll find a way to be happy.”
by Randy L.
Schmidt
Image: 1993 Standee Head by Annal Bell
CONTINUED

JUDY ON OZ by Randy L.
Schmidt
Judy may have lost the ability to sing, but it was during
this time that she found another voice. Working closely
with Finklehoffe, she recorded a number of stories and
reminiscences on audio tape. Random House execs expected
a quick turnaround, but on September 26, 1960, Cerf stated
in a letter published in the Garland Gazette, a fan club
journal, that he’d “not yet seen one line of manuscript of the
Judy Garland autobiography.”
In an effort to appease the publisher, Finklehoffe soon
delivered 65 pages of rough draft, but the project with
Random House soon fizzled as Judy made a full recovery,
abandoned the book, and returned to work. According to
Cerf, Finklehoffe “vanished into thin air. I hoarded those
pages, and every once in a while, Judy would say, ‘I’m really
going to finish that, you know.’ She felt very guilty about
it. She’s a good girl. She doesn’t mean to do unforgivable
things, but she is absolutely discombobulated between liquor
and pills.” Random House eventually reclaimed its advance
when it sold Judy’s story to McCall’s and Finklehoffe’s pages
came together to create a two-part feature for the magazine
in 1964. “We got back our money and a little bit more,” Cerf
said. “But there’s no book.”
February 29, 1940: Mickey Rooney gives Judy a congratulatory kiss for
her Juvenile Oscar win for “The Wizard of Oz.”
CONTINUED

Schmidt
It was an angry, bitter, and obviously over medicated Judy
who revisited the idea of an autobiography during the spring
of 1964, following the cancellation of her CBS television
series. “I’m going to talk,” she demanded. “And somebody’s
going to print this. Even if I have to put up the money
myself, I’ll print it in a little book . . . maybe somebody will
read it . . . and maybe somebody will learn a little of the
truth of this so-called legend! That’s what I’m supposed to
be, a legend. Judy Garland. Alright, then read about her.
Read the truth, though!”
Again, during the summer of 1966, Judy took
time to record more of her memories and
thoughts to tape. “I think that I have every
right to write a book,” she said. “I think I’m
interesting. I have perspective about me.” The
earliest recordings made during this period were
thoughtful and honest, but quickly took on a
more jaded and resentful tone. “I’d like to expose
a lot of people who deserve it [. . .] and I’d also
like a few questions answered . . . questions that
I’m sure I’ll find my own answers to by talking
about things that I’ve buried within myself too
long. . . . Why? Why did the agents do this? Why
did M-G-M behave the way they did? Why have
the newspapers printed such idiotic and messy stories? Why
was I not allowed to talk? Why was I overworked? Why was
I . . . I think I know why. I just don’t think anybody’s ever
taken the time to listen.”
At times Judy was clearly in a narcotized state and even
became enraged. She took to screaming and shouting into
the recorder, saying, “I’m not something you wind up and
put on the stage that sings Carnegie Hall album and you
put her in the closet [. . .] I’m gonna write a book,
and I’m gonna talk, because I can do something
besides sing, you know. I don’t always have to sing
a song. There is something besides ‘The Man That
Got Away’ or ‘Over the Rainbow’ or ‘The Trolley
Song.’ There’s a woman. There are three children.
There’s me! There’s a lot of life going here. I wanted
to believe and I tried my damnedest to believe in
the rainbow that I tried to get over and I couldn’t.
SO WHAT!”
Judy phoned Cerf again in 1966, but her pleas for
another book deal were not met with any sort of
monetary advance from the publisher as she hoped.
“I’ve always loved Judy Garland,” Cerf said the
following year. “She is an irresistible little woman—
2013 “Bobble Head”
CONTINUED

Schmidt
but one of the most tragic in the world. I’m sure that one day
she’s going to do herself in.”
That would be Judy’s last effort to tell her own story.
Discouraged, but easily distracted, she put the elusive book
project back on the shelf. “When you have lived the life
I’ve lived,” she explained in 1967, “when you’ve loved and
suffered, and been madly happy and desperately sad—well,
that’s when you realize you’ll never be able to set it all down.
Maybe you’d rather die first.”
For all the chaotic tirades, there were moments of
passion and tenderness, too, with Judy seeming genuinely
determined and eager to tell her story. “I can guarantee
you,” she said in her final tapes, “even if I have to form a new
publishing company and write this book, it’s going to be one
hell of a great—everlastingly great—book with humor, tears,
fun, emotion, and love.” She even toyed with ideas for a
book title. She wittily told daughter Liza Minnelli her story
would be titled Ho-Hum: My Life, and revealed to others
that it might be called simply Judy, or So Far So Good, or
And Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Judy Garland.
“How’s your autobiography coming?” Judy was asked in
1968. “It’s been quite a packed-in life,” she answered.
2009 Kansas Lottery Ticket
CONTINUED

Schmidt
“It will take years.” Fueled by episodes of despair, stalled
in moments of hope, Judy’s efforts to compose an
autobiography were inadequate and never resulted in much
more than a few tapes of recorded rants and reminiscences.
She abandoned her work repeatedly, and even Finklehoffe’s
sixty-five-page manuscript for Random House never
amounted to much more than a disarranged transcription
of the tapes the two made in 1960. With all such ventures
incomplete, stalled, or suspended by the time of her death
in 1969, it seemed as though Judy’s telling of her life story
would never come to fruition—until now.
Judy Garland on Judy Garland: Interviews and Encounters
is the closest we will come to experiencing and exploring the
legend’s planned autobiography. Collecting and presenting
the most important Garland interviews and encounters that
took place between 1935 and 1969, this work opens with her
first radio appearance under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer, and concludes with her last known interview, one
taped for Radio Denmark just months before her death.
What makes this collection unique is that it places Judy
in the role of storyteller. She wrote a number of essays for
various publications and sat for countless print, radio, and
television interviews. These and other autobiographical
efforts she made are proof that Judy Garland wanted her
story told in her own words.
Behind the scenes
CONTINUED

Schmidt
For this special OZ issue of Garlands for Judy, here’s a
preview of the new book. The following are some of my
favorite quotes of Judy’s relating to The Wizard of Oz —
ENJOY!
“Of course I want to be beautiful! And Adrian—he’s doing
my costumes— says I am going to be beautiful in [The
Wizard of Oz]! And I want to grow up to be very beautiful,
too. Only I probably won’t. But I do try.” — Hollywood, 1938
“[Oz] was always my favorite story, only I never dared even
dream that someday I’d be playing Princess Dorothy on the
screen. And to make things even better, I’m willing to be a
blonde. I’ll bet every girl in the world with dark hair wishes
she could have long, golden tresses. Well, I’ve tried mine
on, and I can’t even recognize myself in the mirror. I begged
Mr. [Jack] Dawn, head of the makeup department, to let me
wear my blonde hair to school but he thought it would be
better to wait and spring it as a surprise when the picture
starts. I suppose he’s right.” — Picturegoer, 1939
“Billie Burke is Glinda, the Good, so beautiful you’ll gasp!
She comes into all the scenes in a big, glittery pink bubble,
and it’s just breathless! Don’t ask me how it’s done. I still
don’t know. I really half believe in magic after Oz! All of the
scenes in Oz are in Technicolor, you know—such colors as
even rainbows never dreamed of!” — Child Life, 1939
“Ever since The Wizard of Oz, I’ve been accused of being
twelve years old. You should see some of the disappointed
looks I get, when people lay eyes on me in person. They
expect someone in gingham, with braids, to come out
singing ‘Over the Rainbow.’ And out I come, instead. I think
some of them are pretty angry with me, too, for not wearing
braids, and not dressing like Dorothy, and not being eleven
or twelve. They’ve written in about it.” — Motion Picture,
1940
“I wanted to stay like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Life
wasn’t as complicated then. But I can’t help growing up.
No one can. Time won’t stop and life won’t stand still. But
I have a feeling that if I just look backward once in a while
at Dorothy, if I am off beat in any way, I’ll get back on the
sound track again. . . . Dorothy and I thought a lot alike
when I made The Wizard of Oz. I like to think we still do.”
— Unknown publication, April 1944
CONTINUED

Schmidt
“That entire production is precious to me. It aroused my
imagination and it all seemed like a fairy dream come
true. Also, it is ever the reminder of the most sensational
moment of my career—the
night of the Academy Award
dinner when Mickey Rooney
presented me with the golden
Oscar. The lump in my throat
was so big when I sang ‘Over
the Rainbow’ that I sounded
more like ‘Flip the Frog’ than
the most excited girl in all
Hollywood. And I’ll never
forget how Mickey came to my
rescue, for I was so nervous I
thought I’d faint. He practically
held me up through the second
chorus.” — Movie Life, 1952
“They recorded [‘Over the Rainbow’] and I sang it, and then
they shot the scene. And then when the picture was finished,
you know, they take pictures out and preview them; sneak
previews here and there in different towns. And they didn’t
think that it was a very good idea to have the song in the
movie. They seemed to feel that it would hold things up. So
I think after possibly four or five previews with the song out
they finally thought, Well, OK,
we’ll leave it in.” — Make Believe
Ballroom, radio interview, 1962
“Both men and women connect
me with Dorothy in The Wizard
of Oz, and they have a protective
attitude toward me, which is
rather sweet.” — McCall’s, 1964
“I suppose the song ‘Somewhere
Over the Rainbow’ in The
Wizard of Oz is what people
most associate with me. But most
people associate a rainbow with
the fairytale crock of gold. I never
sought for gold. What I have sought is what the little girl
I portrayed in the film was searching for in that land over
the rainbow—happiness, contentment and peace of mind.
During these last few months, I seem to have found them.”
— Titbits, 1965
Behind the scenes
CONTINUED

Schmidt
“One of [the actors playing Munchkins] who was about 40,
a gentleman, asked me for dinner. And I couldn’t say, ‘I don’t
wanna go out. I can’t because you’re a midget.’ I just said,
‘No, my mother wouldn’t like it.’ And he said, ‘Ah, come on.
Bring your ma, too!’ — A Funny Thing Happened on the Way
to Hollywood, TV interview, 1967
“[Am I] tired of ‘Over the Rainbow?’ Listen, it’s like getting
tired of breathing. The whole premise of the song is a
question. A quest. At the end, it isn’t, ‘Well, I’ve found my
world and I am a success and you and I will be together.’ The
lyric is having little bluebirds ‘fly over the rainbow. Why, oh,
why can’t I?’ It represents everyone’s wondering why things
can’t be a little better.” — Press conference, 1967 “I have three
children and even I have had to reassure them when I’m
sitting beside them that I haven’t been stolen by the witch.
It’s a wonderful movie, though. They show it every year in
America.” — Radio Denmark interview, 1969
Judy Garland on Judy Garland: Interviews and
Encounters (ISBN: 9781613749456) is the latest book in
the “Musicians in Their Own Words” series from Chicago
Review Press, and is due out September 2014! For more
information, please visit www.randylschmidt.com or search
for the book’s Facebook page.

In the early 90’s an Oz gathering was held at the
Culver Hotel, sponsored by Elaine Willingham of
the Beyond-the-Rainbow collectibles newsletter.
In attendance were some of the then-surviving
Munchkins, who had boarded at the hotel in 1938.
The artist sister of a friend had a unique way of
requesting autographs of the little people; she came
prepared with a number of hand-painted yellow bricks
for the Munchkins to sign. Apparently they were
delighted to do so.
A few days later I received this autographed yellow
brick as a most wonderful and unexpected gift. It has
been a treasured memento all these years, especially
as individual signers have passed away. The brick
displays the signatures of six original Munchkins and
two Munchkin spouses, i.e., “Munchkins by marriage.”
It is very hard to impress my teen-aged niece, so it’s
gratifying to see her handle the brick with a bit of awe
and wonder in her eyes.
Signatures: Elizabeth Maren, Jerry Maren Lollipop
Kid, Mickey Carroll [fiddler/town crier/soldier], Ruth
R. Duccini [villager], Clarence Swenson [soldier],
Myrna Swenson, Karl Slover 1st Trumpeter [soldier/
sleepyhead villager] and Margaret Pellegrino
[sleepyhead/flower pot]
THE STORY OF THE MUNCHKIN BRICK
by Randy Henderson

Films and the making of movies have always interested me grow-
ing up. Even at a young age, I was trying to get in contact with TV
stations and film companies to find out info about their films, like
special effects on a Disney movie for example. Since 2005, I have
been able to interview a number of different historians, authors, and
impersonators who have committed part of their life to some aspect
of the movie. It may be an impersonator, a character such as Dorothy
or the Wicked Witch or maybe it was someone writing a book about
Oz, everyone one of us has been connected some way or some how
to the film. As a child - I somewhat became obsessed with the 1939
film and the Disney movie Return to Oz - not just because of the story,
but because the music was so brilliantly written and the set magically
transformed all of us to Oz and back home again.
When Judy Garland walked out (from the sepia tone setting) the door
into what was known as Technicolor, everything just seemed like
you were really there! With the amazing technology now with War-
ner Brothers, the film has already been released on blu-ray and most
recently last fall, on to 3-D. It is hard to believe that even 75 years
later a film this magical could even look this stunning in IMAX 3-D
as it was presented for a week in theaters across the nation last fall.
The Wizard of Oz is important to me for the reason why it connects
both me and so many others, because the story never grows old. Even
before the movie starts, in the opening credits it was said that it was
dedicated for those of us who are young at heart. Throughout the
years it has become a tradition, to have watched the movie around
Thanksgiving every year. For me personally, I have been able to col-
lect Oz collectibles as well as sharing my knowledge by raising money
to produce a documentary about the Oz community. After speaking
to friend Stephen Sisters who created a model of the Munchkinland,
I was encouraged to attend additional events and film other noted
Oz individuals for a documentary about the world of Oz. I spent a
few years traveling, preparing, editing and working with my close
friend Landon Parks who is the associate producer of the film. After
starting a campaign on Kickstarter, I was able to raise over $2,000 to
help underwrite production costs to create, “The Wonderful World of
Oz: Celebrating the Oz Community.” The film is also professionally
narrated by voice actor Jason McCoy. Those interested can go online
to my Oz fan site at www.thewizardofozfilm.com for more and or to
wwww.thewonderfulworldofoz.com/dvd.htm to order the film and is
also available on amazon.com.
Aaron Pacentine, owns
the online site Fami-
lyFilmsProductions.
com and sells and
promotes family
related movies, and
has a large online
site focused on the
Wizard of Oz at
www.thewizardo-
fozfilm.com More
info on his Wiz-
ard of Oz docu-
mentary can be
viewed at www.
thewonder-
fulworldofoz.
com. He lives
in Indianap-
olis, Indiana
and is orig-
inally from
southern
California.
OZ MEMORIES by Aaron Pacentine

Garlands for Judy - The Wizard of Oz 75th Anniversary Edition 89Garlands for Judy - The Wizard of Oz 75th Anniversary Edition 89CONTINUED
Home Media Through The Years

When The Wizard of Oz premiered in August of 1939 the “home
media market” didn’t exist as we know it today. The world was still
in the last few years of The Great Depression, and the only “media”
common in most homes was a piano and a radio.
Records had been gaining in popularity, but not to
the extent that they would in the post-war years to the
present. Sheet music was still the most popular form of
home media. Naturally The Wizard of Oz sheet music
was heavily marketing in music stores. That was pretty
much it.
The first OZ records were not taken from the film’s
pre-recordings, but were studio recordings made at
the Decca Records studios, where Judy Garland was
under contract and had been recording studio versions
of her movie songs and other popular songs of the day,
all for release on 78rpm singles. The Decca OZ album
was Garland’s first album released by the label. Two
more Garland albums, plus a reissue of the Oz album,
would be released before her departure from the
label in 1947. “The Musical Score from Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer’s Technicolor Triumph The
Wizard of Oz” was originally released by Decca
Records in March 1940. Judy only appeared on
the two singles included in the album: “Over
the Rainbow” (Decca #DLA 1840-A) and “The
Jitterbug” (Decca #DLA 1841-A), both recorded
on July 28, 1939 and released in September
1939. The “vocal trio” who accompany Judy
on “The Jitterbug” are none other than Harold
Arlen as The Scarecrow, with Bud Lyon as The
Tin Man, & Garney Bell as The Lion. The rest
of the songs on the album were recorded by
The Ken Darby Singers on July 29, 1939. “Over
the Rainbow” peaked on The Hit Parade at #5.
Decca re-released the OZ album with cover
art in 1947.
Albums of songs as they were recorded for the films themselves did
not become a home media market until 1947. At that time, MGM
Records began releasing soundtracks of their most popular musicals
of just eight numbers from those films. The three to
four minute maximum time on 78rpm records, and the
four-record eight-sided albums, were the standard of
the day. “Long playing” records didn’t appear for a few
years.
Finally, in 1956, and to coincide with the television
premiere of The Wizard of Oz on the CBS network
(the final installment of the “Ford Star Jubilee” series
of specials November 3, 1956), MGM Records released
“Musical and Dramatic Selections Recorded Directly
from the Soundtrack of MGM’s Technicolor Picture
The Wizard of Oz.” The album was a milestone. It was
the first time a musical soundtrack has been released
in an expanded format that included songs and dialog
to create a listening experience that reflected the
experience of viewing the film (MGM Record’s
1951 soundtrack of Quo Vadis was the first
to include music and dialog from a film on a
soundtrack). A scant 45 minutes long, it seems
short by today’s standards but this was the first
release of Judy’s one-of-a-kind film performance
of “Over the Rainbow” on record. MGM Records
re-released the soundtrack over the years until
the CD era took hold in the late 1980s.
Throughout the 1950s, 60s and into the 70s, the
only available OZ home media were the album
reissues, sheet music, and shortened 8mm film
versions. Some collectors were able to get their
hands on 16mm prints of the film for private
home use but those were certainly not marketed
as home media releases to the general public.
Things changed dramatically once the 1980s hit.
HOME MEDIA THROUGH THE YEARS
CONTINUED

SHEET MUSIC - 1939
CONTINUED

SHEET MUSIC
CONTINUED

Garlands for Judy Special Issue: The Wizard of Oz 75th Anniversary (Judy Garland)

Garlands for Judy Special Issue: The Wizard of Oz 75th Anniversary (Judy Garland)

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