Aunt Em facts for kids

Aunt Em is a character from the famous Oz books. She is the aunt of Dorothy Gale and the wife of Uncle Henry. They all live together on a farm in Kansas.

In the first book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Aunt Em is described as once being "young" and "pretty." But her hard life on the farm made her look older than her years. At first, she seemed a bit distant from Dorothy. She would even "scream" when Dorothy laughed loudly. However, by the end of the story, her true feelings show. When Dorothy returns home, Aunt Em cries out, "My darling child!" and gives her many kisses. This shows how much she truly loves Dorothy. Dorothy loves her aunt just as much, asking her magic Silver Shoes to "Take me home to Aunt Em!"

Aunt Em's Life in the Oz Books

Aunt Em spends most of her life working on farms. In The Emerald City of Oz, she mentions raising chickens for almost forty years! When their farm faces money problems, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and Dorothy decide to move to the magical Land of Oz for good. They settle in the beautiful Emerald City.

Princess Ozma, the ruler of Oz, gives Aunt Em a special job. She becomes the "Royal Mender of the Stockings of the Ruler of Oz." This job helps keep her busy and gives her a purpose in her new home.

Aunt Em has a sister who is married to Bill Hugson. The books don't clearly state if Aunt Em or Uncle Henry is Dorothy's blood relative. It's also possible that "Aunt" and "Uncle" are just loving terms for a foster family. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry do not have any children of their own.

Aunt Em appears less often than Uncle Henry in the Oz books. However, she has a bigger part in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. Later authors like Ruth Plumly Thompson gave her only small mentions. But she had bigger roles in books by John R. Neill and Jack Snow.

In The Emerald City of Oz, Aunt Em finds it hard to get used to Oz. She asks for a simple room and plain clothes. She even accidentally offends Billina, a talking chicken, by talking about eating chickens! Uncle Henry, who has seen more of the world, finds it easier to accept Oz. But eventually, Aunt Em realizes she "ha[s] been a slave all [her] life." She becomes ready for her life to change.

She also appears in some books by authors who continued the Oz series, like Eric Shanower's The Giant Garden of Oz.

Aunt Em in Movies and TV Shows

Aunt Em has been played by many different actors in various movies and TV shows.

The Wizard of Oz (1925 Film)

In this early film, Mary Carr played Aunt Em. She is shown as Uncle Henry's wife, just like in the book.

The Wizard of Oz (1939 Film)

In this famous movie, she is called "Auntie Em" and her real name is Emily. She and Uncle Henry (Charley Grapewin) are busy counting chicks. Aunt Em tells Dorothy not to bother them with her worries. The farmhands call her "Mrs. Gale," and the name "Gale" is on their mailbox. This suggests that Henry is Dorothy's blood uncle, and Em is his wife.

When Miss Almira Gulch (the Wicked Witch's alter ego) comes to take Toto, Aunt Em stands up to her. She tells Miss Gulch that owning land doesn't mean she can control everyone. Aunt Em is seen calling for Dorothy during the tornado. She then takes shelter with Uncle Henry. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are the only main characters who only appear in the Kansas part of the movie. However, Aunt Em is later seen in the Wicked Witch's crystal ball, still looking for Dorothy. She reunites with Dorothy and the others when Dorothy wakes up.

Clara Blandick played Aunt Em in this film.

Journey Back to Oz (1974 Animated Film)

Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch in the 1939 film, voiced Aunt Em in this animated movie. Uncle Henry was voiced by Paul Ford. They have a farmworker named Amos, who does not have a magical alter ego in Oz.

The Wiz (1978 Film)

Theresa Merritt played Aunt Em in this movie, which is based on the Broadway musical. Later, Stephanie Mills played the role in The Wiz Live! after playing Dorothy in the original Broadway show.

Return to Oz (1985 Film)

Piper Laurie plays Aunt Em in this movie. She looks different from the book's description, appearing younger and blonde. This film shows more of Aunt Em's worries after the tornado. She is concerned about their farm's finances and Uncle Henry's lack of work. She also scolds Dorothy for talking about Oz. Aunt Em takes Dorothy for a special treatment to help her stop talking about Oz. In this film, Dr. Worley calls her "Mrs. Blue," which is different from the "Gale" last name in the 1939 movie. A deleted scene showed a newspaper clipping confirming their last name as "Blue." In another deleted scene, Aunt Em calms Dorothy by "painting" colors on her face.

Other Appearances

• In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Queen Latifah played Aunt Em, who owned a diner.
• The VeggieTales episode The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's featured a father (Dad Asparagus) instead of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to retell a Bible story.
• Lucie Arnaz performed as Aunt Em in The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True.
• Frances Conroy voiced Aunt Em in the animated film Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz.
• Aunt Em appears in the TV series Once Upon a Time, played by Gina Stockdale. In this version, she believes Dorothy's stories about Oz when others don't. Her maiden name is revealed to be Emily Brown.
• Aunt Em is also a character in the video game Lego Dimensions.

See Also

• Dorothy Gale
• Uncle Henry (Oz)