John Fricke facts for kids

John Fricke, born on November 30, 1950, is a special kind of historian and author. He knows a lot about the famous movie The Wizard of Oz and the amazing singer and actress Judy Garland.

John Fricke grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He went to John Marshall High School. Later, he studied Journalism at Northwestern University. He even worked in advertising for a theater called Melody Top. In 2007, he was in a documentary film called Return To Oz: The Joy That Got Away.

In 2008 and 2010, John Fricke helped create a special concert series. It was called "Judy Garland in Concert." For these shows, he chose songs and old film clips of Judy Garland. Her live performances were shown on huge screens. Orchestras, like the Boston Pops, played music along with her famous voice.

In 2009, John Fricke also co-wrote a book. It was called The Wizard of Oz: An Illustrated Companion to the Timeless Classic. He wrote it with Jonathan Shirshekan. This book is full of pictures and details about the classic movie.

Exploring Classic Films

John Fricke has shared his knowledge about many classic films. He does this by recording "audio commentaries." These are like special talks that you can listen to while watching a movie. He explains interesting facts and stories about the film. Sometimes, he even talks with actors or people who worked on the movie!

Movies with John Fricke's Commentary

Here are some of the movies where John Fricke has provided audio commentaries:

• Babes in Arms
• Easter Parade, with Ava Astaire McKenzie, who is the daughter of actor Fred Astaire
• For Me and My Gal
• Girl Crazy
• Meet Me in St. Louis, with actress Margaret O'Brien and composer Hugh Martin
• The Pirate
• The Wizard of Oz, with other experts