John Fricke facts for kids

John Fricke was born on November 30, 1950. He is a special kind of historian and author. John Fricke is known for his deep knowledge about the classic movie The Wizard of Oz. He also knows a lot about the famous singer and actress Judy Garland.

Early Life and Education

John Fricke grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. He went to John Marshall High School there. During his school years, he worked in advertising for a theater called Melody Top Theater. After high school, he studied journalism at Northwestern University.

His Work and Books

John Fricke has worked on many interesting projects. In 2007, he appeared in a documentary film. This film was called Return To Oz: The Joy That Got Away.

He also helped with a special concert series in 2008 and 2010. These concerts were called "Judy Garland in Concert." For these shows, John Fricke chose songs and old film clips of Judy Garland. Her live performances were shown on huge screens. Big orchestras, like the Boston Pops, played music along with her legendary voice.

In 2009, John Fricke co-wrote a book with Jonathan Shirshekan. The book is called The Wizard of Oz: An Illustrated Companion to the Timeless Classic. It's a "coffee table book," which means it's a large book with many pictures. It shares lots of details about the famous Wizard of Oz movie.

Audio Commentaries on Films

John Fricke is also known for creating "audio commentaries" for movies. An audio commentary is like a special audio track you can listen to while watching a film. It usually features people involved in making the movie, or experts, talking about it. They share interesting facts, stories, and behind-the-scenes information.

John Fricke has provided audio commentaries for several classic films. Many of these movies star Judy Garland.

• 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, composer Hugh Martin, screenwriter Irving Brecher, and Barbara Freed-Saltzman, who is the daughter of producer Arthur Freed
• The Pirate
• The Wizard of Oz, with other experts