Journey Back to Oz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Journey Back to Oz |
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Original theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Hal Sutherland |
| Produced by | Preston Blair Fred Ladd Norm Prescott Lou Scheimer |
| Written by | Fred Ladd Norm Prescott Bernard Evslin |
| Starring | Milton Berle Herschel Bernardi Paul Ford Margaret Hamilton Jack E. Leonard Paul Lynde Ethel Merman Liza Minnelli Mickey Rooney Risë Stevens Danny Thomas Mel Blanc Dallas McKennon Larry Storch |
| Music by | Walter Scharf (score and song arrangements) Jimmy Van Heusen (songs) Sammy Cahn (lyrics) |
| Editing by | Joseph Simon |
| Studio | Filmation |
| Release date(s) | December 14, 1972 |
| Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Journey Back To Oz is an animated adventure musical fantasy film from 1972. It was made by a company called Filmation. The movie is based on L. Frank Baum's second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz.
The film wasn't very popular when it first came out in cinemas. But it became a hit when it was shown on TV for the first time on ABC on December 5, 1976. For the TV broadcasts, Filmation added new live-action parts. These parts featured a famous person playing the Wizard, flying in his balloon with a parrot and two Munchkins. Bill Cosby played the Wizard in the first TV showings. Later, Milton Berle took over the role for other broadcasts.
Contents
Story of the Adventure
After a tornado in Kansas, a loose gate knocks Dorothy unconscious. When she wakes up, she's back in the magical Land of Oz with her dog, Toto!
Meeting New Friends and Foes
Dorothy and Toto first meet a talking Signpost. All its signs point to the Emerald City. They then meet Pumpkinhead. He is the unwilling helper of the evil Mombi. Mombi is related to the Wicked Witches of the East and West.
Toto chases a cat to a small house. There, Mombi's pet crow and Mombi herself capture Dorothy. Pumpkinhead sneaks into the house when Mombi is away. He finds out that Mombi is making an army of green elephants. She plans to use them to take over the Emerald City. Pumpkinhead helps Dorothy escape. Mombi finds them gone and warns that telling the Scarecrow won't help.
Journey to the Emerald City
Dorothy and Pumpkinhead meet Woodenhead Stallion III. He is a former merry-go-round horse. Woodenhead takes them to the Emerald City. Dorothy warns the Scarecrow about Mombi's green elephants. But Mombi arrives moments later. Toto and the Scarecrow are captured!
Dorothy, Pumpkinhead, and Woodenhead escape. They go to Tinland to ask the Tin Man for help. He is afraid of the green elephants and says no. He suggests they ask the Cowardly Lion. The Lion promises to fight the elephants. But he thinks they should first ask Glinda the Good Witch.
Glinda's Help and Mombi's Tricks
Glinda the Good Witch appears to them. She shows them what is happening at the palace using a "Glinda Bird." She then gives Dorothy a small silver box. Dorothy can only open it in the Emerald City, and only in a big emergency.
Mombi sees their journey in her crystal ball. She brings nearby trees to life to stop them. Glinda sends a golden hatchet to Pumpkinhead. One of the trees grabs it. But the hatchet turns the trees into gold and makes them good.
The Final Battle
Woodenhead carries Dorothy and Pumpkinhead back to the Emerald City. Mombi's elephants surprise them. Dorothy opens Glinda's box, and mice come out! The mice scare the elephants away.
Mombi tries to shrink Toto to mouse-size to feed him to her cat. But she gets startled and shrinks her crow and cat instead. Then, Mombi turns herself into a rose with poisonous thorns. The elephants trample over the rose, and Mombi disappears. The Scarecrow explains that Mombi's magic has died with her.
Sadly, Pumpkinhead, who Mombi created, also dies. But he is brought back to life by one of Dorothy's tears. The Scarecrow makes Woodenhead the head of the Oz cavalry. He also makes Pumpkinhead a knight. Dorothy and Toto leave Oz through another tornado. Pumpkinhead and Glinda create it. Dorothy promises to return someday.
Main Characters and Voices
Many famous actors lent their voices to the characters in this film:
- Liza Minnelli as Dorothy Gale
- Don Messick as Toto
- Paul Lynde as Pumpkinhead
- Herschel Bernardi as Charelsworth Pinto "Woodenhead" Stallion III
- Ethel Merman as Mombi
- Mickey Rooney as the Scarecrow
- Danny Thomas as the Tin Man
- Milton Berle as the Cowardly Lion
- Risë Stevens as Glinda
- Jack E. Leonard as the Signpost
- Margaret Hamilton as Aunt Em
- Paul Ford as Uncle Henry
- Larry Storch as Amos, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry's farmworker
- Dallas McKennon as Omby Amby
- Mel Blanc as Mombi's crow
Songs in the Movie
The film has twelve original songs. They were written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. Walter Scharf arranged the music. Here are some of the songs:
- "A Faraway Land" - Sung by Dorothy
- "Signpost Song" - Sung by The Signpost
- "Keep a Happy Thought" - Sung by Dorothy
- "The Horse on the Carousel" - Sung by Woodenhead
- "B-R-A-N-E" - Sung by Scarecrow
- "An Elephant Never Forgets" - Sung by Mombi
- "H-E-A-R-T" - Sung by Tin Man
- "N-E-R-V-E" - Sung by Cowardly Lion
- "You Have Only You" - Sung by Glinda
- "If You're Gonna Be a Witch - Be a Witch" - Sung by Mombi
- "Return to the Land of Oz March" - Sung by Dorothy
- "That Feeling for Home" - Sung by Dorothy
Some other music in the film came from different sources. For example, the opening music is "The Awakening" by Johnny Pearson. This song is also known as the theme for ITV News at Ten in Britain.
Television Success
Even though the movie didn't do well in cinemas, it became very popular on TV. Filmation sold the rights to ABC in 1976. At that time, Bill Cosby was very famous from Filmation's TV show Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
Filmation decided to make the movie longer and turn it into a Christmas television special. They added new live-action parts with Bill Cosby as the Wizard. The Wizard was not in the original movie. In these new parts, the Wizard tried to help two lost children get home for Christmas. This longer TV version was shown many times. Later, another TV version was made with Milton Berle filming new parts instead of Cosby.
See also
In Spanish: Regreso a la Tierra de Oz para niños
