Scarecrow (Oz) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scarecrow |
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| Oz character | |
Illustration by W. W. Denslow from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
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| First appearance | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) |
| Created by | L. Frank Baum |
| Portrayed by | Frank Moore (His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz) Larry Semon (The Wizard of Oz) Ray Bolger (The Wizard of Oz) Hinton Battle (The Wiz; 1975 musical) Michael Jackson (The Wiz; 1978 film) Justin Case (Return to Oz) Jackson Browne (The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True) Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire) (The Muppets' Wizard of Oz) Elijah Kelley (The Wiz Live!) Ari Zagaris (Dorothy and the Witches of Oz) Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Emerald City) |
| Voiced by | Alfie Scopp (Tales of the Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz) Mickey Rooney (Journey Back to Oz) Billy Van (The Wizard of Oz; anime film) Richard Dumont (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Matthew Stone (Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz) David Lodge (The Wizard of Oz; 1990 cartoon series) Andy Milder (The Oz Kids) Michael Gough (Tom & Jerry and the Wizard of Oz and Tom & Jerry: Back to Oz) Paul Scheer (Once Upon a Time) Dan Aykroyd (Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return) Stephen Stanton (Lost in Oz) William Salyers (Lego Dimensions)< Paul Eiding (Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.) Bill Fagerbakke (Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz) |
| Information | |
| Aliases | Socrates Strawman Chang Wang Woe Fiyero Tigelaar |
| Species | Scarecrow |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Ruler of Oz Tin Woodman's treasurer Corn farmer |
| Title | His Majesty the Scarecrow Royal Treasurer Emperor of the Silver Islands |
| Spouse(s) | Tsing Tsing (in his former incarnation) |
| Children | 3 sons 15 grandsons (from his former incarnation) |
The Scarecrow is a famous character from the magical Land of Oz. He was created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow. When we first meet the Scarecrow, he believes he doesn't have a brain. He really wants one!
However, the Scarecrow is only two days old. He is simply new to the world and still learning. As the story goes on, he shows that he is very smart. He is even called "the wisest man in all of Oz." Even so, he still gives credit to the Wizard for his smarts. He is wise enough to know his limits. He happily gives up ruling Oz to Princess Ozma and becomes one of her trusted helpers. But he often prefers having fun over giving advice!
The Scarecrow's Story
Meeting Dorothy in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
In L. Frank Baum's classic 1900 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the living scarecrow meets Dorothy Gale. She finds him in a field in the Munchkin Country. Dorothy is on her way to the Emerald City.
The Scarecrow tells her how he was made. He explains that at first, he scared away crows. But then, an old crow realized he was just straw. After that, the other crows started eating the corn. The old crow told the Scarecrow that having a brain was very important.
The Scarecrow, who thinks he has no mind, joins Dorothy. He hopes that The Wizard will give him a brain. Later, they are joined by the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion.
Adventures with Dorothy
When the group travels to the West, the Scarecrow helps them. He defeats the Witch's crows by breaking their necks. The Flying Monkeys later tear him apart. His clothes are thrown up into a tree. But when his clothes are filled with new straw, he is back to normal!
After Dorothy and her friends complete their task to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard gives the Scarecrow a "brain." This brain is made of bran, pins, and needles. It's actually a placebo, which means it's a fake medicine that makes you feel better. The Scarecrow was smart all along!
Before the Wizard leaves Oz in a balloon, he makes the Scarecrow the ruler of the Emerald City. The Scarecrow then goes with Dorothy and the others to the palace of the Good Witch of the South, Glinda. Glinda uses her Golden Cap to call the Winged Monkeys. They take the Scarecrow back to the Emerald City.
Brains vs. Heart
The Scarecrow's wish for a brain is very different from the Tin Woodman's wish for a heart. This shows a common idea about whether the mind or feelings are more important. Both characters believe they don't have what they want. They often debate which choice is better. Dorothy listens but cannot decide who is right. Because they stay with Dorothy, she gets both brains and heart in her journey.
The Scarecrow in Later Oz Books
The Scarecrow appears in many other Oz books. He has more adventures with Dorothy and his friends. His time as king of the Emerald City ends in The Marvelous Land of Oz. General Jinjur and her Army of Revolt take over. He escapes the palace and joins Tip and his friends. They seek help from Glinda the Good.
He discusses the value of education with H. M. Woggle-Bug T. E.. The Scarecrow says he is educated and values learning. But he finds the Woggle-Bug's learning to be just facts, without real wisdom. Even though he cannot eat, he sometimes jokes about animals being food. He gathers nuts and fruit for his friends like Dorothy and Tip.
By The Road to Oz, the Tin Woodman calls him "probably the wisest man in all Oz." This is even shown in an illustration. Dorothy herself, in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, praises the Scarecrow's wisdom. She says he seemed just as wise before the Wizard gave him brains as after.
In The Emerald City of Oz, the Scarecrow lives in a house shaped like an ear of corn. It is in Winkie Country. In The Scarecrow of Oz, he travels to Jinxland. There, he helps Cap'n Bill, Trot, and Button-Bright overthrow the bad King Krewl. In Glinda of Oz, the Scarecrow helps Ozma of Oz rule. He is Ozma's third in command.
In The Royal Book of Oz, a later book, the Scarecrow's past is explored. He learns that he might be the spirit of an ancient emperor. This story is different from how he first described his creation.
The Scarecrow in Other Media
The Scarecrow has appeared in many TV shows, movies, and plays.
Television Appearances
- In the 1961 TV series Tales of the Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow was named Socrates. He was voiced by Alfie Scopp.
- Jackson Browne played the Scarecrow in the 1995 TV special The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True. He sang a folk version of If I Only Had a Brain.
- In The Oz Kids (1996), the Scarecrow rules the Emerald City. He has a smart son named Scarecrow, Jr. Andy Milder voiced Scarecrow, Sr.
- Kermit the Frog played the Scarecrow in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005).
- In the 2007 miniseries Tin Man, the Scarecrow is re-imagined as "Glitch" (played by Alan Cumming). He was a chief adviser whose brain was removed. He searches for it throughout the story.
- The Scarecrow appeared in Emerald City. He is "Lucas" (played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen), an amnesiac man found by Dorothy.
- In Once Upon a Time, the Scarecrow's brain is taken by Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West. Paul Scheer voiced him.
- Bill Fagerbakke voices Scarecrow in Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz.
Film Appearances
- The Scarecrow has been in many early Oz films. These include The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910) and The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914).
- In the 1925 film Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow was a human farmhand. He was blown to Oz by the tornado.
- In the famous 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, Ray Bolger played the Scarecrow. This is one of his most well-known roles. Bolger was a great dancer, so the Scarecrow has a fun dance scene in the movie. When the Wizard gives him his "brain," the Scarecrow incorrectly says a math theorem. This shows that he already had the smarts, just needed confidence. Bolger also played Hunk, a farmworker in Kansas, who was the Scarecrow's human counterpart.
- Mickey Rooney voiced the Scarecrow in the animated film Journey Back to Oz (released in the 1970s).
- In the 1985 film Return to Oz, Justin Case briefly played the Scarecrow. He was turned into an ornament but restored by Dorothy.
- The 2013 film Oz the Great and Powerful explains how the Scarecrow was created. He was made by the people of Oz as a distraction during a battle.
- Michael Gough voiced the Scarecrow in Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz (2011).
- Dan Aykroyd voiced the Scarecrow in Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014).
- The Scarecrow appears in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. He is transported to Harmony Town with Dorothy and her friends.
Video Games
- The Scarecrow is a playable character in the Nintendo 3DS game Code Name: S.T.E.A.M..
- He also appears in Lego Dimensions, voiced by William Salyers.
Live Performances
- Hinton Battle was the first to play the Scarecrow in the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz. Michael Jackson played him in the 1978 film version. This Scarecrow was sad before Dorothy saved him. Crows would torment him, making him sing "You Can't Win."
- In the musical Wicked (2003), the Scarecrow is revealed to be Fiyero. He is the love interest of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West). Elphaba's magic makes him unable to be harmed. He helps Elphaba escape at the end of the story. His walking style in the musical is based on Ray Bolger's portrayal.
Comic Books and Novels
- The Scarecrow is a small character in Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
- In Son of a Witch, the Scarecrow helps the Witch's son, Liir.
- In the Dorothy Must Die series, the Scarecrow becomes a "mad scientist." He performs experiments and takes brains to make himself smarter.
| Preceded by The Wizard of Oz |
Monarch of Oz | Succeeded by Jinjur |
