The Wizard of Oz facts for kids
The Wizard of Oz is a famous American musical movie. It was made by MGM and released in 1939. The movie is based on a popular children's book called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This book was written by L. Frank Baum and came out in 1900. Both the book and the movie tell the story of a young girl's exciting adventures in a magical place called Oz.
The movie features the classic song "Over the Rainbow". This song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The Wizard of Oz was first shown on television in 1956. For many years, it became a special show watched every Thanksgiving. The Library of Congress even called it the most-watched movie ever.
In 1998, the movie was ranked sixth on the American Film Institute's list of "100 Years... 100 Movies". It has also been chosen to be kept safe in the United States National Film Registry. This means it is considered very important for history.
Story of The Wizard of Oz
The story begins with a girl named Dorothy (Judy Garland). She lives on a plain Kansas farm with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry (Clara Blandick and Charley Grapewin). A very strong storm, a tornado, carries her house far away. It lands in the colorful Land of Oz. When her house lands, it accidentally kills a wicked witch.
Dorothy wants to go back home to Kansas. She learns that only the powerful Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan) can help her. To find him, she must travel to the Emerald City. She starts her journey on the Yellow Brick Road. She wears the magical ruby slippers that belonged to the witch she accidentally killed.
On her way, Dorothy meets three new friends. She meets a Scarecrow who wants a brain. She also meets a Tin Man who wishes for a heart. Finally, she meets a Cowardly Lion who longs for courage. These friends are played by Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr.
As they travel to the Emerald City, they are bothered by The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton). She is the sister of the witch Dorothy killed. The Wicked Witch wants the ruby slippers for herself. Dorothy refuses to give them up.
The friends finally arrive in Emerald City. The Wizard tells them they must defeat the Wicked Witch to get their wishes. They go to the witch's castle and are captured. Dorothy then throws a bucket of water over the witch. The water makes the witch melt away!
Back in the Emerald City, the four friends are celebrated as heroes. The Wizard gets his hot air balloon ready to take Dorothy back to Kansas. But the balloon takes off without her! A kind witch named Glinda (Billie Burke) then tells Dorothy a secret. Dorothy can go home simply by clicking the heels of her ruby slippers together. She just needs to think about home.
Dorothy does this, and she wakes up in her own bed in Kansas. Her amazing adventures in Oz turn out to have been a dream.
Images for kids
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Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Terry The Dog as Toto
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Frank Morgan, who played the title character and five other parts
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Dorothy with Glinda (Billie Burke), the Good Witch of the North
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Ray Bolger
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Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion
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Interior title plate of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the popular 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum
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Garland won the role of Dorothy despite many other actors wanting it.
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Herbert Stothart conducts the MGM Studio Orchestra for The Wizard of Oz, recorded at the MGM studios.
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Garland singing "Over the Rainbow"
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A memorial celebrating the film's first showing at the Strand Theatre in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin on August 12, 1939
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Dorothy in Munchkinland
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An original pair of the ruby slippers on display at the Smithsonian Institution
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See also
In Spanish: El mago de Oz para niños
