Uncle Henry (Oz) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Uncle Henry |
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| Oz character | |
 
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| First appearance | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) |
| Created by | L. Frank Baum |
| Portrayed by | Frank Alexander Charley Grapewin Stanley Greene Matt Clark David Alan Grier Lance Henriksen |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Title | Agricultural Adviser to Princess Ozma |
| Family | Dorothy Gale (niece) |
| Spouse(s) | Aunt Em |
| Relatives | Uncle Bill Hugson (brother-in-law) unnamed sister-in-law Zeb of Hugson's ranch (nephew) unnamed Australians |
| Nationality | American |
Uncle Henry is a character from the famous Oz Books written by L. Frank Baum. He is the uncle of Dorothy Gale and the husband of Aunt Em. They all lived together on a farm in Kansas.
Uncle Henry's Adventures in Oz Books
After their house was carried away to the Land of Oz by a tornado in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Uncle Henry had to borrow money to rebuild their farm. This, along with worrying about Dorothy, made him tired and worried. His doctor told him to take a break.
- He and Dorothy's Trip*
He took Dorothy on a boat trip to Australia, where some of his family lived. But during this trip, in Ozma of Oz, Dorothy got lost again in a storm. For several weeks, Uncle Henry was very sad, thinking she was lost. Luckily, Dorothy returned safely, thanks to the Nome King's Magic Belt.
- Moving to the Emerald City*
In The Emerald City of Oz, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em told Dorothy they were having money problems. Their farm was almost taken away because they couldn't pay for it. Dorothy helped them by bringing them to live with her in the Emerald City. They became permanent guests of Princess Ozma.
- Life in Oz*
Princess Ozma gave Uncle Henry the job of looking after her valuable jewels. Unlike Aunt Em, who found the Land of Oz very strange, Uncle Henry accepted his new life easily. He had traveled more than his wife, so he was more used to new things.
By the time of Glinda of Oz, Uncle Henry became one of Ozma's trusted advisers. He taught the farmers in Oz how to grow more food. This helped fill the storehouses in the Emerald City.
Uncle Henry appears a bit more often than Aunt Em in the Oz books. However, he was in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz less than she was. Other authors like Ruth Plumly Thompson, John R. Neill, Jack Snow, and Eric Shanower also included him in their Oz stories.
Uncle Henry in Movies and TV
Uncle Henry has been played by different actors in various movies and TV shows.
- The Wizard of Oz (1925 Film)*
In the 1925 silent film Wizard of Oz, Frank Alexander played Uncle Henry. In this version, he was shown as a bad guy.
- The Wizard of Oz (1939 Film)*
In the famous 1939 musical movie The Wizard of Oz, Charley Grapewin played Uncle Henry. In this movie, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are the only main characters who stay in Kansas. They do not appear in the Land of Oz. The movie shows that Dorothy's last name is Gale, and Uncle Henry is called "Mr. Gale."
- Journey Back to Oz (1974)*
In the 1974 animated film Journey Back to Oz, Paul Ford was the voice of Uncle Henry. He and Aunt Em had a farmworker named Amos, who was voiced by Larry Storch.
- Return to Oz (1985)*
In the 1985 movie Return to Oz, Matt Clark played Uncle Henry. His wife, Aunt Em, is called "Mrs. Blue," which suggests his full name might be Henry Blue. In this film, Uncle Henry has a broken leg. At first, he seems a bit lazy. But after Dorothy is found, he becomes energetic and happy, showing how much he cares about her.
- Other Appearances*
- In the TV show Lost, a character pretends to be named Henry Gale. The real Henry Gale was a balloon pilot who died on the island. This was a nod to the Oz books.
- In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, David Alan Grier played Henry. In this version, he owned a diner instead of a farm.
- In the VeggieTales episode The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em were replaced by a father character to tell a Bible story.
- Lance Henriksen played Uncle Henry in Dorothy and the Witches of Oz. In this movie, he reveals in a letter that his great-grandparents were Dorothy Gale's real parents.
- Stephen Root voiced Uncle Henry in the animated movie Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz.
