The wizard of oz is a 1939 american musical fantasy comedydrama film produced by metrogoldwynmayer, and the bestknown and most commercially successful adaptation. The wizard of oz the kennedy secret society speech did you know that many presidents, prime ministers u. A conspiracy theory about the hanging man in the wizard of oz if you cant beat em, join em. Does the wonderful wizard of oz have a hidden message. In previous savant entries, ive done my best to debunk the rumors of a hanged corpse in the background scenery of the wizard of oz. I thought it was common knowledge that the wizard of oz was an allegory for the economy and government back when the book was made. Journey through the magical world of oz with dorothy and friends in this 15 book collection by l. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz include treatments of the modern fairy tale written by l. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. And wicked is, essentially, a whole conspiracy theory in itself. In the book and the play the shoes are silver, not ruby as they were famously depicted in the 1939 film. The wizard of oz books are so popular around the world that there is even an organization devoted to all things oz.
Lets peek behind the curtain at the wizard of oz to learn littleknown facts about the actors like judy garland. Every major figure dorothy meets in oz is a parallel. Populism and the world of oz national museum of american. Wizard of oz bibliography 1 the book the wonderful wizard of oz 1900 and its film adaptation the wizard of oz 1939 quickly became a foundational element in american popular culture with countless idiomatic allusions, cultural references, and pervasive merchandizing. Unpacking the myth of the wizard of ozs hanging munchkin. Frank baum and first published in 1900 as an allegory or metaphor for the political, economic, and social events of america in the 1890s. It will certainly be no surprise to anyone to hear that famous classic books such as 1984, the jungle, or brave new world have a much more serious purpose than just pure entertainment. Oh my good flipping donkies, yes the wizard of oz has a conspiracy. More than a hundred years after the release of this book, kids everywhere are still enchanted by oz s world of wonder. Popular literature frequently skirts the boundaries between truth and fiction.
Salman rushdie, a noted fan of the wizard of oz who wrote a pretty amazing bfi classics book on the film, believes that one of the things that makes oz so powerful is that it lays bare the. Complete with wellknown characters like dorothy, scarecrow, the cowardly lion and tin woodman, this collection follows their adventures through the four countries. All states, whether autocratic or republican, have exercised their rule by convincing the people that they were the great and powerful oz, that the people, whether they feared or loved their state, must be in awe of the state. In his reading of the wizard of oz, littlefield believed that dorothy was a standin for the average american, and that the magic silver shoes represented the late 1890s free silver movement. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz wikipedia. Yet the original oz book conceals an unsuspected depth. The wizard of oz originally published as the wonderful wizard of oz l. The international wizard of oz club has been in existence for over 60 years, and holds annual conventions and publications. Dorothy gale 1900 dorothy gale is a fictional character created by l.
If you happen to find this original vhs tape or you already own it then you may already be familiar with a particular scene which had a lot of controversy. The winged money created the fear of always being watched. The oz books form a book series that begins with the wonderful wizard of oz 1900 and. The illusion created was that characters such as dorothy and princess ozma rel. Turns out the book and movie may be an economic fairy tale about america in the late 1800s and gold. The wizard of oz was my very first literary influence, writes salman rushdie in his account of the great mgm childrens classic. The occult roots of the wizard of oz vigilant citizen. This classic work of childrens fiction, which in the.
And this has nothing to do with seeing dead people or seeing sexual. If you happen to find this original vhs tape or you already own it then you may already be familiar with a particular scene which had a. Both the book and the film the wizard of oz feature iconic scenes of dorothy, toto, and the cowardly lion the only flesh and blood members. One of the actors playing a munchkin hanged himself during the making of the wizard of oz and in this shot, his body can be seen hanging from a tree. Everyone knows the classic, the wizard of oz which was first released as a movie in the year 1939. The wizard of oz was about the gold standard the reformed broker. But many may be surprised to learn that the most popular childrens fantasy of alltime, l. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz include treatments of the modern fairy tale as an allegory or metaphor for the political, economic, and.
Pink floyds album, the dark side of the moon, synchronises with. Frank baums oz books come from a file cabinet drawer labeled o z. Frank baum and his wife maud gage joined the theosophical society in chicago. Wizard of oz has constant references to rainbows, including its theme song, somewhere over the rainbow. In an article entitled the wizard of oz as a monetary allegory 1990, hugh rockoff examined the analogies between baums use of imagery and the monetary politics of the populist era.
At the age of ten he had written a story, over the rainbow, about a colourful fantasy world. The wizard of oz is a representation of politics, religion, feminism. The oz books form a book series that begins with the wonderful wizard of oz and relate the fictional history of the land of oz. They can also act as inner demons guarding protected memories or alters. R eleased 80 years ago, victor flemings the wizard of oz is best remembered and indeed beloved for its pioneering use of technicolor in baums book, dorothys shoes are silver, not ruby. Many classic literary works have actually been thinly veiled allegories of. Although going back to coraline as a reference, most of the inhabitants of oz are parallel as characters back in kansas, except the good witch. In the book version of oz, dorothy treads the yellow brick road in silver shoes, not in ruby slippers. Heres jeff saut, from his latest market commentary as chief strategist of raymond james.
Frank baums the wizard of oz, also has a deeper meaning. Over the years, both book and movie have fueled a number of elaborate theories as to the storys deeper meanings. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz. The wonderful wizard of oz, childrens book written by l. The only thing that goes against this conspiracy is that the wizard of oz couldve been a dream. The land of oz originally published as the marvelous land of oz l. Come take a tour, visit our exhibitions, and view the gorgeous main reading room. Its not so much conspiracy, but more about history interpreted in the authors eyes. This one is a bit beyond the poppy field, but stick with us for a minute.
The archives of the theosophical society in pasadena, california recorded the start of their membership on september 4th, 1892. Gaining new traction recently is the notorious pop culture urban legend about a munchkin actor who committed suicide on the set of 1939s the wizard of oz. The real story of dorothy and the wizard of oz youtube. The production of the classic film was an infamous disaster, but not everything youve heard about what happened on set is true. With dozens of symbols and a naturally allegorical tale, the wizard of oz lends itself to a wide variety of interpretations and pet theoriessome of them more plausible than others. Frank baum, who went on to write fourteen fulllength oz books. A modern fairy tale with a distinctly american setting, a delightfully levelheaded heroine, and engaging fantasy characters, the story was enormously popular and became a classic of childrens literature. These beloved childrens classics will make the perfect gift timeless and loved by all. There are dozens of examinations of the wizard of oz both the movie and the original book on which its basedin the context of religion, all of which note baums faith. The wizard of oz mysteries is a unifying theme providing an enlightening backdrop, for the book is. Even while he was alive, baum was styled as the royal historian of oz to emphasize the concept that oz is an actual place. The rusted tin man, stuck in the same position for a. All of the baum written books are in the public domain in the united states. One of the actors playing a munchkin hanged himself during.
Long regarded as a myth, a number of enlightening videos have surfaced on the web in the. Im now perfectly ready to believe in mass hypnosis. The rainbow is a bridge between the real and imaginary worlds. In 1989 the movie was released for its 50th anniversary on vhs. Dark side of the rainbow also known as dark side of oz or the wizard of floyd refers to the pairing of the 1973 pink floyd album the dark side of the moon with the visual portion of the 1939 film the wizard of oz. Few, however, recognize that, under its deceptive simplicity, the story of the wizard of oz. Delightfully unique, yet practical and empowering, this comprehensive book dispels disinformation about politics, occultism, and conspiracy theories typical to this genre. Whos to blame for the munchkin suicide in the wizard of oz.
1437 1526 1185 1483 1204 407 1142 106 798 172 528 1482 739 577 1189 1368 1151 490 1389 824 1438 462 502 335 1024 294 894 286 363 385 331 638 574 38