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The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The Wizard of Oz
WIZARD OF OZ ORIGINAL POSTER 1939.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Victor Fleming
Produced by Mervyn LeRoy
Screenplay by
Based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
by L. Frank Baum
Starring
Music by Herbert Stothart
Cinematography Harold Rosson
Edited by Blanche Sewell
Production
company
Distributed by Loew's, Inc.
Release date
  • August 25, 1939 (1939-08-25)
Running time
101 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $2.8 million
Box office
  • $3 million
    (original release)
  • $23.3 million
    (unadjusted, re-releases)

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and the best-known and most commercially successful adaptation based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The film stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale. The co-stars are Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton, with Charley Grapewin, Pat Walshe and Clara Blandick, Terry the dog (billed as Toto), and the Singer Midgets as the Munchkins.

Notable for its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, musical score, and unusual characters, over the years it has become an icon of American popular culture. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, but lost to Gone with the Wind. It did win in two other categories, including Best Original Song for "Over the Rainbow" and Best Original Score by Herbert Stothart. However, the film was a box office disappointment on its initial release, earning only $3,017,000 on a $2,777,000 budget, despite receiving largely positive reviews. It was MGM's most expensive production to date and did not completely recoup the studio's investment nor turn a profit until theatrical re-releases starting in 1949.


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