urban@trwspp.UUCP (07/05/84)
The "parallel-world" version of The Wizard of Oz is really
an interesting film, with Shirley Temple, W.C. Fields,
Gale Sondergaard as the Wicked Witch (they originally
wanted a glamorous WWotW), the "Jitterbug" sequence, etc.
And no "Over the Rainbow", which was almost cut at the
last minute. The "Jitterbug" sequence is only preserved
in someone's "home movies" and was shown (with the
soundtrack, which WAS preserved) on Jack Haley Jr.'s
"Believe it or Not" program some months ago. Trivia
experts can ponder the question, "What remnant of
the Jitterbug episode remains in the film?" Answer
at the end of this rather long message.
There are forty Oz books that have been published by
the publisher that holds "Oz" as a common-law trademark.
However, "Wizard" and (*possibly*, not sure) the second
book "The Marvelous Land of Oz" no longer are copyright
and are in public domain. Disney Studios holds the
movie rights for the remaining books, and have been
holding on to them "just in case" for the last
thirty or more years. In the late '50s, they started
a project with the tentative title, "The Rainbow Road to
Oz" which was to have starred the various members
of the Mousketeer-type stable of child performers (Kevin
Corchren (sp?), Annette Funicello (sp??), etc.). A
kind of trial-balloon for this was made in the form
of a segment of the "Disneyland" TV program at that
time (the Mousketeers show Uncle Walt what an Oz movie
might be like. I've only seen stills and don't remember
seeing the episode. But then, I barely remember Davy
Crockett). The project eventually sputtered and died.
A couple of years ago, the project was revived, to
be a multi-million dollar epic based on (evidently)
the third book (Ozma of Oz) and the second book,
and probably elements of others sprinkled in. The
producer is Gary Kurtz (Star Wars, Dark Crystal),
but it's running WAY over budget and behind schedule,
and there are the inevitable rumors of "calling in
Lucas and Spielberg to save it". The clever tentative
title of this film is "Oz".
At a recent Oz-fan gathering (the books, not the film), the
Disney people made a presentation. What they've shot so
far is visually beautiful. Art-Nouveau-type costumes and
sets evoke the turn-of-the-century flavor of the books
while still looking fantasy-ish. The non-human characters,
especially the Scarecrow, are stunning-- they look VERY
much like the John R. Neill illos from the books. Tik-Tok
looks delightfully Victorian. However, the plot is going
to annoy the Oz purists somwhat, as it telescopes several
characters into one in surprising ways (Mombi and Princess
Langwidere are the same character. Dorothy plays Tip.)
This isn't necessarily bad. The Disney folk will be at
WorldCon in Anaheim on Labor Day weekend as well.
The girl playing Dorothy is an unknown 10-year-old
who LOOKS like a little girl (unlike Judy Garland);
the brown hair and pigtails are the only direct
influence from the MGM film (Dorothy is a blonde in the
books). Her pet is a red hen (yellow in the book), so
you'll be missing Toto too ("I'll get you and your
little hen, too!" :-) )
The film is NOT a musical; that would, after all, be
somewhat suicidal as people compare it with you-know-what.
Supposedly, it's due for a Christmas release. But don't
take that too seriously.
Mike
Oh yes. The Wicked Witch tells Nikko, "They'll give you no
trouble ... I sent a little insect ahead to take the fight
out of them." ... 'tis the Jitterbug.ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (07/09/84)
Gee, what about Phillip Jose Farmer's book A Barnstormer in.... -Ron