Gaiety!  Glory!  Glamour!  The Wizard Of Oz!

THE WIZARD OF OZ; 1939; Studio: MGM; Director: Victor Fleming; Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton.

An extraordinary achievement in movie-making magic in the 1930s or any decade, this adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is the source of many legendary behind-the-scenes stories, from Buddy Ebsen’s reaction to aluminum powder-based makeup that forced his replacement as the Tin Man, to an on-set accident that burned Margaret Hamilton’s face, to the long-lost “Jitterbug” sequence that was cut from the movie. 

Following the adventures of Kansas-born Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) as she’s whisked away to the marvelous Land of Oz and meets a number of friends on the road to the Emerald City, the film is a fixture of countless childhoods, a network television mainstay, and a contributor to modern pop culture through its distinctive design, indelible characters, unforgettable dialogue, and memorable music (including the AcademyAward-winning song, “Over the Rainbow”). “Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.”

Appreciation for the expert commentary on “The Wizard of Oz” goes to Dr. Arnold Blumberg.  THANKS DOC!!  Doc is an educator, publisher, author, comic and pop culture historian, and former museum curator.  He was the editor of The Overstreet Comic Book Price guide and teaches courses in everything from comics to zombies to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Find him on Twitter @DoctoroftheDead.