Good day dears!
This week we’ll travel back to Oz and waaay back in time too, with the first adaptation of the well-known book.
For lack of time, I’ll skip the technical details, sorry.
You can find everything you need to know HERE.
Plot:
I guess we all know how the story goes, more or less.
Dorothy is carried away by a cyclone and lands in the realm of Oz, where she meets strange new friends: Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion.
They all have a wish they want to be fulfilled by the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, so they start a quest in search of the Emerald City to pay a visit to this powerful guy.
Polenta’s comment:
First, I lied to you.
This is not the first adaptation of the novel, this is actually based on the 1902 stage musical, and that’s basically why in this 13-minutes-long film they dance pointlessly all the time. It’s a silent film, guys! What are you dancing for?!
Second, this film is hilarious.
I know, the way they did movies at that time was different from now, they were pioneering, blah blah blah. Still, This thing is really funny. It’s a really badly acted school play with people dressed as animals, not only the lion, but also Toto and a donkey.
So cute.
Dorothy -played by Bebe Daniels– at some point starts dancing too, in a random way that reminded me of Paulette Goddard in Modern Times, when she jigs about in the street and, heaven knows why, gets hired as a soubrette.
Dorothy, the Lion, the good Glinda and some pretty scary trees.
I’d really like, someday, to pick all the Wizard of Oz versions I managed to find and compare them, just for fun.
As soon as I’ll have the courage to watch the latest one with James Franco, the one that looks a lot like Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.
In the 1910 version there’s no Elphaba, but Momba the Witch, presumably sister of Mombi, the witch we meet in Return to Oz.
Also, Dorothy finds out that the Scarecrow can talk BEFORE arriving in Oz.
These old adaptations are so naive they’re overwhelmingly cute.
Usually it can be noticed how, considered that time’s technology, they’re also ingenious and brilliant. Well, in this particular case I’m not sure I can say the same.
From left to right: the donkey, a very majestic scarecrow, Dorothy who looks seasick, another unidentified animal, maybe a cow.
HERE you can find the whole film. As often happens, they used completely random classical music that doesn’t match the story at all.
How did it work, at those times? Anyone could play live anything they wanted during the film? I should do a little research on that.
See you next time! =D
The Paranoid Celluloid 