US artist Lyman Frank Baum published a book on May 17, 1900, which has since enchanted readers and viewers generations after its amazing characters, beautiful settings, and common themes of confidence, companionship, and the search for home. Dorothy Gale, a young girl who lives on a calm Kansas land, is at the center of the narrative. She finds herself in the magical Land of Oz, where question and risk hide, when a powerful storm blasts her and her puppy Toto ahead. Dorothy travels to the Emerald City after being advised by a sort sorceress and hopes the strange Wizard of Oz will guide her home.
The interior excursion
Along the way, she meets a Cowardly Lion seeking confidence, a Tin Man seeking a spirit, and a Crane seeking a mind. Together, they battle testing, outwit a wicked witch, and realize that the traits they had always sought were present in them. The last key to her returning home is held by Dorothy’s beautiful ruby slippers, which she acquires after her tornado-borne house is destroyed by the Wicked Witch of the East. Some people regard the bold Dorothy as one of the first female soldiers in children’s books, according to Britannica, which describes it as” a current fairy story with a distinctly American setting.” The various adaptations of the Land of Oz have since grown into a pop culture icon, whether through video, level, or music. However, the 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland, whose wistful rendition of” Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was voted” the greatest song of the 20th century” in a 2001 joint survey by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America, is where the visuals are most frequently associated with it. Here are some intriguing backstories about the colors that gave” The Wizard of Oz” life on the 125th anniversary of the book.
Slippers that changed color…
Dorothy’s enchanted footwear in Baum’s original book was silver, not ruby. In order to take full advantage of the then-new Technicolor film process, the 1939 movie famously transformed them to a glimmering red. Red simply appeared better on screen, especially against the yellow bricks of the road, than silver. One pair of Judy Garland’s slippers, which were taken from a Minnesota museum in 2005 and recovered by the FBI in 2018, sold at auction for$ 28 million in 2024.
horses, too?
There was food dye before CGI. Four distinct white horses were used to create the effect of a single horse that changes color from moment to moment in order to recreate” a horse of a different color,” the dazzling, color-changing horse that greets Dorothy and friends in the Emerald City. The horse’s fur was traditionally dyed with jello powder or food dye, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Animals. The scenes had to be shot as quickly as possible because the equine actors reportedly kept licking the colored powder off between shots.
Through green-colored glasses
What is known as the” Emerald City” is, strangely, neither green nor made of emeralds. Everyone is required to wear green-colored glasses, which the Wizard deceives to create the appearance of grandeur. However, the 1939 movie featured a literal green metropolis, forever making the Emerald City a glowing, green paradise.
What color was Dorothy’s actual outfit?
There are also divergent opinions online about whether Dorothy’s gingham pinafore dress was blue and white or blue and pink. What appeared to be blue and white, according to some fan sites, actually was blue and light pink. The costume team’s apparent use of pink, which was better viewed on screen in the days of intense lighting, was apparent. One can’t help but think of the” The Dress” color challenge on social media in early 2015. Keep in mind? Due to differences in color perception and how the brain interprets lighting, there was a debate over whether a picture of a dress was white and gold or blue and black.
a kaleidoscope of adaptations
The Wizard of Oz has produced rich interpretations since its initial publication. Elton John and long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin collaborate on the song” Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” ( 1973 ), which uses Oz imagery to represent a desire for simpler things and dissatisfaction with fame. The 78-year-old singer’s final world tour was given the name” Farewell Yellow Brick Road” instead. On September 8, 2018, it started in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States, and it ended in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 8, 2023. In contrast, the late King of Pop Michael Jackson and former Supreme Court actress Diana Ross in the role of Dorothy in 1978’s” The Wiz” were remade into a black-and-white musical spoof. The movie, which was based on what was originally a successful Broadway musical, received a lot of negative reviews from critics. However, something more significant happened in the background: It first led veteran producer Quincy Jones to first interact with his potential” Thriller” collaborator, Jackson. Ultimately, Broadway’s 2003 blockbuster” Wicked” completely changed the script, telling the untold tale of the misunderstood” Wicked Witch of the West” Elphaba, complete with emerald skin and gravity-defying vocals. In addition,” Defying Gravity” is the musical’s most recognizable song, which is also coincidental. The cast of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande is currently in charge of the musical, which is based on a book of the same name. The first part won two awards, including best costume design and production design, at the 97th Academy Awards, which was nominated for 10 Oscars.
