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The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion
Commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, this collectible edition delivers an interactive experience, transporting readers over the rainbow and into the Land of Oz with its host of unpublished artwork, behind-the-scenes stories from the stars, and removable special features.
Open the door to the Land of Oz and travel down the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy and her companions on the journey of a lifetime. Learn the filmmaking tricks and techniques behind the film's realistic tornado, why Dorothy's shoes were ruby-colored, and how the filmmakers got a fleet of Winged Monkeys to fly. Authors Jay Scarfone and William Stillman reveal filmmaking secrets and information on everything from the film's pre- and postproduction to early reviews and publicity to never-before-published stories from the cast and crew, making it the definitive book on the subject. Beautifully designed with an array of film stills, Technicolor™ test frames, rare artwork and photography, and costume and set illustrations, this collectible edition provides an unrivaled glimpse at the land where dreams come true.
Open the door to the Land of Oz and travel down the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy and her companions on the journey of a lifetime. Learn the filmmaking tricks and techniques behind the film's realistic tornado, why Dorothy's shoes were ruby-colored, and how the filmmakers got a fleet of Winged Monkeys to fly. Authors Jay Scarfone and William Stillman reveal filmmaking secrets and information on everything from the film's pre- and postproduction to early reviews and publicity to never-before-published stories from the cast and crew, making it the definitive book on the subject. Beautifully designed with an array of film stills, Technicolor™ test frames, rare artwork and photography, and costume and set illustrations, this collectible edition provides an unrivaled glimpse at the land where dreams come true.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2013
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237 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 7, 2021
Every November, my mind turns to The Wizard of Oz, which used to show on TV at Thanksgiving each year when I was a kid. In the days before VHS, the only time we got to see a favorite movie was when it was on TV. I particularly remember as a young child being overwhelmed with hilarity at the Cowardly Lion’s running down the hallway of the Wizard’s palace and jumping out a window.
The 1939 film seems to generate an endless supply of trivia, and this book, by reigning Oz aficionados Jay Scarfone and William Stillman, conveys and clarifies a lot of those tidbits. It’s a beautifully presented coffee table collection of text and illustrations all about the history of the 1939 film. There’s little commentary about the social and cultural effects of the film, so in the end, the book adds up to simply a bunch of interesting facts, most of which will be familiar if you’re already an obsessive fan. Still, though, very fun to look through once.
My favorite illustrations were the photos of Judy Garland’s initial hair and makeup tests, when she was going to wear a blonde wig and makeup more reminiscent of a fairy-tale princess than of a Kansas farmgirl. I’m glad they ultimately went with the more natural look, but the blonde “Disney princess” photos are interesting to see.
The book includes an envelope full of reproductions of some promotional material and props—which is a fun idea, but it’s mostly printed a low quality, so it’s not of much use after looking through it once and chuckling politely.
The 1939 film seems to generate an endless supply of trivia, and this book, by reigning Oz aficionados Jay Scarfone and William Stillman, conveys and clarifies a lot of those tidbits. It’s a beautifully presented coffee table collection of text and illustrations all about the history of the 1939 film. There’s little commentary about the social and cultural effects of the film, so in the end, the book adds up to simply a bunch of interesting facts, most of which will be familiar if you’re already an obsessive fan. Still, though, very fun to look through once.
My favorite illustrations were the photos of Judy Garland’s initial hair and makeup tests, when she was going to wear a blonde wig and makeup more reminiscent of a fairy-tale princess than of a Kansas farmgirl. I’m glad they ultimately went with the more natural look, but the blonde “Disney princess” photos are interesting to see.
The book includes an envelope full of reproductions of some promotional material and props—which is a fun idea, but it’s mostly printed a low quality, so it’s not of much use after looking through it once and chuckling politely.
October 8, 2018
Wizard of Oz is my all time favorite movie. I've always been interested in production, writing, and the actors and actresses of the movie. This book is one worth leaving out on the coffee table! It has vibrant pictures and memorabilia to look at, but the best part is reading about how it all came to be, from what inspired L. Frank Baum to write this story, to how the movie made it to production, and all the "did you knows?" and "how they did its!" in-between! I loved everything about this book!
November 18, 2013
A fantastic, rare behind the scenes look at one of the most influential fantasy films of anyone's childhood. I know I grew up loving this film and the rocky history it had to becoming one of the most beloved classics of all time has instilled me with the ambition to write a story about it. This book commemorates the film's 75th anniversary (which is actually next year) and includes never-before-seen photos as well as plenty of insight into the casting and making of the film. Those who buy the book get plenty of goodies along with it!
November 14, 2013
I thought I knew everything about The Wizard of Oz, but this book had new surprises. One made me rather sad--any close-ups of the Ruby Slippers aren't Judy Garland but her stand-in, due to work restrictions for minors. So it wasn't Judy tapping her heels together three times...
A very fun book with lots of great pictures--I bought this for Nook but may also need to buy the hardcover version to truly appreciate the illustrations.
A very fun book with lots of great pictures--I bought this for Nook but may also need to buy the hardcover version to truly appreciate the illustrations.
November 5, 2013
Lots of factoids in this book, including a candid photo of Margaret Williams Pellegrini, my favorite munchkin! This movie never gets old, and I recently saw it in IMAX 3-D; still amazing! 75 years and still going strong; hope my granddaughter will love it as much as I do.
January 13, 2014
What a very interesting book. I thought I knew about the movie but I didn't know anything. I found out whole bunch of stuff that made the movie even more interesting to me. The Wizard of Oz is one of my all-time favorite movies and is such a Classic movie from when Hollywood was classy. The book is easy to read. If you are a Wizard of Oz lover or knows someone who is, this book is a great gift. I'm so happy that I got it for Christmas! Great book to have!
February 2, 2014
This book is a godsend for an Ozophile like me. I thought I knew all the behind-the-scenes stories. Nope. There is a wealth of information about the making of the movie, including commentary from the cast and crew. This is not a typical peak into the making of a legendary film; it's a wide open backstage pass. A must for anyone who is obsessed with the film.
March 21, 2025
The Wizard of Oz has been my number 1 favorite movie and book ever since I was a little girl so it was a must read to the history behind it all. I knew a lot of the facts already along with a lot of jumping around that wasn’t necessary to me so that’s why I gave it a 4 star read. That being said, as true fan this was pure enjoyment (especially with the photos included) and still learned some new things. I’m really glad I read this book.
November 25, 2019
Bought this for someone for Christmas who is not on Goodreads. ;) Beautiful book, lots of text (more than I expected, to be honest) and gorgeous original photos. Well worth a read.
June 21, 2018
I love learning the back story for songs, movies, etc. As a history buff, this was right up my alley! This book talked about how & why The Wizard of Oz was made & the impact it made worldwide. I found it fascinating.
December 8, 2013
Enjoy reading about this film as much as seeing it. This is an excellent book about the film.
December 31, 2013
Amazing photos. Beautiful layout. A great addition to any collection.
January 11, 2014
Spectacular just like the movie!!!
March 19, 2018
Contains a lot of photos of memorabilia, behind the scenes, and etc. A good, scrape the surface discussion of the film that will provide a lot of insights for the fans of the movie.
May 31, 2023
The Wizard of Oz: Movie
75 + Years of Enchantment Anniversary Companion
The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion is, as the titles implies, a travel into and about the movie. The authors William Stillman, and Jay Scarfone, do a commendable job of laying out the background. However, where is the meat?
Perhaps it is me, as I did not mean to get this book when ordering via the online system that my library uses. It was the original and unabridged Oz story that I was searching. But having received it, it was set aside to read after the Oz story.
It was interesting but disappointing at parts. Seemed to be trying to justify Oz, the movie, rather than just telling the story. And it does seem to be quite a story. For instance, who knew that it was the “success of Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) which grossed $3.5 million in Depression-era dollars – caused major motion picture studios to seriously reconsider the viability of film fantasy.”
Or that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) was “L. Frank Baum’s sixth book for children, published when the author was turning forty-four. “
Or the producer had to fight to keep Judy Garland singing the classic, “Over the Rainbow” in the movie. Would the movie had been The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, without that song?
Finally, let’s remember author L. Frank Baum: “The Man who discovered the Land of Oz” and to thank the producers for their quite faithful rendering of that story onto the big screen. However, truth be told, I have only ever seen it on a TV screen. Perhaps we can correct that someday.
Lino Matteo ©™
Twitter @Lino_Matteo
https://linomatteo.wordpress.com/2023...
https://linomatteo.wordpress.com/2023...
May 3, 2024
I picked this book up from the library to flip through for some drawing inspiration. It contains some cool vintage-looking graphic design of each major character and cool background knowledge of the film as it was adapted from the book to the silver screen. The book gave me a few drawing references to work from, but was mostly text. Not exactly what I needed at the time but still a fascinating read.
April 21, 2024
I guess I was expecting too much for 'new insights' found for a 75th anniversary celebration of the classic film (when it's now the 85th). Perhaps the authors didn't feel like rehashing too much old info and legend. There was a bit of "new to me" data especially the parts towards the end discussing the slow rollout of the film around the world because of that pesky war that started in '39.
October 20, 2025
I was hoping for an in-depth tell-all about the making of the Wizard of Oz. But this book focused more on boring details like what year the movie premiered in different countries, how much merchandise sold for, and which years WOZ was aired on television. It merely touched on info about each of the primary actors and the making of the movie.
November 21, 2018
What a beautiful book!! Personally, I cared more about the production details than all the snafus that occurred both pre- and post-, but I loved all the photos. Whoever designed this book did a PHENOMENAL job, it's stunning.
April 1, 2022
judy garland diciendo “I’VE ALWAYS TAKEN THE WIZARD OF OZ VERY SERIOUSLY, YOU KNOW. I BELIEVE IN THE IDEA OF THE RAINBOW. AND I’VE SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE TRYING TO GET OVER IT.” me pone muy triste de verdad
January 9, 2020
A very interesting read if you are a fan of The Wizard of OZ.
January 12, 2020
Beautiful for Wizard of Oz fans
May 7, 2020
Nothing new here.
I was hoping, as I always do when I see what looks like a new book about the classic MGM film. But alas, just the same information rehashed into another bad book.
I was hoping, as I always do when I see what looks like a new book about the classic MGM film. But alas, just the same information rehashed into another bad book.
October 3, 2023
It's a beautiful book and I have a newfound appreciation for the film.
October 26, 2024
Great read,makes you appreciate the film that much more.I couldn’t put it down.
April 17, 2014
I am obsessed with the Wizard of Oz, and not just the movie. I have multiple copies of all of the original Oz books written by Baum (though no first editions, yet!). I pick up more copies as I see them. My kitchen and dining room are decorated in an Oz theme.
This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the release of the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland. As befitting such a grandiose occasion, there are multitudes of new memorabilia available. I received one of these as a gift this last Christmas: The Wizard of Oz Official 75th Anniversary Companion by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman. The companion book is a large 176 page coffee table book filled with colorful pictures and lots of information about the making of The Wizard of Oz. Though a bit unwieldy to cuddle up with on the couch, the book contains stories and facts that are new to even an obsessive fan like me. There are even a couple of myths that it debunks (the horse of a different color was not actually dyed with Jell-o, but with the same type of dyes used in Jell-O). It also contains several never-before-published pictures and stills from the making of the movie.
The companion make a great gift for a lover of the Wizard of Oz or classic films (There’s also lots of information about the special effects and make-up). There is an electronic version of this book that you can purchase if you prefer an less bulky version, but you loose the collectability and tactile memory factor, plus, the hardcover is only three bucks more. If you’re just interested in the information presented, get the ebook, but if you want it as a collectible for a fan, then definitely get the hardcover.
This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the release of the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland. As befitting such a grandiose occasion, there are multitudes of new memorabilia available. I received one of these as a gift this last Christmas: The Wizard of Oz Official 75th Anniversary Companion by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman. The companion book is a large 176 page coffee table book filled with colorful pictures and lots of information about the making of The Wizard of Oz. Though a bit unwieldy to cuddle up with on the couch, the book contains stories and facts that are new to even an obsessive fan like me. There are even a couple of myths that it debunks (the horse of a different color was not actually dyed with Jell-o, but with the same type of dyes used in Jell-O). It also contains several never-before-published pictures and stills from the making of the movie.
The companion make a great gift for a lover of the Wizard of Oz or classic films (There’s also lots of information about the special effects and make-up). There is an electronic version of this book that you can purchase if you prefer an less bulky version, but you loose the collectability and tactile memory factor, plus, the hardcover is only three bucks more. If you’re just interested in the information presented, get the ebook, but if you want it as a collectible for a fan, then definitely get the hardcover.
April 2, 2014
This was a fun book with a lot of information about what is basically an hollywood version of the book, rather than a true adaptation. Still, the information within is a boon to any fan of the movie. Lots of excellent pictures too.
April 27, 2014
Very well organized book, lots of pictures, sketches and so on, I enjoy the gifts in the envelop stuck on the cover, beautiful gift I must say ^_^
October 25, 2014
It was a wonderful book to pick up. There were so many photos and pieces of information that I hadn't seen nor read. This is definitely one to put in my collection!
March 27, 2015
As a huge OZ fan, I loved everything about this book. I'm so glad to add this one to my collection and cannot wait to read it again!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews