What do you think?
Rate this book
The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece
WINNER OF THE 2019 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE BOOK AWARD! The Road to Oz is a complete retelling of how The Wizard of Oz was influenced and created, and attained its iconic status. This new volume by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman reflects recent research and much more through newly discovered period interviews, media resources of the era, transcriptions and unique contemporary interviews with those who were there. Additionally, never-before-published imagery accompanies the text. In its truth and candor, this new historical contribution is ideal to tie-in with the 2018-19 80th anniversary of the 1939 movie.
Tantalizing highlights of the text
· A thorough synopsis of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and the script, inspired by the book, of the 1903 Broadway musical-comedy extravaganza.
· An overview of the plots of prior silent film adaptations of Oz and how they influenced the M-G-M film.
· An analysis of newly-discovered audio transcriptions of Wizard of Oz radio programs from 1931-32 and 1937-38--all of which were previously unknown.
· A complete accounting of Sam Goldwyn's proposed (and aborted) 1934 Technicolor musical version of Oz starring Eddie Cantor (including commentary from Cantor's sole surviving child).
· A thorough analysis of the October 10, 1938 M-G-M shooting script (provided by descendants of comedian and Cowardly Lion actor Bert Lahr) that predates the beginning of production by seventy-two hours.
· Startling revelations about the operetta that seemingly inspired "Over the Rainbow."
· Judy Garland's trials and tribulations with the studio, including the threat that M-G-M was grooming a sound-alike who tested for Oz .
· The supporting player who was cast in two roles in Oz 's fantasy sequence--the second role revealed for the first time in Scarfone and Stillman's text.
· The Munchkin midgets' pre-1939 Wizard of Oz connection.
· Oz 's film editor with a direct connection to Walt Disney and Snow White .
· Studio nepotism, favoritism and politics at the height of Hollywood's golden age on the making of the world's most famous film.
" The Road to Oz not only delivers exciting, previously unpublished information and insight, but does so in an extremely well-cited format. This is absolutely a must-have for any Oz fan or film historian." --Sean Barrett, theatrical/film producer and artistic director, Land of Oz, North Carolina
"A new and wonderful book penned by the foremost Oz movie history authors. This is a must-read for all old and new Oz fans worldwide." --Roger S. Baum, author of Dorothy of Oz (on which the film Legends of Dorothy's Return is based) and great-grandson of L. Frank Baum
"Numerous books have celebrated the fan appeal of MGM's Wizard of Oz , but there's far more to this story than nostalgia. Scarfone and Stillman delve deep into the history of this landmark film, exploring its place in the pantheon of classic fantasy films, as well as fascinating details of production. The Road to Oz is an important addition to the film-history bookshelf." --J.B. Kaufman, film historian and author of The Fairest One of The Making of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
" The Road to Oz is a gamechanger in the world of motion picture history books. Long considered the leading authorities on the making of The Wizard of Oz , Scarfone and Stillman have crafted decades of extensive research into a new and unparalleled historical recalling of the classic film." --Randy L. Schmidt, editor of Judy Garland on Judy Interviews and Encounters and author of Little Girl The Life of Karen Carpenter
Tantalizing highlights of the text
· A thorough synopsis of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and the script, inspired by the book, of the 1903 Broadway musical-comedy extravaganza.
· An overview of the plots of prior silent film adaptations of Oz and how they influenced the M-G-M film.
· An analysis of newly-discovered audio transcriptions of Wizard of Oz radio programs from 1931-32 and 1937-38--all of which were previously unknown.
· A complete accounting of Sam Goldwyn's proposed (and aborted) 1934 Technicolor musical version of Oz starring Eddie Cantor (including commentary from Cantor's sole surviving child).
· A thorough analysis of the October 10, 1938 M-G-M shooting script (provided by descendants of comedian and Cowardly Lion actor Bert Lahr) that predates the beginning of production by seventy-two hours.
· Startling revelations about the operetta that seemingly inspired "Over the Rainbow."
· Judy Garland's trials and tribulations with the studio, including the threat that M-G-M was grooming a sound-alike who tested for Oz .
· The supporting player who was cast in two roles in Oz 's fantasy sequence--the second role revealed for the first time in Scarfone and Stillman's text.
· The Munchkin midgets' pre-1939 Wizard of Oz connection.
· Oz 's film editor with a direct connection to Walt Disney and Snow White .
· Studio nepotism, favoritism and politics at the height of Hollywood's golden age on the making of the world's most famous film.
" The Road to Oz not only delivers exciting, previously unpublished information and insight, but does so in an extremely well-cited format. This is absolutely a must-have for any Oz fan or film historian." --Sean Barrett, theatrical/film producer and artistic director, Land of Oz, North Carolina
"A new and wonderful book penned by the foremost Oz movie history authors. This is a must-read for all old and new Oz fans worldwide." --Roger S. Baum, author of Dorothy of Oz (on which the film Legends of Dorothy's Return is based) and great-grandson of L. Frank Baum
"Numerous books have celebrated the fan appeal of MGM's Wizard of Oz , but there's far more to this story than nostalgia. Scarfone and Stillman delve deep into the history of this landmark film, exploring its place in the pantheon of classic fantasy films, as well as fascinating details of production. The Road to Oz is an important addition to the film-history bookshelf." --J.B. Kaufman, film historian and author of The Fairest One of The Making of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
" The Road to Oz is a gamechanger in the world of motion picture history books. Long considered the leading authorities on the making of The Wizard of Oz , Scarfone and Stillman have crafted decades of extensive research into a new and unparalleled historical recalling of the classic film." --Randy L. Schmidt, editor of Judy Garland on Judy Interviews and Encounters and author of Little Girl The Life of Karen Carpenter
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
392 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2018
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 4, 2018
I received am advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Who isn't fascinated with the Wizard of Oz? Who didn't sit wide eyed in front of the TV as a child and drink in all it's wonderment.
Jay Scarfone and William Stillman delivered on this book. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Oz and the production of the movie. They included new interviews, transcriptions and, never-before-published imagery accompanies the text. They even dive into Judy Garland's trials and tribulations with the studio.
The book is well written and the Authors pay attention to detail. I highly recommend this book.
Who isn't fascinated with the Wizard of Oz? Who didn't sit wide eyed in front of the TV as a child and drink in all it's wonderment.
Jay Scarfone and William Stillman delivered on this book. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Oz and the production of the movie. They included new interviews, transcriptions and, never-before-published imagery accompanies the text. They even dive into Judy Garland's trials and tribulations with the studio.
The book is well written and the Authors pay attention to detail. I highly recommend this book.
January 14, 2019
I thought I knew everything there was to know about the making of MGM's Wizard of Oz classic, but authors Jay Scarfone and William Stillman have delighted with a whole new book showing how wrong I was!
Meticulously researched, the book draws on vintage magazines, newspapers and interviews to provide a whole books worth of fresh details, perspectives and anecdotes about the creation of the movie along with some really great never-before-published photos too. Most commendable is the clear respect the authors have for long time fans who have already read all their previous books on the subject. So with the 80th anniversary of the movie this year, it's the perfect chance for even the biggest Oz fan to follow The Road to Oz all over again.
Full flip through of the book and in-depth review over on my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSNwb...
Many thank to authors William Stillman, Jay Scarfone and publisher Rowman & Littlefield for providing an advanced review copy of this book.
Meticulously researched, the book draws on vintage magazines, newspapers and interviews to provide a whole books worth of fresh details, perspectives and anecdotes about the creation of the movie along with some really great never-before-published photos too. Most commendable is the clear respect the authors have for long time fans who have already read all their previous books on the subject. So with the 80th anniversary of the movie this year, it's the perfect chance for even the biggest Oz fan to follow The Road to Oz all over again.
Full flip through of the book and in-depth review over on my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSNwb...
Many thank to authors William Stillman, Jay Scarfone and publisher Rowman & Littlefield for providing an advanced review copy of this book.
August 13, 2018
This book is an excellent exploration of the creation of this iconic film. The title calls this movie a masterpiece and that is certainly the case, especially considering the 80th anniversary is on the horizon. As a longtime fan of The Wizard of Oz film, this book is something I need to own and I will likely have on my coffee table. I found it to be both extremely well written and academic in its approach ( this is a compliment!). I loved that it explored the time period through the media available at the time along with new historical insights. This is the type of book that can be read several times and something new appreciated each time. This is a true 5 stars out of 5 and I recommend it to any fan of this film, as well as fans of film history in general and of this time period. I would like to thank both the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2023
A fantastic book about a wonderful film, The Road to Oz is a comprehensive and detailed look at how the original novel by L. Frank Baum evolved over decades of adaptations to become one of the most well-known and popular film classics ever.
The Road to Oz does an excellent job of giving readers a look at the production of the 1939 film from all sides. The good and the bad. The rumored and the true. It's all here for any fan of the film or fan of film history to read and enjoy.
I highly recommend The Road to Oz. After you read it, you'll look at the film with a fresh perspective and a greater appreciation for everyone who brought the story to the big screen.
The Road to Oz does an excellent job of giving readers a look at the production of the 1939 film from all sides. The good and the bad. The rumored and the true. It's all here for any fan of the film or fan of film history to read and enjoy.
I highly recommend The Road to Oz. After you read it, you'll look at the film with a fresh perspective and a greater appreciation for everyone who brought the story to the big screen.
February 19, 2019
Incredibly thorough and fascinating account. My only (slight) criticism would be that I would have liked more information on Auntie Em and Uncle Henry and the people who played them. I think that they are a much more important part of the film then perhaps the book gives them credit for.
To be fair though, the authors do state early on that information is often scant, so perhaps there just wasn't very much information to be had in relation to Uncle Henry and Auntie Em and those who so brilliantly portrayed them.
To be fair though, the authors do state early on that information is often scant, so perhaps there just wasn't very much information to be had in relation to Uncle Henry and Auntie Em and those who so brilliantly portrayed them.
January 29, 2019
One of all time favorite movies! I couldn't wait to read this book. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I took some film classes in college, so it wasn't a waste of time. I think people who love the film will enjoy reading about it from author to theater. Interesting story.
I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
July 4, 2022
Very interesting read. I learned a lot about this film while reading this book, but I had to dig through an overwhelming amount of dates to get that information. Great work by the two authors, their research must've been tedious to come up with such a detailed compilation.
A must have got any die hard Oz fan. A hard read, but worth it for what you take from it.
A must have got any die hard Oz fan. A hard read, but worth it for what you take from it.
September 29, 2020
Best book yet.
The best history of The Wizard of Oz that I have read. At the age of 60 , I love it as much as I did.as.a.child. The authors really did their homework with all the research they did. Thank you for those wonderful memories.
The best history of The Wizard of Oz that I have read. At the age of 60 , I love it as much as I did.as.a.child. The authors really did their homework with all the research they did. Thank you for those wonderful memories.
October 6, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this behind the scenes look at THE WIZARD OF OZ. Well reserved and insightful look into this classic.
January 29, 2020
Great book. Loved it I found some new info I Did not know about . Great book for any fan of Woz.
July 17, 2019
THE ROAD TO OZ retells the evolution of one of the most beloved movies on the precipice of its 80th birthday. Reflects new research through period interviews, media resources, transcriptions, and images published for the first time. The authors, historians and collectors since the 1970s, wrote several related books and boast one of the largest Oz memorabilia collections in the world. Highly recommended as a meticulously researched resource for the most avid Oz fans.
Pub Date 01 Oct 2018
Grateful to Rowman & Littlefield and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheRoadToOz #NetGalley
Pub Date 01 Oct 2018
Grateful to Rowman & Littlefield and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheRoadToOz #NetGalley
September 10, 2018
This was such an awesome book. Well worth your time in reading it. I cannot wait to buy this book and put it into my collection.
October 8, 2018
This is for those who like The Wizard of Oz in book and, obviously, film and what happened after. It has - to me - quiet a bit of information leading up to film, during and after. There are images to go along with the information. For those who want to more about the film all around, this is one to add to your reading list.
February 22, 2019
The Wizard of Oz has always held a tiny little place in my heart. I feel like if I could go to any magical, made up world, it would probably win.
This book is chock-full of information - most of which I didn't know about. I was slightly informed just from being raised with it, my mom is a little obsessed lol, so I knew what I was getting into. Still, this taught me so much and was fun while reading it!
Definitely for any Oz fan <3
This book is chock-full of information - most of which I didn't know about. I was slightly informed just from being raised with it, my mom is a little obsessed lol, so I knew what I was getting into. Still, this taught me so much and was fun while reading it!
Definitely for any Oz fan <3
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews