[citation needed], The Maltings Theatre in Berwick-upon-Tweed has a performance space, The Henry Travers Studio, named after him.[10]. However, over the years, it has been revealed that the film had a tragic series of unfortunate events in its making. Since, aside from illustrations, a novel only really occurs in its reader's mind's-eye, it was able to be a little more creative. Henry was given the job of being Keeper of the Jewels in Ozma's treasure hoard for the purpose of keeping him occupied. Released in 1939, The Wizard of Oz is today seen as one of the most iconic American films. The change was made for the film in order to take advantage of the power of Technicolor. It's quite aconfusing and unnecessary detail that doesn't fit well with the rest of the film's aesthetic. Because of the sensitive nature of gun violence, movies rated PG or PG-13 must avoid the excessive use of firearms. [9] His last play on Broadway You Can't Take It with You was his best known, where he acted in over 380 performances in two years. Though Littlefields theory seems acceptable, L. Frank Baums introduction claims that "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written solely to pleasure children today. Moreover, doubts and other theories have arisen, questioning whether or not Braum was intentionally trying to convey a hidden truth. G.M. The studio ended up being furious at Ebsen and cast Jack Hayley instead. Its impossible to prove what his political intent may have been, if any, but its fascinating to consider the symbolism in the book as we enjoy the story for itself. The rest of the movies cast was a familiarity. The fantastical tale, based on L. Frank Baum 's popular 1900 children's. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of America's favorite pieces of juvenile literature. NEXT: Wizard Of Oz: 10 Things Fans Never Understood About The Movie. In the novel however, the WItch doesn't care as much. The Sawmill. The Wizard, unsurprisingly, represents the President of the United States. In the 1974 animated film Journey Back to Oz, Paul Ford voices Uncle Henry. Dorothy's blue-and-white gingham dress was blue and light pink, which was easier to shoot in Technicolor. In fact, nowhere in the screenplay is it mentioned that the Scarecrow holds a handgun in the Haunted Forest. 50 Things You Didn't Know About 'The Wizard of Oz' It was a modest box officer winner when it was released on this day back in 1939, but MGM's grand Technicolor fantasy film, The Wizard of. A Daily Variety news item dated August 17, 1938 stated that 134 dwarfs had been signed and that the studio was searching for more. Another extreme instance was when director Victor Fleming slapped the actressbecause she was giggling in a particular scene. 49-63.. 1990- 91 - The Wizard of Oz, an animated series based on the 1939 film, was broadcast on ABC during the 1990-1991 TV season. Speculation In 1900, L. Frank Baum published a children's story: The Wizard of Oz In 1964, Henry Littlefield published a theory asserting that the story was an allegory for the politics of the 1890s (especially the debate over gold & silver coinage) The Wizard of Oz could have been used as populist propaganda Baum was a populist-he nor his family have ever claimed that the Oz stories were . Alfred Hitchcock used Travers as a Comic relief in Shadow of a Doubt (1943), where he played a bank clerk with a passion for criminal magazines. The angel, of course, was named Clarence and the. Dorothy goes to fetch him as her aunt and . Initially, he trained as an architect[2] at Berwick, before taking to the stage under the name Henry Travers. The story features Dorothy (Judy Garland), a young girl who is whisked away to a magical, yet unfamiliar land, and her desperate struggle to get back home to Kansas. What's sad is the lack of financial compensation for the actor after the accident. Henry Travers, who played the elderly angel that serves as Stewart's muse in the film, was in his 70s -- and was born in 1874. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of the most famous children's books of all time. Uncle Henry is a fictional character from The Oz Books by L. Frank Baum. Read about our approach to external linking. Snowball, a black farmhand soon joins them after a lightning bolt chases him into the sky. In the VeggieTales episode The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's, Uncle Henry and his wife Aunt Em were substituted by a father (Dad Asparagus) to retell The Prodigal Son, a biblical parable from the Gospel. 1 h 35 min. The Witch of the North informs her that she is in the land of the Munchkins, who are grateful to her for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East (the house having landed on the witch), thus freeing them. The Wizard of Oz was produced under Hollywood's old studio system, meaning most people who worked on this film were under contract with MGM, not its individual projects. Travers was born in Prudhoe, Northumberland, and was the son of Daniel Heagerty,[2] a doctor originally from Ireland, and Ellen Gillman Hornibrook. L. Frank Baum published his famous novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in 1900, and underneath the surface of the story, with all its whimsy and childish delights, is what some literary historians claim is a very thinly-veiled allegory. Contrasting with this is the Cowardly Lion, who justhasbug spray and a butterfly net for protection. PG. The witch sends wolves, crows, bees, and armed Winkies to stop them, all to no avail. However, in our present days, mummies can be digitally unwrapped by CT scanners without being ruined. It doesn't really affect the story, but her appearance in the book is described as even more grotesque than Hamilton's iconic green makeup and prosthetics. While reports of the Munchkin actors showing up to the shooting hungover have been known, this allegation gets more serious (even though the particular actor who might have done this heinous act was never revealed). These burns were a result of a retake of the scene featuring her fiery exit from Munchkinland. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Capital and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. The Rise and Fall of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a "Parable on Populism". In MGM's 1939 musical adaptation The Wizard of Oz, Uncle Henry is played by Charley Grapewin. The Wizard of Oz (1939) is one of the greatest movies of all time, and is considered by cinephiles and critics alike to be a classic and essential movie. Apart from the abuse that Judy Garland endured, there are plenty of other things in The Wizard of Oz that wouldn't fly today, including racism. Share this: Twitter The witch sends Dorothy off along the yellow brick road with a magical kiss to protect her from harm. The Cowardly Lion is, according to Littlefield, a representation of William Jennings Bryan, who was a hero of the Populist movement at the time. Reading suchvitriolby Baum today could definitely be scarring to those who appreciated him in their childhood. Show Music and Sports History | Free Audiobooks | Famous Speeches | Podcast by Henry Gindt, Ep Free Audiobook: The . Oz in the film is a modernist mass of neon-striped skyscrapers that is blatantly artificial (Credit: Alamy). He was 75. They are still in the house when the cyclone carries it away for a long journey. Academics and philanthropists are derided. That same year, Travis retired from acting. In the ABC telefilm The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Henry was played by David Alan Grier and owned a diner rather than a farm. Travers retired in 1949 after his supporting role in The Girl From Jones Beach. You Cant Take It With You became the highest grossing picture in 1938 and won an Oscar for Best Picture. He took Dorothy with him on an ocean voyage to Australia, where he had relatives, but during this trip (in Ozma of Oz) Dorothy was lost again during a storm, and for several weeks a despondent Henry believed she had drowned, until she suddenly returned again, courtesy of the Nome King's Magic Belt. In the story, the wizard is a charlatan who has convinced those around him that he wields great power, but who doesnt really have much power at all. British-born Henry Travers was a veteran of the English stage before emigrating to the U.S. in 1917. It is later revealed that the real Henry Gale was indeed a balloonist who died upon crashing on the islandjust one of the many references to Baum's Oz novels on the show. Wizard of Oz (1925) This 1925 loose adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic tale stars forgotten silent screen comic Larry Semon, and is notable for an early appearance by Oliver Hardy as the Tin Man. In the 1939 film, Kansas is a colorless world as everything is seen in a brownish sepia tone. Dorothy solved this problem for them by bringing them to live with her in the Emerald City, as permanent guests of Princess Ozma. "I wont sue because I know how this business works, and I would never work again," she said, revealing her lack of faith in any support from the studio. Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of the West. 1900. A scene featuring snow in a poppy field featured clouds of lethal asbestos. Of course, it would naturally be hard to find a child actress that young in the 30s, especially one with such a demanding role of singing, dancing, and acting in emotional scenes, so it makes sense that her age was increased. His best known role was the guardian angel Clarence Odbody in the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life. In the last 20 years of the 19th century, American farmers took an economic beating as the result of calamitous weather and the wreckage caused by swarms of locusts, leading to a rise in Populism as the farmers blamed their misfortunes on the banks, the railroads, and nature. Her character represented the best of what was valued as the American character; she was kind, showed spunk, was level-headed, straightforward, and was willing to face the unknown to find answers to the issues she was faced with. She learns that she has to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West in order to go back home. Travers John Heagerty [1] (5 March 1874 [2] - 18 October 1965), known professionally as Henry Travers, was an English film and stage character actor. 1982 - The Wizard of Oz is a feature-length anime adaptation of the story produced by Toho in 1982 and directed by Fumihiko Takayama, with music by Joe Hisaishi. In the movie however, the city really is green, likely for the same reason as the silver slippers being red: the filmmakers wanted to show off the capabilities of Technicolor. The Wizard of Oz is a beloved favoritehere are 75 wonderful facts about the Wizard of Oz, including the cast, characters, costumes, Dorothy trivia and more. It shares an outline with other key works of Depression-era culture, too. He died in 1965 at the age of 91. Is When Harry met Sally the greatest romcom ever? Glinda summons the Winged Monkeys so that they can take the Tin Woodman back to rule the Winkies, the Scarecrow back to Emerald City, and the Cowardly Lion to the forest to be king of the beasts. Discover the characters and themes at the heart of the memorable story. She kills one Wicked Witch by crash-landing a house on her, and kills another (Margaret Hamilton) by splashing her with water. Still, regardless of Braum's true intentions, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz remains as one of the world's greatest children's stories known all around the world. Travers' first wife was actress Amy Forrest-Rhodes. She creates a snowfall to rouse the sleeping travelers, and the crisis is averted quickly. According to Ranker, it doesnt take much analysis to see that the book has a subtext relating directly to the politics of the 1890s; specifically it relates to the rise of Populism that was going on at the time, and to the debate over whether to hold on to the gold standard for currency or start using silver as well. Dorothy arrives at her farmhouse and chats with three farmhands, HIckory (Jack Haley), Hunk (Ray Bolger), and Zeke (Bert Lahr). After their house was famously carried off to the Land of Oz by a tornado in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Henry mortgaged his farm in order to rebuild. In the same year, he played the father of Gloria Stuart in the horror film The Invisible Man. [1] He is the uncle of Dorothy Gale and husband of Aunt Em, and lived with them on a farm in Kansas. Similarly, Ray Bolgerincurred scars on his face from the uncomfortable Scarecrow mask that made it difficult for him to breathe during shooting. Travers specialized in portraying slightly bumbling but friendly and lovable older men. That point is highlighted when he asks Dorothy to go kill the Wicked Witch of the West for him. JoinBBC Culture Film Clubon Facebook, a community for film fanatics all over the world. He also received an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Mrs. Miniver (1942). But for all of its similarities to the Disney film, MGMs version was more of an anti-fairy tale than a fairy tale. The Wizard of Oz over the years has become one of the truly classic movies among children and adults alike. But he also out-right harbored a racist and hateful mentality, particularly for Native Americans, and often espoused this racism in newspaper editorials. Here are 16 hidden symbols and messages that you might never have noticed before in L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz": Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. A modern fairy tale with a distinctly American setting, a delightfully levelheaded and assertive heroine, and engaging fantasy characters, the story was enormously popular and became a classic of childrens literature. As a young man in upstate New York, he bred prize-winning chickens, published a. Travers got fourth billing behind actress Donna Reed who played Georges wife, Mary. I have a feeling we're not in Hollywood anymore. It is instead the Queen of the Field Mice, who summons thousands of mice to carry the sleeping friends away from the poppy field, where they lie until they wake up. He appeared with Greer Garson and Ronald Colman in Random Harvest (1942) and with Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary's (1945). Then their manager, Lew Singer, took 50 percent from their pay as his commission. Bryan was even referred to as a lion in the press. In turn, the angel earns his wings to heaven. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Uncle_Henry_(Oz)&oldid=1089170529, This page was last edited on 22 May 2022, at 08:55. Its a subversive message in 2019, and it was even more pointed in 1939, when fascist dictators were stomping across Europe. Hickory (Tin Man's alter ego) addresses Aunt Em as "Mrs. Gale" just before she offers crullers to the three farmhands, and Hunk (Scarecrow's alter ego) does so just afterward. Travers got fourth billing behind actress Donna Reed who played Georges wife, Mary. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. The Witch of the North gives Dorothy the silver shoes of the dead witch and advises her to go to the City of Emeralds to see the Great Wizard Oz, who might help her return to Kansas. Some of these differences, however, go beyond minor tweaks. And just one year earlier, Clark Kent who, like Dorothy, was an orphan raised by elderly Kansas farmers reinvented himself in the big city as Superman. Capra tapped the steady Lionel Barrymore to portray the miserly banker, Mr. Potter and mainstay. Marking the end of the fall-season sports, this article explores the Highschool Varsity Tennis teamand their several achievements this year. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Henry Travers Birth Name: Travers Heagerty Profession Actor Actor 55 Credits Renegade 1994 The Father Dowling Mysteries 1990 Thrill of a Romance The Party's Over The Sisters Dodge City High. As kindly as he is, the professor is a con artist who pretends to be psychic by peeking at a photo Dorothy is carrying. But Fleming and his team conjured up the most powerful of childrens movies: a twister that whirls us into a world of hardship and chaos, of useless leaders and their gullible followers, and then reminds us that its the very same world we were in already. Travers didn't live long enough to see his character "Clarence" become so revered. The Wizard of Oz is perhaps the most famous and best loved fantasy film ever made. He was 75. She makes multiple appearances after that, showing up to throw fireballs at Dorothy's companions or watch their journey from her crystal ball. So she uses her Golden Cap to summon the Winged Monkeys. An adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the film was primarily directed by Victor Fleming (who left the production to take over the troubled Gone with the Wind), and stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and . Fri 24 Jul 2009 19.01 EDT. When they leave the city and the glasses are removed, Dorothy discovers that the green dress she was given is actually white, and it is later revealed by Oz himself that he forces the people of the city to wear the glasses in order to make the city seem more magical than it actually is. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. At the suggestion of a soldier, Dorothy and her friends go to seek the help of Glinda, the Witch of the South. The character actor also portrayed the Railway Station Master Mr. Ballard with a love for roses who finally wins the annual flower show in his village shortly before dying in a bombardment in Mrs. Miniver. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an American children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum, originally published in May 1900. Travers gained early experience acting in repertory theatre in England. In the book, however, Glinda is actually the Good Witch of the South, and isn't seen until the very end of the novel. - The films that defined Generation X. They thought they could get away with anything because they were so small." The book is one of the best-known stories in American literature and has been widely translated. Professor Marvel and the three farmhands simply do not exist, and the tornado appears almost immediately after opening the front cover. In the novel, Dorothy walks to the emerald city wearing her silver shoes, which is different from the ruby red shoes depicted in the movie. It went on to be cinemas biggest hit of 1938, a success that not only encouraged Disney to make other fairy-tale cartoons for decades to come, but also encouraged another studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, to try its own fantasy musical about an orphaned girl and a wicked witch: The Wizard of Oz. Little do they know, the glasses are what make the city green. The cowardly lion is William Jennings Bryan, the leader of the Democratic Party, supported by the farmers and workers of the populist movements. He also received an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Mrs. Miniver (1942). Here are seven of the most notable ones: A Parable on Populism (and American Monetary Policy) This popular and well-documented reading sees The Wizard of Oz as being about the collapse of the . 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