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Oz: The American Fairyland

L. FRANK BAUM AND THE ROYAL HISTORY OF OZ
Jun 7, 1997 · 1h 53m
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Documentary

PLOT

The first part tells of the life and works of L. Frank Baum, along with his career as a writer and filmmaker, centering on the creation of Oz. This portion continues with the effect of Oz after his death, with novelties, dolls, radio, stage, and screen adaptions, and advertising gimmicks based on his work, culminating with MGM's Wizard of Oz (1939). While discussing some of the major alterations between the book and the film, such as MGM making Baum's real-life adventure a dream. The second half is about interpretation of Oz by other artists, including Helen Kish, Barry Moser, Barry Mahon, Evelyn Copelman, Robert Tonner, Robin Woods, Michael Hague, Lizbeth Zwerger, Pavel Arsyenov, and Charles Santore. The documentary concludes with an analysis of Baum's work and its profound effect on American culture.

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CAST

Lee Lively
Narrator
Michael Patrick Hearn
Himself
Ozma Baum Mantele
Herself
Charles Santore
Himself
Rachel Cosgrove Payes
Herself
Jay Scarfone
Himself
William Stillman
Himself
Kelsey Davis
Child
Directed by Gayle O’Neal

DETAILS

Status
Released
Original language
EN
Budget
—
Revenue
—
Production
Sirocco Productions
Country
US

SIMILAR TITLES

Yellow Brick Road
2005
The Secret of Oz
2009
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic
1990
Because of the Wonderful Things It Does: The Legacy of Oz
2005
L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain
2005
Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz
2005
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