Dorothy And Friends In The Colorful Land Of Oz

I have posted before (such as here) about MGM's animated TV series Off To See the Wizard. The now little-remembered anthology series generated a fair amount of merchandise and give-away premiums, such as this fun mini-coloring book given away free by Curtiss Candy Company, maker of Butterfinger and Baby Ruth candy bars. (Did the candy company sponsor the show when it was running in prime time on ABC in 1967-1968?) Here's a few sample pages from Dorothy Meets the Wizard (click on the images for a larger view), one of three coloring books available.

The Great and Powerful Francis Phillip Wuppermann

Just who is Francis Phillip Wuppermann, you may ask? You don’t have to gaze into Professor Marvel’s crystal to divine that Francis Phillip Wuppermann is the birth name of Frank Morgan. Though the beloved character actor may never have known the crowned heads of Europe, his humorous, heartwarming performances in many a golden-age movie (mostly for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, his home studio), where, as the title character in MGM’s timeless 1939 classic, he attained motion-picture immortality as Oz, the First Wizard deluxe. Though The Wizard of Oz was not considered his greatest film triumph at the time (none of his 1949 obituaries even mention it), today it is the only film in which he appeared from which most people know this prolific character player. Say what you will about James Franco as the most recent reincarnation of the Wizard (Too much of a 21^st century boy to play the Wizard? The box office business done by Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful belies such objections), he is probably one of the few bankable young actors who knows who Frank Morgan—and his accomplishments beyond Oz—is. In addition to enhancing many hit films such as The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Boom Town (1940) and The Human Comedy (1943), Frank was twice nominated for an Academy Award—as Best Actor for The Affairs of Cellini (1934) and as Best Supporting Actor for Tortilla Flat (1942). (Frank is pictured below with the other Oz leads, sporting the top hat he only holds, never wears, in the film itself.) So the next time you see The Wizard of Oz, take time to also seek out some of the other films (shown frequently on TCM) of Francis Phillip Wuppermann. 

Oz Old And New

Disney's popular new Oz film, Oz The Great and Powerful, is being released to the home entertainment market on Blu-ray today. To celebrate the new Oz here is something old—from the Off To See the Wizard TV series from 1967-1968, inspired in turn by the 1939 MGM classic, The Wizard of Oz. The new film certainly emphasizes the Wizard's roots as a carnival magician, and I like the way the magic-kit premium described in this magazine ad brings things back to magic tricks. Be sure and click on the image to see the whole two-page spread—and stay tuned to Tulgey Wood for more on this mostly forgotten television program in the future.

To Oz? To Oz!

Will you be in the City tomorrow—New York, not Emerald? The Empire State Building will take on a glorious green glow tomorrow as part of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the MGM version of The Wizard of Oz. Entitled The Wizard Of Oz's 70th Anniversary Emerald Gala, this incredible celebration is a culmination of the Warner Bros. (which now owns this gem of a film) celebration of The Wizard of Oz. (You can find out more about the festivities here.) There’s been a dearth of posts about that classic movie (truly a classic among classics) here in Tulgey Wood but stay tuned—there is plenty more Wizard waiting in the wings.