Over the Rainbow
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The classic tale of Dorothy and her beloved dog Toto has been around for 75 years. The Wizard of Oz first came out in book form as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. 39 years later, the book came to life in the first colored film the world had ever seen! In the movie many things were altered from the book; for example, Dorothy's ruby red slippers were actually silver in the book. Also in the book, Dorothy was a strong independent girl, while in the movie she is portrayed as a “damsel in distress.” The Wizard of Oz has won 12 awards and has been nominated for over 15! These awards include: Best Original Song for Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Best Music, and Best Youth DVD. Since The Wizard of Oz was created in the time where movies were just taking off, the producers and directors had to be very creative to make this movie. Judy Garland was 17 when she portrayed 12 year old Dorothy, her “child-like physic” achieved with a very tight corset. The Horse of Many Colors was actually colored by Jell-O powder, the set was over 100 degrees due to the Technicolor lighting, and the tornado was made by a swirling Muslim stocking while dust was being thrown at it. The casting for the roll of Dorothy Gale almost went to Shirley Temple, but the producer didn’t think her voice was mature enough for the roll. The iconic song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, was almost cut from the movie because movie testers thought the movie was too long! However, producers ultimately decided to keep the song because, “[The movie] just didn’t seem right without it.” For years, The Wizard of Oz has proved to be a beloved classic, inspiring imagination and creativity in the minds of all ages. From book to movie, the iconic characters and songs come together to show audiences that there really is no place like home.