Somewhere over the rainbow, Judy Garland is still cashing in on The Wizard of Oz, as a new 70th anniversary box set will be released next week.
In light of this year being the anniversary of the film - which, as the opening credits read, has given its faithful service to the young in heart; and time has been powerless to put its kindly philosophy out of fashion
I dedicate this column to those of you who have been faithful to it in return and to the young in heart.
Alright, I have to admit that last part may have been a bit dorky, but the little girl in me dressed as Dorothy doesn't care. Ever since I was in preschool, The Wizard of Oz has always been one of my very favorite films. I can still see it playing around the holiday season on our old wood-encased television set that sat on the floor while I sat on the couch in admiration of Dorothy's ruby slippers, cowering at the sight of the cowardly lion.
I loved The Wizard of Oz so much as a little girl that I used to wish I would wake up one morning, run to the living room and magically find a pair of gleaming, sparkly, ruby slippers - with magical capabilities, of course.
That never happened, but if it had, I would have used them to get to Oz. I mean, seriously, what little kid would have wanted to go home if they could live in a magical land where they could talk to lions, scarecrows and men made of tin? As an only child, that sounded like a blast to me.
I loved Dorothy. I wanted to be Dorothy. I used to make my mom braid my hair like Dorothy's, and my grandma even sewed me a costume for Halloween once.
I guess it's a classic for a reason. Judy Garland had such a magnetism about her that I don't think the film would have enjoyed the success it did with any other actress. The appeal of a land where the grass is always green on both sides seems so far out of grasp in reality, yet the movie brings it a little closer.
As for the box set, I want it. Really badly.
It comes with four discs. Four! Not to mention that it comes with a production history book, a 1939 campaign book and a watch.
Watch out -I'll get you my pretty. 3
Culture
Anna Hartenbach
