The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Resources
WEBSITES
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Interesting documents, manuscripts, early reviews of the book (it was an instant success!), and more.
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You want fun facts? We've got your fun facts. Like…Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, was a kindergarten teacher before she got into acting.
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Page through the original drawings from the publisher's 1900 edition of the book.
MOVIE OR TV PRODUCTIONS
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See the film poster, review the cast, watch a clip, and read the summary. Yeah, you're going to want to see it again.
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We got you. Roger Ebert gave The Wiz three out of four stars back in 1978—and, of course, one thumb up—so it could be worth a watch. If only to see MJ easing down the yellow brick road.
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Oh yes. In Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Piggy plays the witches, Queen Latifah is Aunt Em, and Quentin Tarantino plays Kermit's director.
ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS
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Slate takes a closer look at America's first fairy tale, and in particular, its creator: L. Frank Baum.
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Smithsonian Magazine profiles L. Frank Baum (and a 2000 biography about his life).
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A website that maps the literature of Kansas wouldn't be complete without a page dedicated to Baum. Photos, a bio, writing samples, and more.
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This Wall Street Journal writer thinks people tend to read too much into the story.
VIDEO
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Videos weren't really a thing in the author's lifetime. Why not watch the original trailer for the movie instead?
AUDIO
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Listen to a sample from the audiobook, read by Anne Hathaway.
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NPR takes a look at the book's origins.
IMAGES
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You'll also meet his awesome 'stache.
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His name is William Wallace Winslow. (Another great mustache!)
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This is from the first edition, which was printed in 1900.