The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved and iconic films in cinema history. Based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the musical fantasy film was released in 1939 and starred Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale. However, what many people don’t realize is that The Wizard of Oz was not originally filmed in color. The first version of the film was actually released in 1925 as a silent black and white film. Over the years, there were several other black and white versions of The Wizard of Oz made before the famous 1939 Technicolor version that we all know and love today. In this article, we’ll take a look at the various black and white adaptations of The Wizard of Oz and examine when each version was released.
The Wizard of Oz (1925)
The first film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz was released in 1925 as a silent black and white film. It was produced by Chadwick Pictures and directed by Larry Semon.
| Film Title | Year Released | Director | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wizard of Oz | 1925 | Larry Semon | Chadwick Pictures |
This version took many liberties with the source material and portrayed the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion as Dorothy’s farmhands in Kansas who dress up in costumes for a dream sequence. It starred Oliver Hardy as the Tin Man. The film was not a financial success and received negative reviews from critics who complained about the alterations to the original story.
The Wizard of Oz (1933)
In 1933, another black and white silent film version of The Wizard of Oz was released. This one was produced by Ted Eshbaugh Studios and ran about 12 minutes long.
| Film Title | Year Released | Director | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wizard of Oz | 1933 | Ted Eshbaugh | Ted Eshbaugh Studios |
As an animated short film, this version took some creative liberties with the story but is notable for being the first film version to include Dorothy’s ruby slippers. It was aimed at child audiences and released as part of a series of cartoons.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
In 1939, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released what would become the most popular and well-known film version of The Wizard of Oz in Technicolor.
| Film Title | Year Released | Director | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wizard of Oz | 1939 | Victor Fleming | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
However, this version also had some lesser known black and white origins. Prior to the use of Technicolor, the studio first filmed The Wizard of Oz in black and white. Two versions were shot – one in a sepia tone monochrome and another in regular black and white.
The sepia tone version was used for the Kansas scenes, simulating the drab look of Dorothy’s dusty Kansas farm. The black and white version was used for the scenes set in Oz, with the intention to switch to Technicolor once Dorothy arrives in the magical land. Test screenings found this jarring to audiences though, who were confused why Oz scenes would revert to black and white.
So the studio reshot all the Oz scenes in color as well, creating the fully Technicolor version we are all familiar with. However, a few seconds of one Oz scene were accidentally left in black and white in the final cut – specifically when the Wicked Witch of the West writes “Surrender Dorothy” in the sky after Dorothy crashes in Munchkinland.
So even the 1939 musical masterpiece has a touch of black and white origins!
The Wizard of Oz (1950)
In 1950, an animated short version of The Wizard of Oz was released by Warner Bros as part of a series of Looney Tunes cartoons.
| Film Title | Year Released | Director | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wizard of Oz | 1950 | Chuck Jones | Warner Bros |
Like many Looney Tunes shorts, this 8-minute cartoon took liberties with the source material for comedic effect. Dorothy was depicted as an orphan mouse raised by farm couple Fred and Emma. The cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject.
Journey Back to Oz (1974)
In 1974, Filmation released an animated musical film titled Journey Back to Oz as an official sequel to the 1939 MGM film.
| Film Title | Year Released | Director | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journey Back to Oz | 1974 | Hal Sutherland | Filmation |
It featured Liza Minnelli as the voice of Dorothy, who returns to Oz to help her friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Glinda the Good Witch. Like the 1939 version, Journey Back to Oz was first filmed in black and white before being colorized. The animators created over 1,100 backgrounds for the film by painting them in monochrome shades before going back and fully coloring them for the final release.
The Wizard of Oz (1982)
In 1982, Filmation produced an animated TV series called The Wizard of Oz loosely based on the original novel and 1939 film.
| TV Series Title | Years Aired | Director | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wizard of Oz | 1982-1983 | Hal Sutherland | Filmation |
It ran for 13 episodes on ABC Weekend Specials. While it was produced and aired in color, the opening title sequence used black and white silhouetted animation, as a nod to the 1939 film’s iconic opening.
The Wizard of Oz (1991)
In 1991, an unofficial sequel to the 1939 film was released, starring and produced by Barry Mahon.
| Film Title | Year Released | Director | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wizard of Oz | 1991 | Barry Mahon | Barry Films |
It was filmed in black and white and featured no original cast members. The plot centered on Dorothy returning to a deserted Emerald City years later to fight the evil sorceress Satana. Due to copyright issues, the film title was later changed to The Wonderful Land of Oz.
The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)
One more recent black and white Oz adaptation was the 2005 TV movie The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, produced by The Muppets Studio and starring Ashanti as Dorothy with Kermit the Frog as the Scarecrow.
| Film Title | Year Released | Director | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz | 2005 | Kirk Thatcher | The Muppets Studio |
The opening few minutes of the film paid homage to the 1939 version by being filmed in black and white, until Dorothy is whisked away to the magical world of Oz.
Conclusion
The Wizard of Oz has been reimagined countless times on stage and screen since L. Frank Baum first published the novel in 1900. While the 1939 Judy Garland film is the most iconic, as we’ve explored, there were several earlier black and white versions as well as later adaptations that incorporated black and white elements as homages to the original. From the first 1925 silent film, to the 1930s and 1940s animated shorts, to the little seen 1980s sequel, Oz has been brought to life in monochrome for decades before color was introduced. The magical story continues to inspire new filmmakers and entertain audiences, whether in dazzling color or classic black and white.
