Since the initial release of the movie in 1939, “The Wizard of Oz” continues to celebrate its long lasting legacy in the world of entertainment by commemorating its 85th anniversary on the big screen.
One of the most beloved in cinematic history, this critically acclaimed film has touched the hearts of millions with its lessons about self discovery and teamwork. It centers around a young girl named Dorothy and her dog, Toto, who are swept away from their home in Kansas by a tornado and end up in the Land of Oz. There, Dorothy stumbles upon three new friends who share the same goal of seeing the Wizard to grant their wishes and take Dorothy back home to Kansas.
By implementing the technological advancement and use of technicolor and being one of the first to do so, the film’s vibrant colors on screen brought a new level of magic to its audiences and undoubtedly left an impact for the future of film making.
Lyman Frank Baum’s children’s novel, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” was not only the inspiration for the original film, but for many other adaptations of the book as well including popular musicals, such as “The Wiz” and fan favorite “Wicked.”
“I feel like “The Wizard of Oz” is such an influential movie on pop culture and there’s always references to it in a bunch of different movies. […] the musicals that were based off of it became super influential like ‘Wicked,’which became super big, and same goes for ‘The Wiz’,” said actor Julia O’Neill ’26.
Celebrating the film’s 85th anniversary, Warner Bros. and Fathom Events took the movie back onto the big screen in certain U.S. theaters on Jan. 28-31.
Theater director Greg Callaghan explained, “I hope people go see ‘The Wizard of Oz’ when it’s back in theaters. We are so used to watching things on our tvs, laptops, and phones. […] ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is meant to be seen on the big screen! It’s the most popular movie of all time and the story still holds up.”
