I don’t often share WIPs but given that today is the anniversary of the premiere of The Dreamer of Oz on @nbc in 1990, I figured I’d share a preview of something I’m working on. Enjoy!
26 years ago, on the night before Thanksgiving The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True aired on TNT to benefit the Children’s Defense Fund. It was unforgettable.
The Great Wizard of Oz. An allegorical work that emerged in Western literature and reflects the reality of the whole world. The journey of A wonderful literary work, from book pages to cameras. The tin man symbolizing the rusting of the American Industry … The cowardly lion symbolizing William Jennings Bryant, who worked hard to be the president of the USA in those years … Eastern Witch, symbolizing the ruthless bankers and businessmen of the eastern states… Scarecrow representing farmers in Kansas … And the cute young advocate of feminism, Dorothy and her ruby slippers. To take advantage of new Technicolor technology, the slippers were changed from the book’s silver to an iridescent red hue. They were created by Gilbert Adrian (1903-1959), MGM Studios’ chief costume designer at the time. In the movie, Dorothy is gifted the slippers from Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, to keep them safe from the Wicked Witch of the West and to help her return home to Kansas. Over the years, they have become one of the most iconic parts of the film and of American culture. A number of pairs were made for the film, though the exact number is unknown. Five pairs are known to have survived; one pair was stolen from a museum in 2005 and recovered in 2018.