The Wizard of Oz turns 80

Eighty years ago this month, the classic fantasy film The Wizard of Oz was released across the country. The movie, though well received critically, was not a big moneymaker for MGM, partly due to its fairly large budget. Below is a range of newspaper ads for Oz, some from its August first-run and some from later dates in the fall.

From the Los Angeles Times of August 15, 1939, is an ad for the movie's premiere at the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater. Notice the mention of the Winkies (the people who were enslaved by the Witch, though they're never referred to by that name in the movie) and the Jitterbug, a character that did not appear in the movie--the Wicked Witch mentions sending a "little insect" to pester Dorothy and her friends and a "Jitterbug" song was recorded and filmed but deleted before release. You can hear the song as an extra on some of the Oz DVD and Blu-ray releases.

A couple days later, this ad ran in L.A., noting how great the movie was and mentioning a travelogue featurette--which I assume the children at whom Oz was at least partly aimed cared nothing about.

The New York City ad from August 17th was classier and mentions a live appearance by Garland and her buddy Mickey Rooney who was not in the film but did make several movies with Garland.

At left, an Albuquerque ad which assumes pent-up demand; at right, another classy (and wordy) ad from Birmingham, Alabama.

I love this ad from Mason City, Iowa with its playbill-type middle and its bizarre claim that 9200 actors appear in the movie, which is utter balderdash.

Finally, lest we think that movie tie-ins are a recent pop culture development, here are 2 ads from a Chillicothe newspaper (Sept. 14, 1939). Milk and shoes were sold as a tie-in to the arrival in town of the Wizard of Oz Caravan which featured sets and costumes (and, apparently, ponies) used in the movie.The shoe ad promises the appearance of Dorothy herself, but in the fine prints, let's you know that it won't be Judy Garland but rather she will be "represented by a Chillicothe girl."

74 years ago: V-J Day, part 2

More films playing around the country in mid-August, 1945.

Though I didn't find ads for a lot of war movies, this film, Over 21, which had a wide release in August and September, is a domestic comedy with a WWII backdrop involving a married couple dealing with the husband, in his 40s, joining the Army.

In Tucson, Arizona, there was a big-name melodrama (The Valley of Decision) and a double feature of adventure (Flame of the Barbary Coast with John Wayne, and Tarzan and the Amazons, the lastest from Johnny Weissmuller)

Also in Tucson, escapism with a B-musical with the Three Stooges (Rockin' in the Rockies--sounds awful) and inspiration with a religious film (The Song of Bernadette).

A couple of B-films in New York City (Bewitched, not with Samantha and Darrin Stephens) and the teen comedy Junior Miss.

Finally, in Waterloo Iowa, the ultimate exotic escapist fantasy, A Thousand and One Nights. This had good sets and Technicolor, but it wasn't as much fun as the Jon Hall/Maria Montez films of the same era (Cobra Woman, Arabian Nights)

74 years ago: V-J Day

I'm behind on my summer anniversaries. After the grandeur of the moon landing, we go to the end of World War II, V-J Day (Victory in Japan), August 15, 1945. Though the European war had ended a couple months earlier (V-E day was May 8), between May and August, much fierce fighting was still happening, in addition to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Above is an ad for a chain of newsreel theaters in New York City. In the pre-TV days, radio told people the news, and newspapers let us read the news, but we had to rely on newsreels for film of historical events. Here, the Trans-Lux chain lets everyone know that plenty of important information will be conveyed in the coming weeks, and they need to come to their theaters to see it--and by implication, to live through it.

This is an ad for a newsreel theater in Louisville, Kentucky. The week of V-J day, they were showing newsreels from action in Japan and Europe. But in general, I was hard pressed to find much in the way of war dramas.

Also in Louisville was Christmas in Connecticut (back in the 40s, Christmas movies came out any time the studios had room for them on their release schedule) and a triple horror bill with a live act. And notice the note at the bottom of the ad--segregated seating was still in effect. More V-J movie ads tomorrow.

Not Oscar's finest moment

In the summer of 1966, The Oscar was playing all over the country. It was promoted as classy trash (like Valley of the Dolls) but really it was boring trash, full of bad writing and bad acting. My review is here. Below are newspaper ads from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, New York City (an ad which stresses star power), and San Francisco. In San Francisco (the third ad below) it was double-billed with Inside Dairy Clover--what an excruciating double feature that must have been.

High culture in Mason City, Iowa

Below, an unusual double bill playing in Mason City, Iowa, 70 years ago (August 1949): The Burning Question (which we all know better as Reefer Madness) and The Hairy Ape. Perhaps one of the few times a "drug scare" movie shared a bill with Eugene O'Neill. Two "high" culture movies for the price of one!

Gay comedy, 1969 style

The Gay Deceivers (1969), opened 50 years ago this week in New York City. Just re-watched this recently (my earlier blog review is here). It's campy and engages in some old-fashioned stereotyping, but it's still fun at times, and has a surprisingly downbeat ending for the straight boys who masquerade as gay to get out of the draft. The second ad is from an engagement in Miami in November; it evokes Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust and Neil Simon.

One of the guys is Lawrence Casey who starred in the TV show Rat Patrol which I am currently working my way through). First pic is from the TV show, second is from Gay Deceivers.

 

What was playing while men walked on the moon 50 years ago?

First, from a few years earlier, a couple of movies that imagined moon voyages: 1958's From the Earth to the Moon, based on a fanciful Jules Verne novel. It had big names (Joseph Cotten, George Sanders) but was rather boring (and it imagined a 19th century trip, not a more realistic modern one) and there's not even a moon landing scene.

Then my personal favorite, 12 to the Moon (1960) with the beefcakey Ken Clark as the commander of a multicultural crew. It's not a great movie, but it's schlocky fun. It played on a double feature with Battle in Outer Space, as the black & white newspaper ad shows.

Of course, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is more known for its cosmic psychedelic sequence set near Jupiter, but an important part of the film is set while going to, and on, the moon. This ad is for its premiere in Columbus on June 12, 1968.

What was playing in Columbus during the week of the moon landing (July 20, 1969)? Nothing much to do with the moon: True Grit, The Wild Bunch, Funny Girl, Doctor Zhivago, Sweet Charity, and a soft-porn movie called Meeting on 69th Street.