The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story

Plot

At the 1939 premiere of The Wizard of Oz, an elderly Mrs. Baum is approached by a young reporter. She agrees to an interview and begins by recalling her first meeting with her husband in 1890.

The conversation then shifts to Baum’s varied careers during that decade—actor, storekeeper, newspaperman, and traveling salesman. She explains how he would tell their children about a fantasy realm, drawing characters from real life: the Wicked Witch mirrored his mother-in-law, Glinda was based on her, the Scarecrow came from a store window, and the Munchkins from a little person he once hired. Eventually, he was persuaded to write it all down, resulting in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Historical accuracy

The film takes literary license, especially in the fabricated backstory of Dorothy's creation. In truth, Dorothy Louise Gage died as a five-month-old infant; Baum created an older girl named Dorothy to console his wife. In the film, Dorothy is portrayed as a young child living in Dakota Territory, and as she dies, Baum tells her she inspired the central character. Baum's editorials about the genocide of American Indians are not mentioned.

Did You Know?

• Tom Shales of The Washington Post called the film 'cheerfully satisfying' but was not impressed with Ritter's performance.
• John J. O'Connor of The New York Times praised Ritter's performance and called the film 'heartwarming'.
• Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times dubbed it 'long on mush and short on magic' but praised the recreations from the original stories.