The Wizard of Oz (1925 film)

Plot

Late at night, an elderly toy-maker reads a book to his granddaughter. In the story, the Land of Oz is ruled by Prime Minister Kruel, aided by Ambassador Wikked, Lady Vishuss, and the Wizard, a medicine-show hokum hustler. When discontented citizens led by Prince Kynd demand the return of the princess, who disappeared as a baby, Kruel has the Wizard distract them and sends Wikked on a mission. Meanwhile in Kansas, Dorothy lives with her relatives: kind Aunt Em and short-tempered Uncle Henry, who shows little affection.

Aunt Em reveals that Dorothy was left on their doorstep as a baby with an envelope to be opened when she turns 18. On her 18th birthday, Ambassador Wikked and his henchmen arrive by airplane and demand the envelope. When Uncle Henry refuses, Wikked persuades a farmhand with promises of wealth and Dorothy.

Wikked ties Dorothy to a rope raised high on a tower and starts a fire underneath. The farmhand finds the note, but another farmhand saves Dorothy; Wikked captures them all at gunpoint. A tornado strikes, carrying Dorothy, the three farmhands, and Uncle Henry in a shed to Oz.

Dorothy reads the envelope, which declares her Princess Dorothea, rightful ruler of Oz. Prime Minister Kruel blames the farmhands for kidnapping her and demands the Wizard transform them into wild creatures, which he cannot do. Chased by soldiers, one farmhand disguises himself as a scarecrow, another creates a tin costume, but they are captured. During trial, the Tin Man accuses his fellow farmhands of kidnapping Dorothy, and Prince Kynd has the Scarecrow put in the dungeon.

Production

The film departs radically from the novel, introducing new characters and a completely different plot set in a barely recognizable Oz. The story focuses on Semon's character, one of three farmhands who later becomes the Scarecrow, somewhat presaging the 1939 MGM movie. The Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion are not actual characters but disguises donned by the farmhands after a tornado. Dorothy is eighteen years old, echoing the 1902 stage version.

In a radical departure, the Tin Woodman is a villain who betrays Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Lion. Some narrative elements have roots in earlier adaptations: Prime Minister Kruel has a predecessor in King Krewl from the 1914 film His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz; the note signed Pastoria references the exiled King of Oz from the 1902 stage version and the father of Princess Ozma in Baum's 1904 book The Marvelous Land of Oz. Lead actress Dorothy Dwan was Larry Semon's fiancée; they married upon the film's release and remained together until Semon's death in 1928. L. Frank Baum, Jr. (Frank Joslyn Baum, Baum's eldest son) is credited for cowriting the script, though his actual contribution is doubted by Baum scholar Michael Patrick Hearn.

Reception

The production was poorly received by critics and audiences in 1925, according to Ben Mankiewicz, who hosted a televised presentation by Turner Classic Movies in 2018. However, Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times gave a favorable review, writing that the film 'can boast of being the type of rough and tumble farce that sends bright faces from the theatre.' Photoplay highly recommended the adventure comedy, warning 'If you don’t take your children to see this, they will never forgive you,' and adding that 'Nothing quite so funny as Larry Semon in the role of the Scarecrow has happened in a long time.' Variety described the film as a 'corking picture' for children, though it found the structure chaotic, some scenes too long, and Semon's slapstick gags 'hoaked up' and excessive. Variety summed up that 'the laughs are there' and predicted box office success, especially outside large metropolitan areas, stating 'In small towns and in smaller cities, the picture should mop up.' Contrary to that forecast, Chadwick Pictures went bankrupt during the film's promotion and release, and many theaters did not receive their reels. Semon never recovered from his heavy personal investments in the 'screen disaster'; he filed for bankruptcy in March 1928 and died at age 39 later that year, with Variety attributing 'ceaseless worry' about his finances as a contributing factor.

Music

When the film debuted in 1925, Louis La Rondelle orchestrated the original music, Harry F. Silverman conducted, and Julius K. Johnson played piano. Like many early silent films in the public domain, most home video copies had no soundtrack. A 1986 version for Video Yesteryear added an organ score by Rosa Rio. A 1996 version, first released on November 26, 1996, in the L. Frank Baum Silent Film Collection of Oz by American Home Entertainment, included music by Mark Glassman and Steffen Presley and narration by Jacqueline Lovell. A 2005 version, with original music composed and arranged by Robert Israel and performed by the Robert Israel Orchestra (Europe), appeared in home media releases of the 1939 film, starting with its three-disc Collector's Edition DVD.