Before Wicked, Let’s Look Back at the Dark Weirdness of 1985’s Return to Oz

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As a seasoned gamer and avid movie buff, I can attest to the timeless allure of the fantastical world conjured by L. Frank Baum in his Oz books. However, it’s the 1939 cinematic adaptation of The Wizard of Oz that has left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness, overshadowing the original source material to a certain extent.

The 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz” exerts a greater impact on modern audiences’ affection for L. Frank Baum’s magical storybook realm compared to Baum’s numerous Oz books. While countless people have watched “The Wizard of Oz” (and many more might catch up with “Wicked” this weekend), far fewer have delved into the novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” which inspired the film, and even fewer have read much else from Baum’s extensive Oz series.

A well-known filmmaker who undoubtedly delved into Baum’s renowned Oz tales is the legendary movie editor and sound designer, Walter Murch. Renowned within the film industry for his pioneering work on films such as THX 1138, Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, The Godfather series, among others, this three-time Oscar winner directed only one movie – Disney’s dark fantasy sequel to The Wizard of Oz, Return to Oz (1985), a peculiar semi-sequel that received mixed reviews.

For More on Wicked

Understanding the Origins and Impact of The Wizard of Oz before Wicked Took Flight

Revisiting Return to Oz, Disney’s 1985 Dark Fantasy Semi-Sequel to The Wizard of Oz

Nowadays, it’s not common for many audience members to have seen the film “Return to Oz” – a movie that hasn’t had as lasting an impact on popular culture as several classic children’s films from the last century. The film flopped at the box office, received mixed feedback from critics, and most notably, dared to adhere to the ominous and eerie aspects of L. Frank Baum’s fantastical world.

The darker aspects of the Oz story-world, as depicted in the original source material by L. Frank Baum, have always been a part of it. However, the 1939 MGM movie version, with its bright, musical tone, established an initially cheerful mood for adaptations of Baum’s works. Unlike the sugarcoated, comforting nature of upcoming G-rated children’s films, Baum’s Emerald City was more akin to the dark, cautionary tales of the Brothers Grimm, featuring real perils and terrors that even its happiest conclusions couldn’t fully erase.

In the film “Return to Oz,” Murch skillfully maintained a sense of unease, leaving many 1980s viewers perplexed as they anticipated a light-hearted reinterpretation of cherished themes. The movie featured an ominous Nome King, menacing Wheelers, and characters like Tik-Tok, the mechanical man, and a Jack Pumpkinhead puppet (played by Brian Henson). Although “Return to Oz” wasn’t inherently a sad film, it had thoughtful and tense moments. The storyline added weight to Dorothy’s journey, making her safe return home seem all the more challenging.

Based on characters and elements primarily from L. Frank Baum’s second and third Oz books (“The Marvelous Land of Oz” published in 1904 and “Ozma of Oz” published in 1907), the movie “Return to Oz” features many familiar aspects of Oz: Fairuza Balk, who later became known for her role as Nancy Downs in the 1996 film “The Craft”, embodied a character reminiscent of Judy Garland as Dorothy. She was accompanied by a lively ensemble of established British and American actors, both live-action and voice talents (such as Denise Bryer, who provided the voice for Dorothy’s chicken companion Billina).

In an unusual instance of movie history, Disney ended up paying MGM to use Dorothy’s ruby slippers from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in their film ‘Return to Oz’, despite owning the rights to L. Frank Baum’s catalog at that time. The reason behind this was that the slippers were a more contemporary creation by MGM, serving as a modern adaptation of Baum’s original “Silver Shoes” – the shoes Dorothy wore in the books.

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2024-11-20 22:01