Written By William Stillman & Jay Scarfone
Harper Design
ISBN: 978-0062278012
It’s hard to imagine that the technicolor fantasy film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, and Jack Haley is 75 years old. The film has entertained movie fans since it’s release and it’s formal yearly viewing on TV kept it fresh. The movie ignited an Oz mythos and creators have tried to capture the same magic with movies, books, games, and graphic novels as L. Frank Baum’s original American fairytale. Nothing came close to the 1939 movie that broke the same ground Baum’s book did with it’s golden age Hollywood magic. To mark the movie’s 75th anniversary, Harper Design published The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman.
The book gives an insightful account about how the movie was made, including behind the scenes stories, actor biopics, production stills, and history of the original novel and other Oz productions. Any passing Oz fan will be pleased with the book’s information and it’s glossy presentation. There are new facts that aren’t covered in past books and the photo collection is wonderful given it’s variety. Most Internet searches yield the same photos over and over again and having to search through gigabytes for these historical photos is a treat. Another great aspect in the book is the chapter on the Wizard of Oz memorabilia. People think that the movie had a mass merchandising campaign due to it’s popularity, but there were very few officially licensed products. Collectors will be inspired to track down the rare, official collectibles. There is also historical information about what happened to the actors after filming the Wizard of Oz and its lasting effect on fans, including the worldwide reception. While any of this information can be freely located on the Internet, the time saved not having to track it down and sealed with an authoritative stamp is great.
The book includes some extras: a copy of a vintage movie poster, replicas of paper memorabilia, and a certificate “signed” by the Wizard. They’ll please Oz collectors, but aren’t a major selling feature.
While the Companion is a good retrospective of the film, it lacks the details serious Ozophiles are hungry for. Most of the content is common knowledge for more serious fans and has been covered by other publications in the past. There are new tidbits that make it worth a scan, but hey may want to invest their money in another authoritative guide.
The hardcare Ozophiles might be a little disappointed, but the Companion is a wonderful piece for research and display. It could have been expanded with more information and pictures, but it serves its purpose.