The Wizard of Oz (1950 film) explained

The Wizard of Oz is a 1950 half-hour television adaptation with puppets of L. Frank Baum's famous 1900 novel, directed by Burr Tillstrom, best known for creating the TV show Kukla, Fran and Ollie.^{[1] [2]}

It was telecast live on May 22, 1950, by NBC.^[3] A print of the show is preserved in 16 mm.^[3] It is not to be confused with the 1939 full-length classic MGM film starring Judy Garland, which was first telecast by CBS in 1956.

Reception

Tillstrom's work is said to have "brought to television the captivating charm of the early Walt Disney films".^[4] Although the film did not have a great commercial success,^[5] it received positive retrospective response.^[6]

Legacy

The puppets were displayed at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 2020.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Book: Simpson, Paul . A Brief Guide To OZ: 75 Years Going Over The Rainbow . 2013-11-07 . Little, Brown Book Group . 978-1-4721-1036-7 . en.
2. Book: The Glory and the Dream . 1974 . en.
3. Web site: Public Programs - The Wizard of Oz: An American Fairy Tale - Exhibitions . Library of Congress . 2000-05-30 . 2021-03-23.
4. Book: Current Biography Yearbook . 1952 . H. W. Wilson Company . en.
5. Book: Bell . John . Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet History . Arts . Detroit Institute of . 2000 . Detroit Institute of Arts . 978-0-89558-156-3 . en.
6. Book: Current Biography Yearbook . 1952 . H. W. Wilson Company . en.
7. Web site: Hodges . Michael H. . Kermit the Frog, Howdy Doody to go on display at DIA . 2023-10-25 . The Detroit News . en-US.