The Wizard of Oz *** (1925, Dorothy Dwan, Larry Semon, Charles Murray, Oliver Hardy, Spencer Bell, Mary Carr) – Classic Movie Review 3630

Dorothy Dwan is Dorothy in director Larry Semon’s quite sweet 1925 silent movie, the first film version of L Frank Baum’s beloved 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, most famous now of course as the 1939 Judy Garland movie musical The Wizard of Oz.

The director Larry Semon also plays in one of the lead roles a farmhand disguised as a Scarecrow, and also plays the Toymaker, who reads L Frank Baum’s book to his granddaughter.

Frank B Good, Hans F Koenekamp and Leonard Smith shoot the movie in black and white but also with glorious two-tone, two-strip Technicolor sequences. The film’s premiere featured original music orchestrated by Louis La Rondelle. The film is in the public domain, many releases lacking any score. However it was restored in 1996, with a new score by Marc Glassman and Steffen Presley, but also with an annoying, entirely unnecessary narration by Jacqueline Lovell. In 2005, another version was made featuring original music composed and arranged by Robert Israel.

Even with a young Oliver Hardy as another farmhand / the Tin Woodman, most people will find it no more than a historical curio, and search out the Garland version instead.

Also in the cast are Mary Carr as Aunt Em, Virginia Pearson as Lady Vishuss, Bryant Washburn as Prince Kynd, Josef  Swickard as Prime Minister Kruel, Charles Murray as the Wizard of Oz, William Hauber, William Dinus, Frank Alexander as Uncle Henry / Prince of Whales, Otto Lederer as Ambassador Wikked, Frederick Ko Vert as the Phantom of the Basket, Spencer Bell as Cowardly Lion / Rastus / Snowball, Wanda Hawley and Chester Conklin.

Frank Baum Jr (Frank Joslyn Baum), L Frank Baum’s eldest son, is first named as one of the writers. Even though his contribution to the screenplay is in doubt, he was certainly involved in the business of the production.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3630
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