Dorothy Gale - 1939 Film Adaptation

1939 Film Adaptation

In the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy was played by Judy Garland. Garland received an Academy Juvenile Award for her performance. She was sixteen years old when she performed the role, with a brace on her chest to make her look more youthful. In contrast to Baum's novel, Dorothy is more of a damsel in distress figure. Since fantasy films generally were unsuccessful in that time, MGM portrayed Oz as a head-trauma-induced delirium, instead of a real place. It is not actually confirmed that Oz is merely Dorothy's dream; it is only implied, since she awakens in bed at the end, with Aunt Em telling her she had a dream, although Dorothy insists the experience was real.

A window knocked Dorothy on the head when the tornado was approaching the farm. After that storm lifted the farmhouse, she and Toto saw a picket fence; a tree; a chicken coop; an old lady knitting calmly in a rocking chair with a cat on her lap; a cow; two men rowing a boat who doff their hats to her. Finally, Dorothy saw Miss Almira Gulch who was going to abduct Toto to the sheriff flies on her bicycle outside the window becoming a witch on a broom. As one of the first movies to be filmed in Technicolor, the director had color of the famous magic slippers changed from silver to red, because the Ruby slippers were more visually appealing on film.

She is reunited with Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, their three farm workers (Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Cowardly Lion's alter egos), and Professor Marvel (The Wizard's alter ego) when she awakens from being unconscious at the end of this film.