by Wendy Bull

Created on: April 06, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!

I could go on, but I am sure everyone is familiar with that song by now. I was first introduced to The Wizard of Oz when it came on the TV one summer holiday when I was around 7 years old. I was transfixed from the minute it turned colour, when Dorothy enters Munchkin land until the very end point of the film. I have to say I was a bit bored with the black and white bit although I did watch it, as it is integral to the story. The colour part is, for me anyway, the magical part of the story, literally!

Taken from the back of the box
Based on L.Frank Baums's treasured book series, The Wizard of Oz was judged the best family film of all time by the American Film Institute!

####THE PLOT####

Dorothy is a young farm girl who lives in Kansas with her Aunty Em and Uncle Henry. There are other hands that live on the farm too and help out with all the chores. Dorothy owns a small Yorkshire Terrier dog called Toto, who she loves very much. The world famous song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is sung by Judy Garland (Dorothy) in this part.

The wicked old woman of the town tries to take Toto away, claiming he bit her, but Toto runs back to Dorothy. They run away together for fear of him being taken again. On their way a wind begins to whip up and soon turns into a tornado, making Dorothy return to the farm for refuge.

When she gets there, the rest of the family have taken to the tornado bunker to keep safe and Dorothy enters the house in an attempt to gain some cover. However the tornado rips the house up into it's eye, and Dorothy is knocked unconscious. All these scenes happen in black and white.

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!"
When she wakes up and opens the door of her house, Dorothy and Toto have been transported into a wonderful, magical and colourful land. She doesn't know where she is until Glinda, the Good Witch of the North appears in a magic bubble and explains she is in Munchkin Land, and she is now a national hero. The reason for this renewed status? her house just landed on the Wicked Witch of the East and killed her! The Munchkins, in case you were wondering are little people who lived in fear of the Wicked Witch. This is the part where the picture transforms from black and white to colour and even to this day mesmerises me.

Next to be introduced to us is the Wicked Witch of the West. Now I was quite scared of her when I was a kid and try to make sure my kids know she is not real, when they watch

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