“The Wizard of Oz” sold out in theaters, with half of the audience being eager, wide-eyed children, as William Stillman, co-author of “The Wizardry of Oz,” told the Los Angeles Times. The majority of critics were enchanted. It was one of the top films of 1939, beaten only by “Gone With the Wind” for the coveted Best Picture Oscar. However, “The Wizard of Oz” received its own Academy Award wins and nominations.
The thing about movies back then is that they were very short-lived, as film historian Scott Essman also told the Times. Once movie-goers saw them, they were forgotten. A hard fact to fathom with today’s technology of streaming services or DVD and Blu-Ray players to keep them frozen in time — and there was no such thing as a classic that endured. That was something even its most adoring fans had no idea it would turn into.
Unfortunately, with a production cost of about $3 million, it only brought in about $3 million despite so many sold-out shows. Movie tickets were pretty cheap back then, so despite its sell-out popularity, the numbers simply wouldn’t add up to major profits. Still, if ever oh ever a wiz there was, “The Wizard of Oz” is one because this cinematic treasure is eternal.
