The Wiz old for the part. However, she contacted Rob Cohen of Universal Pictures, who offered to have them finance the film if she were to play Dorothy, at which point he acquiesced. The resulting film version of "The Wiz" also starred former Motown star Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man, Richard Pryor as the Wizard, jazz singer Thelma Carpenter as Miss One (the name "Addapearle" was not used for this production) and Lena Horne as Glinda. Ted Ross and Mabel King reprised their roles of the Lion and Evillene from the Broadway production. Sidney Lumet served
The Wiz (film) Bassett, or they might have taken longer to emerge." "The Boston Globe" commented, "the term 'black film' should be struck from the critical vocabulary. To appreciate just how outmoded, deceptive and limiting it is, consider the following, all of which have been described as black films, . . ." and characterized "The Wiz" in a list which also featured 1970s films "Shaft", "Blacula", and "Super Fly". Despite its lack of critical or commercial success in its original release, "The Wiz" became a cult classic, especially because it features Michael Jackson in his first starring theatrical film role. Jackson later starred