The Wizard of Oz (1939 film) The Wizard of Oz (1939 film) The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Widely considered to be one of the greatest films in cinema history, it is the best-known and most commercially successful adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming (who left production to take over direction on the troubled "Gone with the Wind" production). It stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, alongside Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton, with Charley Grapewin, Pat
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"s publication in 1900, it received little critical analysis from scholars of children's literature. According to Ruth Berman of "Science Fiction Studies", the lists of suggested reading published for juvenile readers never contained Baum's work. The lack of interest stemmed from the scholars' misgivings about fantasy, as well as to their belief that lengthy series had little literary merit. It has frequently come under fire over the years. In 1957, the director of Detroit's libraries banned "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" for having "no value" for children of his day, for supporting "negativism", and for bringing