The Movie - The Legend - Revision history

Ericgjovaag: /* When was The Movie first shown on American television? */

2026-02-07T00:52:34Z

When was The Movie first shown on American television?

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:52, 6 February 2026
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	==When was The Movie first shown on American television?==		==When was The Movie first shown on American television?==

	In the early 1950s, MGM began leasing some of its films to individual television stations, but held back some of its biggest films, including ''Gone with the Wind'' and The Movie. CBS expressed interest in a national showing of ''Gone with the Wind'', but MGM turned them down. So CBS countered with an offer to show The Movie, MGM accepted, and the television rights were sold for $225,000 each for two showings. The Movie was first shown as part of the ''Ford Star Jubilee'' on Saturday, November 3, 1956, and was the first theatrical movie ever shown on national television. The broadcast was introduced by Bert Lahr, Judy Garland's ten-year-old daughter Liza Minnelli, and thirteen-year-old Oz collector Justin Schiller, who had loaned CBS a first edition of the book for Lahr to read to Minnelli on air. (Schiller would go on to found IWOC two months later.) It was watched by an estimated audience of forty-five million. CBS next showed The Movie on December 13, 1959, and from then on it was shown every season on CBS until 1967, when NBC acquired the film for the next eight showings. CBS got it back again in 1976, and showed it on average once a year after that. Before the advent of cable and videotape, The Movie was regularly one of the highest rated shows of the season, and often the highest rated movie, rarely slipping out of the top twenty for the week it was shown. In 1998, The Movie was shown on network television for an unprecedented thirty-ninth time, but this would also be the last for some time. When that contract expired, the rights reverted to Time Warner (see the question [[#Who_owns_The_Movie_now.3F\|Who owns The Movie now?]]), who decided to show it on their own cable channels. The Movie made its first cable showing on Superstation TBS in November of 1999, and has been shown without commercials on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), beginning in 2000. In November 2000 it also debuted on another Warner Bros. network, TNT, and it returned to broadcast television in 2002 with a holiday season showing on the WB network until 2005. (The WB was merged with UPN to become the CW network in 2006.) Since these debuts, The Movie has become an annual holiday event on TBS and TNT, shown on both stations in late November or early December. It made its debut on another Warner Bros. station, Cartoon Network, in April of 2011.		In the early 1950s, MGM began leasing some of its films to individual television stations, but held back some of its biggest films, including ''Gone with the Wind'' and The Movie. CBS expressed interest in a national showing of ''Gone with the Wind'', but MGM turned them down. So CBS countered with an offer to show The Movie, MGM accepted, and the television rights were sold for $225,000 each for two showings. The Movie was first shown as part of the ''Ford Star Jubilee'' on Saturday, November 3, 1956, and was the first theatrical movie ever shown on national television. The broadcast was introduced by Bert Lahr, Judy Garland's ten-year-old daughter Liza Minnelli, and thirteen-year-old Oz collector Justin Schiller, who had loaned CBS a first edition of the book for Lahr to read to Minnelli on air. (Schiller would go on to found IWOC two months later.) It was watched by an estimated audience of forty-five million. CBS next showed The Movie on December 13, 1959, and from then on it was shown every season on CBS until 1967, when NBC acquired the film for the next eight showings. CBS got it back again in 1976, and showed it on average once a year after that. Before the advent of cable and videotape, The Movie was regularly one of the highest rated shows of the season, and often the highest rated movie, rarely slipping out of the top twenty for the week it was shown. In 1998, The Movie was shown on network television for an unprecedented thirty-ninth time, but this would also be the last for some time. When that contract expired, the rights reverted to Time Warner (see the question [[#Who_owns_The_Movie_now.3F\|Who owns The Movie now?]]), who decided to show it on their own cable channels. The Movie made its first cable showing on Superstation TBS in November of 1999, and has been shown without commercials on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), beginning in 2000. In November 2000 it also debuted on another Warner Bros. network, TNT, and it returned to broadcast television in 2002 with a holiday season showing on the WB network until 2005. (The WB was merged with UPN to become the CW network in 2006.) Since these debuts, The Movie has become an annual holiday event on TBS and TNT, shown on both stations in late November or early December. It made its debut on another Warner Bros. station, Cartoon Network, in April of 2011. ''The Wizard of Oz'' will return to American broadcast television in October 2026 on MeTV.

	(An interesting side note: The Movie was not the first Oz movie shown on television. The 1925 silent version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' was shown over three nights on early television station W2XCD in Passaic, New Jersey, June 8, 9, and 10, 1931 — eight years before The Movie was released to theaters!)		(An interesting side note: The Movie was not the first Oz movie shown on television. The 1925 silent version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' was shown over three nights on early television station W2XCD in Passaic, New Jersey, June 8, 9, and 10, 1931 — eight years before The Movie was released to theaters!)

Ericgjovaag: /* When has The Movie been shown on American television? */

2025-12-24T03:21:58Z

When has The Movie been shown on American television?

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:21, 23 December 2025
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	* November 7 and 8, 2025, TCM		* November 7 and 8, 2025, TCM
	* November 22, 2025, TNT		* November 22, 2025, TNT
			* January 3, 2026, TBS

	For more details, you may want to read the article [https://web.archive.org/web/20110620232125/http://wikibin.org/articles/the-wizard-of-oz-on-television-3.html "''The Wizard of Oz'' on Television"] (now archived).		For more details, you may want to read the article [https://web.archive.org/web/20110620232125/http://wikibin.org/articles/the-wizard-of-oz-on-television-3.html "''The Wizard of Oz'' on Television"] (now archived).

Ericgjovaag: /* When has The Movie been shown on American television? */

2025-11-10T01:11:38Z

When has The Movie been shown on American television?

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:11, 9 November 2025
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	* November 17 and 29, and December 8 and 9, 2024, TBS		* November 17 and 29, and December 8 and 9, 2024, TBS
	* December 16, 24, 25, and 31, 2024 and January 6 and 11, 2025, TNT		* December 16, 24, 25, and 31, 2024 and January 6 and 11, 2025, TNT
	** (Several HBO channels also ~~had showings~~ in November ~~and December~~ of 2024, and regular screenings continued into 2025~~. The large number of showings in late 2024 probably has to do with the premiere of ''Wicked, Part 1'' in theaters~~.)		** (Several HBO channels also started showing The Movie in November of 2024, and regular screenings continued well into 2025.)
	* March 15, 2025, TNT		* March 15, 2025, TNT
	* November 7 and 8, 2025, TCM		* November 7 and 8, 2025, TCM
			* November 22, 2025, TNT

	For more details, you may want to read the article [https://web.archive.org/web/20110620232125/http://wikibin.org/articles/the-wizard-of-oz-on-television-3.html "''The Wizard of Oz'' on Television"] (now archived).		For more details, you may want to read the article [https://web.archive.org/web/20110620232125/http://wikibin.org/articles/the-wizard-of-oz-on-television-3.html "''The Wizard of Oz'' on Television"] (now archived).

Ericgjovaag: /* What other "best of" movie lists have recognized The Movie? */

2025-11-08T03:42:36Z

What other "best of" movie lists have recognized The Movie?

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:42, 7 November 2025
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	* The February/March 2013 issue of Scholastic's ''Parent and Child'' magazine created a list of [http://www.scholastic.com/100movies/ the 100 Greatest Movies for Kids]. ''The Wizard of Oz'' was at the very top of that list.		* The February/March 2013 issue of Scholastic's ''Parent and Child'' magazine created a list of [http://www.scholastic.com/100movies/ the 100 Greatest Movies for Kids]. ''The Wizard of Oz'' was at the very top of that list.
	* The July 5/12, 2013 double issue of ''Entertainment Weekly'' magazine published several "100 All-Time Greatest" lists. On [http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20712079_20716628,00.html its movie list], ''The Wizard of Oz'' came in at #28. (''Gone with the Wind'' was #10.)		* The July 5/12, 2013 double issue of ''Entertainment Weekly'' magazine published several "100 All-Time Greatest" lists. On [http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20712079_20716628,00.html its movie list], ''The Wizard of Oz'' came in at #28. (''Gone with the Wind'' was #10.)
	* The July 18, 2014 issue of ''Entertainment Weekly'' published a list of [~~http~~://~~www.~~ew.com/ew/~~gallery~~/~~0,,20483133_20826289,00.html~~ ''55 Movies Every Kid Should See''], presented in the order kids should see them. The Movie was on it, of course, in the 8+ category, right between ''The Lion King'' and ''Singin' in the Rain''.		* The July 18, 2014 issue of ''Entertainment Weekly'' published a list of [https://ew.com/gallery/essential-movies-kids/ ''55 Essential Movies Every Kid Should See''], presented in the order kids should see them. The Movie was on it, of course, in the 8+ category, right between ''The Lion King'' and ''Singin' in the Rain''.
	* in 2015, the BBC surveyed film critics from around the world for their list of [http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150720-the-100-greatest-american-films The 100 Greatest American Films]. The Movie came in at #34, which still beat ''Gone with the Wind'', all the way down at #97!		* In 2015, the BBC surveyed film critics from around the world for their list of [http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150720-the-100-greatest-american-films The 100 Greatest American Films]. The Movie came in at #34, which still beat ''Gone with the Wind'', all the way down at #97!
	* A fivethirtyeight.com poll released in 2017 ranked [https://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/whats-the-most-rewatchable-movie-of-all-time/ the 25 most rewatchable movies]. ''The Wizard of Oz'' was #2, only behind the original ''Star Wars''. (''Gone with the Wind'' was #5).		* A fivethirtyeight.com poll released in 2017 ranked [https://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/whats-the-most-rewatchable-movie-of-all-time/ the 25 most rewatchable movies]. ''The Wizard of Oz'' was #2, only behind the original ''Star Wars''. (''Gone with the Wind'' was #5).
	* To celebrate its centennial in 2019, the American Society of Cinematographers presented a list of [https://theasc.com/news/asc-unveils-list-of-100-milestone-films-in-cinematography-of-the-20th-century 100 Milestone Films in Cinematography of the 20th Century]. ''The Wizard of Oz'' did not make the top ten (which was ranked), but was named on the remainder of the list, which was given in release order (so The Movie was followed by its 1939 nemesis, ''Gone with the Wind'').		* To celebrate its centennial in 2019, the American Society of Cinematographers presented a list of [https://theasc.com/news/asc-unveils-list-of-100-milestone-films-in-cinematography-of-the-20th-century 100 Milestone Films in Cinematography of the 20th Century]. ''The Wizard of Oz'' did not make the top ten (which was ranked), but was named on the remainder of the list, which was given in release order (so The Movie was followed by its 1939 nemesis, ''Gone with the Wind'').

Ericgjovaag: /* Is The Wizard of Oz being removed from streaming services because it's offensive? */

2025-11-08T03:33:59Z

Is The Wizard of Oz being removed from streaming services because it's offensive?

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:33, 7 November 2025
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	[[File:NBC_Oz.jpg\|center]]		[[File:NBC_Oz.jpg\|center]]
	Not long after it started, the HBO Max ~~(now just shortened to Max)~~ streaming service reexamined its presentation of some of its classic movies and other programming in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. Most notably, ''Gone with the Wind'' was briefly removed while HBO Max decided how to deal with its portrayal of slavery and Black characters. (''Gone with the Wind'' was soon reinstated, uncut, with a disclaimer putting both the events and the movie itself in historical context.) Some critics, thinking that somehow ''Gone with the Wind'' was gone for good or couldn't possibly be problematic or something, tried to be funny or make a point and claim this would happen with other movies. The most popular take was that ''The Wizard of Oz'' was being removed because it was offensive to the brainless. This is totally false, as HBO Max never removed ''The Wizard of Oz'' and has not changed its presentation at all. Some people even created memes claiming that NBC was removing it, which is even more ridiculous as neither NBC nor its parent company, Universal, have anything to do with ''The Wizard of Oz'' (their streaming service is Peacock). NBC last aired ''The Wizard of Oz'' in 1975.		Not long after it started, the HBO Max streaming service reexamined its presentation of some of its classic movies and other programming in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. Most notably, ''Gone with the Wind'' was briefly removed while HBO Max decided how to deal with its portrayal of slavery and Black characters. (''Gone with the Wind'' was soon reinstated, uncut, with a disclaimer putting both the events and the movie itself in historical context.) Some critics, thinking that somehow ''Gone with the Wind'' was gone for good or couldn't possibly be problematic or something, tried to be funny or make a point and claim this would happen with other movies. The most popular take was that ''The Wizard of Oz'' was being removed because it was offensive to the brainless. This is totally false, as HBO Max never removed ''The Wizard of Oz'' and has not changed its presentation at all. Some people even created memes claiming that NBC was removing it, which is even more ridiculous as neither NBC nor its parent company, Universal, have anything to do with ''The Wizard of Oz'' (their streaming service is Peacock). NBC last aired ''The Wizard of Oz'' in 1975.

	==What's this I hear about the Ruby Slippers being auctioned off for a lot of money?==		==What's this I hear about the Ruby Slippers being auctioned off for a lot of money?==

Ericgjovaag: /* When has The Movie been shown on American television? */

2025-11-08T03:31:33Z

When has The Movie been shown on American television?

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:31, 7 November 2025
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	** (Several HBO channels also had showings in November and December of 2024, and regular screenings continued into 2025. The large number of showings in late 2024 probably has to do with the premiere of ''Wicked, Part 1'' in theaters.)		** (Several HBO channels also had showings in November and December of 2024, and regular screenings continued into 2025. The large number of showings in late 2024 probably has to do with the premiere of ''Wicked, Part 1'' in theaters.)
	* March 15, 2025, TNT		* March 15, 2025, TNT
			* November 7 and 8, 2025, TCM

	For more details, you may want to read the article [https://web.archive.org/web/20110620232125/http://wikibin.org/articles/the-wizard-of-oz-on-television-3.html "''The Wizard of Oz'' on Television"] (now archived).		For more details, you may want to read the article [https://web.archive.org/web/20110620232125/http://wikibin.org/articles/the-wizard-of-oz-on-television-3.html "''The Wizard of Oz'' on Television"] (now archived).

Ericgjovaag: /* When has The Movie been shown on American television? */

2025-07-05T00:08:36Z

When has The Movie been shown on American television?

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:08, 4 July 2025
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	* December 1 and 2, 2001, TNT		* December 1 and 2, 2001, TNT
	* July 4, 2002, TCM		* July 4, 2002, TCM
			** This was a Sing-A-Long edition, with onscreen lyrics to the songs.
	* November 24, 2002, The WB		* November 24, 2002, The WB
	* November 28, 2002, TBS		* November 28, 2002, TBS

Ericgjovaag: /* When has The Movie been shown on American television? */

2025-03-05T04:17:58Z

When has The Movie been shown on American television?

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:17, 4 March 2025
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	* November 17 and 29, and December 8 and 9, 2024, TBS		* November 17 and 29, and December 8 and 9, 2024, TBS
	* December 16, 24, 25, and 31, 2024 and January 6 and 11, 2025, TNT		* December 16, 24, 25, and 31, 2024 and January 6 and 11, 2025, TNT
	** (Several HBO channels also had showings in November and December of 2024. The large number of showings in late 2024 probably has to do with the premiere of ''Wicked, Part 1'' in theaters.)		** (Several HBO channels also had showings in November and December of 2024, and regular screenings continued into 2025. The large number of showings in late 2024 probably has to do with the premiere of ''Wicked, Part 1'' in theaters.)
			* March 15, 2025, TNT

	For more details, you may want to read the article [https://web.archive.org/web/20110620232125/http://wikibin.org/articles/the-wizard-of-oz-on-television-3.html "''The Wizard of Oz'' on Television"] (now archived).		For more details, you may want to read the article [https://web.archive.org/web/20110620232125/http://wikibin.org/articles/the-wizard-of-oz-on-television-3.html "''The Wizard of Oz'' on Television"] (now archived).

Ericgjovaag: /* Where are the Ruby Slippers now? Can I go see them? */

2025-02-22T06:31:27Z

Where are the Ruby Slippers now? Can I go see them?

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:31, 21 February 2025
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	==Where are the Ruby Slippers now? Can I go see them?==		==Where are the Ruby Slippers now? Can I go see them?==

	One pair is on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. In fact, that's one of the Smithsonian's most popular attractions. One pair has been displayed at times at the Philip Samuels Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri. A test pair with a different design that never appeared in The Movie was on exhibit at Debbie Reynolds' movie memorabilia museum in Las Vegas, but Reynolds auctioned off her collection in the summer of 2011. Another pair may also be in Las Vegas, at the Planet Hollywood in the Caesar's Palace hotel. One pair often goes on tour to shopping malls. One pair, owned by a private collector in California, is locked away in a safe deposit box. This may be the pair that was stolen during the Judy Garland Festival in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in the summer of 2005. (This pair was recovered in 2018.) Finally, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bought a pair in 2012 in anticipation of opening its own museum, and they are ~~now~~ on display there.		One pair is on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. In fact, that's one of the Smithsonian's most popular attractions. One pair has been displayed at times at the Philip Samuels Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri. A test pair with a different design that never appeared in The Movie was on exhibit at Debbie Reynolds' movie memorabilia museum in Las Vegas, but Reynolds auctioned off her collection in the summer of 2011. Another pair may also be in Las Vegas, at the Planet Hollywood in the Caesar's Palace hotel. One pair often goes on tour to shopping malls. One pair, owned by a private collector in California, is locked away in a safe deposit box. This may be the pair that was stolen during the Judy Garland Festival in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in the summer of 2005. (This pair was recovered in 2018.) Finally, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bought a pair in 2012 in anticipation of opening its own museum, and they are frequently on display there.

	==Where are the other costumes? Can I go see them?==		==Where are the other costumes? Can I go see them?==

Ericgjovaag: /* What's this I hear about the Ruby Slippers being auctioned off for a lot of money? */

2025-02-22T06:30:49Z

What's this I hear about the Ruby Slippers being auctioned off for a lot of money?

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:30, 21 February 2025
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	==What's this I hear about the Ruby Slippers being auctioned off for a lot of money?==		==What's this I hear about the Ruby Slippers being auctioned off for a lot of money?==

	Dorothy's shoes from The Movie have gone on to be one of the most famous and recognized pieces of movie costuming — and the most sought after, considering how much money pairs have fetched at auction. The first pair auctioned off was at MGM's studio auction in 1970, when they went for $15,000. This pair now belongs to the Smithsonian Institution, and toured America in the 1990s as part of the Smithsonian's 150th anniversary celebration. Since then, other pairs have turned up. Like other Hollywood costumes, there was more than one pair of Ruby Slippers — and Bobbie Koshay, Garland's double, had a different shoe size, meaning some had to be made to fit her as well. At least five pairs are known to exist, and they have fetched higher and higher prices at auctions. ~~The last~~ pair ~~known to be~~ sold ~~went~~ for $660,000 at Christie's auction house in New York City in 2000. This pair, by the way, had been given away as a contest prize in 1939, and the winner had kept them for nearly fifty years before putting them up for auction. The first auction for this pair of Ruby Slippers, in 1988, brought a price of $165,000, and the buyer put them on display at the Disney-MGM Studio park at Walt Disney World before putting them up for auction again. In June 2011, Debbie Reynolds sold her extensive Hollywood memorabilia collection at auction, which included a test pair of ruby slippers that were not actually used in The Movie. The final price for this "Arabian" pair of ruby slippers was $510,000, but that was beaten by a Dorothy dress in the same auction that sold for $910,000.		Dorothy's shoes from The Movie have gone on to be one of the most famous and recognized pieces of movie costuming — and the most sought after, considering how much money pairs have fetched at auction. The first pair auctioned off was at MGM's studio auction in 1970, when they went for $15,000. This pair now belongs to the Smithsonian Institution, and toured America in the 1990s as part of the Smithsonian's 150th anniversary celebration. Since then, other pairs have turned up. Like other Hollywood costumes, there was more than one pair of Ruby Slippers — and Bobbie Koshay, Garland's double, had a different shoe size, meaning some had to be made to fit her as well. At least five pairs are known to exist, and they have fetched higher and higher prices at auctions. A pair sold for $660,000 at Christie's auction house in New York City in 2000. This pair, by the way, had been given away as a contest prize in 1939, and the winner had kept them for nearly fifty years before putting them up for auction. The first auction for this pair of Ruby Slippers, in 1988, brought a price of $165,000, and the buyer put them on display at the Disney-MGM Studio park at Walt Disney World before putting them up for auction again. In June 2011, Debbie Reynolds sold her extensive Hollywood memorabilia collection at auction, which included a test pair of ruby slippers that were not actually used in The Movie. The final price for this "Arabian" pair of ruby slippers was $510,000, but that was beaten by a Dorothy dress in the same auction that sold for $910,000. Around this same time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences purchased a pair for approximately $2,000,000 to display in its then-forthcoming museum in downtown Los Angeles. This acquisition was bankrolled by many Hollywood A-listers, including (it is rumored) Leonardo DiCaprio and Steven Spielberg. And in 2024, the "Travelling Pair", which acquired the second nickname "The Stolen Pair" after they were recovered in 2018 (they had been stolen in 2005) shattered all records by selling for $28,000,000. (Commissions and fees brought the final price to over $32,000,000.) This was more than any previous movie memorabilia ''auction'' brought in!

	==Where are the Ruby Slippers now? Can I go see them?==		==Where are the Ruby Slippers now? Can I go see them?==