A Blog By Any Other Name

it's about crochet ..... it's about writing ....

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Location: California

Part of me is a wife and mom, part of me is a writer and poet and part of me is still a kid in jeans tooling around in my VW Beetle listening to Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, James Taylor ... and The Beatles ...

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Follow the yellow brick road ...


Seventy-five years ago,  August 16, 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater.  It appears to have been a major film event.  I was not around for that event.


In 1955 the movie was again released to the theaters.   This time I was around to enjoy it.  My grandmother took me to see the movie.  We walked to a bus stop near her home and got on a bus to go to the theater.  I was about seven.  I had never been on a bus.  I had never been to a movie theater.  We had a small TV so I knew about movies.  But everything on television was only in black and white and the screen was about the size of a dinner plate.  I can remember sitting in the theater waiting for the movie to begin.  The room was dimly lit and there were a lot of people.  There was nothing on the stage and the curtain was closed.  Yes, theaters used to have a stage and curtains.  After a while, the lights were turned down and the curtain opened and the movie began.  I don’t remember if there was anything shown before the movie started.  I do remember when it did start it was a huge picture and it was in black and white like television.  I didn’t really know what a tornado was so that was a little frightening.  Then … when Dorothy opened the front door of her house and the world of Oz was in bright, vivid, bigger than life color, I was amazed.  It really was the wonderful world of Oz.


The next year my aunt gave me the Illustrated Junior Library edition of The Wizard of Oz.  I probably read it a hundred times.


I own the VHS tape 50th Anniversary version, 2 DVD’s (same DVD I think, but one came with a special Deluxe Edition that included a reproduction of the Original Theatrical Script) and The Official 75th Anniversary Companion (a really nice book.)



I also have a pattern book to crochet 12 characters from the Land of Oz. It also comes with a couple bits of yarn and a new crochet hook. But, like Leonard’s Spock action figure with transporter, the box has not yet been opened.   (sigh)


I didn’t learn about the series of Oz books written by L. Frank Baum until I was an adult.  I have not read the other books.  I have seen a couple of the newer film versions but I love the original movie and I love my copy of The Wizard of Oz.  

For me …

…Judy Garland will always be Dorothy Gale,

… … Frank Morgan = Professor Marvel and the Wizard

… … …Billie Burke = Glinda

… … … …Ray Bolger = the Scarecrow, 
                     Jack Haley = the Tin Man,
                         Bert Lahr = the Cowardly Lion

                              And ……..

… … … … ….Margaret Hamilton will always be 
                             the wonderful Wicked Witch of the West.


(oh, and I still think the Flying Monkeys are scary)

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