Wizard of Oz Clothing Updates

Torrid

Online Exclusive

$34.90

https://www.torrid.com/product/the-wizard-of-oz-grey-fitted-tee/11319283.html#q=wizard%2Bof%2Boz&start=2

Available online and in stores

Boy Short Panty

$16.90

https://www.torrid.com/product/the-wizard-of-oz-dorothy-cotton-boyshort-panty/11223727.html#q=wizard%2Bof%2Boz&start=1

Keep an eye on the Torrid website. They do have frequent sales.

Women's Nightgown

Sold on Amazon, Walmart.com, Zulily, search for Wizard of Oz Nightgown

Wizard of Oz Sublimated Socks

$9.99

Sold on Fun.com

Target

Girls Tee
Sizes Xsmall to XL
$8.99
https://www.target.com/p/girls-wizard-of-oz-short-sleeve-t-shirt-athletic-heather/-/A-53690465?preselect=53642325#lnk=sametab

Enesco Tails with Heart Wizard of Oz Mice

Coming in December!

It's very exciting to see Enesco with the license to produce Wizard of Oz merchandise again. Over the years Enesco product are big hits with collectors.  Looking forward to seeing what else may be planned.

First official 80th Anniversary product

Adorable mice figurines designed by Karen Hahn

Made of stone resin with crystal accents 

They should retail around $16 each

2.28 inches tall

With her signature ruby red slippers, Dorothy is ready to hit the yellow brick road

2.36 inches tall

The tiny mouse Scarecrow is in search of a tiny mouse brain

2.56 inches tall

With his silver funnel hat and ax,  the Tin Man continues his search for a heart

2.36 inches tall

You'll love this rendition of a mouse dressed as a lion, and not just any lion, a cowardly one

3.43 inches tall

She's mean. She's green and she never leaves home without her broomstick.  Look closely, the wicked witch mouse is all those things and more

2.56 inches tall

Pretty in pink and wisest of the them all - Glinda the Good Witch

Reserve your set now!  
Karen Owens taking pre-orders
Set of 6 $99.00
http://www.wizardofozland.com/
storylandmi@aol.com

Dolls from Tonner's Phyn & Aero

Phyn & Aero's Nancy Ann Story book Wizard of Oz Dorothy, Glinda, and the Wicked Witch are all available for pre-order July 11th.  They are expected to ship 3rd quarter 2018.  Please be aware that is subject to change. 

Six inches tall

Bisque porcelain

Sculpted by Dianna Effner

Stand included

Edition of 200

$109.99 plus shipping 

http://www.phynandaero.com/The-Wicked-Witch-of-the-West--Shipping-3rd-Qtr-2018-_p_52.html

Six inches tall

Bisque porcelain

Sculpted by Dianna Effner

Stand included

Edition of 200

$109.99 plus shipping 

http://www.phynandaero.com/Glinda-The-Good-Witch-of-the-North--Shipping-3rd-Qtr-2018-_p_51.html

Six inches tall

Bisque porcelain

Sculpted by Dianna Effner

Stand included

Edition of 200

$109.99 plus shipping 

http://www.phynandaero.com/Dorothy--Shipping-3rd-Qtr-2018_p_50.html

Brief History of Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls:

http://www.phynandaero.com/Nancy-Ann-Storybook-Dolls_ep_48-1.html

Wizard of Oz Lottery Tickets 2018

Keep an eye on your local lottery scratch offs!  Oz tickets have turning up all over the country for the past couple of years.  There are at least 4 current games. 

Maine

 http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Lottery_Scratch&id=793493&v=article

 Montana

 https://www.montanalottery.com/en/view/scratch/55

Tennessee 

 https://www.tnlottery.com/thegames/instantgames/gamedetails.aspx?ID=515

Indiana 

 https://www.hoosierlottery.com/games/scratch-offs/current-games/2274-the-wizard-of-oz

 

 

Land of Oz Souvenirs

 For those not familiar The Land of Oz is a theme park located in Boone, North Carolina.   It operated from 1970 to 1980.  Though it closed up for regular operations all those years ago, the park is NOT abandoned and thanks to very hard work by some very dedicated Oz fans,  the Land of Oz can be enjoyed again through various events. Tickets for the next event Autumn at Oz are on sale now.  For those unfamiliar with The Land of Oz, I suggest reading the book by Tim Hollis.  That will give you a good start.  Also please visit their official Facebook page and website. 

Original park souvenirs are highly desired among Oz collectors and people who visited the park as children in the 70s.  So many have wonderful, fond memories of a magical time in the mountains of North Carolina.  In addition to yearly events,  the park will be releasing new collectibles in the coming months.  Oz enthusiast Sean Barrett has worked tirelessly to get new product off the ground and the results are amazing!

Coming this Fall:

Plush dolls measuring 11 inches tall. Toto stands at 8 inches.  A Wicked Witch will be added to the group soon. 

More forthcoming merchandise includes a Dorothy figurine,  t-shirts, hoodies, magnets, and keychains featuring retro 1970s character designs.  Stay tuned!!

Photos courtesy Sean Barrett

Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz on DVD

Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz Vol 2: Emerald City just released on DVD June 12th.  I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but Vol 1: We're Not In Kansas Anymore is darling!!!!  

Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz follows a very young Dorothy and friends on their adventures solving various Ozian dilemmas.  The story lines and hijinks are pretty cute and they can teach valuable lessons. My very favorite episode so far is Toto Unleashed.  Toto is dognapped and there is an attempt for force is love.  Learning that love can not be coerced is very good life advice, but it's presented in such an cute way. This show is charming and adorable. It's already been renewed for Season 3.

They make frequent use of the original soundtrack music.  It's hard for the heart to not pitter patter when the familiar strains we know and love kick in.  The show also scores points for integrating more of L. Frank Baum's characters and situations into the MGM world.

As delighted as I am with the show, I do have some criticism.  The name is a bit misleading as so far the Wizard himself is nowhere to be found. But it seems the Wizard is in the movie Boomerang debuted to kick off the new season on Memorial Day.

I understand WB is trying to market to children but L. Frank Baum's original novels were also written solely for children and he didn't feel a need to dumb down his characters. I am a bit dismayed that Ozma is such a flibbertigibbet whereas in the books she is regal and beautiful and wise.  I don't like the name change from Scraps to Patches for the Patchwork Girl, though her appearance is just darling.  I wish too, the Woozy's appearance was more in line with the books.  I would have preferred Dorothy and little older and I'm not a fan of her voice. Minor nitpicks aside, there's a lot to enjoy. The characters and plot lines are engaging.  Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz would be a good way to introduce young ones to Oz that might find The Wizard of Oz too scary. 

My fingers are crossed we see some toys next year.  The characters are just too cute not to be merchandised.  WB gets big points for marketing Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz for younger children.  Much of the current merchandise is geared toward the adult collector. It would be nice to see more for the younger set. 

Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz Vol. 2: Emerald City just released on June 12th.

Visit the Boomerang site for games and clips.

http://www.boomeranghq.net/shows/dorothy-and-the-wizard-of-oz

Ruby Slippers Return to the Smithsonian October 19th

Let the joyous news be spread!  The ruby slippers have been sorely missed while they have been undergoing preservation efforts, but they will be returned on display in plenty of time for the 80th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz.  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/05/15/dorothys-ruby-slippers-will-return-to-american-history-museum-oct-19/?

For those unfamiliar with the restoration project please see these previous blog post:

http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/2016/10/smithsonian-kickstarter-campaign-for.html

And for a little history on the ruby slippers at the Smithsonian please see:

http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/10950-nights-at-museum.html

http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/museum-pt-2-collecting-ruby-slippers.html

http://curiozitycorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/museum-pt3-links-sources.html

The Road to Oz by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman

There is no way I can possibly express how excited I am for a new book by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman.   You would think everything that could be said has been said about a movie that is almost 80 years old.  BUT that is one of the things I love about Oz in general. Try as we might, we'll never know everything and there's always new, exciting discoveries. This will be a page turner of Ozian epic proportions for sure! 

Highlights include: 

A thorough synopsis of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the script, inspired by the book, of the 1903 Broadway musical-comedy extravaganza

An overview of the plots of prior silent film adaptations of Oz and how they influenced the MGM film

An analysis of newly discovered audio transcriptions of Wizard of Oz radio programs from 1931 - 1932 and 1937 - 1938, all of which were previously unknown

A complete accounting of Sam Goldwyn's proposed (and aborted) 1934 Technicolor musical version of Oz starring Eddie Cantor (including commentary from Cantor's sole surviving child)

A thorough analysis of the October 10, 1938 MGM shooting script (provided by descendants of comedian and Cowardly Lion actor Bert Lahr) that predates the beginning of production by seventy- two hours

Startling revelations about the operetta that seeming inspired Over the Rainbow

Judy Garland's trials and tribulations with the studio including the threat that MGM was grooming a sound-alike who tested for Oz

The supporting player who was cast in two roles in Oz's fantasy sequence- the second role revealed for the first time in Scarfone and Stillman's text

The Munchkin midgets' pre- 1939 Wizard of Oz connection

Oz's film editor with a direct connection to Walt Disney and Snow White

Studio nepotism, favoritism and politics at the height of Hollywood's golden age on the making of the world's most famous film

Scarfone and Stillman have one of the world's largest Oz collections and have written articles for countless periodicals and authored the books The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History (co authored with John Fricke),  The Wizard of Oz Collector's Treasury, The Wizardry of Oz, The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion. They've also submitted entries to the official Wizard of Oz blog. 

Releasing October 1, 2018