On that wonderfully logical premise, the classic Wizard of Oz was transformed into a Broadway musical named The Wiz, and then the most expensive movie musical ever made. Looks to be one of the abandoned outer platforms and mezzanine of the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts station in Downtown Brooklyn. Motown Productions bought the rights to the stage show, intending to cast Stephanie Mills as Dorothy. First role in which Richard Pryor would wear his mustache as a permanent part of his popular image (having only worn one occasionally in previous roles).. Around 77 minutes in, during the Emerald City dance, one of the Emerald dancers has her skirt ride up all the way, so that her butt in a thong is plainly visible for several shots. In the 2015 television special, Dorothy learns that home is where her family is, which is with Aunt Em in Kansas, as opposed to in Omaha, where she use to live with her deceased parents. Fitzstephens, Jack Music Editor & Guru. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. The Port Authority would not allow more time to fix mistakes. That a twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher should be too sophisticated to consort with cowardly lions and scarecrows and men made out of tin. The Wiz is indeed a New York movie, featuring the most fantastical representations of the citys landmarks since the 1933 King Kong. 2. Before there was NBCs The Wiz Live!, starring Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, David Alan Grier and Stephanie Mills, there was The Wiz, a 1978 movie based on the musical of the same name. I might be the only one who likes The Wiz more than Halloween and very likely the only one who finds one particular scene in the all-black version of The Wizard of Oz scarier than anything in John Carpenters slasher classic. Thats the Austin J. Tobin Plaza between the towers repurposed as, I guess, the Emerald City plaza, and the central orb featuring the OZ letters is the Great Spherical Caryatid sculpture (aka The Sphere), which mostly survived the 9/11 attack and now stands in Battery Park as a memorial. In Jackson 5ive: The Wizard of Soul (1971), Michael played the Dorothy role in a Wizard of Oz spoof. The red sequence had to be shortened due to a lighting error, and there was no time to re-shoot. Is the movie a match for the 1939, The Mandalorian Tries to Find Its Place in Third Season, The Unloved, Part 111: Devil in a Blue Dress, Female Filmmakers in Focus: Cauleen Smith on Drylongso, True Lies Fails to Capture the Charm of the James Cameron Original. Some of the dancing and the Poms sequence with the Munchkins (it cut from them going down the stairs to some of them doing acrobatics). That's a big part of why I love it so much. On that wonderfully logical premise, the classic Wizard of Oz was transformed into a Broadway musical named The Wiz, and then the most expensive movie musical ever made. When Dorothy first arrives in Oz, and the Munchkins pop out of the walls and begin shambling towards her, hands outstretched, and repeating nothing other than "Toto" in high pitched voices. However, seeking help from others is never showing weakness or proving not to be strong in our own abilities. To wit, Dorothy and crew famously Ease on Down the Yellow Brick Road, but they only do so after every cab they approach turns on its "Off-Duty" sign and refuses to pick them up. Dorothy is no older than 10 years old in the original book, and she's 12 (played by a 16-year-old) in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Jimmie 'JJ' Walker was originally considered the part of the Scarecrow. Dogs just all have such different personalities, which might be what we love about them. Woody Allen? Please don't list it on a work's trope example list. The 1985 sequel RETURN TO OZ has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and THE WIZ wields a truly alarming subway scene. The chase sequence in the subway platform omits how the Scarecrow and the Tin Man are rescued by the Lion. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. The scene in which the Cowardly Lion emerges from one of the statues in front of the main research branch of the New York Public Library was shot on a set instead of the actual location because it was logistically impossible to film an entire scene devoid of people, save the main actors, without traffic and pedestrians getting in the way of the production. Maybe I just love subway scenes! The Wiz Directed by Sidney Lumet Produced by Rob Cohen Screenplay by Joel Schumacher Distributed by Universal Pictures Release date October 24, 1978 The Wiz is a 1978 movie musical released by Motown Records and Universal Pictures. The speech delivered by Glinda the Good Witch at the end of the film, and the song "Believe in Yourself", are particularly laden with est-ian concepts. The movie became the most expensive ever shot in New York City at the time. (In the film, Jones appears dressed in gold, playing a giant piano in Times Square.) UNK SEZ: Subway scene, YOU are truly insane but lest we forget, there are many freaky images to withstand in THE WIZ. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. However, the song hit #17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart that same year. The minute we can safely (key word: safely) end isolation measures, I'm rushing into the streets in my finest dancers' belt and getting my grand jet on. Finally, Lumet and Jones saw the qualities that Cohen saw. Simultaneously with the release of the film, Congoleum, the flooring company that designed the look of the Yellow Brick Road for the film, also marketed the same design (also called Yellow Brick Road) for home use. The Wiz 's metaphors exist beyond an examination of character traits. One of two mid-1970s rock music/musical pictures inspired by 'The Wizard of Oz'. Magical tornadoes can strike down anywhere, I guess, and spin you off to the land of Oz. None of which was really in the script., The Wiz has its timeless qualities, especially the lovingly rendered scenes to Lumets home city, prominently showing landmarks such as Coney Island, Shea Stadium, and the Brooklyn Bridge. You can talk to me crazy. Her three friends are also seeking things from the Wizard, and hope that they receive them upon their arrival as well. Join me below as I. It's set to return to Broadway in spring 2024. In any show, musical or play, there is always some sort of hidden message that is being relayed to the audience through the use of singing, dancing and/or acting. It's all sitting on the surface of the film. Its whacked-out, weird, gaudy and nightmarish and so very OZ-some. I li. Several omitted scenes includes: While far from a replacement on the unmitigated purity & genius of the '39 classic, it's instead a flip on the original in many ways. For their original book counterparts, click here. Our heroine, Dorothy, has been transformed from a Kansas teen-ager to a twenty-four-year-old black schoolteacher. Finally, at the very end of the journey, there's Richard Pryor as The Wiz, coward at heart, filled with doubts, hiding behind the electronic gadgets he uses to enslave the Emerald City and keep Evillene at bay. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. The name of the wicked witches in this version are Evilene and Evermean. Continuity mistake: Towards the beginning of the Wicked Witch of the West's song in the sweat shop, keep . This earlier production of The Wiz could have been so much better. And Charlie Smalls's timeless music seamlessly blends a funky spirit of adventure and celebration with deep pathos. These friends and their encounters carry a few of these hidden lessons. The Wiz also has 2 two good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original book, not the 1939 film. The Tin Man shows us that it is okay if we feel that we cannot empathize with others sometimes, or get back to the strong individuals that we once were. "The Wiz" is a more soulful take on the famous classic "The Wizard of Oz". but as a new approach to the same material, it's slick and energetic and fun. 23 of 23 found this interesting Interesting? Possible reasons include using Baum as source material, not The Wizard of Oz (1939), and silver slippers better matching Diana Ross' complexion and costuming. I guess I should make a joke about the baseball team, but I cant think of a good one. In the original Oz novels, L. Frank Baum, they were unnamed. Magazines, Digital Diana Ross and Richard Pryor had previously appeared together in Lady Sings the Blues (1972). In the Emerald City sequence, Quincy Jones is shown as the pianist, but the actual piano player on the soundtrack is Richard Tee. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Thanks! Though the future may not be certain, being strong after times of vulnerability is an alright thing. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Astroland at Coney Island was used for the Tinman scene with The Cyclone as a backdrop, while the World Trade Center served as the Emerald City. 1/The Wiz/Soundtrack Version] Quincy Jones 2:33 2 Overture (Pt. The Wiz: Directed by Sidney Lumet. The final barrier was Joe Jackson, who wasnt thrilled about Michael doing a project that separated himself financially from the rest of his siblings. (The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Maybe you can build a set at home. He's been sleeping even though it's the middle of the day, and he has a desperate, frantic energy about him: sad to be discovered but clearly grateful for human contact. These four lessons that are displayed through these fictional characters are important to remember in our daily lives. Holy 70s drug induced set design, Batman! Michaels a star., Lumet was harder to convince. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. He was a great fan of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, says Johnson, who is in his early eighties, by phone from his New York home. The end-product is mixed (great design with lifeless direction, fun but forgettable songs, powerful but blunt messaging), but one worth exploring& ripe for a remake. Maybe because it hedges its bets by wanting to be sophisticated and universal, childlike and knowing, appealing to both a mass audience and to media insiders. We can't see enough of him to get to know him. Saw this on the tv in the late 1980s. When this movie debuted on CBS, the network trimmed several scenes to fit in a 3 hour block with commercials. This is based on opinion. My love for dogs makes me do things like walk up to strangers on the street to pet their dog or cry uncontrollably when a dog dies in a movie. It had a great concept (an African-American take on The Wizard of Oz in which the characters dont follow the yellow brick road, they ease on down it), a strong director (Sidney Lumet, whod just done Dog Day Afternoon and Network) and a solid cast (Diana Ross as Dorothy, Richard Pryor as the Wiz, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man). Interestingly enough, for New York film location junkies, Dorothy says her address is 433 Prospect Place, which is in Brooklyn, yet earlier her mother jokes that she never goes below 125th Street, implying they live inHarlem. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Sidney Lumet was chosen to direct primarily because of his reputation for finishing his pictures on time and within budget. That boy is so sweet! Everyone I knew had seen The Wiz dozens of times, owned the VHS, and watched it at family gatherings and on random Saturday afternoons. However, Dorothy later gives her address as being on Prospect Place, which is in Brooklyn, miles southeast of Harlem. Gordy and producer Rob Cohen cast Ross, then 33, as Dorothy. No matter how strict or conservative one's family was, nobody's parents seemed to mind the random scene midway through the film when a bunch of half-naked (well, really, three-quarters naked) dancers body roll for freedom. What the Tin Man does not see in himself is the fact that he is one of the most compassionate members of the foursome, which juxtaposes his theory that he does not have a heart. In case you cant tell, the NYPL building is not actually employed for this scene, which would have been too difficult to manage. It was like, I want him. . And Diana Ross wears the same simple white frock for the entire film and projects a wide-eyed innocence that kind of grows on you. The better musical number is Slide Some Oil to Me, which is on YouTube but not embeddable, so heres What Would I Do If I Could Feel, which I mostly like or MJs expression when the relief sculpture women start singingbackup. Harry Madsen (Cheetah) and Willie C. Carpenter (Guest at Aunt Em's Party) are the only actors to appear in other films directed by Sidney Lumet: Madsen in Prince of the City (1981), Daniel (1983), Garbo Talks (1984), and Q&A (1990), and Carpenter in Family Business (1989). http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TheWiz. Here are some other slices of WTF? Cohen took Michael, along with other members of the cast, to Studio 54, the disco hot spot known for both its crazy sexual escapades and celebrity regulars like Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, Cary Grant, and Brooke Shields. The Wiz is a 1978 American musical adventure fantasy film directed by Sidney Lumet. During The Wiz post-production, he called Quincy unexpectedly during a rare home hiatus from touring. At least well always have this movie to show us what it looked like as a place for people to get chased around by winged biker monkeys. This could be us, but youre not social-distancing. Up until then the going has been a little awkward. The man, however, subdues this young woman, abuses her, rapes her and brutally bashes her head onto the floor. just stay with me a little while and talk. Ted Ross reprised his role as the Cowardly Lion from the 1974 Broadway production. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. 1. I can write anything down on paper, the veteran arranger said. Just as black music, despite brief exceptions such as Motown and disco, had been for black radio stations and white music for white radio stations. When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. J. Walker, star of TVs Good Times. In other words, we're watching prostitutes trying to kill our heroes by making them overdose. However, the dramatic irony of the Scarecrows situation is that he is in fact one of the most knowledgeable characters and he simply does not know it. http://cdn1.theodysseyonline.com/files/2015/08/10/6357476658062859301695594367_IMG_0396.JPG. 3. Because when you think about it, it is kind of strange how we let animals that still chase other animals, lick themselves, and eat slugs (like my dog) live in our homes and sleep beside us in our beds. Revealing mistake: During the subway scene, when the first pillar breaks and starts to move towards Dorothy, the top of it is cardboard and wiggles back and forth as the pillar breaks. I was a lil tyke at a cousins house and it just happened to be on TV. The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. Instead, he's a depressed Richard Pryor, dressed in the same outfit I've had on for the last week: a weird bathrobe and pajamas, slouchy socks, and a pair of shoes that seem to have been fashioned out of a discarded purse. The 1985 sequel RETURN TO OZ has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and THE WIZ wields a truly alarming subway scene. To wit, Dorothy and crew famously. The Wiz came along at a perfect time for Berry Gordy and Motown Records. Those of you who know me probably know that I am obsessed with dogs. When erstwhile Harlem kindergarten teacher Dorothy (Diana Ross) finally reaches The Wiz, the flimflam man said to be the solution to all her problems, he's not the all-powerful wizard she anticipated. This movie was so iconic . Our heroine, Dorothy, has been transformed from a Kansas teen-ager to a twenty-four-year-old black schoolteacher. That stuck with Michael. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. This was the first film shot at Kaufman Astoria Studios when it was reopened in the 1970s. See production, box office & company info, World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. His costume, stuffed with newspaper and bits of trash bags, was more cumbersome, but Jackson made it work. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. It was a spectacular, flawed experiment. The duet between Michael Jackson and Diana Ross on "Ease On Down the Road" was released as a single by MCA Records in September, 1978. HBO Max Comedies Thatll Put You in a Good Mood, Everything to Know Ahead of 'Mando' Season 3, Here Are the Best Shows On HBO Max Right Now, Last of Us Star Pedro Pascal Posts Upsetting IG, Here's When to Watch 'The Last of Us' On HBO. This particular shot always gave me that "liminal" feeling. The plaza was also known for being a bit of a wind tunnel and that disrupted the production, so the scene wasnt as complete as intended since The Port Authority wouldnt allow reshoots. However, Diana Ross lobbied intensely for the role. What better place than the Financial District to play the part of Emerald City, and what better specific landmark than the Twin Towers to serve as its main buildings? And this also makes me think about the subway in Silent Hill 3. Michael Jacksons a Vegas act. Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, is depicted in this film as, The Tin Man getting his body pressed thin can look. Gonna have to get some coffee and check this out! The shoots were long and grueling, lasting all day underneath the World Trade Center towers. It may represent the part in the book where Dorothy . Quincy Jones was always present. "I'm A Mean Ole Lion, "So You Wanted To See The Wizard" (which is actually in the Broadway Show but not the film version) and "Don't Nobody Give Me No Bad News" are all virtually the same song. 3. 4. I have to admit that The WIZ is waaaaaay too long for me & is a bit of a chore but the visuals are cool in that wonked out seventies way & that subway scene is truly nuts. Ive never seen The Wiz either or maybe I started watching it and fell asleep I fall asleep in lots of things especially musicals. The other is The Wiz, a movie you may have never seen, heard is terrible and which fortunately has a number of scenes uploaded in order that I might illustrate and defend its worth. I've spent the last week workshopping a talk show with my succulents and dreaming of the day we can safely and sanely meet each other in public again. But the 1972 drama was a success in the end, drawing five Oscar nominations, although Ross lost Best Actress to Liza Minnelli of Cabaret. Nipsey Russell is fine as the Tin Man, too, but Ted Ross sort of disappears into his lion's costume, done in by the makeup man. The classic 1939 movie has its witch and flying monkeys. It may represent the part in the book where Dorothy and company are pursued by the Kalidahs, a kind of bear-tiger chimera. Another major location from the film that no longer exists, this former home of the New York Mets has been destroyed and replaced by Citi Field. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The Deadly Doll's House of Horror Nonsense, John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Film/TV. Peter Stone adapted the screenplay from the 1973 novel of the same name written by Morton Freedgood under the pen name John . It is based off the successful 1975 Broadway show of the same name. And their personalities are completely different. Lumet stocked The Wiz with top-tier African-American talentRoss, Richard Pryor, Lena Horne. How this guy isnt a steampunk icon, I dont know. (1976). Jones made his move on the set. The Tin Man says that he was once made of flesh and blood, but a spell turned him into the man of tin that he is now. Theres an instrument that can make the sounds you want. Is the movie a match for the 1939 Judy Garland version? Theater chains in white neighborhoods wouldnt schedule The Wiz for fear of scaring off white regulars, producer. Garland played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Robin Givens' debut, as a guest at Aunt Emma's party. The simple, cheap special effects used in it actually make it eerier to me. call me names." 2/The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Quincy Jones 2:00 3 The Feeling That We Have (The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Theresa Merritt 3:30 4 Can I Go On? I imagine it'll be exactly like the "A Brand New Day" scene in The Wiz: After Dorothy melts Evilene (Mabel King), the Wicked Witch of the West, all the workers she imprisoned in her sweat shop (they make sweat) transform from misshapen ogres into lithe, well-moisturized ballet dancers, leaping and prancing in their underwear. He wanted Jimmie "J. J." Walker, star of TV's Good Times. The cast of 'The Wiz' (L-R Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Diana Ross and Ted Ross) pose for a publicity shot in 1978 in New York, New York. At one point, he took Michael aside to explain a Scarecrow bit in the scriptthat the Greek philosophers name is pronounced Sock-ra-tees and not Sow-cray-tees. As Jones would tell the story, he asked Michael right then if he could take a shot at producing his next solo album. She is scared of everything. Easing Out of a Scary World in The Wiz, In 'Chicago,' Isolation Is the Key to Stardom. Dorothy is extremely reluctant to leave Aunt Em's home and branch out by herself in the 1978 film. The puppets are indubitably the scariest of the bunch. Later, Jones called his new friend and listened intently as MJ explained he could hear fully formed songs in his head and needed someone to help write them down. In October of 1978, The Wizard of Oz was flipped, reversed and remixed to feature an all-black cast, with musical heavy hitters like Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Lena Horne. The director who signed on, after a number of false starts, was Sidney Lumet, who had collaborated with a young Al Pacino on Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico. She also said she would be able to guarantee Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow if she was cast. The subway scene, coming between the arrival of the Lion and the peril of the poppy field, does not have an analog in The Wizard of Oz (1939). 1. https://medium.com/media/3e1c5a36e386d82c31c7a3c16d4f4fb7/href. This is the scene I find scarier than anything in Halloween. The movie has great moments and a lot of life, sensational special effects and costumes, and Ross, Jackson, and Russell. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. With Evilene's signature song, the gospel-tinged "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News," the thesis is right there in the title, so I won't belabor an explanation or too heavily underline how closely it echos the ethos of a certain national leader. To his surprise, Gordy agreed. All dogs. The Wiz cost $22 million and did not perform well at the box office. Saw this on the tv in the late 1980s. One of these days Ill get around to seeing the whole flick. The cultural/racial differences are telling, the modern 70s stylings, the sympathetically cool casting of Ross (my late-to-the-party new crush), & the change to make Dorothy afraid to leave her home. Summer Stars staging of. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building. The Scarecrow tells us however, that it is alright to have moments of silliness, moments of being confident in the abilities that we do have and to have faith in our purpose. There are no shortcuts to getting back home safe; it takes the time that it takes. Maybe because he retrospectively looks like Bicentennial Man? One thing about the movie thats rarely celebrated is the fact its directed by Sidney Lumet. I still enjoy The Wiz for what it is, though, it's one of those "fascinating mess" films. This movie changed Dorothy's shoes from ruby slippers back to silver slippers, as in the original L. Frank Baum story.
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