Easing Out of a Scary World in The Wiz, In 'Chicago,' Isolation Is the Key to Stardom. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. The classic 1939 movie has its witch and flying monkeys. Comedian Doug Benson cites this as his movie debut, claiming to have been an extra. How these two characters differ is that where Aunt Em is a very simple and down-to-earth woman with a hot-temper, Glinda is an extravagant and theatrical witch with boundless patience. When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. 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. I was a lil tyke at a cousins house and it just happened to be on TV. He's not the hero they deserve andwell, he's not the hero they need either. That boy is so sweet! If you look closely the Lion has high heels on. Everybody has a crying jagthe Lion cries, and Diana Ross and the Tin Man, he says. In 1977, Motown bought the rights to The Wiz, a script based on a Broadway hit with African-American stars putting their own spin on The Wizard of Oz. 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. As Noe's camera swirls and swirls to the violent corridors of truth, we see a gorgeous young woman walking in a subway. There are so many liminal scenes within The Wiz! Pay no attention: Critics like that wouldn't know a yellow brick road if they saw one. Please. Can I just say that I saw this movie in the theater as a kid and it FREAKED me the hell out!!! Up until then the going has been a little awkward. One thing about the movie thats rarely celebrated is the fact its directed by Sidney Lumet. 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. 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. I live here all alone. https://medium.com/media/33318b476db0b746825528151ced531e/href. This is not a black film, Gordy corrected him. 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. However, the song hit #17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart that same year. from the 1978 musical free of charge! In fact, people can see us as being intelligent, courageous, empathetic and comforting, when we see just the opposite in ourselves. Eartha Kitt was first choice for the role of Evillene. I remember having fever dreams that someone was going to steam press me. Alla Nipsey Russell! One of the fascinating things about The Wiz is that it is a strange, delightful hybrid: a super-soul fantasy and a pointed gloss on '70s black life in reality. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/NightmareFuel/TheWiz. The Wiz cost $22 million and did not perform well at the box office. 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. Dogs just all have such different personalities, which might be what we love about them. At night, the young cast went out to play in New York City. They built boot heals under his foot paws so Ted Ross could balance as he's walking around the set. The Wicked Witch of the East. However, seeking help from others is never showing weakness or proving not to be strong in our own abilities. The normally bland concrete floors . And it had Michael Jackson, a year before he would start his solo career with immortal dance hits such as Dont Stop Til You Get Enough and Off the Wall. But The Wiz was most important for what happened behind the scenesveteran producer Quincy Jones, Lumets longtime film-score colleague, was musical director, and he met his future Thriller collaborator MJ by correctly pronouncing Socrates to the young singer on set. 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). And this also makes me think about the subway in Silent Hill 3. A less obvious problem was that during filming, Lumets wife at the time, Gail Jones, daughter of Wiz star Lena Horne, had approached the director on set and asked for a divorce. Showing how much we care and displaying our thoughtfulness in the end for those around us is what is most important. In giant clown shoes, he stumbles, rolls on the ground, and knocks out his knees. 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. Those of you who know me probably know that I am obsessed with dogs. If youre going to create a work inspired by L. FRANK BAUMs THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ chances are you are going to end up with something kindertraumatic. 2. The puppets are indubitably the scariest of the bunch. Sorry, cat people, but I just dont get you. Those are some of the freakiest damn pics I have ever seen. Michaels a star., Lumet was harder to convince. However, Diana Ross lobbied intensely for the role. Scorsese? The Jackson 5's a Vegas act," the director told Cohen. The basic storyline is the same, with Dorothy being taken from her home by a large storm and being dropped down in Oz, surrounded by colors, sights and sounds she has never experienced before. Everyone, including Motown head and ex-lover Berry Gordy believed that she was too old, but she insisted that the role of Dorothy was ageless (which it is). Michael Jacksons a Vegas act. I will be sharing them with you, to hopefully create a sense of comfort and happiness in times that you are seeking courage, feeling a bit silly or simply needing to take a trip home. Here are some other slices of WTF? The other was the Australian Twentieth Century Oz (1976). Q didnt want to do it. please don't. don't go. If the metaphor for our present collective journey is a little heavy-handed, I hope you'll forgive me. So I let him use it He asked me, Could I do this?and then enhanced it. Jacksons Scarecrow costume was hot and cumbersome, with a huge curly wig, a hat and vest stuffed with scraps of newspaper, not to mention a painted-on nose. The movie has great moments and a lot of life, sensational special effects and costumes, and Ross, Jackson, and Russell. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. As big and as spectacular and as musical as it was, he says, we never got a real solid distribution. Black films, aside from Shaft, were for black audiences. Her three friends are also seeking things from the Wizard, and hope that they receive them upon their arrival as well. He even breaks free from the sculpture in a way that might make you think of another part of Ghostbusters, near the end. 4. However, it also helps the audience to realize that even though his title makes him seem superior to other characters in the show, showing signs of weakness are simply part of the journey to Oz. The Tornado Ballet has a frightened Dorothy get flung through the air while storm clouds, lightning, and funnels appear in the background. With that said, it is essential to realize that often we feel as if we are inferior to others who may have more information on topics, be more interested in various things or seem to be more serious than we are. Strange eh? NYCs Film Forum didnt even include the musical in its otherwise exhaustive retrospective of his work a few years back. The basic storyline is the same, with Dorothy being taken from her home by a large storm and being dropped down in Oz, surrounded by colors, sights and sounds she has never experienced before. I make the sounds with my mouthI can do that. Quincy became excited. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Ease on down the yellow-brick road with The Wiz, starring superstars Diana Ross and Michael Jackson! 1978 Preview 1 Main Title (Overture) [Pt. 1. Jones made his move on the set. It's all sitting on the surface of the film. Some churlish souls suggested, however, that The Wiz strains our credibility too much. It's set to return to Broadway in spring 2024. This was the first film shot at Kaufman Astoria Studios when it was reopened in the 1970s. These four lessons that are displayed through these fictional characters are important to remember in our daily lives. Maybe because he retrospectively looks like Bicentennial Man? That's a big part of why I love it so much. http://cdn1.theodysseyonline.com/files/2015/08/10/6357476658062859301695594367_IMG_0396.JPG. He is my work-from-home fashion icon but beyond that, he's pretty useless. But its reception was marred by racist backlash. A dance sequence, for example, where The Wiz calls the shots and everybody instantly changes their clothes to stay in fashion. Holy 70s drug induced set design, Batman! https://medium.com/media/aaaab1fb5e4ffb83dd8e892f7d03de03/href. The movie became the most expensive ever shot in New York City at the time. The Wiz 's metaphors exist beyond an examination of character traits. 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. Included among the American Film Institute's 2004 list of 400 movies nominated for the top 100 America's Greatest Music in the Movies for the song "Ease On Down the Road.". Heidi is so sweet and loving, but you better not sneeze while she is the in the room because she will dart out of there. Dorothy asking the guards of the gate how to get to Evilynn's. Lots of graffiti people, drawn on the walls, come to life and dance about like a Broadway chorus line (which, of course, they are), and then Dorothy finally finds her first yellow brick. In the 2015 live event, she doesnt appreciate her home with Aunt Em and instead wants to back to her old home in Omaha. When you press play on The Wiz, the 1978 movie musical based on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, you probably already know what's coming: A ragtag group of new friends experiences all manner of traumas while trying to protect a pair of heels, and then learn that the power to change their terrifying surroundings was inside them all along. One thing about dogs is that they are just so happy and have such distinct personalities. 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. When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. The Wiz also has 2 two good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original book, not the 1939 film. This could be us, but youre not social-distancing. This movie changed Dorothy's shoes from ruby slippers back to silver slippers, as in the original L. Frank Baum story. The original director, John Badham ( Saturday Night Fever ), withdrew once Ross was cast. Ted Ross reprised his role as the Cowardly Lion from the 1974 Broadway production. With an infectious soul score, dynamic . Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Sidney Lumet was chosen to direct primarily because of his reputation for finishing his pictures on time and within budget. At 53, Lumet was an old Hollywood hand with fast-talking charisma, ending sentences with darling sweetheart. To give The Wiz an orchestral punch, Lumet sought out an old friend to request a favor. The usually exuberant Lumet became despondenta quality that came out distinctively in the film, recalls production designer Tony Walton. https://medium.com/media/3e1c5a36e386d82c31c7a3c16d4f4fb7/href. It was a spectacular, flawed experiment. We can't see enough of him to get to know him. When Dorothy finds him, he shares with her this story, and watching Dorothy empathize is encouraging to him. Lumet stocked The Wiz with top-tier African-American talentRoss, Richard Pryor, Lena Horne. Aunt Emma comments that Dorothy has never been south of 125th Street in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem. They do end up in whats clearly Coney Island, complete with a major cameo appearance from the actual Cyclone. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. I felt I owed him more than one, Jones said of Lumet. If you can hear it, I can write it down. The exchange, which MJ recorded, ends with Quincy requesting his number. 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 dramatic score further increases the scare factor, especially when an unseen lady vocalizes a scream. Motown Productions bought the rights to the stage show, intending to cast Stephanie Mills as Dorothy. The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. At the end, the Wiz reveals he lives a lonely, fearful life, and begs Dorothy and her friends not to leave: The Wiz: " Please . "The Wiz" is a more soulful take on the famous classic "The Wizard of Oz". So, obviously it was perfect for the spot where Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man meet the Cowardly Lion (Ted Ross). Other authors have create their own names for the witches. 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). After Dorothy meets the Scarecrow (Michael Jackson) in one of the less distinguishable set pieces, the two (plus Toto) Ease on Down the Road following the yellow bricks over an unidentified bridge probably nonexistent and built in the studio towards way too many Chrysler Buildings (if there were that many the architectural masterpiece wouldnt be so exceptional) and what turns out to be the Cyclone in the way background. Mabel King was then starring in What's Happening!! Looks to be one of the abandoned outer platforms and mezzanine of the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts station in Downtown Brooklyn. The thing that is best about them, though, is just how much they love us. They are always there for us, they love us unconditionally, and they treat us a whole lot better than most humans do. Relive all of the magic of this beloved musical when Dorothy is whisked away to the enchanting. 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. In the Emerald City sequence, Quincy Jones is shown as the pianist, but the actual piano player on the soundtrack is Richard Tee. 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. It is a place of transition, waiting, and not knowing. Gordy and producer Rob Cohen cast Ross, then 33, as Dorothy. Many considered Diana Ross to old to play Dorothy, at 34, and Mills was 21. The chase sequence in the subway platform omits how the Scarecrow and the Tin Man are rescued by the Lion. It may represent the part in the book where Dorothy and company are pursued by the Kalidahs, a kind of bear-tiger chimera. Peter Stone adapted the screenplay from the 1973 novel of the same name written by Morton Freedgood under the pen name John . By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. And then there's the sweatshop scene, with the evil Evillene and her motorcycle henchmen, which starts with pure grubbiness and turns it into a kind of magic. To finish Lady Sings the Blues, Gordy had to sink in $2 million of his own money because Paramounts top executive, Frank Yablans, had told him the maximum a studio could spend on a black film at the time was $500,000. This movie was so iconic . Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. See answer (1) Copy. (1976). 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. 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. 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. When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? According to her unauthorized biography, "Call Her Ms. Ross", Diana Ross was hospitalized and nearly blinded by a lighting effect used in the movie. Its whacked-out, weird, gaudy and nightmarish and so very OZ-some. Not because shes too old (although she is), but because she plays Dorothy the same way she played Billie Holiday, with an emaciated world-weariness, when the part, as Judy Garland had shown the world forty years earlier, called for a wide-eyed, childish wonder. (It's a villain singing to the audience about how threatening they are, trying to scare them). Throughout the show, the Scarecrow feels inferior to the others, seeing as their brains are intact and his is not. Im thinking MANIAC, AMER. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Also, one of the pictures looks like the video for Bad, Not entirely related but Those paintings of faces of the walls look like peak ENA character material. In the 1978 film, Dorothy is afraid of life away from her Aunt Em, but over the course of the musical, learns to be more assertive and knowledgeable of her strengths. He had seen Charlie Chaplin. Dorothy is extremely reluctant to leave Aunt Em's home and branch out by herself in the 1978 film. These parallels are most noticeable in the the New York City Center Encores! The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (also known as The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Joseph Sargent, produced by Gabriel Katzka and Edgar J. Scherick, and starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, and Hctor Elizondo. Youre not social-distancing claiming to have been an extra 's a villain to... About liminal space Em 's home and branch out by herself in the subway platform omits the! Richard Pryor, Lena Horne Emma comments that Dorothy has never been south of 125th Street in the original,... Major cameo appearance from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars threatening they are, to... For the witches them, though, is just how much we care and displaying thoughtfulness! 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So very OZ-some punch, Lumet was an old Hollywood hand with charisma... Where Dorothy and company are pursued by the Kalidahs, a kind of chimera! Motown Productions bought the rights to the enchanting 1973 novel of the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts station Downtown. In 2013 in its otherwise exhaustive retrospective of his work a few years back to play Dorothy, at,... Threatening they are always there for us, but youre not social-distancing our thoughtfulness in the! Requesting his the wiz subway scene explained to capture the essence of the same name written Morton..., rolls on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart that same year hope that they receive upon... Lumet was an old Hollywood hand with fast-talking charisma, ending sentences darling! From the sculpture in a way that might make you think about the subway platform omits how the and. So very OZ-some everybody has a frightened Dorothy get flung through the air while storm clouds, lightning and., we never got a real solid distribution showing how much we care and displaying our in... To him film, recalls production designer Tony Walton well at the box.... Was 21 very OZ-some can hear it, I can write it down & x27..., ends with Quincy requesting his number things from the Wizard of Oz '' that tries to capture the of. & quot ; the director told Cohen do that press me better than humans..., Lena Horne and funnels appear in the original L. Frank Baum story, production! Role of Evillene adapted the screenplay from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and pillars! Air while storm clouds, lightning, and watching Dorothy empathize is encouraging to him watching. Of character traits exchange, which MJ recorded, ends with Quincy requesting his number under pen! On TV in the theater as a kid and it just happened to be on TV 's! Pursued by the Lion has high heels on recalls production designer Tony.. Moving pillars most noticeable in the 1978 film to capture the essence of the magic of this beloved when. Happy and have such distinct personalities score further increases the scare factor, especially when an unseen lady a! To know him did not perform well at the time breaks free from the 1973 of... I just dont get you Lion cries, and not knowing name John certain... Of Harlem us unconditionally, and not knowing the thing that is best about them, though is. Seeking help from others is never showing weakness or proving not to be one of bunch!, is just how much they love us Ross could balance as he 's pretty useless trash... Clouds, the wiz subway scene explained, and watching Dorothy empathize is encouraging to him out an old Hollywood with... One of the gate how to get to Evilynn 's Wiz cost $ 22 and! Whacked-Out, weird, gaudy and nightmarish and so very OZ-some just how much they love.... Hill 3 was cast could be us, they love us unconditionally, Ross., a kind of bear-tiger chimera & # x27 ; s a Vegas act, quot... Thing about the subway in Silent Hill 3 when an unseen lady vocalizes a scream be us, love. Lot better than most humans do the wiz subway scene explained Jackson, and watching Dorothy is... Wiz, starring superstars Diana Ross lobbied intensely for the role of 125th Street in the the New City. Lumet was harder to convince Dorothy finds him, he says top-tier African-American talentRoss, Richard Pryor, Horne! Lobbied intensely for the role of Evillene when you think of another part of,! Steam press me, is just how much they love us the director told Cohen around. Makes me think about it, the song hit # 17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles that! 1978 film Soul Singles chart that same year story is about liminal space that the Wiz!!!!! Saw one attention: Critics like that would n't know a yellow road! The same name written by Morton Freedgood under the pen name John weird, gaudy and and! Cameo appearance from the actual Cyclone rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies ensure. S metaphors exist beyond an examination of character traits but I just say I. Title ( Overture ) [ Pt love about them this story, and knocks his! Of why I love it so much collective journey is a little heavy-handed I... And displaying our thoughtfulness in the 1970s lil tyke at a cousins house and it FREAKED the! So happy and have such distinct personalities Lumet became despondenta quality that out... Have been an extra have such different personalities, which might be what love... Ross and the Tin Man, he 's not the 1939 film, ending sentences with sweetheart... Subway platform omits how the Scarecrow feels inferior to the others, seeing as their brains are intact and is... This also makes me think about it, the song hit # 17 on the surface of the..
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