Originally published in The Baum Bugle, vol. 30, no. 3 (Winter 1986), pgs. 4–10
Citations
Chicago 17th ed.:
Fricke, John. “The Radio Road to Oz (Part I).” Baum Bugle 30, no. 3 (1986): 4–10.
MLA 9th ed.:
Fricke, John. “The Radio Road to Oz (Part I).” The Baum Bugle, vol. 30, no. 3, 1986, pp. 4–10.
(Note: In print, this article was supplemented with photographs and vintage advertising that have not been reproduced here. In addition, one sidebar—memories of those who heard the radio show on broadcast—has not been included because authors’ permission could not be obtained.)
“Jell-O brings you The Wizard of Oz!” With these seven words and a musical fanfare, radio audiences of 1933 were introduced to an Ozian audio-extravaganza: a 15-minute NBC program that, three times weekly, provided its own Yellow Brick Road to L. Frank Baum’s legendary land. Although lasting only one season, “The Wizard of Oz” radio show managed to include (often ingeniously) plot lines and characters from several Oz books and to fascinate young listeners. Its power was at least potent enough to create memories that have in some cases endured for more than 50 years—and it certainly provided an inexpensive introduction to the magic of Oz for millions of children. (Baum himself would have doubtless been pleased by this; he purportedly created The Oz Film Company in 1914 to bring his stories to youngsters who couldn’t afford the expensive color plate editions of his books.)
The NBC program was not the first Oz radio show. The 1926 edition of The Ozmapolitan (a handout publicity news-sheet issued by Oz publishers Reilly & Lee for several years) mentioned that station WMAQ in Chicago—and its “Topsy Turvy Time Man”—were at that time broadcasting The Land of Oz on a children’s program. The newspaper (printed in The Baum Bugle for Autumn 1966 and again in The Best of The Baum Bugle 1965–66) encouraged children to write to their “own broadcasting station having a Children’s Hour, and ask the Radio Man to Broadcast the Oz Stories!” (“And ask your little friends to do the same. And if enough children ask Mr. Radio Man, he will do as he is asked. Try it and see.”) The same basic message was transmitted in the 1927 Ozmapolitan, albeit without the WMAQ reference. These would appear to have been simple read-aloud programs, however; the 1933 effort was doubtless the first major network, coast-to-coast dramatization of the Oz legend.
The original contracts for the show were dated July 12, 1933 and signed by Mrs. L. Frank (Maud Gage) Baum, Los Angeles; the Reilly & Lee Company, Chicago; and Young & Rubicam, Inc., New York, giving the latter “the use on the radio” of all 14 Baum Oz titles, and the first 13 Ruth Plumly Thompson titles (through Ojo in Oz, the 1933 Oz book). Maud Baum held the copyrights for her husband’s work; Reilly & Lee had copyrighted Miss Thompson’s books for her. The contract also gave Young & Rubicam the radio rights to future Oz books published while the contract was in existence, and the right to issue promotional material (i.e. “premium use,” for which extra compensation would be agreed upon). The duration of the contract was specified at 13 weeks (with programs to begin no earlier than September 1 and no later than October 15, 1933); renewal options for additional 13-week cycles were to be exercised no later than 10 weeks into any given cycle. “No more than three broadcasts of 15 minutes duration each” were to be presented per week; Young & Rubicam also had control over which and how many radio stations would carry the program—and they agreed that only the first three Baum titles would be used for storyline during the initial 13 weeks of broadcast.
Mrs. Baum and Reilly & Lee each were to receive $300.00 per week for the duration of the contract; it was signed by Maud G. Baum, Frank J. O’Donnell (president of the publishing company), and J. W. Gerse, Young & Rubicam treasurer.
Young & Rubicam quickly sold the Oz program to the National Broadcasting Corporation and its sponsorship to General Foods/Jell-O. By September 15, 26 stations were lined up to carry “The Wizard of Oz” on radio. These included NBC affiliates in New York, Boston, Hartford, Providence, Worcester, Portland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Schenectady, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit,, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Duluth–Superior, Fargo, and Bismarck. (Other stations might have been added to this list, especially in the western United States.) The show was set to air at 5:45 Eastern Standard Time, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon beginning September 25.
On that date, the NBC promotional department in New York issued the following press release to herald the new program:
“Here’s a new deal for the children. Gangsters are on the out and out. Those juvenile crime hours have an invincible competitor. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is making his debut. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:45 p.m. over the NBC-WEAF network. From now on, young America can get a full quota of excitement from the adventures of Dorothy, Toto, Oz, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and their fascinating companions. More than five million copies of this best-selling American classic of youth have been sold. Now these magic stories of the Land of Oz, dramatized for the first time on the air, are quickening the pulse of childhood with wholesome enthusiasm, giving the oldsters a thrill, too, for, like ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ the Wizard’s appeal is universal.
“Little Nancy Kelly of movie fame plays the role of Dorothy, the girl from Kansas who discovered this wonderful Land of Oz. With Bill Adams as the Scarecrow, Jack Smart, the Cowardly Lion, and Parker Fennelly, the Tin Woodman, this favorite American classic of youth is being dramatized over the air to entertain and educate juvenile imagination.
“Parents who objected to the prevalence of ‘children’s hours of crime’ will find the ‘Wizard of Oz’ the answer to their demand for high radio standards of children’s programs. There is no need for bloodthirsty episodes of crime to give thrills. Under the expert hand of Donald Stauffer, director of the ‘March of Time,’ the Land of Oz yields rich drama, packed full of mystery, excitement and wonder—a drama that is more enthralling to the young listeners than any harrowing tales of violence.
“Then, too, Dorothy’s amazing adventures will provide the children and parents, too, an easy, intimate introduction to the understanding of opera. Frank Novak has composed an operatic score for the ‘Wizard of Oz’ radio dramatizations which provides a leitmotif for each character, so simple and delightful that every child will grasp its significance.”
NBC’s microfilm files still contain the entire run of scripts for the 26 weeks “The Wizard of Oz” ran on the network. While there are no known transcription discs of the program itself, the scripts give an excellent indication of just how Oz was presented to its listeners.
The announcer for the show was Ben Grauer, ultimately a well known media personality. Frank Novak’s music, conducted by the composer, was played by a four-piece band. The scripts contain only light, handwritten notations as to the cast members; some of these are now difficult to decipher. “Oz” was played in NBC’s Studio E in New York and broadcast over what was then called “The Red Network.”
Each program began with the announcer’s “Jell-O Presents ‘The Wizard of Oz’!,” followed by one or two lines of introductions from the handful of major characters in the day’s episode (i.e. I’m Dorothy, and I want to get back to Kansas, etc.) and a mysterious voice which capped the opener by warning the Ozians about the dangers attendant to seeking the Wizard (or trying to escape Old Mombi, or in combatting the Princess Langwidere). A brief plug for Jell-O led into the dramatization, inevitably concluding with a “cliffhanger” of some sort so as to bring back the juvenile listeners for the next episode. The announcers and actors then wrapped with a longer commercial, plugging recipes and the like, chatting—”in character”—about the wonders of the product. A brief synopsis of the Jell-O “Wizard of Oz” programs follows:
Week 1: The first script lists, in addition to cast members in the press release above, Junius Matthews as Toto and Jack Smart as Uncle Henry, among others. The cyclone hits the farm and Dorothy and Toto go up in the house; the dog is—once airborne—instantly able to talk in the kind of squeaky voice (so says the script) as a Pomeranian might have. (Dorothy accuses him of being rude at one point, to which he retorts he’d been ordered around all his life and that human beings never consider an animal’s finer feelings.) The house lands in Oz to a loud scream (the Witch of the East?), and Dorothy is greeted by the Good Witch of the North and Munchkins and presented with the silver slippers. She decides not to wear them but to carry them with her. The first episode ends with the disappearance of the Munchkins and we segue to a commercial; Jell-O is, in Dorothy’s opinion, swell. The second show opens with Dorothy’s attempts to work the charm (in rhyme) of the silver slippers; the shoes create a whirlwind, so she and Toto put them away again. They meet the Scarecrow, who has blue clothes and hair because he is a Munchkin; the three immediately meet the Cowardly Lion. They are beset by Kalidahs at the end of the show. On the next program, the Lion roars and scares the Kalidahs, as Dorothy, Toto, and the Scarecrow escape across a tree they pushed over to bridge a river. Dorothy drops one of the slippers on the Kalidah-side of the river; the Lion goes back to retrieve it, proving he does have courage even though he’s a coward. (The shows are liberally laced with this kind of underscoring; points are always being made about the Tin Woodman’s kind-heartedness, the Scarecrow’s good ideas, etc.—despite their longing to possess the heart and brains they feel they lack.) They meet the Tin Woodman; he tells the story of having his axe enchanted by the Witch of the East. When they mention where they’re going, he echoes the mysterious announcer at the beginning of each show in reiterating what a potentially dangerous man the Wizard of Oz is; this is another point hammered home by virtually everyone the travellers encounter—thus building suspense among the listening audience. A larger river poses no problem as the Woodman has a raft which he formerly used to visit his Munchkin girlfriend. Unfortunately, the Scarecrow falls overboard and floats off; the raft begins to break up as the characters try to reach shore. Here ends the third episode.
Week 2 (October 2): A passing stork volunteers to rescue the Scarecrow (storks are used to carrying things). Toto rides along on the stork’s back—more-or-less as a kibitzer—and falls into the river himself. The stork brings them both back to their friends. The Scarecrow has lost his stuffing, so the silver shoes are used to bring down a rain of straw for him. However, the straw keeps coming down and threatens to bury them all; end of episode. The second show of the week opens as another charm is spoken to stop the rain of straw, and the cast then proceeds to the poppy field. Toto, Dorothy, and the Lion fall asleep. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman are able to rescue the girl and dog; they encounter (and save) the Queen of the Field Mice and then formulate a plan to save the Lion. They proceed back through the poppy field to retrieve him … will he still be there? End of episode. The party reaches the Lion, but the mice are hungry and go on strike until the silver shoes provide them with cheese. (The principal characters take turns wearing the shoes and making up the little rhymed charms that work the magic.) The Lion is rescued, and the Queen presents Dorothy with the silver whistle so that she can summon the mice if she ever needs them. The characters come to a huge wall, which the Lion mounts to find a covey of wild animals waiting on the other side. End of episode.
Week 3 (October 9): Episode one opens with the Lion’s conversation with the animals; they agree to let the travellers pass if the Lion kills their ancient enemy, the giant hairy spider. The Tin Woodman cuts off the monster’s head while the Lion holds him down. The group is next hindered by the hill of Hammerheads, who refuse to let them pass; Dorothy decides to summon the field mice for help. End of episode. The October 11th episode is the first to make reference to “a real Land of Oz dessert”: an Emerald City mold of lime Jell-O. Meanwhile, the field mice run up the Hammerheads, tickling their necks. As the creatures don’t have arms, they can’t fend off the mice; our friends run through the Hammerhead area and escape. Before they can reach the Emerald City, they encounter a flock of balloons of all sizes: balloons with faces and pasteboard feet. The balloons kick the travellers and want to capture them and put them to work cutting out new pasteboard feet; Dorothy and Company eventually escape by popping the balloons with single straws taken from the stuffing of the Scarecrow, and finally approach the gates of the Emerald City. At the top of the final episode of the week, they are again beset by weird creatures: this time, flying umbrella people who swoop down and scoop up the Scarecrow. He is saved by a charm of the silver slippers, which brings on rain, vanquishing the umbrella people (as everyone knows you can never find an umbrella when it’s raining). The group is met at the City gates by a troop of green soldiers; their leader exchanges with them the dialogue from the book originally spoken by the man whose home the travellers visit just prior to reaching Oz. Suddenly, a huge tiger comes bounding through the gates of the City. End of episode; concluding commercial announces a special present, to be revealed Monday.
Week 4 (October 16): Lead-off with promo for a gift from the Land of Oz. The Hungry Tiger introduces himself; he has the same characteristics as in the books. The Guardian comes out and shoos away the Tiger, provides the green spectacles and, for several lines, the group marvels at the beauties of the City. The Soldier with the Green Whiskers greets them at the palace and explains they must see Oz one at a time. Suddenly, Dorothy’s dress, shoes and hair ribbon become green, and she prepares to meet the Wizard. A lengthy plug for “The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman” giveaway book follows; it’s touted as a story not in the other Oz books, although written by the same man (” so you know it’s a swell story”), and much emphasis is placed on the beautiful color pictures. The book was available for three Jell-O package fronts, which were to be mailed to Battle Creek, Michigan. (Canadian listeners were directed to an Ontario address.) Dorothy meets the Giant Head in episode two. The Wizard—a threatening type—wants to harm Toto because Dorothy won’t obey his directive to kill the Witch of the West She agrees to try; suddenly, they are out of the throne room and back with their friends. The Scarecrow meets Oz as a beautiful young woman; she threatens the Scarecrow with an encounter with The Match King if he does not agree to help Dorothy kill the Witch. End of episode; more storybook plugs. The Scarecrow retreats; the Tin Woodman meets Oz as a great beast, who threatens him with denting by the heaviest hammer in Oz. The Tin Woodman is dismissed with the same orders for the Witch. Oz summons the Lion, who has run away in terror. End of episode as characters search for him.
Week 5 (October 23): The storybook is still being promoted. The Lion is found hiding in some bushes. He meets Oz as a ball of fire who singes his whiskers. The Soldier explains to the travellers about the Witch and Land of the Winkies. At the gates of the City, they are suddenly attacked by a big beast. End of episode. The beast turns out to be the Hungry Tiger, who tells them about the Witch’s one telescope eye. The Guardian of the Gate directs them out of town; they see a huge eye in the sky and are beset by the wolves. The Tin Woodman kills them. The eye appears again followed by the crows—which the Scarecrow scares away. The eye appears, followed by bees. End of episode; storybook plug. The Scarecrow’s straw is scattered over the characters to protect them from the bees; they sting the Woodman instead. Finally, the eye makes its final appearance and the Winged Monkeys fly into view. They drop the Tin Woodman on the sharpest rocks they can find; they tear out the Scarecrow’s stuffing and throw his clothes into a tall tree; the Lion, Dorothy, and Toto are captured. End of episode.
Week 6 (October 30): The show opens with the traditional introductions and commercial; Dorothy reads a letter from Betty Wilson of Chicago, praising Jell-O and her Oz storybook. The monkeys take Dorothy to the witch who puts her to work; the witch steals one of the silver shoes by tripping Dorothy with an invisible bar. Dorothy melts the witch; she and her friends decide to rescue the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow. Episode ends with a commercial for the storybook involving the Sawhorse and a talking fish. Dorothy and friends use the charm of the shoes to retrieve the Woodman and Scarecrow; the tinsmiths rebuild the former and other Winkies restore the latter. They also give Dorothy the Golden Cap to summon the Winged Monkeys; the announcer wonders if the Monkeys will give Dorothy as much trouble as they did earlier. The Scarecrow and Tin Man act out a scene from their storybook to close the episode. The Monkeys return the travellers to the Emerald City (summarizing their own history in three lines!) and set them in the Throne Room. Oz is just a voice; the Lion knocks the screen down and the humbug is revealed. Much of the dialogue through here duplicates that in the book. The companions get their wishes. The balloon ascension leaves Dorothy behind. A Sawhorse plug for the storybook concludes the show.
Week 7 (November 6): The Wizard calls from his departing balloon for the Scarecrow to rule until he returns. The monkeys are summoned to take Dorothy home, but this is an impossible task for them. The Soldier suggests visiting Glinda, so off our friends go to the South. They encounter the one wicked “guardian tree” and must overcome it to travel through the forest. The Great Wall of China looms before them, with a china head peering over and bidding them to depart. End of episode. The travellers are pelted with marbles shot from a china cannon. They are finally allowed to pass through the China Country but accidentally break the leg of a cow, Toto breaks a china cat, and they have to run for the wall, pelted again with marbles. They encounter The River of the Rubber Ducks, who refuse to let them pass; the Monkeys come to their rescue and carry them to the Land of the Quadlings. End of episode. The Quadling Soldier escorts them to the magic drawbridge which works contrary to what is asked of it. They finally meet Glinda; she explains the magic of the silver slippers and has the Monkeys return the Lion to the forest, the Woodman to the Winkies, and the Scarecrow to the Emerald City. Dorothy says good-bye and finds she has lost her right silver shoe (which she must stamp three times in order to get back to Kansas). She and Toto go off to look for it. End of episode.
Week 8 (November 13): The drawbridge begins to weep when it hears Dorothy and Toto’s sad plight and lets itself down for them. They come across the figure of Jack Pumpkinhead; Tip falls out of a tree and meets them. He explains that he’s running from Old Mombi the Witch and has stolen from her the Magic Powder of Life (which she got from the Crooked Wizard of the Mountains). Tip also tells Dorothy he thinks Mombi stole him when he was little. Dorothy watches as Jack comes to life; Jack complains about the shabbiness of his shoes, and Tip produces one he happened to find. It, of course, is the silver shoe Dorothy is missing. Dorothy directs Tip and Jack to the Emerald City where they’ll be safe from Mombi and can visit her friend, the Scarecrow. Toto jumps into Dorothy’s arms; the little girl promises to return to Oz one day and away they go. Tip decides to bring to life the Sawhorse upon which he’s sitting. End of episode. (Jack Smart is now playing Jack; Parker Fennelly is the Sawhorse; Tip’s name is indistinguishable.) A new storybook is announced with the episode of November 15, available this time for only a postcard request. The Sawhorse comes to life; they make him a set of ears. They set out together but can’t get across the river thanks to an obstinate ferryman. They swim instead but waiting for them on the other side of the river is a flock of woodpeckers—sent by Mombi. Plug for “Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse” storybook; postcards had to be mailed by November 21. Third weekly episode begins with escape from the woodpeckers. They meet the Army of Revolt (” all little kids”) and General Jinjur; they decide to race ahead to the Emerald City to warn the Scarecrow. They meet the Woggle Bug, who tells his story (as in the book); he joins their party, complete with mystifying vocabulary. End of episode as Jack and the Sawhorse enact a scene from their storybook.
Week 9 (November 20): (Nancy Kelly is back in the cast, now as General Jinjur; Walter Tetty is Tip; Junius Matthews is the Woggle Bug . . .) Jack, Tip, the Woggle Bug and Sawhorse arrive at the City and warn the Scarecrow. The Army arrives and conquers the City; Jinjur threatens our friends with Old Mombi. They decide to escape out the back door and are confronted in the palace yard by a wall of fire. End of episode; storybook plug (“the last time we offer it”). A magic charm recited by the Scarecrow puts the fire out. Now, however, a flood of water surrounds the palace, so they retreat to the roof and build the Gump so they can travel to the palace of Glinda. The Gump is brought to life and flies away. End of episode. The Gump comes back and they hop aboard, escaping the attack of Jinjur and her army’s knitting needles. The Gump crashes into a mountain; they end in the Jackdaws nest and discover Dr. Nikidik’s wishing pills. End of episode, including a Jell-O plug, via telegram, from Dorothy, in which she promises to return to Oz soon.
Week 10 (November 27): The Gump is magically repaired and they hurry away to the South. When they reach Glinda’s castle, they are hindered by a sea of glue, created by Old Mombi. End of episode. They say a charm to get rid of the glue and the Gump flies into Glinda’s palace. The history of Pastoria and Ozma is revealed in dialogue with Glinda. Glinda’ s magic carries them straight to the Emerald City where Jinjur invites them to search for Old Mombi until sundown. They enter the gates . . . but are they walking into a trap? End of episode. They find themselves locked into the Emerald City where they are chased by a huge black bear. The bear suddenly disappears. Mombi then brings on the darkness early, so they must leave the City; the Woggle Bug stops to pick a rose and Glinda is immediately suspicious. She enchants the Sawhorse so that he can fly them all over the walls of the City to escape; she is aware that the rose is Mombi. End of episode, with the announcement that, next week, Dorothy is coming back to the Land of Oz!
Week 11 (December 4): (Agnes Moorehead joins the cast as Mombi—a role she will recreate on “The Shirley Temple Storybook” production of The Land of Oz over NBC-TV in 1960.) The rose turns into an ant; then a griffin, and Glinda gives pursuit on the Sawhorse; this sequence and the chase is direct from the book. Glinda lassos Mombi: good triumphs over evil, thus must it always be (according to the script). Mombi and Glinda do the dialogue around the Magic Pearl; Mombi reveals Tip’s identity and agrees to transform him. End of episode as Tip disappears; the final commercial features a letter from Dorothy, a poem she’s written about Jell-O, and her promise to be back any day now. Ozma appears at the top of the next episode; Mombi—sans magic—is banished to the hill country. Everyone sails into the Emerald City via Glinda’s magic; Jinjur willingly relinquishes the City to Ozma. The Gump goes back over the mantle; Glinda returns to the South; Jack and the Woggle Bug will stay in the City; and the Scarecrow decides to ride the Sawhorse to see the Tin Woodman. En route, the Sawhorse and Scarecrow fall into a river and are separated; paddling on the same river, on a raft, is Dorothy, who swoops down to rescue the Scarecrow. End of episode. Third program for the week opens with a welcome back to Dorothy into the traditional Jell-O commercial. The Scarecrow meets Billina and sits on her egg; Dorothy’s raft goes over the falls, carrying her and Billina and the Scarecrow away from the Sawhorse. Dorothy relates her experiences on the boat (en route to Australia—Oztralia, cracks Billina—with Uncle Henry), being swept overboard and finding herself on the raft with the chicken. They waft up on a sandy beach; Billina finds the golden key—and they come upon the lunch and dinner pail trees and a warning about the Wheelers. The Wheelers attack; our friends take to the rocks. End of episode.
Week 12 (December 11): Another present for the boys and girls is this week’s kick-off. Our friends discover the door in the rock and meet Tik-Tok. All the customary Smith and Tinker information is imparted, along with the history of the evil King of Ev and Nome King . . . and how the latter has enchanted the Queen and the children. Tik-Tok also has an alarm, like an alarm clock. He braves the Wheelers and runs down at a crucial moment. End of episode; “Tik-Tok and the Nome King” is the new storybook— this one available for one Jell-O box front—and a dandy Christmas present. In the following program, Agnes Moorehead rejoins the cast as a campy and humorous— if the dialogue is any indication—Princess Langwidere. Billina has swallowed the key needed to wind up Tik-Tok; she coughs it up and he is able to conquer the Wheelers, one of whom leads them to Langwidere and tells her story. A giant hugging bear guards the Princess’ castle. Tik-Tok gets them by the bear; Langwidere is in a state over not being able to find a particular head. She threatens to sell them all to the Nome King unless they find her head. End of episode as Tik-Tok plugs his storybook. We come back to the show as Langwidere rants about her head #17 . . . finally finding it. She decides she wants Dorothy’s head as well; the little girl refuses, and she and the Scarecrow are locked up in the tower. Billina is sent to the chicken coop and Tik-Tok runs down. Dorothy and the Scarecrow decide to summon the field mice for aid; Dorothy still has the whistle. The mice arrive through the tower window and agree to petition Ozma for help . . . if she can only arrive before Langwidere sends Dorothy and the Scarecrow to the Nome King. Storybook plug; Dorothy has written a special letter to the boys and girls which they will find tucked into the storybook when they receive it.
Week 13 (December 18): Dorothy is confronted by Langwidere and agrees to exchange her head to save the Scarecrow. The Princess vows the little girl will love the replacement: it has green hair and purple eyes. Just before Langwidere’s charm can take effect, the Lion bounds in and saves the day. Ozma is waiting downstairs. Introductions all around (a deleted script passage recounts the fact that Dorothy and Ozma met once before when the Princess was still Tip). Ozma deprives Langwidere of a head. Billina is brought in from a chicken coop fight; Tik-Tok is rewound. Suddenly, Ozma is trapped in a barrel, ready to be shipped to the Nome King. End of episode; storybook and letter plug. In the self-introduction of characters opening the next episode, the last one heard from is Langwidere, who shouts out her name and adds that she wants her head back! A charm is used to get Ozma out of the barrel; the Lion ends up inside instead. Langwidere gets her head back in exchange for the release of the Lion; the Oz party sets off to rescue the Queen of Ev and her children. They ride on the Lion’s back and are crossing a narrow bridge when Billina needs to lay her egg; she makes the Lion turn back, and Tik-Tok falls off and into the river. End of episode; storybook plug. (Parker Fennelly is Tik-Tok.) Tik-Tok is rescued. The Scarecrow is requested by Billina to keep her egg in his jacket pocket. Ozma turns a piece of cloth into a magic carpet that will take them across the river; they make the transition gracefully, except for the Lion, who gets all rolled up in the rug. (He looks like Cleopatra is Billina’s comment—a topical joke in that Cecil B. DeMille’s production of that story was a contemporary Claudette Colbert movie.) They come upon The Giant with the Hammer; end of episode, along with an invitation to return Monday for more of the story and the Land of Oz Christmas party with many surprises.
(End of first thirteen weeks; to be continued)
Sidebar: Other Oz Radio Programming
Not much is known about later Oz radio programs. Supposedly Fred Stone—the original Scarecrow of the 1903 Broadway Wizard of Oz—read the book aloud on radio in June 1939 (probably as promotion for the forthcoming MGM musical film). The Lux Radio Theatre broadcast a 60-minute adaptation of the MGM film over CBS on December 25, 1950 with Judy Garland recreating her screen role of Dorothy.
There was at least one other major Oz radio dramatization, but when and for how long remains as of now something of a mystery. There survive two 15-minute transcriptions of “The Wizard of Oz” show on CBS: the first program and a later one, three weeks into the run. According to the program announcer, the shows were written and directed by John Elkhorn, with Charles Paul and his “Munchkin Music Men” providing background music—a fairly good-sized aggregation from its sound.
Each show opened with a brief theme song, “How Do You Do? Hello!,” and the statement, “The great gates of Oz swing open,” inviting listeners to meet “the weird and eerie creatures of Oz.”
The initial stanza covered Dorothy’s gray Kansas background, the cyclone, and the arrival in Munchkinland, where she is saluted as “Your Magic Mightiness” by green-suited Munchkins and greeted by Wanda, the Good Witch of the North. When Dorothy walks in the silver shoes, they make musical sounds; the little girl is directed to follow one of the four Yellow Brick Roads in Oz, as each leads directly to the Wizard. Wanda also casts a spell on Dorothy’s wicker basket so that it will never run out of food. The cast prepares to celebrate the death of the Witch of the East as the program ends with a “tune in tomorrow” come-on; this could indicate that there were five 15-minute programs weekly. The second surviving episode—after (by reference) at least 14 intervening installments—has gotten the cast as far as the poppy field, into the visit with the Queen of the Field Mice, etc.
No sponsor is given on either program; additional research will be required to determine how long the show endured.
[For their cooperation and contributions to the foregoing, the author would like to thank David L. Greene, Michael Patrick Hearn, Martha Liebe, Fred M. Meyer, Frederick E. Otto and—especially—Marilyn C. Dean, head of Records Administration at the National Broadcasting Corporation, and her associate Catherine Lim.]
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