NBC’S DREAMER OF OZ
★★★1/2 for Accuracy, ★★★ for Story, ★★★★ for Effort
by Patrick Maund
Originally published in The Baum Bugle, vol. 35, no. 1 (Spring 1991), pgs. 8–9
Citations
Chicago 17th ed.:
Maund, Patrick. “NBC’s Dreamer of Oz: ★★★1/2 for Accuracy, ★★★ for Story, ★★★★ for Effort.” Baum Bugle 35, no. 1 (1991): 8–9.
MLA 9th ed.:
Maund, Patrick. “NBC’s Dreamer of Oz: ★★★1/2 for Accuracy, ★★★ for Story, ★★★★ for Effort.” The Baum Bugle, vol. 35, no. 1, 1991, pp. 8–9.
(Note: In print, this article was supplemented with photographs that have not been reproduced here.)
The Dreamer of Oz is a well-directed, beautifully photographed, nicely written, and reasonably accurate (though idealized) portrait of L. Frank Baum, the creator of Oz.* Based in part on Michael Patrick Hearn’s forthcoming biography of Baum, the film tells Baum’s life from his meeting Maud Gage until the publication of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. The movie focuses on Baum’s relationship with Maud, following them from Syracuse to Aberdeen, South Dakota, and finally to Chicago.
* For background, see The Dreamer of Oz to Tell the Life of Baum on NBC Television” by Michael Gessel, The Baum Bugle, Winter 1989.
Visually, the film is simply beautiful. The interior sets are excellent, as are the costumes, props, and camera work. The opening black and white sequence, in which vintage footage is intercut with new scenes, is a particularly fine recreation of the 1939 premiere of the MGM movie at Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
The film includes a wealth of accurate detail, much of it incidental to the plot, but all of it delightful to see. A carefully arranged window display of copies of Father Goose: His Book was inspired by a photograph published in Baum’s magazine, The Show Window. “George Hill” is carefully stenciled on the glass door to the office of Baum’s publisher. (It is curious, however, that the middle initial “M” was not included for full authenticity.) There are close-up shots of Baum’s books, including a pristine copy of Mother Goose in Prose. Robert Baum, great-grandson of L. Frank Baum, provided the books and memorabilia decorating Baum’s later Hollywood house, Ozcot. These details add excitement for the knowledgeable Oz enthusiast and provide visual texture for the general viewer.
A pleasant surprise is the general accuracy of the story. When Frank is first introduced to Maud, he says, “Consider yourself loved, Miss Gage.” This bit of dialogue is corny, but an accurate recreation of Baum’s first meeting with Maud. A scene of Baum rescuing his son from cutting himself with a set of razors seems utterly contrived. But it, too, was suggested in part by an actual incident.
Though the film is painstakingly authentic in many details, some liberties are, of course, taken. While significant, they do not diminish enjoyment of the movie. The Aberdeen duel is accurate to a point but, according to family tradition, both men ran away from the duel. Also, we see only three of Baum’s four sons: Frank Jr., Harry, and Robert. Where is Kenneth?
Baum’s mother-in-law, Matilda Joslyn Gage, is portrayed as a terror throughout most of the film, disapproving of Baum’s writing efforts. Actually, Baum’s relationship with her was very good, and she was the first to encourage him to have his stories published. (In the movie, she ultimately does support Baum’s writing.)
Perhaps the most serious breach with historical fact was the use of Maud’s niece in Aberdeen, the young Dorothy. In the movie, her tragic illness and death inspired Baum’s central character in The Wizard. In reality, the child did not live past her first year. While Baum may have used the name for his heroine, her personality was obviously not the basis for the character.
Oddly, the movie borrows the MGM film’s device of having “real” people reappear as fantasy characters in Oz. In a short vignette, Matilda Gage becomes the Wicked Witch, while Maud is the beautiful Glinda the Good Witch. A bully in Aberdeen becomes the Cowardly Lion; a talkative traveling salesman, the Wizard; and a dwarf carpenter, a Munchkin. There is no historical basis for concluding that Baum drew his inspiration directly from these particular sources. However, the device is clever, and enables the use of especially colorful footage and imaginative special effects. Baum enthusiasts may be bothered that the sets in the fantasy scenes have the feel of the MGM film. However, the film’s depiction of the fantasy characters were clearly influenced by the images created for the book by Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow.
John Ritter, as Baum, comes across with sincere affection for his character. His portrayal of Baum, particularly in his relationship with Annette O’Toole as Maud, is often quite convincing. His greatest shortcoming is a tendency to whine; Baum was not a whiner. Also, Ritter seldom demonstrates any depth in Baum’s personality. While Ritter recreates the author’s love for children and his ability to fill them with wonder, he is less successful in portraying Baum as a charming man who was respected by adults as well.
O’Toole is a fine and believable Maud, particularly in the scene when she stands up to her mother and insists on marrying Frank. Immediately afterward, she instructs Baum in no uncertain terms that he is never to minimize himself or his potential in life. He responds, “Yes, Ma’am.” Now this rings true! Matilda Gage as written in the script is very well played by Rue McClanahan, while the film’s Denslow is not the loud, robust, colorful Bohemian he was in real life. His film counterpart is downplayed, perhaps to avoid overshadowing the comparatively gentle Ritter.
The Dreamer of Oz implies that all of Baum’s life led up to the writing and publication of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Baum’s life afterward, however, was surely at least as interesting. The narrative of the film does, fortunately if briefly, acknowledge his later contributions to Oz, including the 1902 stage play and the Oz series.
The film consistently succeeds as a piece of drama and often as a reflection of fact. Considering how Hollywood usually employs dramatic license, we must be thankful to David Kirschner, executive producer and coauthor of the screenplay, for his loving treatment of the subject. Also, thanks are due to John Ritter for his affectionate and enthusiastic portrait of Baum. Even though the most avid students are likely to be unsettled by the historical inaccuracies, they must surely be delighted to see Baum, Denslow, Hill, and all the others involved with the creation of Oz come to life on the screen.
Authors of articles from The Baum Bugle that are reprinted on the Oz Club’s website retain all rights. All other website contents Copyright © 2023 The International Wizard of Oz Club, Inc. All Rights Reserved.