“The Wizard Of Oz” Whirls Into Theaters For A Special 85th Anniversary Event. If you are of a certain age, then you looked forward to the annual airing of “The Wizard Of Oz” on television. I remember it was always a special night for me. We pulled pillows and blankets into the living room gathered around the family TV and watched Dorothy and her friends dance down the Yellow Brick Road and save Oz from the Wicked Witch of the West.
Fathom Events‘ Big Screen Classics 2024 kicks off with the beloved 1939 fantasy “The Wizard of Oz”—returning to theaters nationwide in honor of its 85TH Anniversary on Sunday, January 28, Monday, January 29, and Wednesday, January 31.
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In this classic musical fantasy, Judy Garland stars as Dorothy Gale, a young Kansas farm girl who dreams of a land “somewhere over the rainbow.” Dorothy’s dream comes true when she, her dog Toto, and her family’s house are transported by a tornado to a bright and magical world unlike anything she has seen before. Unfortunately, she makes a mortal enemy of a Wicked Witch, played by Margaret Hamilton, when the house falls on the hag’s sister.
Now, befriended by a Scarecrow without a brain, a Tin Man with no heart, and a cowardly Lion–and protected by a pair of enchanted ruby slippers–Dorothy sets off along a yellow brick road for the Emerald City to beseech the all-powerful Wizard of Oz, played by Frank Morgan, for his help to return home. Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr play the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and The Lion respectively.
“The Wizard of Oz” received five Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture (Outstanding Production), and captured two Oscars®—Best Song (“Over the Rainbow”) and Best Original Score — plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Judy Garland. The film was an overwhelmingly popular and critical success upon its initial release and proved its ability to continually captivate audiences when M-G-M reissued the film in 1949 and 1955.
Each screening includes an exclusive introduction by acclaimed film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, shedding light on the groundbreaking film’s incredible legacy and lasting impact—both on cinema and pop culture.
As a woman in my 40s, I have never seen this in the movie theater. I will definitely be buying tickets and taking my family to the Wonderful Land of Oz. Furthermore, I hope you will, too, and celebrate 85 years of Dorothy, her friends, the witches, the Munchkins, and the rest! Now, Click your heels and say, “There’s No Place Like A Fathom Event.”
