studio system was released in August of 1939 - eventually grossing nearly $300 million

in adjusted dollars with the aid of several re-releases. Perhaps more impressively, the

Library of Congress named this the most-watched motion picture in history, thanks largely

in part to frequent broadcasts on TV since the 1950's. "The Wizard Of Oz" is practically

un-reviewable... so stepped in lore, nostalgia, and American culture, reducing it to nothing

more than a fun kids movie is an insult. Judy Garland stars as young Dorothy Gale: a wayward

teen who following a traumatic opening act where her dastardly neighbor attempts to forcibly

euthanize her dog, is swept away on a violent tornado to the magical land Oz: a brightly

colored landscape littered with talking animals, witches, munchkins, and many other unique

features, like a yellow brick road, sleep-inducing flowers, or the majestic Emerald City itself.

While technicolor films had been around for years, the breathtaking single shot when Dorothy

enters the land of Oz, in bright beautiful color, completely transformed the way audiences

would look at film forever. Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Billie

Burke, and Margaret Hamilton round out the giant cast: the majority of which undergo

impressive make-up changes as well. As the whimsical and plucky Scarecrow, Bolger was

the last surviving principal cast member, having died over 26 years ago. When asked

if he received TV royalties from the film, he often remarked, "No, just immortality.

I'll settle for that". From Dorothy's legendry Ruby Slippers that now sit in the Smithsonian

Museum, to syncing the picture to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon", to a ridiculously

insulting and absurd hoax involving a suicide caught on film - this innocent 101 minute

film has deeply permeated into society. Although much of the dialogue is pretty hammy, and

poorly delivered, three of this film's lines are featured in AFI's Top 100 Movie Quotes,

with Judy's famous quip, "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" placing

fourth. The playful characters frequently sing catchy music, with Garland's beautiful

rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" scoring the well-paced advneture one of its

two Academy Awards. Despite some terribly rigid and formulaic scene progression, the

incredible MGM sets and backdrops are breathtaking, and the visual effects were revolutionary.

The consequences are overtly established early, but with no true sense of time or ticking-clock...

much of the plot is advanced only because the song is over, and its time to skip along

to the next area. Under some scrutiny, a number of plot holes hurt this picture as well, especially

the more glaring example, involving the Wicked Witch's only weakness being readily stored

inside her own castle. It's also unfortunate these characters are some of the most memorable

in cinema, as none of them are truly developed beyond very basic stereotypes and plot devices

- it is a 74-year-old children's film though, so it's easy to overlook these faults. Arguments

can be made for "The Great Train Robbery", "Gone With The Wind", "The Godfather", "Star

Wars", or even "Avatar" but, for my money? "The Wizard Of Oz" is the "Most important

film ever made.". But I'm certainly not saying it's the "best" film ever made. Lets check

out some of your thoughts from the YouTube comments.

The rate-o-matic for "The Wizard Of Oz"... a DOUBLE TEN. While many acknowledge some

of the flaws, and dated visuals: it is difficult not to recognize this as a truly remarkable,

and timeless classic. We both agreed, this film is simply AMAZING.