The Wizard of Oz quartet Eric Carpenter publicity Kodachrome 1939
by David Lee Guss
Title
The Wizard of Oz quartet Eric Carpenter publicity Kodachrome 1939
Artist
David Lee Guss
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
"The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical comedy-drama fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and the most well-known and commercially successful adaptation based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The film stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale. The co-stars are Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton, with Charley Grapewin, Pat Walshe and Clara Blandick, Terry the dog (billed as Toto), and the Singer Midgets as the Munchkins.
Notable for its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, musical score, and unusual characters, over the years, it has become an icon of American popular culture. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, but lost to Gone with the Wind. It did win in two other categories, including Best Original Song for 'Over the Rainbow' and Best Original Score by Herbert Stothart. However, the film was a box office disappointment on its initial release, earning only $3,017,000 on a $2,777,000 budget, despite receiving largely positive reviews. It was MGM's most expensive production at that time, and did not completely recoup the studio's investment and turn a profit until theatrical re-releases starting in 1949."
I first saw the film at the 1949 re-release. It remains my favorite film of all time.
I met photographer Eric Carpenter on the set of "Dirty Dingus Magee" 21 years later in 1970 in Mescal, Arizona. At the time I was not aware of his decades long association with MGM. He was most gracious.
But oh, what a missed opportunity! The first hand stories he could have told me.
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October 13th, 2016
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