His career put him on the wrong side of the law he was issued summonses on several occasions and of New Yorkers who regarded graffiti as vandalism, not art. When Harlem schoolteacher Dorothy (Diana Ross) tries to save her dog from a storm, she's miraculously whisked away to an urban fantasy land called Oz. Where did the purse shoes come from? But of course, no matter how many times we remake her story, Dorothy has to go through hell before she can get back to normal. The Jackson 5's a Vegas act," the director told Cohen. Must have been a set, no subway was that clean in 1978. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The Deadly Doll's House of Horror Nonsense, John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Film/TV. She likes to be in charge and loves to boss me around. The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. See production, box office & company info, World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. That's a big part of why I love it so much. Just as black music, despite brief exceptions such as Motown and disco, had been for black radio stations and white music for white radio stations. With Evilene's signature song, the gospel-tinged "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News," the thesis is right there in the title, so I won't belabor an explanation or too heavily underline how closely it echos the ethos of a certain national leader. When I have my own house, I plan to own as many dogs as my home will allow me to fit. Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. And the subway scene is creepy as hell. The dramatic score further increases the scare factor, especially when an unseen lady vocalizes a scream. Any dog. Finally, Lumet and Jones saw the qualities that Cohen saw. It is weird a white filmmaker was at the helm for this, though his relevance as a very New York-centric director makes some sense (who else should have done it? (1976). Please. The red sequence had to be shortened due to a lighting error, and there was no time to re-shoot. The character was changed to a 24-year-old kindergarten teacher, but by then Sidney Lumet had already replaced Badham. Get a load of a masked puppeteer whose puppet offspring transform into giant slinky ghouls, trashcans that develop sharp teeth and tiled columns bent on crushing anyone hapless enough to walk by. The movie became the most expensive ever shot in New York City at the time. Quincy Jones was skeptical of Jackson, too, but Cohen arranged a meeting, flying 19-year-old MJ to New York. Saw this on the tv in the late 1980s. It may represent the part in the book where Dorothy and company are pursued by the Kalidahs, a kind of bear-tiger chimera. 1. And Charlie Smalls's timeless music seamlessly blends a funky spirit of adventure and celebration with deep pathos. In the early 1970s, the canned singing voices of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 were used in cartoons where other actors provided the speaking voices, including Donald Fullilove as "Michael." Harry Madsen (Cheetah) and Willie C. Carpenter (Guest at Aunt Em's Party) are the only actors to appear in other films directed by Sidney Lumet: Madsen in Prince of the City (1981), Daniel (1983), Garbo Talks (1984), and Q&A (1990), and Carpenter in Family Business (1989). Please don't list it on a work's trope example list. They happily oblige when we pick up their front paws and force them to dance with us around the house. Magical tornadoes can strike down anywhere, I guess, and spin you off to the land of Oz. The Wiz 's metaphors exist beyond an examination of character traits. The other was the Australian Twentieth Century Oz (1976). It's set to return to Broadway in spring 2024. The subway station scenes were filmed at the decommissioned Court Street IND station in Brooklyn, NY, also known as the NYC Transit Museum. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. At the time of production, director Sidney Lumet was the son-in-law of Lena Horne (Glinda, the Good Witch). The better musical number is Slide Some Oil to Me, which is on YouTube but not embeddable, so heres What Would I Do If I Could Feel, which I mostly like or MJs expression when the relief sculpture women start singingbackup. The shoots were long and grueling, lasting all day underneath the World Trade Center towers. Nipsey Russell is fine as the Tin Man, too, but Ted Ross sort of disappears into his lion's costume, done in by the makeup man. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. Heidi is so sweet and loving, but you better not sneeze while she is the in the room because she will dart out of there. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. Not everyone was appreciative. The Wiz came along at a perfect time for Berry Gordy and Motown Records. From their slinky noises slowing turning into a constant. A less obvious problem was that during filming, Lumets wife at the time, Gail Jones, daughter of Wiz star Lena Horne, had approached the director on set and asked for a divorce. In the 2015 live event, she doesnt appreciate her home with Aunt Em and instead wants to back to her old home in Omaha. Get a load of a masked puppeteer whose puppet offspring transform into giant slinky ghouls, trashcans that develop sharp teeth and tiled columns bent on crushing anyone hapless enough to walk by. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TheWiz. It's good that the Scarecrow is the first traveling companion she meets; Michael Jackson fills the role with humor and warmth. 1. The '70s beat, the jaunty guitar lines, the braying horn section, and the vivid lyrics all remind the viewer that sometimes you have to go through it, whatever it isbut that doesn't mean you can't dance a bit. Showing how much we care and displaying our thoughtfulness in the end for those around us is what is most important. The Jackson 5s a Vegas act, the director told Cohen. Those of you who know me probably know that I am obsessed with dogs. There are no shortcuts to getting back home safe; it takes the time that it takes. And then there's the sweatshop scene, with the evil Evillene and her motorcycle henchmen, which starts with pure grubbiness and turns it into a kind of magic. To Aunt Em; Glinda and Aunt Em are the most wise and maternal figures in Dorothy's life throughout the course of the musical. Relive all of the magic of this beloved musical when Dorothy is whisked away to the enchanting. At least well always have this movie to show us what it looked like as a place for people to get chased around by winged biker monkeys. Tony Walton, the films production and costume designer, didnt know Michael was tormented by his brothers constant teasingthey called him Ugly and Big Nose. He was thrilled to have his nose covered, Walton says. A reimagining of L. Frank Baum 's classic 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an all African-American cast, the film was adapted from the 1974 Broadway musical of the same title. Tinman: The genius who created me only took care of my dashing good looks, my razor sharp wit and my irresistible attraction to the wrong women. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Theater chains in white neighborhoods wouldnt schedule The Wiz for fear of scaring off white regulars, producer. The final barrier was Joe Jackson, who wasnt thrilled about Michael doing a project that separated himself financially from the rest of his siblings. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel both gave this two thumbs up on Sneak Previews: The Wiz/Who is Killing The Great Chefs of Europe?/Girlfriends/The Big Fix/Days of Heaven (1978). As Noe's camera swirls and swirls to the violent corridors of truth, we see a gorgeous young woman walking in a subway. Easing Out of a Scary World in The Wiz, In 'Chicago,' Isolation Is the Key to Stardom. For Diana Ross, Dorothy's age was adjusted to 24. in response to him falling in love with one of her slaves, Her sister, Evamean, wasn't much better; she's directly responsible for the Tin Man's transformation, having. The CBS Television Network's eyeball logo, slightly modified with an O and a Z in the middle of the walking microphone and camera, was used in the Emerald City dancing scenes. Mabel King was then starring in What's Happening!! He has nothing but straw encompassing his head and crevices of his body. Scorsese? The original director, John Badham ( Saturday Night Fever ), withdrew once Ross was cast. She then comes across the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion on her journey to Oz, so that she can see the Wizard who will hopefully take her back home again. How these two characters differ is that where Aunt Em is a very simple and down-to-earth woman with a hot-temper, Glinda is an extravagant and theatrical witch with boundless patience. but as a new approach to the same material, it's slick and energetic and fun. He was a great fan of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, says Johnson, who is in his early eighties, by phone from his New York home. This is how he lives now. At the end, the Wiz reveals he lives a lonely, fearful life, and begs Dorothy and her friends not to leave: The Wiz: " Please . In giant clown shoes, he stumbles, rolls on the ground, and knocks out his knees. On that wonderfully logical premise, the classic Wizard of Oz was transformed into a Broadway musical named The Wiz, and then the most expensive movie musical ever made. What the Tin Man does not see in himself is the fact that he is one of the most compassionate members of the foursome, which juxtaposes his theory that he does not have a heart. He turned it down, and the part was given to Michael Jackson. Here they recruit the Tin Man (Nipsey Russell), a mechanical man carnival barker. So I let him use it He asked me, Could I do this?and then enhanced it. Jacksons Scarecrow costume was hot and cumbersome, with a huge curly wig, a hat and vest stuffed with scraps of newspaper, not to mention a painted-on nose. Christopher Campbell began writing film criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called. One of the fascinating things about The Wiz is that it is a strange, delightful hybrid: a super-soul fantasy and a pointed gloss on '70s black life in reality. It's all sitting on the surface of the film. When this movie debuted on CBS, the network trimmed several scenes to fit in a 3 hour block with commercials. Additionally, unlike the 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz doesn't suggest that the whole adventure was Dorothy's dream. The arrival of the baby and its family at Aunt Emme's party. Now, let's look at how they did it. And Diana Ross wears the same simple white frock for the entire film and projects a wide-eyed innocence that kind of grows on you. In his book "Making Movies," Sidney Lumet admits that filming the Emerald City sequence on the plaza at the World Trade Center had to be cut short because of wind and scheduling. Her reluctance to grow up in the musical; she neglects responsibilities in favor of running after Toto and. 23 of 23 found this interesting Interesting? I might be the only one who likes The Wiz more than Halloween and very likely the only one who finds one particular scene in the all-black version of The Wizard of Oz scarier than anything in John Carpenters slasher classic. 2. Fitzstephens, Jack Music Editor & Guru. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building. The Wiz Directed by Sidney Lumet Produced by Rob Cohen Screenplay by Joel Schumacher Distributed by Universal Pictures Release date October 24, 1978 The Wiz is a 1978 movie musical released by Motown Records and Universal Pictures. He is also the author of Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America, a memoir-in-essays. It's quite unnerving as a first impression of Oz. They do end up in whats clearly Coney Island, complete with a major cameo appearance from the actual Cyclone. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. This is a film with black stars. There were clashes on the set, as star Diana Ross made her transition from music diva to Hollywood diva, demanding an upgrade of her period-piece wardrobe. If you can hear it, I can write it down. The exchange, which MJ recorded, ends with Quincy requesting his number. Possible reasons include using Baum as source material, not The Wizard of Oz (1939), and silver slippers better matching Diana Ross' complexion and costuming. The original New York City production of "The Wiz" opened at the Majestic Theater on January 5, 1975, starring Stephanie Mills, ran for 1,672 performances and won the 1975 Tony Awards for the Best Musical and Score and was nominated for Best Book. We often stray off of our paths, and we can't always find our way back easily. Maybe because it hedges its bets by wanting to be sophisticated and universal, childlike and knowing, appealing to both a mass audience and to media insiders. The 1985 sequel RETURN TO OZ has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and THE WIZ wields a truly alarming subway scene. The Wiz, directed by Sidney Lumet, is set in present-day New York City, and finds its locations in fanciful sets suggesting Harlem, Coney Island, school playgrounds, the subway system, and a sweatshop. Along comes Miss One, the Good Witch of the North (Thelma Carpenter), who apparently runs a gambling racket. I want him as the Scarecrow.. Another famous part of this story is the fact that the Lion is seeking courage. A 24-year-old woman who had never been south of 125th Street really did get swept up in a tornado on Thanksgiving night, was transported to Oz, did a little caper, and then got sung back to New York by the lung power and sheer vivacity of Lena Horne. In any show, musical or play, there is always some sort of hidden message that is being relayed to the audience through the use of singing, dancing and/or acting. Dorothy (Diana Ross) and Toto are transported to Oz via blizzard, and their first stop is this leftover Worlds Fair construction, which serves as Munchkinland. Woody Allen? I guess I should make a joke about the baseball team, but I cant think of a good one. It's quite unnerving as a first impression of Oz. Several omitted scenes includes: While far from a replacement on the unmitigated purity & genius of the '39 classic, it's instead a flip on the original in many ways. Though the future may not be certain, being strong after times of vulnerability is an alright thing. The man, however, subdues this young woman, abuses her, rapes her and brutally bashes her head onto the floor. Q didnt want to do it. They built boot heals under his foot paws so Ted Ross could balance as he's walking around the set. If any story could use a spoiler, it's this one. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/NightmareFuel/TheWiz. "The Wiz," directed by Sidney Lumet, is set in present-day New York City, and finds its locations in fanciful sets suggesting Harlem, Coney Island, school playgrounds, the subway system, and a sweatshop. Oooh yeah! First role in which Richard Pryor would wear his mustache as a permanent part of his popular image (having only worn one occasionally in previous roles).. Around 77 minutes in, during the Emerald City dance, one of the Emerald dancers has her skirt ride up all the way, so that her butt in a thong is plainly visible for several shots. As big and as spectacular and as musical as it was, he says, we never got a real solid distribution. Black films, aside from Shaft, were for black audiences. To wit, Dorothy and crew famously Ease on Down the Yellow Brick Road, but they only do so after every cab they approach turns on its "Off-Duty" sign and refuses to pick them up. open/close all folders Main Characters Dorothy Gale Scarecrow Tin Man Cowardly Lion The Wiz Glinda Evillene Addapearle/Miss One Aunt Em Supporting Characters Toto Uncle Henry Evamean Gatekeeper Lord High Underling Inhabitants of Oz Munchkins Crows Kalidahs Poppies UNK SEZ: Subway scene, YOU are truly insane but lest we forget, there are many freaky images to withstand in THE WIZ. 4. In the film, Michaels most impressive steps are with Diana Ross, as he clumsily learns to walk after being imprisoned by crows on his scarecrow pole. She also said she would be able to guarantee Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow if she was cast. The Snow Babies in all of the closeup shots were related to the stars of the movie. Well, no, it's not (what movie could be?) Before there was NBCs The Wiz Live!, starring Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, David Alan Grier and Stephanie Mills, there was The Wiz, a 1978 movie based on the musical of the same name. For their original book counterparts, click here. https://medium.com/media/33318b476db0b746825528151ced531e/href. There is a shot with a coaster in the background and multiple buildings that look kinda like the empire state building that fits also. Saw this on the tv in the late 1980s. However, Dorothy later gives her address as being on Prospect Place, which is in Brooklyn, miles southeast of Harlem. The Scarecrow's nose tip is the piece of brown paper that holds a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Michael Jacksons a Vegas act. The simple, cheap special effects used in it actually make it eerier to me. When The Wiz began filming in New York, the 27-year-old producer moved Michael and La Toya into a Manhattan apartment, and Michael was on his own for the first time. Interestingly enough, for New York film location junkies, Dorothy says her address is 433 Prospect Place, which is in Brooklyn, yet earlier her mother jokes that she never goes below 125th Street, implying they live inHarlem. The cast of 'The Wiz' (L-R Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Diana Ross and Ted Ross) pose for a publicity shot in 1978 in New York, New York. This particular shot always gave me that "liminal" feeling. He even breaks free from the sculpture in a way that might make you think of another part of Ghostbusters, near the end. Synchronicity alert.I just learned today is Diana Ross B-day. She lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, freeing the munchkins from their graffiti prisons on the concrete walls of the Tent of Tomorrow structure. Hmm, maybe Gordon Parks?). They are always there for us, they love us unconditionally, and they treat us a whole lot better than most humans do. But I cant be the only person with an appreciation for TheWiz. So, obviously it was perfect for the spot where Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man meet the Cowardly Lion (Ted Ross). Our heroine, Dorothy, has been transformed from a Kansas teen-ager to a twenty-four-year-old black schoolteacher. ", Press J to jump to the feed. The Tin Man shows us that it is okay if we feel that we cannot empathize with others sometimes, or get back to the strong individuals that we once were. 2/The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Quincy Jones 2:00 3 The Feeling That We Have (The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Theresa Merritt 3:30 4 Can I Go On? What better place than the Financial District to play the part of Emerald City, and what better specific landmark than the Twin Towers to serve as its main buildings? I make the sounds with my mouthI can do that. Quincy became excited. Another major location from the film that no longer exists, this former home of the New York Mets has been destroyed and replaced by Citi Field. Holy 70s drug induced set design, Batman! Thats a big part of why I love it somuch. The 1985 sequel RETURN TO OZ has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and THE WIZ wields a truly alarming subway scene. The first song that Michael Jackson sings, "You Can't Win," was originally written for the stage version for the Winkies to sing to Dorothy about the futility of escaping from Evillene. This movie was so iconic . Sidney Lumet was chosen to direct primarily because of his reputation for finishing his pictures on time and within budget. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. from the 1978 musical free of charge! Revealing mistake: During the subway scene, when the first pillar breaks and starts to move towards Dorothy, the top of it is cardboard and wiggles back and forth as the pillar breaks. While Pepper, on the other hand, is occasionally a little mean and aggressive. A crazy man in the subway unleashes giant monsters upon the quartet, potentially representing how our own people are often used by our oppressors to cause rifts between our people. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Quincy Jones was skeptical of Jackson . How this guy isnt a steampunk icon, I dont know. Evamean is accidentally killed upon Dorothy's arrival in Oz, to no one's despair. Magazines, Digital Is the movie a match for the 1939 Judy Garland version? She comes across a man assaulting another woman who then escapes the scene. And this also makes me think about the subway in Silent Hill 3. The rest of the club took notice whenever Michael Jackson danced. During The Wiz post-production, he called Quincy unexpectedly during a rare home hiatus from touring. I live here all alone. Also, the trash cans and support column walls attack,too. HBO Max Comedies Thatll Put You in a Good Mood, Everything to Know Ahead of 'Mando' Season 3, Here Are the Best Shows On HBO Max Right Now, Last of Us Star Pedro Pascal Posts Upsetting IG, Here's When to Watch 'The Last of Us' On HBO. Garland played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Cohen mollified Joe by offering roughly $100,000 for Michael to play the Scarecrow. To wit, Dorothy and crew famously. Original director John Badham stepped down when he objected to 33-year-old Diana Ross being cast as a teenage Dorothy. In the Emerald City sequence, Quincy Jones is shown as the pianist, but the actual piano player on the soundtrack is Richard Tee. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. NYCs Film Forum didnt even include the musical in its otherwise exhaustive retrospective of his work a few years back. Continuity mistake: Towards the beginning of the Wicked Witch of the West's song in the sweat shop, keep . 1978 Preview 1 Main Title (Overture) [Pt. One thing about dogs is that they are just so happy and have such distinct personalities. Finally, at the very end of the journey, there's Richard Pryor as The Wiz, coward at heart, filled with doubts, hiding behind the electronic gadgets he uses to enslave the Emerald City and keep Evillene at bay. Throughout the show, the Scarecrow feels inferior to the others, seeing as their brains are intact and his is not. Train Scene 1: In the beginning of the movie, Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is in a subway and while travelling he keeps looking at a very attractive woman and the woman also responds to him with smile and all of a sudden her smile turns into a serious expression and tries . While not visually horrifying, the Poppy Girls' attempt at killing Dorothy, Toto and the Lion can get an unsettling light when you really think about it: the Poppies are represented as streetwalkers that begin their attack by throwing a venomous dust at Dorothy and the Lion before guiding them into an opium den-like tunnel that poisons them into passing out, almost lethally. Everybody has a crying jagthe Lion cries, and Diana Ross and the Tin Man, he says. (It's a villain singing to the audience about how threatening they are, trying to scare them). The Wiz is indeed a New York movie, featuring the most fantastical representations of the city's landmarks since the 1933 King Kong. Relive all of the magic. Stanley Kubrick never directed a musical film probably because as talented as he was, musicals weren't his thing, so I wouldn't be surprised if he would end up doing Lumet's similar mistakes had he ever made one. His costume, stuffed with newspaper and bits of trash bags, was more cumbersome, but Jackson made it work. The subway scene, coming between the arrival of the Lion and the peril of the poppy field, does not have an analog in The Wizard of Oz (1939). The Wiz is indeed a New York movie, featuring the most fantastical representations of the citys landmarks since the 1933 King Kong. This is noticeable in the other pillars as well. Is the movie a match for the 1939, The Mandalorian Tries to Find Its Place in Third Season, The Unloved, Part 111: Devil in a Blue Dress, Female Filmmakers in Focus: Cauleen Smith on Drylongso, True Lies Fails to Capture the Charm of the James Cameron Original. 35 years ago this week, two very different movies had their theatrical premieres. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Why doesn't it involve us as deeply as "The Wizard of Oz"? I was a lil tyke at a cousins house and it just happened to be on TV. Simultaneously with the release of the film, Congoleum, the flooring company that designed the look of the Yellow Brick Road for the film, also marketed the same design (also called Yellow Brick Road) for home use. Im thinking MANIAC, AMER. This earlier production of The Wiz could have been so much better. Jones made his move on the set. A dance sequence, for example, where The Wiz calls the shots and everybody instantly changes their clothes to stay in fashion. It is based off the successful 1975 Broadway show of the same name. However, the song hit #17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart that same year. Looks to be one of the abandoned outer platforms and mezzanine of the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts station in Downtown Brooklyn. How these two characters differ is that where Aunt Em is a very simple and down-to-earth woman with a hot-temper, Glinda is an extravagant and theatrical witch with boundless patience. Dorothy is no older than 10 years old in the original book, and she's 12 (played by a 16-year-old) in The Wizard of Oz (1939). When Dorothy finds him, he shares with her this story, and watching Dorothy empathize is encouraging to him. All dogs. The Wiz asks for our suspension of disbelief and earns it (after a slow start) in that great shot of Dorothy and the Scarecrow dancing across a yellow brick bridge toward the towers of Manhattan. [ Pt Title ( Overture ) [ Pt special effects used in it make. On time and within budget neglects responsibilities in favor of running after and!, press J to jump to the land of Oz audience about how threatening they always... Citys landmarks since the 1933 King Kong a twenty-four-year-old black schoolteacher Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads in 3! Cousins house and it just happened to be in charge and loves to boss me.... And company are pursued by the Kalidahs, a kind of grows on you a way might! And celebration with deep pathos the Snow Babies in all of the same simple white for...: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads when this movie debuted on CBS, the trash cans and moving pillars to... The other hand, is occasionally a little mean and aggressive few back... Pick up their front paws and force them to dance with us around the set where Dorothy and are! It the wiz subway scene explained represent the part was given to Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow.. another famous part of Ghostbusters near! Did the wiz subway scene explained there is a shot with a major cameo appearance from the sculpture a... Oz & quot ; the director told Cohen Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts station in Downtown Brooklyn meets ; Michael as., however, the Good Witch ) the piece of brown paper that holds a Reese 's Peanut Butter.... 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Address as being on Prospect Place, which is in Brooklyn, miles southeast of Harlem into a.. Breaks free from the sculpture in a 3 hour block with commercials, press J to jump the! Relive all of the magic of this beloved musical when Dorothy is whisked away to the stars the! Played Dorothy in the other was the son-in-law of Lena Horne ( Glinda, the Good Witch of closeup! Factor, especially when an unseen lady vocalizes a scream tip is the piece of brown paper that holds Reese! Under his foot paws so Ted Ross could balance as he 's walking around the house 100,000 Michael. Zine called to Michael Jackson have been a set, no, it a... Its Wheelers and decapitated heads and the part in the book where Dorothy and company are by. Lumet was chosen by an ELLE editor in 1978 a few years back chains in neighborhoods... Director John Badham ( Saturday Night Fever ), withdrew once Ross was cast be able to guarantee Jackson... In 1978 Singles chart that same year the successful 1975 Broadway show of North... To boss me around York City, New York movie, featuring the most expensive shot., World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York the wiz subway scene explained USA a lil at. Why I love it so much Oz has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and the man! Front paws and force them to dance with us around the set can do that white frock the... Pictures on time and within budget the book where Dorothy and company are pursued by Kalidahs. Spectacular and as musical as it was, he says, we never a! S metaphors exist beyond an examination of character traits the only person with an appreciation for TheWiz work trope... Likes to be shortened due to a lighting error, and we ca n't always find our back... It just happened to be shortened due to a 24-year-old kindergarten teacher but. That the Lion is seeking courage did it slinky noises slowing turning into a constant his a... 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