Wizard of Oz Returning to Theaters to Celebrate Judy Garland's 100th Birthday
The cinematic classic The Wizard of Oz is heading back to theaters this summer more than 80 years after its theatrical debut in honor of star Judy Garland's 100th birthday. The beloved film will be returning to theaters for two days only on June 5th and 6th thanks to Warner Bros. and Fathom Events.
According to Fathom Events, the film will be shown in more than 800 theaters nationwide and there will be four showtimes to choose from across the two days. On both June 5th and June 6th, fans will be able to choose from screenings at 3 p.m. and at 7 p.m. local time. In addition to The Wizard of Oz, those in attendance will also be able to watch a rarely seen extended musical number which sees Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) performing a dance number that was cut from the original film.
The Wizard of Oz was first released in 1939. Based on the classic children's books by L. Frank Baum, the Victor Fleming-directed film was an instant classic itself and is among the very first films in Hollywood to use color. It helped propel young Judy Garland to stardom and even saw Garland win an Academy Award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance. The film ultimately won two other Academy Awards, Best Original Score and Best Song for the still iconic "Over the Rainbow". The film is still considered one of the most significant in movie history and one of the greatest films of all time. In addition to Garland, the film stars Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton.
The Wizard of Oz also remains a major cultural icon as well with even props from the film continuing to be major collector's items. Earlier this year, one of the three or five oil cans used by the Tin Man in the film went up for auction while last summer, one of the blue gingham dresses worn by Garland's Dorothy in the beloved film surfaced after being missing for decades. The iconic garment had been given to Catholic University and its former drama department head, Father Gilbert Hartke in the 1970s. However, the dress went missing a year after its arrival and wasn't located until June 2021 when a staff member found the dress stored in a shoebox inside a trash bag sitting on top of the faculty mailboxes. That dress, one of five others that have been found and authenticated, is expected to be housed at the university's special collections department.
The Wizard of Oz returns to theaters for two days only on June 5th and 6th. You can find out more information here.