Schlepping Over the Rainbow

Have you seen the brand new Collector’s Edition “Wizard of Oz” DVD? Even though I already have two other versions, this three-disc set is clearly a must-have. Besides a brilliant new transfer of the 1939 film, the set includes several silent versions of the Oz stories from 1910, 1914, and 1925 plus hours and hours of documentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and newsreels about the film. The new DVD happened to be released on October 25th which was Simchat Torah, a Jewish holiday that marks the completion of the weekly Torah readings and is considered the last of the High Holy Days. I mention that because it seemed to make a lot of sense to me.

For as long as I can remember, I thought that “The Wizard of Oz” was an important Jewish tale on par with Noah’s Ark or the Exodus from Egypt. The annual television broadcast of the MGM film was one of the Big Events of my childhood. My non-observant parents delivered us to my orthodox grandparents’ home on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive for all Jewish rituals. We had dinner at my grandparents’ every Friday night to welcome the Sabbath, we celebrated all the Jewish holidays there from Yom Kippur to Hanukkah, and we appeared on their doorstep each year for the viewing of “The Wizard of Oz.”

The once-a-year broadcast had all the earmarks of a Jewish celebration. The weeks before the event were filled with anticipation. What night would it fall on? What would we wear? What would we eat for dinner? My grandfather lorded over the evening as befitting the patriarchal leader of the clan. After dinner he took his position of honor in the overstuffed leather chair in the den which was lined with blond wooden bookshelves crammed with Jewish-themed texts. The family gathered around my grandfather in clusters as he warmed up the huge RCA console. My grandparents were the only people we knew who owned a color television set. Instead of thinking that this was the reason for our presence in their home on this night, I thought they owned the set so that we could properly observe the ritual broadcast.

Both of my grandparents provided commentary throughout the evening. Following Jewish custom, certain stories were repeated year after year. My grandmother talked about taking my five-year-old mother to the Oriental Theatre in downtown Chicago during the first few weeks of the film’s theatrical run. My grandfather then pointed out that on that very date, September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland and his remaining family members in the Polish town of Staszow began their rapid descent that culminated in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. It soon became impossible for me to disassociate the opening of “The Wizard of Oz” with the destruction of European Jewry. The film became a cinematic metaphor for the terror inflicted upon my people.

As we waited for the movie to begin, I inched closer to the set, as excited about watching the familiar tale as I was every Passover anticipating the annual reading about the Hebrew slaves overcoming bondage in ancient Egypt. During this pre-VCR, pre-DVD age, the airing of “The Wizard of Oz” was such a big deal that the evening was hosted by a celebrity who would appear before and after each commercial break to talk about the film. To me these stoic men—ranging from Richard Boone of “Have Gun Will Travel” to Dick Van Dyke to Danny Kaye—had a rabbinic presence. Their commentary flowed easily with my grandfather’s and evoked images of learned men discussing the weekly Torah portion in the synagogue.

As the opening credits neared, my anticipation reached a fever pitch. Lights were dimmed, dessert plates cleared, and all eyes focused on the set. From the first sight of the MGM lion I was transfixed, swept away in religious reverie. The early scenes of the film on Dorothy Gale’s Kansas shtetl were filmed in black-and-white, a bleak foreshadowing of the encroaching doom that would forever obliterate the Jewish way of life throughout Europe. The danger to the Jews first took the form of nasty Miss Gulch, a classic anti-Semite who wanted to take Dorothy’s precious dog to the authorities and “make sure he’s destroyed.”

Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, though outraged like many Jews who had to endure such indignities during the early years of Nazi influence, feel powerless to stop Miss Gulch and they hand the poor mutt over to certain death. Miraculously, the dog escapes and finds his way back to Dorothy’s loving arms. Dorothy realizes that evil still lurks around the corner and she tries to run away. By this time Miss Gulch’s rabid anti-Semitism has grown into a tornado of hate, sending Dorothy and her entire house up into the gale winds of the unknown. Her town and former life disappear as she lands in the mysterious land of Oz.

For the rest of the film, Dorothy makes her way through countless trials and tribulations on her determined quest to find her true home. During this perilous journey, the Wicked Witch of the West embodies the worst of Nazi tyranny—Hitler’s personal messenger sent to torment the innocent Jewess trapped in a strange land whose dangers she could not comprehend.

As I watched the film each year, I analyzed the religious affiliation and moral fiber of each character. With her long brown braids and simple gingham dress, Dorothy bore a striking resemblance to old pre-war photographs of my Aunt Gittel Chana in Poland. Dorothy was obviously a Jewish character with her longing for a better world “over the rainbow,” her reverence for animals and nature, and her eagerness to expose false idols such as the Wizard himself. The rest of the characters in the story eventually found their way into my “Who’s a Jew?” encyclopedia.

Glinda the Good Witch: Not a Jew. No Jewish woman with power would ever be so soft-spoken or be caught dead in that pink cinched-waist gown. Glinda represents the kind, benevolent aspects of European leadership that failed to take seriously the threat of darker forces lurking ahead. “You have no power here,” she says with a laugh to the Wicked Witch. Alas, Glinda underestimates the power of a charismatic figure who has the ability to incite old hatreds into mob violence.

The Munchkins: Jews. Short, odd-looking, clannish people who live apart from the Oz mainstream. The Munchkins cling to their own ways and depend on the good will of various Gentile authority figures for their survival.

Scarecrow: Jew. A wise old soul who values education above all else and tortures himself about not being smart enough. He probably got this neurosis from his never-satisfied parents. Always able to think on his feet, he nevertheless suffers from low self-esteem. A born mediator and an honest, loyal friend.

Tin Man: Not a Jew. With his kind and loving nature, the Tin Man is one of the Righteous Gentiles who would put his life on the line to protect his Jewish friend, but his unassuming nature and vulnerabilities often leave him frozen in fear as he faces his enemies. A generous nurturer whose sensitive side belies his physical strength.

Cowardly Lion: Jew. Though full of bravado and a loud bark when he feels backed into a corner, he is really a pussycat at heart, unable to harm a fly. A classic narcissist with unresolved sexual issues. A disappointment to his loved ones who wanted him to go into the family business but admired by his friends for his willingness to buck tradition and face his worst fears.

The Witch’s Guards: Not Jews. An elite army of evil who later claim they were “just following orders.” Gestapo henchmen who show no loyalty to their leader but switch allegiances whenever it suits their needs.

Emerald City is clearly the capital of Gentile Oz. As opposed to the strange little Munchkins or the odd-looking Scarecrow and Lion, the residents of Emerald City are perfect specimens of a Master Race. Though beautiful, graceful, and strong, they lack individuality and are easy prey to a charlatan who has delusions of grandeur and hopes that no one would pay attention to the man behind the curtain.

Certain scenes of “The Wizard of Oz” were so terrifying to me that I used to have Technicolor nightmares in which the Yellow Brick Road led straight to the gates of Auschwitz. There was one line in the movie that always troubled me. After Dorothy fails to hitch a ride back to Kansas in the Wizard’s hot-air balloon, Glinda reappears and casually announces that the girl has always had the power to return home. “But why didn’t you tell her?” demands an incredulous Scarecrow. “Because she wouldn’t have believed me,” replies the Good Witch. “She had to learn it for herself.”

This exchange used to send me into a rage of indignation. How could Glinda in good conscience let someone she cared about risk her life over and over again if she knew the secret that would send her to safety?

I now see this as the film’s most Jewish message of all. For thousands of years Jews have struggled as a people against forces that tried to destroy them or make them assimilate into the larger culture. Instead of succumbing to the waves of persecution or taking the easy way out, the tiny Jewish population thrived against all odds. It wasn’t powerful weapons or armies that allowed Jews to survive, it was their own quiet knowledge of their worth as a people.

Before returning to Kansas, Glinda asks Dorothy to recount what she’s learned during her adventures in Oz. “I learned that if I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard, because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it in the first place.” That’s it, Dorothy. Mazel tov!

Comments

[Elaine Soloway]

Danny:
Beautiful, thought provoking post. Always loved the film, but never before considered it in the Jewish context. Hmmmm. My favorite character -- the cowardly lion. Not because of his nature or mission, but because his bulky size reminded me of my dear dead father (aleha ha-shalom).
Thanks,
Elaine

[The Retropolitan]

You know that one day, this post will end up as some college freshman's term paper.

"Off to See the Wizard: The Historic Correlation Between the WWII-Jewish Experience and the Wizerd of Oz."
Professor Ludwig
FILM 205 (Mon/Wed)

[Pearl]

Danny, what a brilliant and captivating post.

"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore, we're in The Land of Danny Miller. I think we're going to like it here!"

[david]

Absolutely freaking hysterical and brilliant. Blog Danny be on a roll.

[Vicki]

Crazy!!! Brilliant!!! Just yesterday I was telling my daughter that it used to be the case (before VCR's and DVD's) that when The Wizard of Oz came on around Thanksgiving it was a huge event. But the "jew" and "not jew" is just priceless, Danny. Thanks.

[Tamar]

Danny,
You're a genius! I know that this is going to sound impossible and unbelievable to you but I know very little about the Wizard of Oz. This piece has made me want to find out OH so much more about it. I'm guessing that Thanksgiving is the time? Please, please forgive my ignorance ...

Your post's title got me laughing right away.
Brilliant - a must read!

[Shannon]

Isn't it weird how such an old movie has impacted so many? I never had these experiences with "viewings" but I was always fascinated by Dorothy and her story, at times obsessively.

Danny, you are so creative and write so well that I have to admit, I am insanely jealous. If they ever have a Wizard of Oz singalong at the Hollywood Bowl, can you please let me know?

[OldOldLady Of The Hills]

Oh Danny...this made me laugh and made me cry, too! It is so very dear in every way. And I think your treatise on the deeper message of this movie has a truer message than maybe even you know! I'm serious! This is on of the most wonderful posts I have ever read! And THE most powerful essay on "The Wizard Of Oz" itself, I've ever seen,too!
Remember, also, the man who wrote the music for this film, the brilliant brilliant Harold Arlen, was Jewish, too!
(Lyricist Harburg probably was Jewish, too, in fact I'm pretty sure he was....!)

Thanks for a truly illuminating and deeply touching post, that had me laughing out loud and sobbing out loud, too!

[nappy40]

I have never seen the entire movie. Maybe I should.

[Randi]

Danny, It's heartwarming to hear your description of the anticipation of the Wizard of Oz coming on t.v. each year. We did not have a color t.v. either, and each year I would trek down the street to my neighbor's house (the only person we knew with a color t.v.). Of course, that was after re-enacting the Wizard of Oz all day long prior to the evening's showing. I couldn't wait for this event year after year. (and it was an EVENT!). It was much to my delight when my first born took an extreme liking to the movie. But in the '80's, you could pop in the video and watch it 5 times a day (which he did). Our kids don't get to experience the "event" as we did...kind of sad, I think. Thank you for such a wonderful description of this timeless movie... timeless because of the last line...the message that we all need to remember...that everything really meaningful is right in your own backyard!

[Melinda Bruno]

Brilliant!

When I was a little kid we had a black and white TV, and when Dorothy would open the door of the cottage upon Oz, my mother would say, "Next year, in color!" Like "Next year, in the Holy Land."

[deborah lott]

Oh, Danny,
As soon as I saw that absolutely chilling picture of Dorothy superimposed outside the gates of Auschwitz, I knew that everything you say in this brilliant posting is true. The Wizard of Oz foresees what's going to happen in the world and the plight of Jews. By the way, was the movie (forget the Baum book which was really different) written by Jews?

Dorothy is clearly a sister to one of your other favorite heroines, Anne Frank. She's got the same tragic understanding of life that's way beyond her years. She's displaced, alienated, never knowing what the rules are, cut off from her heritage. Who is this Uncle and Aunt anyway? Are you sure they're not righteous gentiles keeping her safe from the Nazis? Where is her cantor father -- no wonder she's got such a great voice!! Oh, and when Dorothy says, Oh, oh, oh(which she says lot throughout the film) it's code for Oy Oy Oy. Danny, this deserves much wider exposure. The New Yorker, maybe???

[Neil]

To me, this was clearly your weirdest -- and most interesting post.

I also have fond memories of the Wizard of Oz's once a year showing (on CBS, I think). In some ways, the ease of seeing movies today is not as exciting as the 'special event' showing on TV before the advent of cable and VCRs. That experience is probably lost forever, just as is a family sitting around the radio listening to "Fibber McGee and Molly."

I also clearly remember hiding behind the couch when the flying monkeys came out. The Wizard of Oz was one scary movie!

[Tom Strong]

Awesome post.

Some time ago, I read a terrific Salman Rushdie essay about how deeply resonant for Indians The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is - for Hindu, Moslem, and Sikh alike. So it crosses cultures, too.

[Solomon2]

I wish they would have kept the long scene of the Scarecrow dance and re-cut the movie with the Jitterbug scene in it. But sometimes a cake is just a cake, and to a hammer everything looks like a nail: this little Munchkin thinks your stretching things! :)

[amba]

Deborah was brilliant to make the connection between Dorothy and Anne Frank. That immediately felt right.

It was really sad and ironic to read about how superior in some ways the experience of once-a-year event TV was -- when you looked forward to it so all year, and savored it so intensely -- to having a cassette you can pop in and watch half-distractedly any time you want.

This corresponds to my strange preference for listening to the radio, hunting through stations (if only NYC had an even halfway decent rock station!) and being surprised by a song I love, rather than wearing a WalkMan or iPod and hearing what I want, when I want it. (I suppose the iPod Shuffle is the compromise for me.) Some Frenchman, Camus maybe, said that what we really desire is to desire. Humans were not made to get what they want too easily! We all can have a surfeit of customized satisfaction now whenever we want, and it cloys.

On the other hand, I shouldn't be too nostalgic for such scarcity. You could read a book you loved over and over again and memorize it -- why not a movie? I would have been happy as a kid to have, say, "Bambi" and get to know it that well.

[Jack G.]

Dear Danny:
A sensitive, deep-sighted link-comparison between fact and fiction.

I'm not one for reading Blogs, but a friend suggested this one. It had me mesmerized to the very end.

Astounding -- why did you choose the Polish town of Staszow ?? My ancestors came from there. I go back there every year on a self-assigned mission of Holocaust Remembrance.
Jack G.

[Mark Daniels]

And here I thought it was a parody of William Jennings Bryan's financial "policies."

The annual showings on TV were an obligatory ritual in my WASP home, too, Danny. Oddly enough, though we felt duty-bound to watch it, I don't believe a single member of my household ever enjoyed it. It was like medicine you had to take. That, when you think about it, is how some people feel about religious ritual. So, maybe your feelings about 'Oz' as a Passover-like event with its own informal Haggadah aren't far off the mark.

Interestingly, after my wife and I were married, I learned that she disliked 'The Wizard of Oz,' too. I guess that proved that we were compatible. We haven't watched it in thirty-one years and I am content to leave it that way.

Mark Daniels

[Tamar]

Hello Mark, via Danny.
I watched "The Wizard of Oz" last night on television. I felt duty-bound to after this amazing post ... and, oh dear, ... I fell asleep! T. woke me for parts he thought I should not miss like the Munchkins and the melting witch.

Somewhere the culture has missed me. Or perhaps there is something missing in me?

I adored the song: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" though. That was magical and so wonderfully sung ...

Danny, can you ever forgive me? I kept thinking of Seinfeld "making out" during Schindler ... that's how bad I felt about falling asleep. You see, it was not out of fatigue ... I was bored. Oh dear! Oh dear!

[Danny]

Mark and Tamar, that's fascinating to me—I wonder if an early (non-forced) indoctrination is required. Of course all films are a matter of personal taste but I know when I watch the film today I am transported right back to my grandparents' wood-paneled den and I am reviewing each character as an archetype that represents a part of myself. I always feel Dorothy's longing for home at a visceral level and I'm still shaken by the terror of the Wicked Witch, especially the scene when Dorothy is trapped in the witch's castle waiting to be killed when the hourglass empties and suddenly Aunt Em appears in the witch's crystal ball shouting Dorothy's name. Dorothy runs to the ball screaming "Auntie Em! Auntie Em, I'm here!" just as Aunt Em's kindly black-and-white face morphs into the hideous distorted green face of the witch, mocking Dorothy's fears with her cackle, "Auntie Em! Auntie Em! I'LL GIVE YOU AUNTIE EM!" That scene still shakes me today, and I think of all the young people Dorothy's age who were calling out for their separated loved ones in the concentration camps or other terrible, lonely places throughout history. I heard an interview with Margaret Hamilton, the actress who played the witch, and even she thought that scene went too far—pure terror.

I forgive you for not liking the film but if the two of you are ever in L.A. together I'd like to organize a screening/lecture!

I also recommend seeing it in a theatre at some point to experience the communal energy (and a pristine print). Leah and I once saw the "The Wizard of Oz" screened at the Hollywood Bowl with 18,000 other people in attendance. Leah went dressed as author L.Frank Baum and got to meet several of the living munchkins and Judy Garland's daughter Lorna who was judging the costume contest.

[Tamar]

A screening/lecture with you, 18,000 people, the Hollywood Bowl and meeting Judy Garland's daughter would help. Yes indeed, Danny, it would surely help!

You coming, Mark?

[OldOldLady Of The Hills]

I don't know the protocol for this Danny, but I came back this AM to read what people's responses to your fantastically brilliant post were...I am shocked to read that there are people who do not like this film! Hmmmmm. I think what you said is true...the citcumstances on how you FIRST saw the film, make a Big difference....and I was reminded of something that Joyce V.P and I use to feel about the people who did not respond to "Spoon River" in a positive way...it said something about them to us, and it wasn'good! I know that is a judgement not worthy of either Joyce or myself...but we couldn't help it. It was like, anyone who didn't respond to "Spoon River"...they were people from another planet....I apologize for these feelings, but.....well, draw your own conclusions.

I agree that this post belongs in The New Yorker!!!

[Mark Daniels]

Tamar and Danny:
I'm game.

Mark

[Mark Daniels]

By the way, Margaret Hamilton was originally from my hometown of Columbus and would occasionally give interviews to local stations about 'Oz." It was assuring as a kid for me to see this woman who had been so completely evil in the movie to turn out to be a pleasant and convivial person.

(Wasn't she in coffee commercials toward the end of her life?)

Mark Daniels

[Mark Daniels]

Hmmm, imdb.com says that Hamilton was born in Cleveland.

Mark

[SuperAmanda]

Amazing writing! This film never ceases to astonish in it's ability to speak for the oppressed.You did a beautful job of speaking for those of us who love the movie and loathe anti-semitism. I'll leave it at that.

[Mrs Aginoth]

Certainly an interesting start to a thesis:-)

I also watched the annual showing of the film, but over here in the UK it was (is) always a Christmas presentation, so always brings memories of happy & full families. Although we were Jewish & brought up on stories of WW2, I never saw the connections before. Although my mother used to drum home the moral that no matter how poor you were, you were rich if you were loved!

I watched with my son last Christmas - his first time. He just didn't understand the black & white bit at all, never having seen B&W TV before!

[YellowRose]

Wonderful piece!! I love "The Wizard of OZ" and have ever since I was a little girl. Watched it last Sunday night even. Like others have mentioned, don't be surprised if your words show up on some students paper one day! ;)

I'm here because OldOldLadyOnTheHill sent me, I'm so glad she did!!

[Pacheal]

I just found this and I love the movie. The thought had never occurred to me to look at this in this way.. Thank you very much

[Lux]

Danny's analysis was interesting and 180 degrees different from my own. I watched the movie with my three year old recently and concluded the green, hooked-nose Witch of the West was the classic negative symbol of jews in Western Civilization.
The man behind the curtain in OZ is the Pope. The Vatican is what's down the Yellow Brick Road. The Good Witch of the North is the Queen of England. The Witch's Communist henchman are wearing traditional Russian garments, but immediately worship Dorothy upon the Bolshevik Jew Witch's death. The flying monkeys are African- Americans, specifically the Detroit Pistons. The Strawman is the Stupid Lovable American. The Lion is the Cowardly Powerful, slightly faggy, English Nobility. Tin Man is the Heartless Industrial German.
The Pope Wizard refuses to give the crew what they wanted unless they fetch him the Wicked Jew Witch's broomstick then he goes back on the promise except to say that only by killing the, ahem, Witch, they have acquired that for which they were searching.
I can't figure out Dorothy. She and Toto just want to go home. But the whole thing was just a dream, right?

[Rebekah]

Wow! A wonderful article about one of my all-time favorite movies! It was interesting how you compared the story to your cultural history. I especially liked the Jew/Non-Jew bit.
Now I have to be off to the nearest store to find a copy of Wizard of Oz, as you have given me a craving to watch the movie. :)

[anthony minstein]

Probably too late for anyone to even read my comments, or moderate them...but...excellent. I teach Jewish High School on Sundays to 9th/10th graders...this semester, teaching Jews and Hollywood (yes, Hollywood is a Jewish invention)....will absolutely use this in tomorrow's class.
Thanks