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Oz
Oz, mythical land that is the setting for 14 novels for children by L. Frank Baum, beginning with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). This fanciful region, traversed by a long yellow brick road, is accidentally discovered by Dorothy, a little girl from Kansas, when she and her dog Toto are blown off to it by a cyclone. In this delightful region of surprising adventures dwell such odd characters as a good‐hearted Cowardly Lion, a friendly Tin Woodman, and an animate Scarecrow, all basically pleasant and joyful, presided over by a kindly, eccentric Wizard. Although there are threats from external forces, like the Wicked Witch of the West, all turns out happily in Oz.
Baum created a musical extravaganza for the stage (1901), the first of many adaptations that have included a Technicolor musical film featuring Judy Garland (1939) and a Broadway musical, The Wiz (1975), with a black cast and using a modern urban setting. |
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Cite this article
James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Oz." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Oz." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-Oz.html James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Oz." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-Oz.html |
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Oz
Oz the name of the fictional city and land in the children's fantasy The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by the US writer L. Frank Baum (1856–1919), widely popularized by the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz; in extended usage, any place thought to resemble Baum's city, especially any fantastic, ideal, or imaginary domain. (See also Wizard of Oz.)
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Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Oz." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Oz." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Oz.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Oz." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Oz.html |
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