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The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Logo
"The Wizard of Oz" 70th Anniversary Magazine Adverstisement

Released on September 29, 2009, the Blu-ray premiere of The Wizard of Oz was heavily promoted by Warner Home Video.  The deluxe boxed set (in two separate Standard DVD and Blu-ray versions) was part of a celebration of the film’s 70th anniversary.  The film was also released in various single-disc, two-disc, standard, and Blu-ray editions in the subsequent months and into the next few years.  Stores like Target and Walmart had their own editions and there was also a myriad of international versions in various languages.  This page features examples of as many versions of the 70th anniversary edition as possible, media, and more!

The film was one of the first to be scanned in 8K resolution “for the future” as Warner Home Video’s George Feltenstein explained at the time, “We want to be ready for the next expansion or upgrade in high-def viewing, so we won’t have to go back and re-scan them again” as reported by Jeffrey Wells on his blog.

There was a bit of controversy with fans over the digital removal of the wires that hold up Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow on his post in the cornfield, holding up the flying monkeys, and manipulating the tail of the cowardly lion (Bert Lahr).  As reported by Jeffrey Wells at the time, the head of the restoration project, Robert Harris, noted that in 1939 audiences didn’t see the wires due to the projection technology at the time and the fact that three-strip Technicolor didn’t align as precisely as today.  Per Harris,  “if 1939 audiences didn’t see the wires when they saw the film in theatres, then present-day audiences shouldn’t see them on the Blu-ray.”

The film grain was kept as well (as also reported by Wells), “To be precise,” Harris explained this morning, “what matters is to recreate the look and texture of the original film, as seen by 1939 audiences. While by scanning original negatives we do get an image of slightly higher resolution, it’s important to make certain that the extra detail doesn’t expose things that were never meant to be seen.”

Prior to the home media release, the newly remastered film was screened on September 26, 2009, as part of the New York Film Festival at Manhattan’s Alice Tully Hall.  It was also screened nationwide for one day only on September 23, 2009, by Fathom Events.  That screening was marred by technical difficulties at many showings with some having to be stopped and tickets refunded.  Apparently, when the film was digitally downloaded by the individual theaters, some downloads were corrupt in one way or another and theater staff didn’t take the time to do any quality control prior to the screenings.  Due to the popularity of this one-day-only screening, Fathom Events repeated the event that November 17th at which time the download issues were corrected.  

The boxed set was extremely popular.  It was so popular that when the 75th anniversary came around, Warner Home Video released a new boxed set identical in design with slightly different content.  In the intervening years, the label released several various new versions in different packaging and a variety of cover art.  The label was definitely getting its money’s worth!

The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Blu-ray Boxed Set
"The Wizard of Oz" 70th Anniversary Blu-ray boxed set
"The Wizard of Oz" 70th Anniversary Blu-ray boxed set
"The Wizard of Oz" 70th Anniversary Blu-ray boxed set

The promotion video for the boxed set and the “beauty shot” video highlighting the design and contents of the set.

The Blu-ray boxed set and the standard DVD version. 

Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Boxed Set

The Amazon version with exclusive character sheets.
The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Blu-ray Boxed Set Amazon edition

Warner Home Video Press Release:

The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary UCE (DVD/Blu-ray)

70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition
Warner Home Video Celebrates the Beloved Classic with Spectacular New Blu-ray Version September 29

16 Hours of Enhanced Content, Four of Which Are Brand New, Includes
New Documentaries, Featurettes, a Sing-Along Track and Extraordinary Collectibles 

THE WIZARD OF OZ
70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Burbank, Calif. June 9, 2009 – It is difficult to imagine a motion picture more magical and more wonderful than Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s wonderful The Wizard of Oz. Over the last seven decades, the film has indelibly woven itself into America’s cultural consciousness: Is there anyone who doesn’t immediately think of the film upon hearing the words, “Dorothy,” “Toto,” “Emerald City,” “Ruby Slippers” and “Yellow Brick Road” — or the lines to the song “Over the Rainbow?”

Now, the colorful characters and unforgettable songs of Oz come alive as never before when Warner Home Video brings this cinematic treasure into the digital age with the September 29 Blu-ray release of The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition. The commemorative edition contains nearly 4 hours of all-new and never-before-available bonus features and is housed in numbered collectible packaging, and will be available for a limited time only for $69.92 SRP (DVD) and $84.99 SRP (Blu-ray Hi-Def).

In order to bring all the visual splendor of The Wizard of Oz to the Hi-Def world of Blu-ray Disc, the film has been entirely remastered, with each of the original Technicolor camera negatives scanned using 8K resolution. From this scan, a final ‘capture’ master was created in 4K, yielding twice the resolution seen in the master utilized for the film’s previous DVD release.

Working in ‘full film Resolution’, extreme care was taken to ensure that all of the image fidelity contained in the original negatives was properly captured for this new presentation. The sounds of Oz will come alive on Blu-ray disc utilizing the full audio spectrum capabilities available through Dolby TrueHD audio. The net result is one of unprecedented quality that is sure to make The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Edition a benchmark in the history of the Blu-ray format.

There will also be a dedicated official site for all Oz-related events and products: Warner Bros.

The following components are ALL-NEW and exclusive to this release:

The Dreamer of Oz – which makes its long-awaited home video debut. Also remastered the occasion, this full-length motion picture was an NBC-TV special event in 1990 and thrilled critics and audiences as it told the back story of author L. Frank Baum, “the Royal Historian of Oz.” John Ritter shines in the title role — the man who defied all odds to create the famous characters and stories. Annette O’Toole beautifully co-stars as his supportive wife, with Rue McClanahan as his challenging witch of a mother-in-law.

Victor Fleming, Master Craftsman — a new feature-length documentary produced specifically for this release about the Hollywood director who, in the same year, miraculously brought both Oz and Gone With the Wind to the screen.

Hollywood Celebrates It’s Biggest Little Stars — a new featurette stars seven of the original “Munchkins of Oz” and tells the saga of the long journey, culminating in them receiving their own 2007 Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Magic Cloak of Oz — the first release of the complete 1914 silent film, including lost footage never before included in a home video presentation of this feature (produced by Baum himself).

The Patchwork Girl of Oz — another 1914 Baum-produced, feature-length silent film, new to Warner Home Video.

The Wizard of Oz Sing-Along Track — here making its home entertainment debut.

Reproductions of Archival Material — Extraordinary renderings of the original 1939 Oz campaign, exploitation, and press books. These materials constitute a Hollywood “holy grail” for Oz, Garland, and motion picture fans alike and, for decades, have been among the most sought-after and impossible-to-find collectibles.

Behind The Curtain — a 52-page miniature coffee-table book, assembled by pre-eminent Oz historian John Fricke. Encompassing much previously unpublished material, the deluxe volume includes behind-the-scenes Oz photographs, studio memos, and script pages for abandoned scenes and musical numbers.

Exclusive Wizard of Oz Watch — A collectible and numbered 70th Anniversary watch, incorporating art from the film and enhanced with genuine crystals. Available nowhere else, this beautiful timepiece was created specially for this DVD edition.

And for the Blu-Ray Ultimate Collector’s Edition, the original extended version of “If I Only Had a Brain” performed by Ray Bolger has been remastered in hi-definition especially for this release.
[JUDY ROOM NOTE: This did not happen. The version included in all releases is the previously released standard definition version.]

Blu-ray (with four Amazon.com exclusive character sheets) and standard DVD boxed sets

ABOUT THE MOVIE:

2-disc standard DVD

2-disc standard DVD “clamshell” packaging. Same artwork on the back as the standard DVD shown above.

Single disc standard DVD “clamshell”

2009 UK Sing-Along-Edition

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Woodman. Frank Morgan was seen in six different roles, including that of the “wonderful Wizard” himself. Dorothy was portrayed by a 4’11” sixteen year old girl who quickly earned her reputation as “the world’s greatest entertainer”– the incomparable Judy Garland.

The Wizard of Oz received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and captured two Oscars® — Best Song (“Over the Rainbow”) and Best Original Score — plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Judy Garland. The film was an overwhelmingly popular and critical success upon its initial release and repeated its ability to captivate audiences when M-G-M reissued the film in 1949 and 1955. The film made a new kind of history with its network television premiere in 1956 on CBS. Nearly 45 million people tuned in for this initial telecast, marking the beginning of an annual tradition. Ever since, The Wizard of Oz has been shown virtually annually on network (and then cable) television; its magical story and heartfelt performances have enabled it to grow from a perennial classic to its current status as a treasured icon of popular culture.

TWO DISC DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:

DISC 1

  • Remastered feature with Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio (NEW)
  • Sing-along Track (NEW)
  • Commentary by John Fricke with Barbara Freed-Saltzman (daughter of Arthur Freed), Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, John Lahr (son of Bert Lahr), Jane Lahr (daughter of Bert Lahr), Hamilton Meserve (son of Margaret Hamilton), Dona Massin (MGM choreographer), William Tuttle (make-up artist), Buddy Ebsen, Mervyn LeRoy, and Jerry Maren
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook
  • Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz
  • We Haven’t Really Met Properly
  • Music and Effects Track
  • Original Mono Track

DISC 2

  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic [1990 TV special]
  • Memories of Oz [2001 TCM documentary]
  • The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
  • Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz
  • Harold Arlen’s Home Movies
  • Outtakes and Deleted Scenes
  • It’s a Twister! It’s a Twister! The Tornado Tests
  • Off to See the Wizard
  • 3 Vault Shorts
  • Audio Jukebox Selection:
    • Leo Is on the Air Radio Promo
    • Good News of 1939 Radio Show
    • 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast
  • Still Galleries
  • Six Theatrical Trailers

DVD & BLU-RAY HI-DEF ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS:

Includes everything listed in the Two Disc SE as well as the following:

DISC 3

  • Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman (NEW)
  • L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain
  • Celebrating Hollywood’s Biggest Little Stars (NEW)
  • The Dreamer of Oz [1990 TV special] (NEW)
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910)
  • The Wizard of Oz [1933]

DISC 4

  • His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz
  • The Magic Cloak of Oz [1914] (NEW)
  • The Patchwork Girl of Oz [1914] (NEW)
  • The Wizard of Oz [1925 feature]

(Blu-ray Hi-Def will have Discs 1 & 2 and Discs 3 & 4 combined)

Also included are unique premiums:

  • Collectible and numbered 70th Anniversary Wizard of Oz watch with genuine crystals
  • Replica of the original film budget
  • Behind the Curtain, A 52-page, coffee-table book
  • Reproduction of the original 1939 campaign book

EXCLUSIVE TO THE DVD and BLU-RAY HI-DEF RAY ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS:

  • Digital Copy on Disc

EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAY HI-DEF ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS:

  • MGM: When The Lion Roars Documentary (the entire 6 hour documentary)

RETAIL PRICES:

The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Edition
Street Date: September 29, 2009
Rating: G

Blu-ray Hi-Def Ultimate Collector’s Edition
$84.99 SRP

Ultimate Collector’s Edition (SD)
$69.92 SRP

Two-Disc Special Edition
$24.98 SRP

Warner Home Video Email Flyer for the 70th Anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz"
Warner Home Video Email Flyer for the 70th Anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz"

Here are images of the deluxe set’s inside box (cover and back cover), book, the digital copy, discs (the standard DVDs), inside disc packaging, scans of the collectible materials (budget, letter from WHV, campaign book, digital copy code card), and screenshots of the digital download site.
The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Logo

The 2-disc boxed set (two slightly different covers) and the 2-disc “clamshell” packaging version; plus the 1-disc standard DVD edition, all released on September 29, 2009.

The exclusive “Emerald Edition” sold only in Target stores beginning on September 29, 2009.  In December 2009 (see below) the “Emerald Edition” was released nationwide.  Also shown here is the Walmart exclusive single-disc edition of the Blu-ray, also released on September 29, 2009.

On December 1, 2009, the “Emerald Edition” of the Blu-ray version, which had previously only been available at Target stores was released nationwide.  This version featured the first two discs from the deluxe boxed set, plus a dual layered standard DVD of the documentary When The Lion Roars.  The standard DVD version of this “Emerald Edition” was not released until November 2, 2010, but that certainly wasn’t because there was a lack of other standard DVD editions already available – it became quite confusing!

On March 16, 2010, new editions were released in less “deluxe” and more standard packaging and design.  The standard DVD version was two discs in the “Eco Amaray” case (similar to the standar “clamshell” packaging), and the Blu-ray was released in a single disc more standard “clamshell” case.
Warner Home Video Email Flyer for the 70th Anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz"

WHV included these before and after examples in their digital promotional kits.

Here are various international editions.  As the film was released over the few years after 2009, it was the 70th Anniversary version that was also released around the world.

2009 German Edition Clamshell Packaging
2009 German Edition Clamshell Packaging
2009 Russian Edition
2009 Spanish Edition
2009 UK Sing Along Blu-ray
2009 UK Sing Along Standard DVD
2020 UK Sing Along DVD/Blu-ray Combo
2009 Australian Sing Along Version
The Wizard of Oz French Bilingual Edition
2011 Spanish Blu-ray
2011 Canadian Steelcase
2013 Canadian Slipcase Edition
2013 Canadian Slipcase Edition
2013 UK Blu-ray Edition
The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary 2009 Italian Edition of the DVD & Blu-ray banner

This page from The Judy Room’s 2010 Year in Review featured some of the many editions that seemed to be released every other month!

WHV included these screenshots in their digital promotional kits.  The film grain is very noticeable although it’s not as prevalent when viewing on an HD or 4K TV.

The following article was published on the “Sound and Vision” website and explains the restoration and transfer process.

September 07, 2009 – A sneak peek at Warner’s restored Wizard of Oz

At Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Warner Home Video recently gave a small group of journalists an advance look at some of the restored scenes from the upcoming Blu-ray Disc of The Wizard of Oz. Based on what we saw, this could be the most exciting—and controversial—Blu-ray release of 2009.

The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition will be released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on September 29. It includes numerous newly added extras that are exclusive to this release. The extras include a sing-along track that shows the words to the songs; documentaries about director Victor Fleming and seven of the actors who played the movie’s Munchkin; a commemorative watch; and a 52-page hardcover book about the movie’s history.

According to Ned Price, vice president of mastering for Warner Bros. Technical Operations, the restoration was made by converting the best available prints to video using an 8K Northlight scanner made by FilmLight. The 8K resolution—roughly 8,000 pixels across by 4,000 pixels down—translates to about 32 megapixels, far more than needed for Blu-ray’s maximum resolution of a little more than 2 MP. Warner used what it calls its Ultra-Resolution process, scanning the red, green, and blue elements of the film separately rather than together. All processing and restoration was performed at 4K resolution; the image was then downconverted to 1,920 x 1,080 pixels for the Blu-ray version.

“We can’t even see the 8K version right now,” Price added. “There are no [commercially available] displays that can show it.”

All of the key filmmakers who worked on The Wizard of Oz have passed away, so no one was available to provide guidance as to how the movie is supposed to look. With this movie, such questions are not simple. The movie’s then state-of-the-art special effects required that many scenes incorporate “all these layers of fake things,” as Price put it, referring to the movie’s complex sets, background paintings, and optical effects. He also noted that the movie was shot on 8 ASA film, which means the production required an extraordinary amount of stage lighting.

Fortunately, Price and his crew were able to locate an answer print—a film print that was sent out for approval by the director. “It’s unusual to have an answer print for a film this old,” Price said. “It was at the Academy [of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences] but was misidentified.”

Viewed on one of Warner Bros.’ Panasonic professional plasma displays, the clips we saw looked richly saturated and extremely detailed, if grainy overall and even a tad flickery in spots. I noticed that individual grains of sand were visible in the Wicked Witch of the West’s hourglass, and that I could see slight blemishes on Judy Garland’s face that had gotten past the makeup artists.

The grainy look is intended, Price said: “On the last DVD [in 2005], we processed it to reduce the grain, then increased the sharpness to compensate. But you can’t get away with that on Blu-ray. On this one, we didn’t touch the grain. With films of this age, the grain is what carries the information.”

Of course, only a close look at the final release will tell how well Warner’s relatively hands-off approach to The Wizard of Oz works on Blu-ray.—Brent Butterworth

The official Warner Bros. website for the film was revamped – twice.  The first set of screenshots show the original design, which was interactive full of fun facts about the original book, author L. Frank Baum, previous silent Oz films, star mini-biographies, and more.

The site feature these downloadable “wallpapers” for laptops and desktops.

In August 2009 the site was upgraded to focus more on the upcoming premiere of the newly restored version on Blu-ray.

More web examples:  The Fathom Events Oz quiz page, IMDb banner ads, the iTunes site, and the TCM Shop page.

On October 3, 2009, the subscription streaming service Netflix streamed the film for free all day.  The service also aired (again for free) clips from its free live concert in New York’s Central Park that featured:  Contemporary interpretations of classic songs from the “The Wizard of Oz” by the Academy Award®- winning actress and Grammy Award®-winning singer Jennifer Hudson and two-time American Country Music Award® and two-time “Dancing with the Stars” winner Julianne Hough. The show is being directed by and will also feature The Roots’ Grammy Award-winning drummer and record producer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and a band assembled especially for the show. Following the concert, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield, the movie will be shown on a giant inflatable screen.

Some press releases, trade ads, articles, and info sheet.
Ruby Slippers Collection at the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing June 10 - 21, 2009

Details about the official events surrounding the release, from a WHV press release:

Consumer Products’ Initiatives and Other Marketing Support

Major marketing initiatives have been designed to bring this DVD event “over the rainbow.” The most prominent is Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ celebration of fashion and fine art, the primary intention of which has been to introduce the movie to a whole new generation.

Making sure all eyes will be on The Wizard of Oz outdoors, Warner Home Video is using one of the film’s iconic images, a colorful seven-story hot air balloon, stunningly decorated with the film’s logo and characters, to tour America in the months preceding the release date. The first unveiling of this spectacular seven-story balloon occurred at today’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) event where the DVD was officially announced. Subsequently, the balloon will appear at various festivals across the United States, culminating in an appearance at the September 24 Tavern on the Green event in New York.

The Ruby Slipper Collection exhibit, comprised of 19 re-interpreted Ruby Slippers created by an elite group of 20 famous, high-end fashion designers, was launched a year ago and has been touring various international venues, including Saks Fifth Avenue stores throughout the world. A June gala evening to celebrate the exhibit’s last stop was held today at the Fashion Institute of Design Museum (FIDM) in Los Angeles.

To conclude the year-long celebration of the 70th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, an elaborate Gala event at New York’s Tavern on the Green will be held on September 24 and will include an auction of the one-of-a-kind slippers with 100% of the proceeds going to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The event will be preceded by a celebrity-attended screening at the New York Film Festival.

Additional Warner Consumer Products efforts include Oz-inspired fine art collections and exhibits (paintings, graphics, sculptures); costumes, dolls, toys, games, jewelry, clothing, cosmetics, and a month-long Happy Meal promotion at McDonald’s Restaurants.

A massive consumer advertising campaign sure to create vivid impressions among a wide audience includes national cable TV spots, print ads in national entertainment publications such as People, Real Simple and American Profile, and online advertising on entertainment and classic film sites. There will also be a dedicated official site for all Oz-related events and products:  www.thewizardofoz.com. 

The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Logo
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The Wizard of Oz green vinyl release for Record Store Day on April 19, 2014