THE LOLIPOP GUILD
Perhaps the most influential in the shaping of the underlying
meaning was Yip Harburg, the lyricist for the musical. A Socialist who
actively supported F.D.R.'s policies, Harburg frequently used fantasy to
make a political point. He has been quoted as saying:
"Through fantasy, I feel that a musical can say things
with greater effectiveness about life . . . of course I want to send
people out of the theatre with a glow of having a good time, but I also
think the purpose of a musical is to make people think (MacDonnell, 72)."
Although a songwriter is not usually seen as someone with much control
over a film, this was not the case for The Wizard of Oz. With more
than four different directors and two producers, no single one of these
"authors" had much individual power over the outcome of the film.
Meanwhile, Harburg was selected as songwriter because of his experience
with fantasy. He was given total freedom in his songwriting and by the
films end, he had written the cue-ins to all the songs, a good portion of
the rest of the script, and had edited the entire script (MacDonnell,
72). Therefore, it is not surprising that Harburg believed he was in a
good position to "express myself in terms I had never been offered
before" though he realized the satirical elements would have to be fairly
subtle because MGM wouldn't stand for it otherwise (MacDonnell, 72).
After completion of the film, though under scrutiny, Harburg
maintained that "the Emerald City was the New Deal" (MacDonnell, 72) and
even Variety magazine thought "Oz has a message well timed to current
events" (Variety, 14).
In the film, a tornado rips Dorothy from the security of her
previous life and she abruptly enters a strange, harsh, new world.
Audiences in the thirties would have easily related to this tornado as
the Great Depression stripping them of their economic security and
thrusting them into a strange, uncertain, new America. Also, for the
Midwestern farmer of the thirties, another connection could be made, for
in the time of the Dust Bowl, it was a common tall tale that "a farmer
could sit by his window during a dust storm and watch all the Kansas
farms as they blew by" (MacDonnell, 73).
Although Kansas obviously represented a landscape recognizable to
Americans of the period, so too, were the landscapes of Oz. Three rural
landscapes were shown: farmland (fields of corn), orchards (apple
trees), and meadows (poppy fields). Along with the rural landscapes were
the wilderness (Lion's forest), the small town (Munchkin City), and the
metropolis (Emerald City). The "Yellow Brick Road" is a symbolic
landscape signifying hope and freedom, just as it had for the pioneers
who set out for a better life. "No matter what perils Dorothy and her
friends encounter along the way, after all, they are free and hopeful as
long as they . . . 'follow the Yellow Brick Road'" (Nathanson, 124).
Once in Oz, Dorothy begins her search for home just as Americans
were searching for a way out of the economic crisis. Dorothy and her
three companions: the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Lion, put faith in
the all-mighty Wizard to solve their problems, much like the Americans:
the Midwest farmer, the unemployed industrial worker, and the bankrupt
businessman, had faith in Roosevelt to spring them from the Depression.
Indeed, the Wizard was able to restore confidence in the three symbolic
characters and make them realize they possessed the necessary qualities
for success all along. Similarly, F.D.R. restored confidence in the
American people.
Near the end of the film, the Wizard gives symbols or trophies to
the three characters to represent the qualities which he claims they
possessed all along. These trophies were supposed to help them remember
that they were in-fact already blessed with their respective strengths.
This scene signifies Roosevelt's New Deal which "promised to give
Americans a brain, a heart, and courage" (MacDonnell, 74).
The president's flooding of Washington with experts from Columbia
and Harvard in essence gave the nation the "brains" necessary to deal
with the national crisis. He referred to them as the "Brain Trust" (World
Book, N, 169). Later this "Brain Trust" is literally formed in the movie
when the Wizard is about to leave in his balloon and he puts the
Scarecrow in charge of Oz "by virtue of his truly superior brain . . .
assisted by the Tinman by virtue of his magnificent heart, and the Lion
by virtue of his courage" (Fleming).
Roosevelt gave America a "heart" with his massive relief
programs. It was indeed much kinder than the "trickle down" policies of
the Hoover administration (MacDonnell, 74). For instance, a lot of farm
aid was provided in the Agricultural Adjustment Act which rewarded
farmers with money if they limited their production so that supply would
decrease, increasing produce prices and eventually increasing farmer's
income. In this way, the farmers improved purchasing power would create
a stronger market for the industrial products of the east (Life, v.11,
12). Also, the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 created the
National Recovery Administration (NRA) which set minimum wages and
maximum hours for industrial workers. It also supported the workers'
rights to form labor unions (World Book, N, 170). Note that these unions
are also illustrated in the film through the "Lullabye League" and
"Lolipop Guild" of Munchkin City.
Finally, the president's determination throughout the hard times,
and his famous phrase, ". . . the only thing we have to fear is fear
itself" helped give the nation the courage to lift itself from the
Depression (MacDonnell, 74).
Frank Morgan's main character, the Wizard ( along with the
several other characters he played in the movie), was created to possess
characteristics similar to F.D.R. The actor's character copied the
president's "colorful personality, friendly smile, flashing bright eyes,
genial manner, and warm pleasing voice" (World Book, R, 413).
Indeed, it was normal to refer to representatives of the New Deal
as "strange and mysterious magicians" (MacDonnell, 74). The audience's
first view of the "great and powerful Oz" showed a large green head on a
screen that was certainly mysterious and looked somewhat like a large
brain. This, again,
may signify the fact that most of F.D.R.'s know-how
came from his "Brain Trust" (note: the picture shown was a version of
the "Oz" that was later
modified because this one was deemed too scary for children). Though Frank
Morgan's character is unveiled
as a "humbug" the Wizard is nonetheless a charming and beloved leader.
He also seems to be an experienced political leader, just like Roosevelt,
in that:
"He makes promises he's not quite sure he can deliver on, he has a
speech ready for every occasion, and he is quite literally an expert at
pulling levers from behind the scenes (MacDonnell, 74)."
It has already been explained that the Wizard restored confidence
in the characters, just as Roosevelt did for his Americans. In addition,
the Wizard's willingness to attempt to float Dorothy back to Kansas in
his balloon after admitting that he didn't even really know much about
balloons is a tribute to F.D.R., the great experimenter, who was willing
to try anything which may help America out of its economic troubles.
When Dorothy and her three friends approach the Emerald City,
the audience hears the song, Optimistic Voices: "You're out of the
woods, You're out of the dark, You're out of the night, Step into the
sun, Step into the light." Harburg was quoted as saying he especially
liked this tune because "it heralds not only the four principals' escape
from the woods and an evil spell but, on another level, the end of the
Depression" (MacDonnell, 73).
In summary, the tornado, which ripped Dorothy from the safety of
her home, parallels the Depression which was an upheaval for Americans.
The landscapes seen in the movie could be recognized by the audience as
representations of the United States during that time period. The
journey to the Emerald City by the four characters along with their blind
faith in the Wizard, signifies the faith that the Americans had in
Roosevelt to lift them from the Depression. Finally, the Wizard portrayed
by Frank Morgan in the film is a warm-hearted rendition of F.D.R. both
physically, and through his actions.
Note: both pictures came out of The Wizard of Oz: The Official
50th Anniversary Pictorial History
REFERENCES