In this photo we’re seeing Hollywood history in the making: it’s the night of the premiere of “The Wizard of Oz” at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on August 15, 1939. MGM went all out with huge searchlights and bleachers for the fans. If you look more closely, you can see they also installed the Scarecrow’s cornfield to the left of the box office with the steepled roof. To the right of it they built a miniature Munchkin village. What surprised me was that it only played one week at Grauman’s: August 16 to 22. Then again, this was 1939 – Hollywood’s peak year, when studios produced a movie a week. Coming down the pipeline was MGM’s “The Women”, “Lady of the Tropics” starring Hedy Lamarr, and 20th Century-Fox’s “The Rains Came” which was the highest grossing film at Grauman’s for 1939. (To be fair, though, it got an 11-day run.)
My mom was there at the premiere, as a seven-year-old. I keep searching old photos, hoping to spot her.
Gosh, Jason, I sure hope one of these days you do!
Love, love, LOVE these books! I’ve just started Citizen Hollywood and can’t put it down.
Fascinated by the Garden of Allah stories. Would love to have been there!
Keep up the great work.
Cheers,
Rachel 🙂
Thanks, Rachel! I’m so glad to know how much you’re enjoying them. If you’ve only just started book 3, you’ve got many more shenanigans to go!
Just finished “Finding Dorothy ” by Elizabeth Letts. Was a fabulous read and brought me back to my childhood watching on our black and white TV…
The story of Maud Gage and her amazing mother, Matilda was very inspiring. Thank you, Elizabeth.
And thank you, L Frank Baum!
NY son used a power chair as he had Musular Dystrophy and played the Mayor of Munchkins in his highschool drama production. He also had an incredible music collection. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow ” was his favourite song and always warms my heart!
I’ve a page of 18 autographs collected from that very night at the premiere including Maud Gage Baum and Sid Grauman, Victor Fleming, Mervyn LeRoy, the cast minus Judy Garland and Charley Grapewin, Lana Turner, Virginia Weidlerm, Sophie Tucker, Eleanor Powell and others.
Wow, Tyler! That sounds amazing! Where did you find such a gem???
It turned up in an autograph book from a pair of teenagers who when to the premieres regularly then. Not many documents exist having both witches, three male leads, and production staff all on one page let alone Baum’s widow. (Garland wasn’t present, she was in NYC with Rooney for the premiere there) But you can imagine 18 autographs on a little page they are all a jumble! Wallace Berry and his little daughter signed too. I’ve found pictures of many of them at the premiere that night.
It turned up in an autograph book from a pair of teenagers who when to the premieres regularly then. Not many documents exist having both witches, three male leads, and production staff all on one page let alone Baum’s widow. (Garland wasn’t present, she was in NYC with Rooney for the premiere there) But you can imagine 18 autographs on a little page they are all a jumble! Wallace Berry and his little daughter signed too. I’ve found pictures of many of them at the premiere that night.