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Questions tagged [the-wizard-of-oz]

For questions about "The Wizard of Oz", a series of books written by L. Frank Baum, and its adaptations.

The Wizard of Oz is a focal point in L. Frank Baum's childrens novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Published in 1900, it was the first episode in a long series of books. It was made into a classic 1939 film that starred Judy Garland as Dorothy and Frank Morgan as the original film version of the all knowing Wizard that rules over the land of Oz from the Emerald City located at the far end of the yellow brick road.

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Where did the Red Brick Road lead to?

In the movie of "The Wizard of Oz", the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road is entwined with the beginning of a Red Brick Road. The Yellow Brick Road led to the Emerald City. Where did the Red Brick Road go?
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Does the Wicked Witch of the West know she can be killed by water?

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West lights the Scarecrow on fire. Dorothy picks up a bucket of water to douse him, but she splashes it on the Witch, who begins to melt. It seems unusual to me that the Witch would allow a…
Thunderforge
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Did the witches know that the Wizard of Oz was a fraud?

I'm not familiar with Baum's Oz universe enough to know for sure, but it seems to me that in most cases, true experts in any field can spot a fraud. So I'm simply wondering if there is anything mentioning that the witches (any of them) know that…
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Did Baum invent his method for killing witches?

The Wicked Witch of the West is killed when water is poured on her head. I don't remember any other fairy tales where this happens. Did Baum invent this method for killing witches? Richard provided/found the clip/quote: ". . . the Witch began to…
Armin
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What powers did the ruby red slippers have?

They were clearly powerful but what exactly could the ruby red slippers do?
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Who built the yellow brick road?

Reading the original Wizard of Oz I am a little confused by the origins of the road. It seems to pre-date Oz arriving, as people discuss their people going to the emerald city long ago. It also seems poorly maintained with bridges missing or holes…
Jeremy French
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Why are Oz Maps Reversed?

When I was younger, I remember reading (also having read to me) all fourteen of L. Frank Baum's Oz books. One thing that always confused me was that the maps of Oz that showed a compass rose had east and west switched. I thought maybe it was a…
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How did Dorothy and the Scarecrow decide on which way to go?

In the Wizard of OZ movie, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road to find the Wizard of OZ. She came to a crossroad, and didn't know which way to go. She meets the Scarecrow, and he had no idea which way to go either. They randomly decided to…
ʇolɐǝz ǝɥʇ qoq
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Were there tigers or bears in L. Frank Baum's books about the land of Oz?

They talked about them: Dorothy: "Do you suppose we'll meet any wild animals?" Tin Woodsman: "Mm, we might." Scarecrow: "Animals that eat... s-traw?" Tin Woodsman: "Some, but mostly lions, and tigers, and bears." Dorothy: "Lions?" Scarecrow: "And…
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Why didn't everyone in Oz know who the evil witch was?

Throughout the new Oz film, the flying baboons are linked to the evil witch by their victims, but the main characters don't seem to know which witch is the bad witch... Spoiler alert! (If you haven't seen the film yet, disregard reading the rest of…
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In "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," why does the Good Witch of the North advise Dorothy to go to the Emerald City?

In the novel by L. Frank Baum, the Good Witch of the North does not know how Dorothy can get back to Kansas, so she uses her magic to conjure a chalkboard with instructions for Dorothy to go to the Emerald City. The following quotation highlights…
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Are Queen Lulea and Queen Lurline the same character?

Lulea is the Fairy Queen in "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus." Her name was revealed in "Queen Zixi of Ix."
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Did they have witches in Oz before Dorothy's era?

When Dorothy arrived to Oz, she found out that the country was divided into 4 sectors, with a witch (2 good 2 bad) living in each sector and (presumably) ruling it. Was that always the case or were those 4 witches a unique happenstance that did not…
DVK-on-Ahch-To
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How was Dorothy able to recognize color in The Wizard of Oz

According to the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy had come to Oz from Kansas, a place where color didn't seem to exist. But, when told to "follow the Yellow Brick Road", she immediately knew the difference between the yellow bricks and the red…
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