Arguably the greatest family film of all time is coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced that THE WIZARD OF OZ will be available for the first time in 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR). The 1939 classic will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on October 29th. What better way to spend Halloween night (other than Trick-or-Treating) than to see a house being dropped on the Wicked Witch of the West in glorious 4K?
More than 80 years after the film made its premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theater (on August 15, 1939), a new generation can watch Judy Garland as farm girl Dorothy Gayle wake up in the mysterious, Technicolor world of Oz and encounter a brainless Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and a Tin Man missing a heart. Directed by Victor Fleming (who also made GONE WITH THE WIND in 1939) and produced by Mervyn LeRoy, THE WIZARD OF OZ was considered a failure at the time of its release and is now considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Some of its accolades include appearances on multiple American Film Institute lists and the distinction of being part of the inaugural group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.
For this high-def release, a new 8K 16bit scan of the original Technicolor camera negative became the basis for the 4K UHD scan. The process was overseen by MPI colorist Janet Wilson, who has overseen every remaster of THE WIZARD OF OZ for the last two decades.
THE WIZARD OF OZ Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:
· Commentary by John Fricke with Barbara Freed-Saltzman, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, John Lahr, Jane Lahr, Hamilton Meserve, Dona Massin, William Tuttle, Buddy Ebsen, Mervyn LeRoy and Jerry Maren.
· 1990 CBS Special “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic.”
The Blu-ray that comes as part of the combo pack will contain the following previously released special features:
· Commentary- Commentary by John Fricke with Barbara Freed-Saltzman, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, John Lahr, Jane Lahr, Hamilton Meserve, Dona Massin, William Tuttle, Buddy Ebsen, Mervyn LeRoy and Jerry Maren
· The Making of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
· The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook (narrated by Angela Lansbury)
· We Haven’t Really Met Properly…
o We Haven’t Really Met Properly: “Frank Morgan”
o We Haven’t Really Met Properly: “Ray Bolger”
o We Haven’t Really Met Properly: “Bert Lahr”
o We Haven’t Really Met Properly: “Jack Haley”
o We Haven’t Really Met Properly: “Billie Burke”
o We Haven’t Really Met Properly: “Margaret Hamilton”
o We Haven’t Really Met Properly: “Charley Grapewin”
o We Haven’t Really Met Properly: “Clara Blandick”
o We Haven’t Really Met Properly: “Terry”
· Music & Effects Track
· Original Mono Track
· Sing Along Tracks
· Audio Jukebox
· Leo is on the Air Radio Promo
· Good News of 1939 Radio Show
· 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Broadcast
· Stills Galleries
o Oz on Broadway
o Pre-MGM
o Sketches and Storyboards
o Richard Thorpe’s Oz
o Buddy Ebsen
o Oz Comes to Life
o Behind the Scenes
o Portraits
o Special Effects
o Post Production
o Deleted Scenes
o Original Publicity
o 8/15/1939 Hollywood Premiere
o 8/17/1939 New York Premiere
o 2/29/1940 Academy Awards® Ceremony
o Oz Abroad
o Oz Revivals
· Trailers
