The Wiz (1978/I)

Regisseur:

Sidney Lumet

Drehbuchautoren:

L. Frank Baum (novel)
Joel Schumacher (screenplay)

Premierendatum:

24. Oktober 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Abenteuer | Fantasy | Musical | Familienfilm

Werbezeile:

From the book that's an American tradition...from the smash-hit Broadway show...the entertainment of the year!

Plot:

An adaption of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African American experience.

Plot Keywords:

Melancholy | Critically Bashed | Coming Of Age | Box Office Flop | Cult Favorite

Filmpreise:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 7 nominations

Nutzerkommentare:

a favorite childhood movie of mine

Besetzung

Diana Ross	...	Dorothy
Michael Jackson	...	Scarecrow
Nipsey Russell	...	Tinman
Ted Ross	...	Lion (Fleetwood Coupe de Ville) / The Wiz Singers Adult Choir
Mabel King	...	Evillene
Theresa Merritt	...	Aunt Emma
Thelma Carpenter	...	Miss One
Lena Horne	...	Glinda the Good
Richard Pryor	...	The Wiz (Herman Smith)
Stanley Greene	...	Uncle Henry
Clyde J. Barrett	...	Subway Peddler
Derrick Bell	...	The Four Crows
Roderick-Spencer Sibert	...	The Four Crows
Kashka Banjoko	...	The Four Crows
Ronald 'Smokey' Stevens	...	The Four Crows

Alternativ:

The Wiz - Das zauberhafte Land (Deutschland) (DVD title) [de]

Länge:

134 Min | UK:128 Min | Finland:136 Min (uncut version) | Finland:118 Min (cut version)

Produktionsland:

USA

Sprache:

Englisch

Farbe:

Farbe (Technicolor)

Seitenverhältnis:

1.85 : 1

Tonverfahren:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Altersfreigabe:

Finland:K-12 (uncut) (1979) | Finland:S (heavily cut) (1980) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL

Drehorte:

Astoria Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Firma:

Motown Productions

Dies und das:

Original director John Badham was fired when he objected to Diana Ross, then 33 years old, being cast as the 14-year-old Dorothy.

Pannen:

Verschiedenes: In the scene after Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, is killed, there is a wide shot of the dancers that starts to dolly. During the camera movement, the shot starts to shake.

Dialogzitate:

Tinman: [after Dorothy cannot find his heart in his chest] Nobody home in Soulville.

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Verweis/Anspielung/Erwähnung in Straight Time (1978)

Soundtrack:

Can I Go On Not Knowing?

a favorite childhood movie of mine

...And favorites don't always have rhyme or reason. I can just say that this movie always struck a chord with me. I know that it is dark. I agree that Diana Ross's acting is overwrought with some unknown neurosis. But the music is soulful and the vocal performances make me cry every time. The urban setting (in contrast to the farm that never "clicked" with me) is almost comforting, though not in the parking garage. I agree with the more intellectual reviewers that Lumet's direction could have been better. I'm just a sucker for the gospel-style singing in "the feeling that we have", "believe", and "brand new day". I find this movie much more of an emotional release than the Wizard of Oz.