Smithsonian Channel Documentaries

The Origins of Oz (2011x5)

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Follow the yellow brick road as we take a journey into the life of the man who created the first genuinely American fairy tale. L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” has been read by millions. The film adaptation has been seen by more people more times than any other film in the history of cinema. But little is known about the man behind it all, and how the people, places and circumstances in his life influenced this timeless tale. Discover a new perspective on this much-loved classic as we pull the curtain back on this wonderful writer. No other American children’s story has been as enthusiastically embraced by young and old alike as L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” The “Harry Potter” of its day, it has been adapted and re-invented by every generation since the book was first published in 1899. But how did this classic tale come to be? Visit the locations that inspired Baum’s Land of Oz, witness his family’s archival collection, and hear interviews with fans, historians, and the author’s family as we share this heart-warming story of the man behind the classic.