The Patchwork Girl has come to cinch the deal

[vovat]

I believe The Patchwork Girl of Oz was the one mostly-complete film made by L. Frank Baum that wasn't included on last year's DVD release of The Wizard of Oz. I think the reason why might have to do with the fact that it is only MOSTLY complete; the footage of Unc Nunkie, Margolotte, and Danx turning to stone is missing. I recently got a DVD of the movie from Netflix, which features this sleeve description: "In The Patchwork Girl of Oz, a boy named Ojo befriends a lively rag doll. Together, they journey to the magical land of Oz, where they encounter colorful characters and help save the citizens of Emerald City from the evil Queen Ozma."

While I'm sure anyone who's familiar with any of the post-Wizard Oz books can see the problem with that description, I do have to say that the film's Ozma look kinda nasty. I'm not sure what's up with that. Overall, though, it followed the book pretty well. It's probably my favorite of Baum's silent films, with more plot than His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz, and more action than The Magic Cloak of Oz. It does have quite a bit of the drawn-out pantomime and people cavorting in cheap animal costumes that Baum apparently thought would attract movie-goers, but I was surprised by how much of the story Baum managed to work in, even though some of it looked rather pathetic (even by the standards of the time, from what I understand). The Hoppers, for instance, looked like they were participating in a potato sack race. The Tottenhots also appeared, and were, unfortunately, played by actors in blackface. The film did, however, portray a Tottenhot as part of a trial jury at a time when black jurors were very rare in the United States, so that's something, right? I didn't really mind the addition of Jesseva and Danx to the cast (although why Baum thought romance was a Bad Idea in a children's book but totally necessary in a dramatic production isn't entirely clear), but I have no clue why Ojo and Jesseva were accompanied to the Emerald City by a gang of random extras. So, yeah. It's not something I'd recommend to a non-fan, but it was interesting watching nonetheless.

Speaking of lesser-known Oz movies, I also watched Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz, a direct-to-video adaptation of Ozma of Oz from the late eighties. And you can TELL it's from the eighties, as it's hosted by Michael Gross from Family Ties, and includes a cheesy eighties theme song. The voice work was apparently done by anyone they could pull in off the street. Seriously, if you look at the IMDB page, only Dorothy's voice and the theme song singer are credited with anything else. Still, it's better than Journey Back to Oz, and that one had some big-name celebrities in it.

Okay, I might as well do this meme that I got from obsessical. She asked me to explain three interests and three icons, and I have to...well, do that.

8-bit theatre - A very funny comic strip based on the original Final Fantasy. Check it out!

bwoop bwoop - In Oracle of Ages, this is what Jabu-Jabu says when he's a baby. bethje listed it as an interest first, and I stole it from her.

chrono trigger - A really cool Super NES RPG made by Squaresoft, the company responsible for the Final Fantasy series. As the name suggests, it involves time travel.


See here for Frank's original quote about not being a dancing bear. I believe it was quoted on the front page of frankblack.net, which is how lozenger8 (who made the icon) learned about it.


It means exactly what it looks like. Unless it doesn't, that is. You'd have to ask bethje to be sure.


Bast, the Egyptian cat goddess. Since I like both cats and mythology, I thought it was a good fit.

If anyone wants me to pick some interests and icons of yours to explain, let me know.

Comments

[slfcllednowhere.livejournal.com]

Yeh, I'll do yours if you'll do mine. And I'll try to find some not-already-explained ones, hehe.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Okay, for interests, I'll ask about ageplay, decadent intellectualism, and Lord Byron.

And for icons:

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

That looks fun. Do you have any questions about any of my interests/pictures though?

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Well, I can't come up with three of each to ask about, but for the interests, how about Joan Ganz Cooney and Vienna, Austria? (I know what Vienna IS, but why is it a particular interest of yours?)

For the icons, I've actually always kind of wondered about your old icon. You know, this one:

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

Joan Ganz Cooney is the creator --okay, the head honcho behind, since there were loads of actual creators involved-- of Sesame Street, and then became and I believe still is the president of Children's Television Workshop. Assuming she's not dead or retired. I did a research project on sesame street in high school so got to know a good bit about her. The main reason she's on my interests lists, though, is because I saw her listed on the interests lists of a friend of a friend, and it was NOT CLICKABLE, which meant that that person was the only person on livejournal who HAD listed her as an interest, and I thought, she is just too cool of a person for nobody else to list as an interest, so I added her, too!

I didn't really think much about Vienna until after I took the fabled HC Senior Synthesis class on the city (and went there!) Taking the class itself was fascinating because I never realized just how much of world history and culture had its roots in Vienna-- and we were only studying one time period there, turn of the 20th century-- just that time period had ENOUGH influence in it, let alone the rest of history! Then actually being in Vienna was awesome because it's a really amazing and beautiful city, and is probably my favorite city of any that I've been to as a tourist in the entire world.

That icon started out as a doodle that I liked so well that I kept expanding it and adding color and then I cut it out and saved it and now it's decorating the cover of a binder I keep one of my novels-in-progress in (the least in-progress story incidentally). I decided the picture was in fact of the heroine of that story, although the picture captures her in an uncharacteristicly quiet moment, as she's actually rather hyperactive. The character is very little like me, but much more like the girl I always wished I was, so I suppose that's why I made her my icon.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I know some of the HC students had been to Vienna BEFORE starting classes. Just what was the connection between the HC and Vienna, anyway?

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

Goebel studied abroad there and made a lot of connections (including the couple that became our professors in Vienna for the Synthesis course) so she always pushed it for people because SHE was so in love with the city. Not that, once they were there, anybody thought it was a BAD place to go. Okay, at least I was impressed with it.

[yosef.livejournal.com]

Do you know what DVD company version of The Patchwork Girl of Oz you watched? I wanted to get this version, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009XT8ME/ in hopes that it wasn't the same as the video version I have with the weird music and semi-annoying narration.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

The DVD is called "The World of Oz," and includes both Patchwork Girl and Magic Cloak. Unlike my copy of His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz, it doesn't have the title card narration (which I understand was provided by a porn star). I have no idea whether the one you linked to on Amazon has the narration, but I'm pretty sure that isn't the same as the one I got from Netflix.

[yosef.livejournal.com]

cool, thank you for the info

[punterschlagen.livejournal.com]

This post reminded me of a question I wanted to ask you, since you are the most well-versed Oz fan I know. I recently read the book "Wicked" (and also heard the musical soundtrack - I know the stage show is different from the book). I was pretty disappointed with the book, but I'm mostly a fan of the MGM film and have only read a few of the books. I was wondering if you've read it, and what you think of it.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I have read Wicked, but it took a long time for me to get through it. Interesting in parts, certainly, but some sections really dragged. I know some people love it, but it seems to be more people who aren't familiar with Baum's own continuations to the story who fit into that category. I haven't seen the stage show, but would like to sometime. I understand it's a lot more optimistic and less dry than the book.