The Wiz (film)

The Wiz (film)
Name	The Wiz
Caption	Theatrical release poster
Director	Sidney Lumet
Producer	Rob Cohen
Screenplay	Joel Schumacher
Based on	The Wiz, book by William F. Brown, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
Starring	Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor
Music	Quincy Jones
Cinematography	Oswald Morris
Editing	Dede Allen
Studio	Motown Productions
Distributor	Universal Pictures
Runtime	134 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Wiz (film). The Wiz is a 1978 American musical film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Rob Cohen for Motown Productions. An adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name, itself a retelling of L. Frank Baum's classic 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the film transposes the story to a fantastical version of New York City. Featuring an entirely African-American principal cast led by Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, the film is noted for its elaborate production design by Tony Walton and expansive musical numbers orchestrated by Quincy Jones.

Plot

A shy, twenty-four-year-old Harlem schoolteacher named Dorothy feels unfulfilled in her life. During a Thanksgiving dinner with her family, her dog Toto runs out into a blizzard, and while chasing him, Dorothy is whisked away by a magical snowstorm to the land of Oz, which resembles a surreal, decaying New York City. There, she is informed by Addaperle that she must seek the advice of the mysterious Wiz in the Emerald City to return home. Along the yellow brick road, which is now a sprawling highway, Dorothy befriends a sentient Scarecrow from Central Park, a rusted Tin Woodman guarding the World Trade Center, and a cowardly Lion from the New York Public Library's stone lions. Together, they evade the clutches of the villainous Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, who rules a sweatshop in Coney Island, before confronting the Wiz himself in his headquarters at the New York City Center.

Cast

* Diana Ross as Dorothy Gale * Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow * Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man * Ted Ross as the Cowardly Lion * Lena Horne as Glinda the Good Witch * Richard Pryor as the Wiz * Thelma Carpenter as Miss One (Addaperle) * Mabel King as Evillene * Stanley Greene as Uncle Henry * Teresa Merritt as Aunt Em * Theresa Merritt as Aunt Em * Clyde J. Barrett as Toto (performer)

Production

The film was a major undertaking for Motown Productions and executive producer Berry Gordy, who sought to translate the success of the Broadway show, which premiered in 1975, to the big screen. Director Sidney Lumet, known for gritty dramas like Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon, was an unconventional choice for a musical. The production utilized extensive soundstage work at Astoria Studios in Queens and on-location filming across a then-gritty New York City, including the World Trade Center plaza and the since-demolished New York State Pavilion. A significant controversy arose over the casting of Diana Ross, then in her mid-thirties, as Dorothy, a role written for a much younger woman; this led to script revisions to accommodate her age.

Music

The film's score and soundtrack were produced and arranged by Quincy Jones, featuring new songs alongside numbers from the Charlie Smalls stage production. Key musical sequences include the opening "The Feeling That We Have" in Harlem, the expansive "Ease on Down the Road" performed as a duet between Ross and Jackson, and the climactic "Brand New Day" in the Emerald City. Lena Horne performs the ballad "Believe in Yourself" as Glinda. The soundtrack album was released on MCA Records and featured additional orchestration by a team including Bob James.

Release

The Wiz premiered at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City on October 24, 1978, with a wide theatrical release across the United States following through Universal Pictures. The film's marketing emphasized its all-star cast and its status as a major Motown Productions event. It was later released on various home video formats, including VHS and Laserdisc, and has been broadcast on television networks like NBC.

Reception

Upon release, the film was a critical and commercial disappointment, failing to recoup its high budget against modest box office returns. Critics praised the imaginative production design by Tony Walton and the performances of Michael Jackson and Nipsey Russell, but many found the film overlong and lacking the energy of the stage version. However, over subsequent decades, The Wiz has attained significant status as a cult film and an important piece of African-American cinema, particularly noted for its afrofuturistic aesthetics and its showcase of Black talent during the 1970s in film. The film earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Art Direction for Tony Walton and Best Costume Design for Walton and Geoffrey Holder.

Category:1978 films Category:American musical films Category:Universal Pictures films