‘Wizard of Oz’ to return to theaters to honor Judy Garland’s 100th Birthday

The incomparable Judy Garland would be celebrating her 100th birthday this June and to honor this special occasion, Fathom Events and Warner Bros. are bringing her unforgettable performance in “The Wizard of Oz” back to cinemas for a two-day engagement.

The film will play in over 800 theatres nationwide on Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network on Sunday, June 5 at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm local time and on Monday, June 6 at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm local time. In addition to the full feature film, fans will be able to enjoy a rarely-seen extended musical number.  In the scene, Ray Bolger (Scarecrow™) performs a dance routine that was cut from the original movie.

Tickets for “The Wizard of Oz: Judy Garland 100 Years Over The Rainbow” are available online at www.fathomevents.com or at participating theater box offices. The event will be presented in select movie theaters around the country.  For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed ‘Gone With the Wind’), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Dorothy™ was portrayed by a 4’11” sixteen-year-old girl who quickly earned her reputation as “the world’s greatest entertainer”— Judy Garland. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow™; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly lion™, Jack Haley as the Tin Man™. Frank Morgan was seen in six different roles, including that of the wonderful “Wizard of OzTM” himself.

The Wizard of Oz received five Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture (Outstanding Production), and captured two Oscars®—Best Song (“Over the Rainbow”) and Best Original Score — plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Judy Garland. The film was an overwhelmingly popular and critical success upon its initial release and proved its ability to continually captivate audiences when M-G-M reissued the film in 1949 and 1955.

THE WIZARD OF OZ and all related characters and elements are trademarks of © Turner Entertainment Co. (s15).

“Academy Award®,” “Academy Awards®” is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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