This is the earliest surviving film version of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, made by the Selig Polyscope Company but without Baum’s direct input. It was created to fulfil a contractual obligation associated with Baum’s personal bankruptcy caused by The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays, from which it was once thought to have been derived. It was partly based on the 1902 stage musical, though much of the film deals with the Wicked Witch of the West, who does not appear in the musical.
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Note this film is in the public domain in the US, EU, and most other countries, but may not be in certain jurisdictions. Please check its status in your jurisdiction before re-using.
| CLIPS | SHORT | FULL LENGTH SILENT | FULL LENGTH TALKIE |
|---|---|---|---|
Princess Nicotine (1909) 6min | Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) 12min | Last of the Mohicans (1920) 1hr11min | Meet John Doe (1941) 2hr3min |
The Unappreciated Joke (1903) 1min | Frankenstein (1910) 13min | The General (1926) 1hr19min | Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) 1hr19mins |
The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895) 21sec | The Great Train Robbery (1903) 10min | Wolf Blood (1925) 1hr7min | Reefer Madness (1938) 1hr8min |
The Kiss (1896) 25secs | Experiments in the Revival of Organisms (1940) 20min | Battleship Potemkin (1925) 1hr13min | The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) 1hr57min |
Trapeze Disrobing Act (1901) 2min | Are You Popular (1947) 10min | The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) 1hr11min | Scarlet Street (1945) 1hr43min |
Annie Oakley Fires Her Gun (1894) 20secs | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910) 13min | Faust (1926) 1hr55min | The Last Man on Earth (1964) 1hr27min |
Operation Cue (1955) 52sec | Never Weaken (1921) 28min | Intolerance (1916) 2hr57min | Quicksand (1950) 1hr18min |