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Lyman Frank Baum, (May 15, 1856–May 6, 1919) was an American author, actor, and
independent filmmaker best known as the creator, along with illustrator W. W. Denslow, of one of the most popular books ever
written in American children's literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, An American Fairy Tale.
In 1891, he and
his family moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Baum took a job reporting for the Evening Post. For several years he edited a
magazine for advertising agencies focused on window displays in stores. The major department stores created elaborate Christmas
time fantasies, using clockwork mechanism that made it seem that people and animals were moving.
Children thought
it was magic, and adults wondered if there was not a man behind the curtain pulling the levers. In 1897 he wrote and published
Mother Goose in Prose, a collection of Mother Goose rhymes written as prose stories, and illustrated by Maxfield Parrish.
Mother Goose was a moderate success, and allowed Baum to quit his door-to-door job.
In 1899 Baum partnered with
illustrator W. W. Denslow, to publish Father Goose: His Book, a collection of nonsense poetry. The book was a success, becoming
the best selling children's book of the year.
Baum and Denslow were deeply involved in both the politics of the
1890s and the images that were used. Drawing on this experience they constructed a "modern fairy tale". In 1900,
Baum and Denslow (with whom he shared the copyright) published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to much critical and financial acclaim.
The book was the bestselling children's book for two years after its initial publication. Baum went on to write thirteen other
novels based on the places and people of the Land of Oz. The book was heavily influenced by landmarks in Holland, Michigan
where he would stay with his great-grandfather. In fact, the Yellow Brick Road was named after winding cobblestone roads in
that town.
Two years after Wizard's publication, Baum and Denslow teamed up with composer Paul Tietjens and director
Julian Mitchell to produce a musical stage version of the book. This stage version was the first to use the title "The
Wizard of Oz". It ran on Broadway 293 stage nights from 1902 to 1911, and also successfully toured the United States.
The stage version starred Dave Montgomery and Fred Stone as the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow respectively, which shot the pair
to instant fame at the time. The stage version differed quite a bit from the book, and was aimed primarily at adults. Toto
was replaced with Imogene the Cow, and Tryxie Tryfle, a waitress and Pastoria, a streetcar operator were added as fellow cyclone
victims. Baum had the actors make explicit reference to President Theodore Roosevelt, Senator Mark Hanna, and oil magnate
John D. Rockefeller. Because of the success of the stage version,
all subsequent versions of the story, including newer editions of the novel, have been titled "The Wizard of Oz",
rather than using the full, original title.
In 1939, the story was made into the now classic movie "The Wizard
of Oz" starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, aimed less at adults and lacking the explicit political reference. Toto
was restored as Dorothy's dog.
A completely new Tony Award winning Broadway musical based on African-American nusical
styles, "The Wiz" was staged in 1975 with Stephanie Mills as Dorothy. It was the basis for a 1978 film by the same
title starring Diana Ross as an adult Dorothy.
It continues to inspire new versions: "The Muppets Wizard of
Oz" and a variety of animated productions.
In 1906, Frank Baum writes American Fairy Tales.
In
1914, having moved to Hollywood years earlier, Baum started his own film production company, The Oz Film Manufacturing Company,
serving as its president, and principal producer and screenwriter.
Baum died on May 6, 1919, aged 62, and was
buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California.
References- Wikipedia, 2006
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Somewhere over the Rainbow...
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