'The Wizard of Oz'

I grew up watching The Wizard of Oz every spring whenever it would be shown on network television. It was always a highlight of my year. I love this film.

When I was a kid, I always thought people in film and TV to be my age. Like Kelly Leak in The Bad News Bears was my age. In fact, he was 12 when the film was made and was probably 25 by the time I got around to watching it.

So, I thought Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale was somewhere in Hollywood ... at 15 years old (Gale was apparently supposed to be 12 ... if produces thought they could convince us Garland was 12, then they had another thing coming). In fact, Garland had already died. But I grew up through my 20s identifying Garland as Dorothy Gale and nothing else.

The virginal, pretty, sweet and sassy Dorothy Gale. I knew he as nothing else. I guess I knew she was in other films, but I didn't want to watch those other films so she was always the little girl from Kansas. Isn't that weird?

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One of my favorite parts of The Wizard of Oz is the songs. Even as the kid, I really liked the songs and as a kid I didn't really like singing or dancing.

For whatever reason, the composers created something that I could sink my teeth into. Doesn't make a lot of sense.

As an adult, I truly appreciate the music, especially the lyrics. I think the wittiest songs are the intro songs for each of the Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion. The "If I Only Had A ..." songs. Really funny and great lyrics. Thoughtful and smart.

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My favorite of the three cohorts is the Tinman, especially played by Jack Haley. Although he plays a Tinman and his hold downfall is tears or rain rusting his hinges, he also comes off as really smooth and with the best voice.

Like a real crooner whereas Bert Lahr may or may not have been able to sing (although his theatrical/operatic style is most humorous) and Ray Bolger comes off as more of a vaudvillian physical comedian, Haley seems like a legit singer, actor and dancer.

I love his wry smile, that smooth voice and the physicality of his dance routine. When he stands straight up and begins to pitch from side to side as if he were to fall over is really quite remarkable getting his legs to look like they are nailed on the ground.

It's interesting that Lahr, Haley and Bolger didn't have these extensive Hollywood careers. They each did some film and, later, some TV. But not a ton of each. They were all vaudvillian veterans with some Broadway experience. Still, they each had a hand in one of the most popular and beloved films of all time and little else.

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I watched this film for the first time all the way through in about 10 years. It was also the first time with my three-year-old daughter. She liked it. Kind of thought the Wicked Witch of the est and flying monkeys might freak her out. But she's a tad bit mature to get too worked up about such nonsense.

I'm sure we'll watch it again.

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I never thought about who played the flying monkeys until now. I guess I always assumed they were real monkeys with wings on them. Clearly, they're people. Munchkins I presume.