August 12, 1939 - Toto, We're Not in Kansas Anymore!
How did Dorothy Gale travel from Kansas to "not in Kansas"? Via a spectacular special effects team. Learn about how the tornado scene was created in The Wizard of Oz.
On August 12, 1939, The Wizard of Oz premiered at the Strand Theatre in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. It was one of three premieres across the world. The movie was inspired by L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The story has been interpreted and retold through a variety of media, angles, and decades. No matter how the story is told, in the eye of the tale, lies an iconic, powerful, and difficult-to-recreate tornado.
Click here to see more episodes of This Day in Weather History
The film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz phenomenally captured a realistic tornado tearing through a farm, but not on their first try.
Listen to the "This Day in Weather History" podcast (embedded at the top of this article), to hear how the masterful 1939 special effects team created "the tornado scene."
“This Day In Weather History” is a daily podcast by The Weather Network that features unique and informative stories from host Chris Mei. Click here to listen and subscribe!
