Beverly Hills, CA (RPRN) 7/30/2009—The 1939 Best Picture nominee “The Wizard of Oz†will be screened, digitally from a new 4K restoration, as the final feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ series “Hollywood’s Greatest Year: The Best Picture Nominees of 1939†on Monday, August 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Jerry Maren, who portrayed one of the Lollipop Guild members in Munchkinland, will be present for a short Q&A before the film.
Pre-show elements, which begin at 6:45 p.m., include videotaped interviews with Margaret Hamilton and Ray Bolger from a 1983 Academy event, the 12th chapter of the 1939 serial “Buck Rogers,†starring Buster Crabbe and Constance Moore, and the 1939 winner for Cartoon Short Subject, Walt Disney’s “The Ugly Duckling.â€
“The Wizard of Oz,†an imaginative and tuneful musical fantasy with glorious visuals and now-classic original songs, stars Judy Garland in all her youthful glory. This screening marks the public premiere of the 4K digital restoration, courtesy of Warner Bros.
The film won Oscars® for Music – Original Score (Herbert Stothart) and Music – Song (“Over the Rainbow,†Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg). “The Wizard of Oz†received an additional three Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), Art Direction (Cedric Gibbons, William A. Horning) and Special Effects (A. Arnold Gillespie, Douglas Shearer).
“The Wizard of Oz†is sold out, but a standby line will form on the day of the event and standby numbers will be assigned at approximately 5:30 p.m. Any available tickets will be distributed shortly before the program begins (approx. 7:15 p.m.). Ticket holders should plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the event to ensure a seat in the theater.
Curtain time for all features is 7:30 p.m., and pre-show elements will begin at 6:45 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.
###
Contact Info:
Tarrah Curtis
(310) 247-3090
tcurtis@oscars.org