Dorothy and Toto have been an icon to American culture, and this weekend The Wizard of Oz celebrated its 75 year anniversary. This Sunday, Warner Bros. held a special screening of the movie at the grand reopening of the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The film first premiered at the Chinese Theater in 1939, so its return there was a historical moment. Warner Bros. converted the adjacent theater lobby, Chinese 6, into Emerald City with a crystal green theme and various movie related stations, such as Oz-themed video games, a lion-sized cupcake station and a life-size wax figure of Judy Garland as Dorothy. Warner Bros. also launched earlier this summer a $25 million campaign that included a McDonald’s Happy Meal collection, an Imax release and various consumer products.
The event would not be complete without a special guest appearance from an original cast member, Ruth Duccini who played one of the Munchkins. Ruth is one of only two surviving Munchkin actors, which she played when she was only 20 years old.
The Chinese Theater closed its doors earlier this summer as it underwent a renovation project. The theater is now home to the largest Imax auditorium in the world, adding a great asset to a theater already renowned for all of the Hollywood movie premieres that take place there.
