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The Wizard of Oz (1939) is one of cinema's most celebrated films, but it varies greatly from L. Frank Baum’s original 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Here are 10 major differences between the book and its film adaptation. (Warning: Spoilers ahead for those who haven't read the book.)
1. The slippers were originally silver, not ruby.
It may surprise some classic film lovers to learn that the original magical slippers in the book were silver, not ruby red. Some scholars believe that Baum’s choice of silver was a subtle reference to the 19th-century American Populist movement, which opposed the gold standard. In this interpretation, the Yellow Brick Road represents the gold standard, a system that was inaccessible to many, including farmers (Scarecrow), factory workers (Tin Man), and ordinary people (Dorothy). The Populists advocated for the free coinage of silver as a solution.
Screenwriter Noel Langley chose to change the slippers from silver to ruby, likely because, as Jesse Rhodes notes in Smithsonian, “the color would stand out better against a yellow brick road.” The rest, as they say, is film history.
2. The Kansas counterparts of the Oz characters were created for the movie.
“Remember me? Your old pal Hunk?” Baum didn’t. The movie introduced a complex framing device, turning the irritable Miss Gulch, the fraudulent Professor Marvel, and the three farmhands into the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard, and the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. These Kansas characters, however, don’t appear in the book, where the focus is on Dorothy, her aunt and uncle, Toto, and the dull, gray Midwest.
3. The Tin Man was once a real man.
Isn’t it strange that no one in the movie questions the existence of a “Tin Man”? Where did a man made of tin come from? The book fills in this gap: The Tin Man was originally a human who fell in love with a Munchkin girl. Their love was destroyed by an evil old woman who lived with the girl and wanted her to stay at home.
The old woman enlisted the Wicked Witch of the East (no longer just a pair of striped socks beneath a house) to curse the woodman’s axe, causing it to sever his limbs, head, and even split his torso (and heart) in two. The woodman replaced every missing part with tin, but ended up without a heart.
4. The Wicked Witch of the West was not responsible for the poppies.
In the book, the poppy scene has no connection to the Wicked Witch. The flowers themselves have no magical influence. In fact, poppies have been known for their sleep-inducing properties due to the opiates they contain, such as morphine and codeine. While Dorothy and the Lion fall asleep in both the book and the movie after inhaling the poppies' scent, the real effect only happens if the narcotic components are consumed.
5. People must wear sunglasses inside the Emerald City.
The Emerald City in the book is far more dazzling than in the movie, with so many emeralds that residents must wear sunglasses constantly. These glasses aren’t just for style—they’re actually locked behind the wearer's head to protect their eyes from being blinded by the sparkling gems.
6. There are no animals of any kind in the Emerald City.
In the film, Dorothy and her companions travel in a horse-drawn cart. However, the book clearly states that no horses exist in the Emerald City—of any color! Without animals to help, the citizens manually push carts to transport their goods.
7. Oz presents himself to each character in a different form.
In the movie, Oz appears as a glowing head, but in the book, this is only one of four forms the fake wizard takes. Each of the four friends visits Oz individually, and he adopts a unique appearance for each one. To Dorothy, he appears as an enormous glowing head; to Scarecrow, he is a beautiful woman; to Tin Man, he transforms into a terrifying beast with five eyes; and to the Lion, he takes the shape of a fiery ball.
8. The Wicked Witch of the West has only one eye.
If you found Margaret Hamilton’s green skin and eerie cackle frightening, you’d be even more unsettled by the original Wicked Witch of the West—who was a cyclops. Baum doesn't describe her in much detail, but he does mention that she has a single, all-seeing eye that constantly scans the land for Dorothy and her companions. Fortunately, the filmmakers decided to go with a crystal ball instead.
9. The mark of Glinda’s kiss is visible.
In both the film and the book, Glinda the Good Witch kisses Dorothy on the forehead before she embarks on her journey to the Emerald City. In the movie, this moment is barely acknowledged. However, in the book, Glinda’s kiss leaves behind a visible protective mark, which helps Dorothy and her friends gain entry to see Oz, and later protects her from the flying monkeys who would otherwise kill her.
10. Dorothy doesn’t faint during the tornado.
In the movie, Dorothy’s adventure in Oz is presented as a vivid dream caused by a blow to the head during the tornado. This framing device is absent from the book. In the novel, Dorothy remains conscious as the house is carried by the twister, though she does drift off as the storm rages on. When she returns to Kansas, she’s fully aware, swept up by the wind so quickly that all she can feel is the breeze rushing past her ears. Just before landing, the silver slippers slip off her feet, “lost forever in the desert.”
