I didn't like it, mainly as I was told it wasn't Judy Garland's voice. I think I saw it a Sunday afternoon, in the '70s, and as a kid, if it was new to me, then it was new. It should always be kept close to our heart. there really are still some very nice modest little people left in the world and that is touching. it takes a lot of gentle sweetness and heart to like a little film like this and considering how under appreciated this film is, and how under appreciated hand animation has become by mass taste who seem to prefer computer animation to hand drawing these days,these people who liked this film deserve to be truly commended for their gracious perceptiveness. I noticed from the other reviews that this sweet little film has some other fans. who else to voice Dorothy but the original film Dorothy's daughter? and they were able to obtain her because at the time she was only fifteen and not yet famous. it's backgrounds are lush and colorful, the character animation cute and funny, and the vocals are basically good with Liza Minnelli being an exceptional treat. something at that time Disney wouldn't touch).But now that classic hand drawn animation is a dying craft, this film seems quite ambitious and unique. but this little film was their most major effort,( they usually assigned themselves to the Saturday morning TV cartoon post. even now one can hardly make a claim that they are on a par with the Disney studio. The Hal Sutherland animation studios were never the top of the craft. I bought this because I was curious about it and wanted to see if it was any good,(I had remembered it being pretty bad at the time I saw it it in the seventies) I was surprised to find that the years have been good to this film. if it's vintage and old I like it, even if it's garbage. I am a big fan of hand drawn animation, especially the vintage retro stuff. "It was easy" quotes Liza, "All I had to do was mimick my momma's voice!" Anyway it's an excellent film, (it should keep most children entertained-all the one i've showed it to have been anyway)so if you are a die-hard Oz-fan you should see, it (it's on video) I personally have "Journey Back To Oz" in my video collection, and it is a favourite for little cousins e.t.c! P.S I LOVE the soundtrack score for the 'tornado' scene! It's so dramatic and awesome! you've never heard anything like it! it's really cool with heaps of differant instruments! In 1964, apparently Liza Minnelli PROUDLY recorded the voice for Dorothy, but then regretted doing it later on, and was embarrassed, seing as it was was designed as a crude exploit of her mother's (Judy Garland's) work!. This film is very rare and hardly known by anyone. I first saw this film when I was about 5 or 6, and to this day I've always loved it! Just the story, the voices the songs, the animation was really cute and simple, the gorgeous backgrounds- Liza Minnelli is in the lead as the voice of 'Dorothy', the rest of the cast include, Mickey Rooney (Scarecrow), Ethel Merman (Mombi-the wicked witch of the west's cousin) Paul Lynde (Pumpkin head), and the original 'wicked witch of ther west' from the 1939 MGM classic, does a cameo as Dorothy's Aunt Em! The plot is a mesh of "Ozma Of Oz" and "The Land Of OZ" (The wizard of oz's author's, other book sequels) I've always loved this movie, it is a little cheesy mind you, (and some of the songs would be severly critisced by film critics)and are waaaay too long, but the story is a good sequel, it fits in better to the mgm version everyone knows, better than the 1985 film "return To Oz" (which i also love mind you) because it has, the same cheery backdrops, songs, and voices. It's not perfect, but I've honestly seen worse. Even Margaret Hamilton, the wicked Witch in the 1939 film, voices Aunt Em here The story is like the animation, cute and charming, not the best story line in the world, but stays fairly true to the film it obviously drew its inspiration from. This is still the same person who has the big, brassy voice from films like Call Me Madam, yet she does this film, and manages to do a truly excellent voice over, that is both sinister and fun. I loved the characters Pumpkinhead, Glinda (voiced by beautiful opera singer Rise Steevens) and the Horse, but the biggest surprise was Ethel Merman as the witch Mombi. Liza Minelli does an excellent job as Dorothy, and I think her singing voice here was beautiful, and here she sounds like her mother, the wonderful Judy Garland. The songs, while not as fabulous as the 1939 film, are still very nice and quite charming, even "Carousel". The animation while simple, is colourful and adds to the charm of the film. I don't think it is quite as good as the 1939 classic, which was and still is my childhood favourite, but it is an enjoyable underrated film, that is nowhere near as bad as some people say it is.
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