The 1975 Broadway debut of The Wiz—an African American retelling of the classic children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum—was a huge hit. Starring seventeen-year-old Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, who was a tiny teenager with a big voice. The play went on to win seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Given this success, it’s no wonder that Barry Gordy’s Motown Productions teamed with Universal Pictures to produce a movie version of the play.
When casting the film, it was decided that Ted Ross and Mabel King would reprise their roles as The Lion and Evillene. At thirty-three-years old, Diana Ross wanted the lead role of Dorothy Gale. Barry Gordy rejected this idea, in favor of casting Stephanie Mills, with Ross as the Good Witch (a part that eventually went to Lena Horne). In the end, Ross was cast as Dorothy amid fears that Stephanie Mills wasn’t ‘box office.’ The other roles went to Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man, Thelma Carpenter as Miss One (instead of Addapearle as in the stage play.) and Richard Pryor as the Wiz.
Hot off Saturday Night Fever, John Badham was set to direct, but he stepped aside when Diana Ross was cast as Dorothy, believing she was just too old to play a teenager. Inexplicably, Universal brought on Sidney Lumet to direct, famous for gritty dramas such as 12 Angry Men and Serpico. Lumet than brought on screenwriter Joel Schumacher—yes, that Joel Schumacher—and the two decided not to use William Brown’s Tony nominated script, in favor of a grittier tale on the streets of New York City, influenced by the then popular Erhard Seminars Training (“est”) movement. Stranger still, Harold Wheeler’s already excellent orchestrations were tossed in favor of an entirely new soundtrack by Quincy Jones. What’s left, barely resembles the original musical at all.
In this “new” story, Twenty-four-year-old Dorothy (Ross) is a painfully shy kindergarten teacher who has never ventured beyond south of 125th Street. On Thanksgiving night, she is whisked up in a snow cyclone and finds herself deposited into the strange world of lower Manhattan. With no idea where she is, or how to get home, she’s advised by numbers runner Miss One (Carpenter) that the Wiz (Pryor) in Emerald City can solve her problems. Dorothy just needs to follow the yellow brick road to get there. As she makes her way around various locations in the five boroughs of the city, Dorothy she meets a scarecrow (Jackson), a tin man (Russell), and a timid lion (Ted Ross). Together, the quartet braves fearful situations to inevitably find their hearts desire.
While New York could have been an ideal setting, its dark, graffiti-filled streets resemble a nightmare, rather than a technicolor dream. This was a chance to show New York in a positive light. Instead, the decision to mix real locations with fantastical ones is just weird. Again, why didn’t they use William Brown’s already excellent script? For a musical that was about proud African American representation, Sidney Lumet trades that in for a hodgepodge of poorly plotted philosophical ideas.
Not surprisingly, the strongest performances in the film come from the two Broadway actors, Ted Ross and Mabel King. While Diana Ross clearly gives it her all, she’s too old for the role even though Dorothy is now twenty-four years old. Not once did I believe that Dorothy was painfully shy. Neurotic maybe, but not shy. Even as a fan of Michael Jackson, his whiny scarecrow is insufferable.
A bomb at the box office, The Wiz has since become a cult classic, buoyed by fans of Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as well as Oz aficionados. While the problems with The Wiz are numerous, there’s no denying the brilliance of some of the music. It’s impossible not to feel inspired when dancers break into “A Brand New Day,” after being freed from Evillene’s repression.
Criterion has brought The Wiz to 2160p courtesy of an excellent 4K digital restoration from the 35mm Original Camera Negative done by Universal. The image is pristine throughout. colors are bright and vivid, given even more life with the use of Dolby Vision. Oswald Morris cinematography is top notch, and the impressive set design pops throughout. Blacks are deep and inky, allowing for impressive depth. Scratches or other anomalies aren’t apparent. Criterion’s 4K is by far the best release of The Wiz available.
The newly remastered Dolby Atmos track brings new life to The Wiz. The entire soundstage is regularly filled with music, occasionally splitting to the fronts and rears. Dialogue and solo singing seem largely contained to the center channel. Dialogue is clean, clear and concise. There are no apparent pops, or other anomalies present.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following extras are included on the Blu-ray:
- Audio Commentary with Scholars Michael B. Gillespie and Alfred L. Martin: Newly recorded for Criterion, the two men enthusiastically discus the film, covering how it compares to the ‘classic” Oz story, the creatives minds behind The Wiz, the cast, its portrayal of black life, its legacy and more.
- Diana Ross Interview (SD, 7:57) Conducted at the 1978 premiere, Ross’s thoughts on future film projects are poignant, considering this would be last theatrical film she would appear in.
- Sidney Lumet Interview (SD, 11:59) Conducted in 2001 for a documentary on Quincy Jones, the director speaks glowingly about his relationship with Jones. He also blames himself for the box office failure of The Wiz.
- Theatrical Trailer (SD, 3:23)
- Leaflet: Includes an essay, “A Soulful Oz” by author Aisha Harris.