Wizard of Oz in Britian?

[ticktock]

Tonight DH and I were watching the W of Oz on TV and I said something to the effect that Oz and Alice in Wonderland had been a big part of my childhood. DH said that the W of Oz was a major thing in his, but not Alice. DH's family had watched Oz every year, but he had never read the Alice books and the movies were never as big here as Oz.

So, I was wondering, is (or was) The Wizard of Oz a big deal in Britian? As much or more so than Alice in Wonderland? I'm not just talking about movies, more like the worlds of Oz and Wonderland being a big part of childhood and culture if you understand me?

 

[natalielongstaff]

in my family we watched the wizard of oz every year...ive only seen alice once or twice.

 

[emily1982]

yeah i've always watched the wizard of oz, but preferred the Return to Oz film, i used to get abit freaked out by Alice and find it scare

 

[alisonbestford]

Wizard of Oz is DH's favourite film

It's on most years, at Christmas, and we have to sit through it repeatedly - regardless of the fact we have the video.....................

 

[Minniespal]

I usually watch The Wizard of Oz when it on the television over Christmas. Haven't seen Alice in Wonderland in a long time.

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

I've never seen the whole of the Wizard of Oz all the way through, even though it's on year after year.

Alice in Wonderland was difficult to see because, up until relatively recently, you would never get a Disney "classic" on TV. They only ever showed them in cinemas. We used to live with the "snippets" on "Disney Time" (remember that?) shown very year at Christmas and Easter......and always the same pieces from the films:

Bambi: trying to stand on the ice
Fantasia: Mickey and the broomsticks
Peter Pan: Following the leader
Snow White: I'm wishing
Cinderella: Bibiddy Bobiddy boo
etc.

So neither of the films played a big part in my childhood.

 

[carolfoy]

The Alice books were a huge part of my childhood, in fact they were the first real books I read (I was aged about 4 and used to read them to my dad over breakfast) My A level english lit included a recitation of the whole of The Walrus and the Carpenter, and I can still remember most verses, I loved, loved, loved it but I must admit to most of the curiosities going over my head until I was much older. The Wizard Of Oz was just another family film that we sat and watched together over xmas, always was and always will be a classic.

 

[Duggas]

I love the Wizard of Oz and have done since I was a child. I'm now the wrong side of forty and I still watch it every time its on TV. We went to see the musical 'Wicked' in London last weekend which is the Witch's story from the Wizard and we loved every minute of it. So if you're an Oz fan then try to go and see it.

Never really got into Alice (other than the school play!). She always seemed such a precocious child eating other peoples cakes and drinking their booze!

 

[daipp]

The Wizard of Oz is great!!!

Although we have Alice on video and DVD I can honestly say I have never seen it.

We also saw Wicked the other week and it has several references to the original story if you listen carefully.

David

 

[Dimplenose]

I didn't see Wizard of Oz until I was an adult (I'm 44 now) and it wasn't until I had my own children that I read the book.

Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass however were two of my favourite books as a child and I read them long before I saw any film version. (I saw the live action film with Dudley Moore as the dormouse before I saw the Disney one).

Libby

 

[Graeme]

We went to see the musical 'Wicked' in London last weekend

I'm reading the book at the moment. Is it true to the book then? I'm planning on the stage show early next year