The Wiz (1978)
-
29% of critics liked it
(21 reviews) -
60% of users liked it
(34,624 ratings)
Sidney Lumet's The Wiz is the film version of the popular Broadway musical that retells the events of L. Frank Baum's classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz through the eyes of a young African-American kindergarten teacher who's "never been below 125th Street." Leaving a… More Sidney Lumet's The Wiz is the film version of the popular Broadway musical that retells the events of L. Frank Baum's classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz through the eyes of a young African-American kindergarten teacher who's "never been below 125th Street." Leaving a large family dinner to chase her dog into a snowstorm, Dorothy (Diana Ross) is swept up by a cyclone and transplanted to the land of Oz -- which looks suspiciously like a skewed version of the run-down Manhattan of the late '70s. Landing on top of the Wicked Witch of the East, the puzzled Dorothy is greeted by munchkins who peel themselves from a graffiti mural and sing to her about the Wiz (Richard Pryor), a powerful wizard living in Emerald City who can help her get home. On her journey down the yellow brick road, she encounters a garbage-stuffed scarecrow (Michael Jackson) in a junkyard, a broken-down tin man (Nipsey Russell) caught in the decay of an old amusement park, and a cowardly lion (Ted Ross) posing as a stone statue outside a museum. The quartet tangles with a subway station that comes to life, a poppy den, and a gaggle of motorcycle henchman on their way to the Wiz -- who orders them to kill the Wicked Witch of the West (a sweatshop tyrant) before he will grant them their wishes. The Wiz has about double the large-scale production numbers of The Wizard of Oz (1939), with songs written and composed by Charlie Smalls. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
- Directed By
- Sidney Lumet
- Written By
- Joel Schumacher
- Genres
- Action & Adventure, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy
- In Theaters
- Oct 24, 1978 Wide
- On DVD
- Apr 13, 1999
- Studio
- Universal Pictures
Critic Reviews
-
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It lost its magic.
-
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Sidney Lumet's all-black musical, starring Diana Ross, is a failed effort to transfer the setting of the Judy Graland musical to contempo Manhattan.
-
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
Well, it's nice to see the child-voiced Michael Jackson with a bulbous brown nose in this black American retake of The Wizard Of Oz
-
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Among many faults, Diana Ross is miscast
-
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A celebration of personhood with plenty of rousing rock-and-soul-and gospel music.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Also available on
UltraViolet Retailers
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
Cast
-
Diana Ross
as Dorothy
-
Michael Jackson
as Scarecrow
-
Nipsey Russell
as Tinman
-
Lena Horne
as Glinda the Good
-
Richard Pryor
as The Wiz (Herman Smith)
-
Ted Ross
as Lion
-
Mabel King
as Evillene
-
Mariann Aalda
as Aunt Em's Party
-
Alvin Alexis
as Aunt Em's Party
-
Vicki Baltimore
as Green Lady
-
Clyde J. Barrett
as Subway Peddler
-
Claude Brooks
as Aunt Em's Party
-
Thelma Carpenter
as Miss One
-
Willie C. Carpenter
as Aunt Em's Party
-
Stanley Greene
as Uncle Henry
-
Carlton Johnson
as Head Winkie
-
Theresa Merritt
as Aunt Em
- Jaime Perry
-
Mabel Robinson
as Munchkin #2
-
Glory Van Scott
as Rolls-Royce Lady
-
Ted Williams
as Munchkin #1
-
Dorothy Fox
as Aunt Em's Party
-
Harry Madsen
as Cheetah
-
Joe Lynn
as Gold Footman
-
Billie Allen
as Aunt Em's Party
- Ted Butler
- Donald King
- Johnny Brown
