L. Frank Baum, the creator of the Oz saga, made an early attempt to bring his stories to the screen with the stage-and-film hybrid The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays (1908). The project failed to win over audiences and ultimately led Baum to bankruptcy, forcing him to sell the film rights to his works. These were acquired by the Selig Polyscope Company, which wasted no time in exploiting them by producing three films. Of these, only the first survives: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, directed by Otis Turner.

The film runs for roughly fifteen minutes and presents a version of the story that is both heavily altered from the original and rather confusing:

Dorothy (Bebe Daniels), accompanied by two unidentified equines (yes, really), encounters a Scarecrow (Robert Z. Leonard) and frees him. A tornado then sweeps all four into the land of Oz, where the King/Wizard (Hobart Bosworth) is facing serious trouble. The wicked witch Momba (Winifred Greenwood) is attempting to seize power. Together with their loyal Toto, a Cowardly Lion, and a rather odd Tin Man, our heroes manage to defeat the witch and are celebrated as the new champions of the realm. The Wizard then crowns the Scarecrow king and departs for the “known world” in a hot-air balloon—leaving poor Dorothy behind.

Given the way the plot unfolds and the extremely sparse intertitles, I am convinced that anyone unfamiliar with the Oz story would understand little, if anything, of what is happening on screen. The film largely consists of a succession of costumed characters dancing, jumping about, and performing vaguely “comic” actions that are difficult to appreciate for a modern audience. At the very least, the costumes for the Scarecrow and the Tin Man are reasonably well made—but that is truly one of the few positive notes. As for the cast, its attribution remains debated; here I have followed the most widely accepted credits, including those listed on IMDb.

For those interested in how the film differs from Baum’s book, here are a few notable changes (keeping in mind the extremely short running time):

1. There is no mention of Kansas or Dorothy’s aunt and uncle. In this version, Dorothy sets off directly with the Scarecrow and two unidentified horses—or donkeys.
2. The Wizard is presented as a King; rather than hiding behind illusions, he rules openly with a large court and is never portrayed as a fraud.
3. The characters do not seek anything from the Wizard. Instead, they go directly after the witch, following a royal decree that promises the kingdom’s crown to whoever kills her.

All in all, I found myself rather perplexed after watching this film. I would not recommend spending fifteen minutes of your life on it. To be clear, I have certainly seen much worse—at least this short is energetic, and its sheer oddity kept my attention alive—but taken as a whole, this first cinematic adaptation of Oz is easily skippable.

This article was originally published in Italian on emutofu.com