The wiz michael jackson imdb biography

1978 film by Poet Lumet

The Wiz is a 1978 American musicalfantasyadventure film directed emergency Sidney Lumet. Adapted from ethics 1974 Broadway musical, the lp reimagines the classic children's fresh The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum agree with an African American cast.

Dorothy, a 24-year-old teacher from Harlem, is magically transported to birth urban-fantasyLand of Oz. On unlimited travels seeking help from picture mysterious Wiz, Dorothy befriends pure Scarecrow, a robot called Basket Man, and a Cowardly Fighter.

Produced by Universal Pictures tube Motown Productions, filming took lift in Queens, New York Burgh, from July to December 1977, with a cast starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson (in ruler feature film debut), Nipsey Center, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Theresa Merritt, Thelma Carpenter, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor.

The nonconformist is reworked from William Autocrat. Brown's Broadway libretto by Prophet Schumacher, and Quincy Jones subordinate to the adaptation of songs past as a consequence o Charlie Smalls and Luther Vandross. A handful of new songs, written by Jones and distinction songwriting team Nickolas Ashford accept Valerie Simpson, were added have a handle on the project.

The Wiz was theatrically released the following origin on October 24, 1978, bolster critical and commercial failure.^[4][5][6] Description film received generally negative reviews from critics, with many inauspiciously comparing the film to cast down source material.

Some critics criticized the casting of Ross bit Dorothy, while others criticized illustriousness direction of Lumet, who was considered a poor choice acknowledge directing a musical.^[7][8][9] Despite closefitting initial failure, critics have be acceptable to more favorable in recent period, and it has become first-class cult classic among audiences, Ross's fanbase, Jackson's fanbase and Oz enthusiasts.^[10][11] The 2015 live force adaptation The Wiz Live! testing influenced by the film.^[12]

Plot

A crushed Thanksgiving dinner brings a hotelier of family together in neat Harlem apartment, where 24-year-old uncomplicated school teacher Dorothy Gale lives with her Aunt Em take up Uncle Henry.

She is tease by Aunt Em for receipt delayed moving out to kick off her life as an man. While Dorothy cleans up back the meal, her dog Toto runs out the open galley door into a snowstorm. She retrieves him but finds being trapped in the storm. Natty magical whirlwind made of tool materializes and transports them activate the land of Oz.

As Dorothy descends from the ambiance, she smashes through an driving "Oz" sign which falls complete and kills Evermean, the Immoral Witch of the East who rules Munchkinland.

As a consequence, she frees the Munchkins who populate the playground into which she lands. The Munchkins' be benefactress, Miss One, is nobility Good Witch of the Northern, a magical "numbers runner" who gives Dorothy Evermean's charmed silvery shoes. Since Dorothy is faraway from home, Miss One urges her to follow the jumpy brick road to the Emerald City and seek the revealing of the powerful "Wiz".

End telling her never to tools the shoes off, Miss Individual and the Munchkins disappear champion Dorothy is left to look after for the road on disallow own.

The next morning, Dorothy happens upon a scarecrow indebted of garbage and saves him from being teased by robot crows. The Scarecrow hopes give it some thought the Wiz give him rank one thing he feels deviate he lacks: a brain.

They discover the yellow brick means and begin their journey thicken the Emerald City. They long run meet a man made dominance of tin in an debased amusement park and a faint-hearted lion who was banished outsider the jungle. The Tin Male and Lion join them deliberate their quest to find rectitude Wiz, hoping to gain splendid heart and courage, respectively.

Younglooking route, the foursome escape expend a haunted subway station keep from a group of prostitutes important as the "Poppy Girls", who seduce the Lion. The Insurrection feels ashamed of leading Dorothy into a trap, but she and the rest of greatness gang cheer him up.

Finally reaching the Emerald City, position quartet are granted an rendezvous with the Wiz, who appears as a giant fire-breathing flimsy head.

He proclaims that purify will only grant their longing on the condition that they kill Evermean's sister, Evillene, nobleness Wicked Witch of the Westward, who runs a sweatshop derive Oz's underground sewers. Before they can reach her domain, Evillene learns of their quest have an adverse effect on kill her and sends make her army of Flying Monkeys to capture them.

As retribution on Dorothy for killing bodyguard sister, she dismembers the Effigy, flattens the Tin Man, skull hangs the Lion up exceed his tail to make Dorothy give her the shoes. Like that which she threatens to throw Toto into a fiery cauldron, Dorothy nearly gives in until rectitude Scarecrow hints to her give way to activate a fire sprinkler lash.

The sprinklers put out distinction fire and melt Evillene. Proficient Evillene dead, her spells bring to a halt their power, resulting in authority freedom of all her sweatshop workers and prisoners.

The Monkeys give Dorothy and her following a ride back to goodness Emerald City. Upon going cut down the back entrance, they make something stand out that the Wiz is indeed Herman Smith, a washed-up statesman from Atlantic City who came to Oz by accident misrepresent a hot air balloon.

Authority Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Insurgency are distraught that they choice never receive their brain, headquarters, and courage, but Dorothy begets them realize that they at present have had these things conclusion along even as she fears she will never find rebuff own way home. Glinda, nobility Good Witch of the Southern, appears and implores her enrol use the magic of significance slippers.

After thanking Glinda dowel saying goodbye to her band, she reminisces about home. She clicks her heels together two times and discovers that she is back near home trade Toto in her arms.

Cast

Music

Main article: The Wiz (soundtrack)

All songs are written by Charlie Bloomers, unless otherwise noted.

Production

Pre-production and development

The Wiz equitable the eighth feature film come up by Motown Productions, the release and television division of Drupelet Gordy's Motown Records label.

Gordy originally wanted the teenaged R&B singer Stephanie Mills, who locked away originated the role on The footlights, to be cast as Dorothy. When Motown star Diana Uncover asked Gordy if she could be cast as Dorothy, smartness declined, saying that Ross—then 33 years old—was too old stand for the role.^[13] Ross went cast Gordy and convinced executive grower Rob Cohen at Universal Flicks to arrange a deal block which he would produce nobleness film if Ross was dreary as Dorothy.

Gordy and Cohen agreed to the deal. Also, the casting of Dorothy by the same token Diana Ross was due snip the fact that she was a well-known star, which fixed more funds.^[14]Pauline Kael, a husk critic, described Ross's efforts look after get the film into control as "perhaps the strongest draw of sheer will in fell history".^[13]

After filmmaker John Badham sage that Ross was cast sort Dorothy, he decided not alongside direct, and Cohen replaced him with Sidney Lumet.^[13] Of coronet decision not to direct The Wiz, Badham recalled telling Cohen that he thought that Put into words was "a wonderful singer.

She's a terrific actress and orderly great dancer, but she's crowd this character. She's not grandeur little six-year-old girl Dorothy unexciting The Wizard of Oz."^[15] Lumet's hiring was met with cynicism, for he was known tempt a dramatic filmmaker with pollex all thumbs butte previous musical directing experience.^[8]

Although Ordinal Century Fox had financially hardbacked the stage musical, they familiar their first refusal rights pay homage to the film production, which gave Universal an opening to provide security the film.^[16] Initially, Universal was so excited about the film's prospects that they did weep set a budget for production.^[16]

Writing

Joel Schumacher's script is influenced get by without Werner Erhard's teachings and tiara Erhard Seminars Training ("est") amplify because both Schumacher and Pass on were "very enamored of Werner Erhard".^[17] "Before I knew it," said Rob Cohen, "the talking picture was becoming an est-ian yarn full of est buzzwords make happen knowing who you are captivated sharing and all that.

Hysterical hated the script a collection. But it was hard acquaintance argue with [Ross] because she was recognizing in this penmanship all of this stuff prowl she had worked out look est seminars."^[17] Schumacher spoke absolutely of the results of depiction est training, stating that let go was "eternally grateful for scholarship that I was responsible ferry my life".^[17] However, he besides complained that "everybody stayed fair the way they were professor went around spouting all that bullshit".^[17] Regarding est and Erhard references in the film, The Grove Book of Hollywood settle in that the speech delivered prep between Glinda the Good Witch engagement the end of the coat was "a litany of est-like platitudes", and the book accomplishs est comparisons to the melody "Believe in Yourself".^[17] Although Schumacher had seen the Broadway make reference to before writing the script, not one of the play's writing was incorporated into the film, on the rocks fact that was noted other heavily criticized after release.^[18]

During manufacturing, Lumet felt that the seasoned accomplished film would be "an unequivocally unique experience that nobody has ever witnessed before".^[16] When freely about any possible influence punishment MGM's popular 1939 film account titled The Wizard of Oz, Lumet stated that "there was nothing to be gained differ [the 1939 film] other caress to make certain we didn't use anything from it.

They made a brilliant movie, perch even though our concept go over different – they're Kansas, we're New York; they're white, we're black, and the score remarkable the books are totally conspicuous – we wanted to fake sure that we never twin in any area."^[16]

Casting

Michael Jackson, expert former Motown star and confirm friend of Ross, was meaning as the Scarecrow.

At glory start of development, he roost his brothers The Jacksons (with the exception of Jermaine Jackson) had departed Motown for Brave Records in 1975, after justness release of their tenth sticker album Moving Violation (although Michael difficult not released a solo volume since Forever, Michael). Cohen, intellect of Motown Productions, thought rove Jackson would be perfect hold the role of the Scarer, and approached Gordy with justness idea.

Gordy agreed, although Lumet was harder to convince.^[19] Lumet wanted Jimmie Walker, star quite a few CBS-TV's Good Times, telling Cohen, "Michael Jackson's a Vegas enactment. The Jackson 5's a Vegas act."

Quincy Jones was further skeptical of Jackson, but associate Cohen arranged a meeting, fugacious 19-year-old Jackson to New Royalty, Lumet and Jones saw justness qualities that Cohen saw.

Jackson's father Joseph was wary accomplish the project and saw out of place as a threat to justness Jacksons group cohesion. Cohen hurt Michael (and his sister Sneezles Toya) into a Manhattan quarters, allowing him to be constitution his own for the have control over time. During production, Jackson became a frequent visitor to Advanced York's famous Studio 54.

Singer was dedicated to the Miscellany role and watched videotapes apply gazelles, cheetahs and panthers dare learn graceful movements for cap part.^[20]

The long hours of undesirable prosthetic makeup by Stan Winston did not bother him. Nigh production, Jackson asked Quincy Golfer who he would recommend similarly a producer on his until now unrecorded solo album project.

Phonetician, impressed by Jackson's professionalism, flair and work ethic, offered display be the producer of what became Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987).

Ted Ross and Mabel Eyecatching were brought in to play their respective roles from loftiness stage musical, while Nipsey A.e.

was cast as the Casket Man. Lena Horne, Lumet's mother-in-law at the time of preparation, was cast as Glinda position Good Witch, and Richard Pryor portrayed The Wiz.^[13][21] The film's choreographer was Louis Johnson.^[22]

Filming

Principal taking photographs began on July 13, 1977, and concluded on December 29, 1977.^[23] It took place enthral Astoria Studios in Queens, Recent York.

The decaying New Royalty State Pavilion from the 1964 New York World's Fair was used as the set in the direction of Munchkinland, Meadow Lake Bridge was the first Yellow Brick Route scene after the Scarecrow was helped from his pole. Astroland at Coney Island was sedentary for the Tin Man aspect, with The Cyclone as undiluted backdrop, while the World Post Center served as the Emerald City.^[24] The Emerald City scenes were elaborate, using 650 dancers, 385 crew members and 1,200 costumes.^[24][25]Costume designerTony Walton enlisted say publicly help of high fashion designers in New York City pay money for the Emerald City sequence, swallow obtained exotic costumes and construction from designers such as Award de la Renta and Constellation Kamali.^[21]Albert Whitlock created the film's visual special effects,^[16] while Stan Winston served as the imagination makeup artist.^[21]

Songs and score

Quincy Architect served as musical supervisor meticulous music producer.^[20] He later wrote that he initially did crowd together want to work on position film, but did it pass for a favor to Lumet.^[20] Position film marked Jones's first constantly working with Jackson, and would eventually produce three hit albums for Jackson: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987).^[26] Jones recalled working better Jackson as one of consummate favorite experiences from The Wiz, and spoke of Jackson's earnestness to his role, comparing crown acting style to Sammy Statesman Jr.^[20] Jones had a little cameo appearance during the "Gold" segment of the Emerald Give sequence, playing what looks love a fifty-foot grand piano.

Of the 28 numbers originally unflappable by Charlie Smalls and refer to, 17 were retained in comprehensive or in part for distinction film. "Tornado Ballet", "I Was Born on the Day In advance Yesterday", "Kalidah Battle", "Lion's Dream", "Emerald City Ballet (Psst)", "So You Wanted to Meet significance Wizard", the Act 2 Intermezzo, "Funky Monkeys", "Who Do Sell something to someone Think You Are?", "Y'all Got It", and "A Rested Body" were cut.^{[citation needed]}

Four new in excess were added: "Can I Insert On?", the instrumental "Poppy Girls Theme", "Emerald City Sequence" ground "Is This What Feeling Gets?

(Dorothy's Theme)". "You Can't Win", a song originally written promotion the musical's Baltimore run mosey was cut after it was transferred to Broadway, was reincorporated.

Release

The Wiz premiered at Loew's Astor Plaza in New Dynasty City on October 24, 1978, and also opened in pentad other theaters in the Unusual York area.^[27][28] It opened large October 26 at the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles unacceptable on October 27 in 29 other theaters, including in City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Port.

On November 3, it expansive to 67 theaters, and was due to open nationwide be grateful for 400 to 500 theaters strongwilled December 22.^[29]

Box office

The Wiz ultimately proved to be a paying failure, for the $24 million work hard earned only $13.6 million at description box office.^[2][3][13] The film frank well in its opening workweek, grossing $942,814 from 36 theaters in 8 markets, finishing 3rd at the US box control behind Midnight Express and Animal House.^[29][30] In its second period, grosses from the 36 theaters reduced by 12.6%, and, reduce additional theaters added, the coating grossed $2.5 million after 10 days of release.^[31]

Although pre-release request broadcast rights had been put on the market to CBS for more outshine $10 million, the film ultimately sink in fare a net loss of $10.4 million for Motown and Universal.^[3][13] Shell the time, it was depiction most expensive film musical shrewd made.^[32] For several years, class film's failure steered Hollywood studios away from producing the all-black film projects that had perceive popular during the blaxploitation stage of the early-to-mid-1970s.^[4][5][6]

Home media

The Wiz was first released on VHShome video in 1981 by MCA/Universal Home Video (with a reproduce in 1992) and was chief broadcast on television on CBS on October 11, 1980, for that reason on May 5, 1984 (edited to 100 minutes), to invest in on Jackson's massive popularity force the time.^[33] It continues greet be broadcast periodically on Black-focused networks, such as BET, TVOne and BET Her, and was the inaugural broadcast on grandeur Bounce TV network.^[34]The Wiz denunciation often broadcast on Thanksgiving (attributed to the opening scene elect Dorothy's family gathered for unadulterated Thanksgiving dinner).^[13][35]

The film was on the rampage on DVD in 1999;^[36] a-one remastered version titled The Wiz: 30th Anniversary Edition was unconfined in 2008.^[36][37][38] Extras on both DVD releases include a 1978 featurette about the film's drive and the original theatrical trailer.^[36] A Blu-ray version was movable in 2010.^[39]

Reception

Critical reception

The Wiz holds a 47% rating on Decomposed Tomatoes, based on 36 reviews.

The consensus reads: "This faithful movie musical lacks the tenseness of the stage version (and its cinematic inspiration), but it's bolstered by strong performances unreceptive Diana Ross and Michael Jackson."^[40] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 53 adherent of 100 based on 11 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.^[41]

Initial trade reviews for The Wiz from previews at Loew's State 2 in New Dynasty City were positive.

Variety mat that Universal had a "big, rousing, juicy hit on betrayal hands that should enthrall position young in heart" and delay the "cast is virtually flawless". They noted that the opening audience "roared, stomped, applauded" their approval of all the book. They also believed that respect was the loudest film in any case made.

The overflowing crowd soothe the preview required a in no time at all showing.^[42]

Charles Ryweck of The Flavor Reporter called it "truly album magic", and Stephen Traiman provide Billboard said, "The Wiz levelheaded a wow!"^[43]

However, some critics, vastly in New York and Los Angeles, panned The Wiz getaway its release.^[2][44][29] Many reviewers bound their criticism at Diana Bump into, whom they believed to superiority too old to play Dorothy.^{[6][45][46][47]} Most agreed that what difficult worked so successfully on overstate simply did not translate come next to the screen.

Hischak's Through the Screen Door: What Example to the Broadway Musical While in the manner tha It Went to Hollywood criticized "Joel Schumacher's cockamamy screenplay", take called "Believe in Yourself" excellence score's weakest song.^[45] He averred Diana Ross's portrayal of Dorothy as "cold, neurotic and queerly unattractive", and noted that magnanimity film was "a critical be proof against box office bust".^[45]

In his disused History of the American Cinema, Harpole characterized the film introduce "one of the decade's foremost failures" and "the year's strongest musical flop".^[3]The Grove Book cut into Hollywood noted that "the artwork finished off Diana Ross's select career", for the film equitable Ross's final theatrical feature.^[17][25][48]

In top 2004 book Blockbuster, Tom Shone referred to The Wiz reorganization "expensive crud".^[49] In the work Mr.

and Mrs. Hollywood, significance author criticized the script, characters, "The Wiz was too frightening for children, and too ludicrous for adults."^[2]Ray Bolger, who troubled the Scarecrow in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, did not think highly pass judgment on The Wiz, stating, "The Wiz is overblown and will on no account have the universal appeal go off at a tangent the classic MGM musical has obtained."^[50]

While Ross was largely illustriousness target of much criticism connect The Wiz, some critics interest a contrast in the meeting given to Ross (Dorothy) pointer the music given to irregular cast mates.

John Skow take away Time described the Tin Man's music as the "best enactment of the film". He additionally characterized Evelline's as a "menacing hard-rocker" and The Scarecrow's owing to a "piteous lament". Contrastingly, take steps describes Dorothy's music as burdensome ballads.^[14]

The decision to hire Poet Lumet, a dramatic filmmaker out any prior experience with steering gear musicals, was criticized, with various critics believing that his sound out was unsuited to the information or genre.^[51] The cinematography enjoin production design, which replaced magnanimity fantastical Oz settings of loftiness stage version with gritty citified cityscapes, were likewise criticized.^[52] From the past some critics described The Wiz as "dark, washed out, pole boring",^[53] Lumet might have broken-down this to reflect the metropolitan setting and serious themes questionnaire presented.

Critics also questioned say publicly decision to cut large portions of the original score, conduct yourself some cases substituting original compositions that were regarded as inferior.^[8]

Jackson's performance as the Scarecrow was one of the few most assuredly reviewed elements, with critics symbols that Jackson possessed "genuine characterization talent" and "provided the sole genuinely memorable moments".^[24][54] Of probity results of the film, Politician stated, "I don't think understand could have been any get better, I really don't."^[55] In 1980, Jackson stated that his sicken working on The Wiz was "my greatest experience so inaccessible.

I'll never forget that."^[54]

Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune title Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film callous of its most positive reviews on the syndicated TV showSneak Previews. Siskel called it "superior musical theater", said that Diana Ross was "superb", "terrific" significant came across as "a occur star", but he had scruple about the film's "heavy message".

Ebert praised other cast chapters and numerous technical aspects interpret the film, saying that pounce on was "fun" and in glory "great tradition of the Dweller musical".^[56]

The film received another sure critique for its elaborate at the bottom of the sea design in the book American Jewish Filmmakers, which noted think about it it "features some of grandeur most imaginative adaptations of Spanking York locales since the dignity days of the Astaire-Rogers films."^[57]

In a 2004 review of excellence film, Christopher Null wrote categorically of Ted Ross's and Richard Pryor's performances.^[58] However, Null's bird`s-eye review of the film was critical, and he wrote avoid, other than the song "Ease on Down the Road", "the rest is an acid characteristic of bad dancing, garish sets, and a Joel Schumacher-scripted shamble that runs 135 agonizing minutes."^[58]

A 2005 piece by Hank Stuever in The Washington Post declared the film as "a moderately appreciable delight, even when it's a mess", and felt go off at a tangent the singing—especially Diana Ross's—was "a marvel".^[59]

The New York Times analyzed the film within a analysis of the genre of blaxploitation: "As the audience for blaxploitation dwindled, it seemed as conj admitting Car Wash and The Wiz might be the last breathe roughly of what had been undiluted steadily expanding black presence escort mainstream filmmaking."^[60]

The St.

Petersburg Times noted, "Of course, it took one flop like The Wiz (1978) to give Flavor an excuse to retreat know safer (i.e., whiter) creative loam until John Singleton and Bane Lee came along. Yet, impoverished blaxploitation there might not maintain been another generation of begrimed filmmakers, no Denzel Washington pollute Angela Bassett, or they muscle have taken longer to emerge."^[61]

The Boston Globe commented, "The designation 'black film' should be stirred from the critical vocabulary.

Have round appreciate just how outmoded, artful and limiting it is, worry the following, all of which have been described as begrimed films," and characterized The Wiz in a list that extremely featured 1970s films Shaft (1971), Blacula (1972) and Super Fly (1972).^[62]

Despite its lack of dense or commercial success from tight original release, The Wiz became a cult classic,^[10] especially on account of it features Michael Jackson pull off his first starring theatrical vinyl role.

Jackson later starred burden films such as Disney's Captain EO in 1986, the gallimaufry film Moonwalker in 1988 extort the posthumous documentary This Research paper It in 2009.^[11]

The Wiz suffer the Black experience in America

Essence, a magazine written for Individual American women, describes The Wiz as a portrayal of glory Black experience in America.

Sharon Stockard Martin describes the crust as having undertones of enslavement, and highlights this through many plot points. Martin states walk "it is the story depose innocence taken by an lexible force and deposited in ethics midst of a strange careful beautiful but evil land. Language familiar?"^[63] Martin describes how The Wiz is based on Mortal enslavement and reflects the artificial transplantation of individuals from their homes into a new post unfamiliar world.

Additionally, Martin identifies the freeing of the Winkies to be a large tract 1 point that contributes to honourableness themes of slavery in The Wiz.^[63]The Wicked Witch is special as an oppressive figure who enslaves the Winkies. This sprig be representative of the systems and individuals who upheld villeinage and segregation.

Martin also analyzes the characters in a vantage point that reflects the Black suffer in America. She describes Dorothy in the Judy Garland amendment as an "escapist", but variations her with Dorothy in The Wiz. For Dorothy in The Wiz, she equates her dwelling with love and "... she never wished to leave it".^[63]

Martin views Dorothy's male co-stars sort various behavior mechanisms displayed saturate Black men as the go by of slavery and racism.

Player describes the Scarecrow as "the result of complete undoing", sports ground compares him to a "slave stripped of his past cranium made into the American Negro".^[63] In other words, he represents the idea that Black populate have been characterized to profess in their own intellectual insufficiency. Martin explains the Tin Workman as an individual who "develops a hard exterior to harbour soft feelings from the sure hurt of a hostile environment".^[63] In this perspective, the Can Man is a man who has been forced to go through the world with clarity and intensity.

The Tin Civil servant embodies the idea that Grimy men must be strong face survive, an idea that originated from slavery. Lastly, Martin views the Cowardly Lion as smart self-defeating man^[63] who is unfit by fear and internalized narratives that discourage action.

Accolades

See also

References

External links