Silver, Ruby, and a Few Famous Lines: The Real Magic Behind The Wizard of Oz

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

When you hear that sentence, do you picture shimmering ruby slippers, a swirling twister, and Judy Garland belting out a timeless tune? The Wizard of Oz (1939) became such a cultural giant that it’s easy to forget L. Frank Baum’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), came first—and it’s quite different. Let’s pull back the curtain and explore which famous lines (and beloved songs) sprang from Baum’s text and which were pure Hollywood magic.

Key Differences at a Glance

1. Slippers: Silver vs. Ruby

   • Book: Dorothy’s slippers are silver.

   • Movie: They were changed to ruby slippers to dazzle audiences in Technicolor.

2. Witches: Four vs. Three

   • Book: Four witches in Oz—two wicked (East, West) and two good (North, South).

   • Movie: Merges Glinda with the Good Witch of the North, leaving only one primary “Good Witch.”

3. The Wizard’s Many Faces

   • Book: Appears differently to each friend (giant head, lovely lady, beast, ball of fire).

   • Movie: Takes one imposing form—a booming, greenish head—until Toto reveals the man behind the curtain.

4. Longer Adventures in the Book

   • Book: After the Wizard’s departure, Dorothy journeys through extra lands like the Dainty China Country.

   • Movie: Streamlined; Glinda arrives quickly to show Dorothy how to return home.

5. Crystal Ball vs. All-Seeing Eye

   • Book: The Wicked Witch of the West uses an all-seeing eye to watch Dorothy.

   • Movie: She peers into a crystal ball instead—more visually dramatic for film.

6. Darker Origins

   • Tin Woodman’s tragic backstory (Nick Chopper losing limbs to a cursed axe) is more graphic in Baum’s text.

   • Scarecrow and Lion also get deeper introspection about their perceived flaws.

   
   

Famous Lines: Book vs. Movie

Below is a side-by-side look at iconic lines from the movie and some wonderful (but lesser-known) lines from Baum’s novel.

Iconic Movie Lines

1. “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

   • Origin: 1939 movie script.

   • In the Book? Not exactly. Dorothy is astonished to find herself in Oz, but never utters this famous phrase.

2. “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!”

   • Origin: 1939 movie script.

   • In the Book? Baum’s Wicked Witch is menacing, but she doesn’t deliver this iconic threat.

3. “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”

   • Origin: 1939 movie script.

   • In the Book? The Wizard’s fakery is revealed, but no one says this exact line.

4. “Lions, and tigers, and bears—oh my!”

   • Origin: 1939 movie script.

   • In the Book? They do worry about ferocious creatures, but they never chant this catchy refrain.

5. “There’s no place like home.”

   • Origin: Popularized by the movie (and repeated during Dorothy’s heel-click moment).

   • In the Book? Dorothy longs for Kansas, but the exact repeated incantation is more a film invention.

   
   

Classic Lines from the Book

1. “No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.”

   • Appears in the novel as one of Dorothy’s reflections on wanting to return to Kansas—a lovely line that foreshadows the film’s more famous “There’s no place like home.”

2. “I am Oz, the Great and Terrible,” said the Wizard.

   • In Baum’s original, the Wizard addresses each traveler differently, but this declaration of might and mystery is a direct line from the book (even though the movie paraphrases it).

3. “I think you are a very bad man,” said Dorothy.

   • In the novel, Dorothy bluntly calls the Wizard out after discovering he’s just an ordinary man. His reply? “Oh, no, my dear; I’m really a very good man, but I’m a very bad Wizard, I must admit.”

These lines showcase Baum’s knack for snappy dialogue—often more direct than the film’s playful re-writes.

A Word on Technicolor & Baum’s American Fairy Tale

Technicolor Brilliance

• The 1939 film famously transitions from sepia-toned Kansas to the vibrant Technicolor world of Oz.

• Those ruby slippers, the Yellow Brick Road, and the Emerald City all pop in a way that stunned moviegoers at the time, cementing Oz in cinematic history.

Baum’s American Fairy Tale

• Baum pioneered a new brand of homegrown fantasy, breaking from the darker European traditions of the Brothers Grimm.

• He created a distinctly American heroine in Dorothy—a practical, kindhearted Midwestern girl who wants nothing more than to return to her farm.

• The moral of the story? Sometimes the qualities you seek—brain, heart, courage—are already within you.

Final Thoughts: Two Versions, One Enchanted Legacy

In the end, Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and MGM’s The Wizard of Oz each charmed audiences in unique ways. Baum gave America its first great fantasy epic, complete with silver slippers, multiple witches, and extended adventures. The movie forever changed Hollywood with memorable new lines, show-stopping songs, and those glistening ruby slippers that will sparkle in our collective memory for generations.

So, which do you prefer? The darker, quirkier trek across Oz in Baum’s pages—or the Technicolor wonderland that brought us “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”? Let me know in the comments below!