At 70, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ still not old

Published 11:33 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Follow the yellow brick road.

Follow the yellow brick road.

Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the yellow brick road.

Follow the yellow brick road.

Follow the yellow brick road.

Follow the yellow brick road.

Everyone who has read the 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum or watched the 1939 American musical fantasy The Wizard of Oz knows the yellow brick road leads to the Emerald City. However, not many know it also leads to the small South Georgia town of Lakeland.

Two Munchkins from the beloved film — Christie Buresh, who was born in Czechoslovakia on April 21, 1907, and Lida Buresh, who was born June 16, 1906, in Czechoslovakia — are buried in Lakeland in Greenlawn Cemetery. Christie Buresh died Oct. 7, 1979. Lida Buresh died Sept. 21, 1970. Based on information found on the World Wide Web on the Internet Movie Database, Eddie Buresh, who was born in Czechoslovakia on March 16, 1909, and died in January 1982, is likely buried somewhere in the nearby city of Nashville.  

According to Wikipedia, The Wizard of Oz movie centers on Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, who is transported, along with her dog Toto, to the fantasy utopia of Oz by a tornado that sweeps her farmhouse home away. The storm carries Dorothy and Toto inside the house to the magical, far away place of Munchkinland, which is not like anything that Dorothy has ever seen or dreamed of. She is proclaimed a national heroine by the Munchkins, including the Buresh trio of little people, because her house lands on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East, who just so happens to hold power over the Munchkins.

At this time, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, appears and explains all that has happened to Dorothy, who wishes to return home. However, the sister of the now dead Wicked Witch of the East (the Wicked Witch of the West) makes a startling appearance and threatens Dorothy, who receives protection from the Wicked Witch of the West by Glinda when the ruby slippers worn by the now dead witch magically appear on her feet. As long as she wears the slippers, Dorothy will be safe. The Wicked Witch of the West leaves, and Dorothy is sent along the yellow brick road by Glinda to find the Wizard of Oz and get his help to return to Kansas. Along the way, Dorothy overcomes various obstacles and meets a talking scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly lion.

Some 124 little people were provided for the production of The Wizard of Oz under contract with MGM by Baron Leopold Van Singer. Singer was born in Europe and put together a group of little people for a vaudevillian show that toured cities throughout Europe and the United States.



An Event

Valdosta Stadium Cinemas will celebrate the 70th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz” at 7 p.m. today in high definition. The theatre is located at 1680 Baytree Road and can be reached by calling (229) 247-6502.