I remember the first time I watched THE WIZARD OF OZ. [I don't know if I've told this story before, so forgive me if I have.] It was the last day of school, June 1989. My older brother and I spent the night at the home of our English tutor, Mrs. Robles. She had been assigned to us the previous year, shortly after our arrival in America, and we had befriended her children.
Anyway, we were deciding what to watch. I wanted one of the SUPERMAN movies, but no one else was interested. It eventually turned into a commotion. Finally, Mrs. Robles stepped up and said, "We're gonna watch this."
"What is it?" I asked grumpily.
"It's called THE WIZARD OF OZ. You'll like it. It's a lot like MARY POPPINS."
I'd been obsessed with MARY POPPINS during the school year, so I grudgingly decided to give it a try. At first, I was disappointed 'cause it was in black-and-white. To me, at the time, b&w = boring. But soon she started singing, then the tornado, then the bright colors, and I was transfixed. I loved it so much that I asked to watch it again, but it was bedtime so I had to wait until the morning. The next day when I returned home, I told my little brother all about it, every detail. Naturally, he wanted to watch it, too. It became our favorite movie. For the time being.
Incidentally, 1989 also marked the 50th anniversary of the original release of the movie (though at the time I did not know this). That summer, WIZARD OF OZ excitement reached a fever pitch. It seemed the rest of the world was mirroring my enthusiasm. I remember there were toys/action figures, lunchboxes, boardgames, big cardboard cutouts in stores, etc. Everywhere. It was definitely a great time to be a kid -- and a WIZARD OF OZ nut.
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra
Salve, Salve Regina
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Eva
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
O clemens O pia
Updated On: 9/27/08 at 10:05 PM
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