Changes: Dorothy Gale

Revision as of 13:38, 21 October 2014

"I am Dorothy Gale from Kansas..."

―Dorothy Gale (1900)

"...somewhere over the Rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby..."

―Dorothy Gale (1939)

A Kansas cyclone she was brought, now wearing Magic Slippers she does trot, down the winding yellow road, to the Emerald City she shall go. And with her dog so small and true, Munchkins hope she fairs well yes they do. To see the Wizard from yonder glen, please wish her luck till journey's end.

"There's no place like home..."

―Dorothy Gale

"Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with her Uncle Henry who was a farmer, and her Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

"...some place where there isn't any trouble? Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train, it's far, far away, behind the moon, beyond the rain..."

―Dorothy Gale (1939)

Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum, author and creator of the Oz Legacy. She is the child protagonist and heroine of Baum's first Oz book that is considered one of the first American Fairytales written titled: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900. The story opens up with Dorothy who is the first character introduced, her name being the first word of the first chapter which is titled The Cyclone.

Bbc7f9c2-8c3c-4ac1-8382-01d7ce0ec981 — Dorothy Gale 1939

"...it wasn't a Dream. It was a place. And you and you and you...and you were there! But you couldn't have been could you? No, Aunt Em, this was a real truly live place and I remember some of it wasn't very nice, but most of it was beautiful--but just the same all I kept saying to everybody was "I want to go home," and they sent me home! Doesn't anybody believe me? "

―Dorothy Gale (1939)

Goddess of Gifts

Dorothy's name in reverse is pronounced "Theodore" which means "Gift of the Gods". "Dorothy" is the female version of Theodore, which her name means "Goddess of Gifts". Dorothy was born before the twentieth century on July tenth of an unknown year. Her birthday is also the same birth date of her iconic 1939 movie musical counterpart portrayed by late actress Judy Garland. And like Judy, her Zodiac sign would be Gemini. Interestingly enough, Dorothy's last name isn't given in the original novel of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Her last name is first mentioned in the 1902 stage version of the story Baum wrote a few years later: "My name is Dorothy Gale. I'm one of the Kansas Gales." To which the Scarecrow replies, "Well, that explains your breezy manner." In the later Oz books, Baum kept the name but mercifully spared his readers the pun.

Once Upon A Time In Kansas...

It is the last days of the old west; the nineteenth century nears its end. Dorothy Gale is an adolescent orphan from Kansas, and here in the sun-baked heart of America, Dorothy lives with her Uncle Henry who's a farmer, and her Aunt Em, the farmer's wife. Dorothy's only friend and source of happiness is a small black dog whom she calls Toto and loves dearly. There they all reside on a poor and desolate farm, isolated in the middle of nowhere. Their home is a one room tiny cabin farmhouse built on the midst of the old prairie that is consumed by poverty and drought. Just when it seems that things can’t get any worse for the Gales, a strom hits the farmland and brings a monstrous cyclone with it. While aloft in the farmhouse the winds of this storm carry Dorothy and Toto away to the undiscovered and magical Land of Oz. A land that lies in an enchanted and uncivilized realm populated by strange creatures, fierce beast, and friendly little people who live under the rule of Witches and Sorcerers.

To Dorothy's dismay, the first Witch she encounters, the Good Witch of the North, lacks the power to send Dorothy and Toto home. The only one who might be powerful enough to successfully help Dorothy is the mysterious and reclusive ruler of Oz known as the great Wizard. The girl and her dog are then forced to embark on an epic journey filled with many adventures while on their way to see him. However, no one knows that the Wizard has a shocking secret to protect, and to do so he will send Dorothy to prove herself worthy of his assistance and conquer Oz's most dreaded figure---the Wicked Witch of the West, or die trying.

"Oh, but anyway, Toto, we're home – home! And this is my room – and you're all here – and I'm not going to leave here ever, ever again, because I love you all! And... oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home! "

―Dorothy Gale (1939)

Blame it on Toto!

"Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid under the bed, and the girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor. Then a strange thing happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Dorothy catches Toto while up inside the middle of the cyclone. 1900

Toto is actually the one to be blamed as to why Dorothy and him were swept away to Oz in the first place. If Toto hadn't scrambled under Dorothy's bed to escape the horrid whistling sound of the cyclone that hit the Kansas farm, then she would have been fast enough to reach the storm cellar in time and found safety with Henry and Em. And life would have went on as it always did. If it we're not for Toto, Dorothy would have never known the huge gap that would have been left in her life, as she'd remain just another orphaned girl living on a bleak and boring farm.

The Return of Dorothy: How Dorothy Gale Of Kansas Became A Princess of Oz

After Dorothy's departure from her adventure in Oz, the Scarecrow temporarily became the King of Oz to rule over Oz's Imperial Capital aka the Emerald City, before the long-lost Princess Ozma was found. The Tin Woodman took the place of the Wicked Witch of the West and became the monarch emperor to rule over the Winkie Country of Oz. And the Cowardly Lion became King of all beast and went to live in jungles of Oz to rule over the animal kingdom.

Dorothy made three more trips to the magical Land of Oz between being sent home and coming to reside there permanently. On each trip, Dorothy arrived at a separate enchanted country before visiting Oz proper.

Dorothy is absent from the second Oz book which serves as a sequel and picks up right where the original Oz book of 1900 left off. In The Marvelous Land of Oz, published in 1904, it is suggested that Dorothy is still recuperating at home with Toto back in Kansas from her first adventure in Oz. Though she is mentioned several times, she does not make an appearance finally until the third Oz book titled Ozma of Oz, published in 1907.

Ozma of Oz...

Dorothy and Uncle Henry went on a sea voyage to Australia to visit relatives. Aunt Em and Toto stayed in Kansas to look after the farm. While sailing, a fierce storm came that carried strong winds, rain, and lightning. Thus, tossing the little ship over the waves, Dorothy and a yellow farm hen named Billina were accidentally thrown overboard and cast into the sea. Both took refuge safe inside a wooden chicken coop that was afloat nearby, resulting in them drifting far off and washing up upon the shores of Ev, another undiscovered enchanted island located on the same continent as Oz as its neighboring country, as both separated from eachother by the Deadly Desert.

Dorothy and Billina found trees growing dinner pails, narrowly escaped the bad-mannered Wheelers, and met Tik-Tok, a mechanical man made of copper who runs on clockwork. The trio visited the pampered and vain Princess Langwidere, who in a tantrum imprisoned them in her tower. Luckily they were rescued by Princess Ozma, the new Queen of Oz, who had crossed over the Deadly Desert from Oz to Ev on a Magic Carpet thanks to the magic aid of Glinda the Good. Ozma had originally come to rescue the Royal Family of Ev, who have been enslaved by the wicked Nome King. Accompanying Ozma were the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, the two recognized their old friend Dorothy, rescued her and her company from the captivity of Langwidere and brought her back to Oz to reunite with all the other Ozians. Dorothy and Ozma became best friends, and Ozma even invited Dorothy to live a comfortable life of luxury in Oz permanently with her as a Princess in the Royal Palace of Oz in the Emerald City. Dorothy politely declined and chose to return to Kansas with Toto and her family but promised to visit from time to time. (Ozma of Oz)

Dorothy & The Wizard In Oz...

After Dorothy was transported to Australia and reunited with Uncle Henry, they went on to California, accompanied by Eureka, a white stray kitten they had found and adopted. She met her cousin, Zeb Hugson, and his horse, Jim. On the way to Hugson's Ranch they were swallowed up by an earthquake and eventually came down in the Land of the Mangaboos, where the people are made of vegetables. There Dorothy was reunited with the Wizard of Oz himself. But the Mangaboos evicted them from their country so the travelers went on a subterranean journey through the Valley of Voe, met the Braided Man on Pyramid Mountain, were briefly imprisoned by Gargoyles, and encountered a cavern full of Dragonettes. Eventually they came to a dead-end cavern, so Dorothy signaled Ozma to use the Magic Belt (a tool of the Nome King) to bring them to the land of Oz at last. After staying there a few days spending time with all the Ozians, Dorothy, Zeb, and their animals decided to return to California. (Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz)

The Road To Oz...

Some time later, in August, the homeless Shaggy Man appeared at Dorothy's home, asking for directions to Butterfield. Dorothy agreed to show him the way, with Toto accompanying them (for the first time since the first book) but after a short time they found themselves lost in some unknown enchanted land. During this adventure they met little Button-Bright and the beautiful daughter of the Rainbow called Polychrome. They eventually passed through Foxville, where King Dox told them that Ozma's birthday party was in a few days. The travelers then passed through Dunkiton, met Allegro da Capo, escaped from the Scoodlers, and crossed the Deadly Desert in a boat built by Johnny Dooit. Arriving in the Land of Oz, the travelers attended Ozma's birthday party, after which Dorothy was returned saftley home. The Road to Oz)

Emerald City of Oz...

At the beginning of this story, it is made quite clear that Dorothy is in the habit of freely speaking of her adventures to her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Neither of them believes a word of her stories, but consider her a dreamer, like her dead mother. Later, it is revealed that the destruction of their farmhouse by the cyclone back in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has left Uncle Henry in terrible debt. In order to pay it, he has taken out a mortgage on his farm. Dorothy arranges with Princess Ozma to take them to the land of Oz, where they can escape their troubles and will be safe. Using the Magic Belt, Ozma transports them to her throne room. They are given rooms to live in and luxuries to enjoy, including a vast and complex wardrobe of fine fabrics. Unlike Dorothy and Toto, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em live in a simple humble existence (for Oz at least) in a home on the outskirts of the Emerald City, as they were not used to city life. Overall, Dorothy and her relatives now live happy and content lives in Oz. (The Emerald City of Oz)

"Dorothy dressed herself in a long pretty sky-blue gown of rich silk, trimmed with a string of real pearls and sasphire gems. The buckles of her satin shoes were also outlined with real pearls mixed with sasphires, and more of these priceless pieces were on a lovely silver coronet which she wore upon her forehead. “For,” said her friend Ozma, “from this time forth, my dear, you must assume your rightful rank as a Princess of Oz, and being my chosen companion you must dress in a way befitting the dignity of your position. "

―The Emerald City of Oz.

As a princess in Oz, Dorothy surprisingly maintains her innocent personality. Although she is proud of her title and position, she doesn't let it ruin her spirit. She instead remains as optimistic and pure as the Kansas girl she is at heart. Dorothy rather humbly accepts control of the Emerald City, hesitant to make rules on her own. She doesn't let power go to her head during these times and that is one of the many reasons why the citizens of Emerald City and the people of Oz in general all love her.

Age of Dorothy Gale:

"While Dorothy stood looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age..."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Dorothy Gale is just like any other little country girl of her time, ordinary, average and a well grown child for her age. She is a full blooded American girl who has been brought up and raised in the heart of America. Her exact age is never given in the original book, and is not given in any of the sequel Oz books by Baum. Despite this mystery, Dorothy's official Birthday is said to be June 10th and it does hint how old Dorothy might be; Baum does clearly state that Dorothy is just a mere child, a "little girl" from Kansas, not a teenager nor young adult. So, her character is no older than twelve being that she most likely has not reached her teen years. In Baum's later Oz novel, The Lost Princess of Oz, it is stated that the character Betsy Bobbin is one year older than Dorothy, and the character Trot is a year younger. Then in The Giant Horse of Oz , it states that Trot is ten years old. That would make Dorothy Gale eleven years old.

Dorothy of 1939...

In the iconic MGM film of 1939, the legendary actress and singer, the late Judy Garland was made to be twelve when she portrayed the character of Dorothy Gale. Her age is never mentioned in the movie but her age on the set was twelve. Garland herself was sixteen at the time the movie was made. Therefore she wore a special custom made corset under her costume dress that painfully bound her bosom and curves flat to give her a much more undeveloped, youthful appearance. Despite Judy being technically too old for the part of Dorothy, she does successfully portray the innocence of a very young lady who just wants to go home. Dorothy's desire to get back to her adult guardians is believable which makes her character work regardless of the age gap.

Dorothy of 1985...

In Disney's 1985 live-action fantasy film Return to Oz, which stayed fairly close to Baum's vision of Oz, Dorothy was played by then child actress Fairuza Balk who was ten years old during filming. She was no Judy Garland, but Fairuza was closer to Baum's idea what Dorothy should look wise. Fairuza's long dark pigtails and somber blue-green eyes closely resemble W. W. Denslow's original 1900 illustrations of Dorothy.

Dorothy Of The Wicked Years...

In Gregory Maguire's Oz series Dorothy is ten when she first arrives to Oz and sixteen when she finally returns in last book of the series, Out of Oz.

In the 2014 CGI movie Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, the character of Dorothy is voiced by actress Lea Michelle and appears to be between 10 to 12.

In the Land of Oz immortality enchantment by Princess Ozma assures that nobody has to die or age if they do not wish to. Dorothy has relocated to Oz permanently and lives in the Emerald City as a Princess. No indication of her age is given so we may presume Dorothy Gale will remain closely around ten to twelve years of age.

Appearance and Mannerisms

"Dorothy had only one other dress, but that happened to be clean and was hanging on a peg beside her bed. It was gingham, with checks of white and blue; and although the blue was somewhat faded with many washings, it was still a pretty frock. The girl washed herself carefully, dressed herself in the clean gingham, and tied her pink sunbonnet on her head. She took a little basket and filled it with bread from the cupboard, laying a white cloth over the top. Then she looked down at her feet and noticed how old and worn her shoes were. “They surely will never do for a long journey, Toto,” she said. And Toto looked up into her face with his little black eyes and wagged his tail to show he knew what she meant."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Baum describes Dorothy to have a merry laugh, chubby little hands, big earnest eyes filled with awe, and a round, rosy, sunburned face from living on the hot prairies of Kansas. Baum doesn't define Dorothy's appearance exactly in his text such as height, hair color and weight, but leaves it mostly open for the reader's imagination and overall interpretation. Yet the Oz character by Baum named Princess Langwidere of Ev calls Dorothy "Not exactly beautiful," so this means Dorothy isn't the prettiest girl, but she's charming, wholesome and attractive for a child nonetheless.

Dorothy was first originally illustrated by W. W. Denslow to appear to be a chubby six to twelve-year-old with her darkish hair styled in her trademark braided pigtails that are braided and untied, being allowed to naturally fall freely. She also wore a large pink bonnet on her head as described in the book, and is dressed in her iconic gingham frock of faded blue and white checks with a yoke neckline. Denslow's Dorothy is also Illustrated as wearing high white stockings/pantyhose in her charmed Silver Shoes with pointed toes. Dorothy also is drawn carrying a round basket with a white cloth napkin over the top.

In the rest of the Oz books by Baum, the characters including Dorothy herself, are all drawn by john R. Neill and she is illustrated to be a thin, ten to twelve year old who has short blonde hair styled in a bob. Neill's Dorothy also appeared to be a fashion forward young lady for her time, having good taste in clothing despite being described as a poor country farm girl. In the books, it is suggested that Dorothy matured and developed a fashion sense since her first trip to Oz. As it would be nearly four years until Baum would allow his character of Dorothy to return to the magical realm of Oz once again.

Neill's Dorothy was illustrated wearing pretty dresses and fancy hats or oversized bows in her hair. And usually seen in polished dress-shoes, sometimes even carrying a matching fan or parasol to cool off with, or shade herself while in the hot sun. In Baum's later Oz books that served as sequels to the original book of 1900, John R. Neill paid homage to W. W. Denslow's illustration of Dorothy Gale and Toto, specifically in Baum's fifth Oz novel The Road to Oz published in 1909. When Dorothy visits the Tin Woodman's castle, Dorothy stops to admire a tin statue made of her and Toto, appearing exactly as they did during the first adventure in Oz. The statue itself resembles Denslow's version of Dorothy.

Oz writer and illustrator Eric Shanower would later go on to base his own version of his Oz books, and comics on Neill's illustrations. His Dorothy also is shown to have short blonde hair, unbraided, in a short bob.

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Dorothy and Toto from Legends of Oz!

In the 2014 CGI fantasy film, Legends of Oz, Dorothy's Return, Dorothy's appearances is modernized and she wears blue denim with brown leather country cowboy boots.

THREE TIMES A CHARM: The Silver Shoes From Oz---Not So Ruby After All...

Main Article: See Silver Shoes for further detailed information.

"You are very kind, but there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything!" Said Dorothy. "Well, your house did, anyway." Replied the little old woman, with a merry laugh. "And that might as well be the same thing my child, see!" She continued, pointing her magic wand to the corner of the fallen farmhouse. "There are her two feet, still sticking out from under a block of wood." Dorothy looked in the direction the woman pointed to, and the little girl gave a little cry of fright. There, indeed, just under the corner of the great beam the old farmhouse rested on, two stocking feet were sticking out, shod in metallic silver shoes with pointed toes! "

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Baum intended his original character of Dorothy Gale to wear shoes of SILVER!!!! The Ruby Slippers were a mere invention for the 1939 musical movie as they believed red would stand out better on screen rather than silver in the primitive color process used during that era.

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The house began to pitch, the kitchen took a slitch, it landed on a Wicked Witch, in the middle of a ditch!

In Baum's book, Dorothy wore Silver Shoes with pointed toes designed in a Arabian/Dutch style. When Dorothy clicks her heels to go home, she holds Toto tightly in her arms and closes her eyes. Dorothy is then instantly lifted into the air and carried away. The shoes then took three steps, each step made within the wink of an eye. When Dorothy reopened her eyes she found herself home again on the prairies of Kansas, but also barefoot in her stockings.

Since the Silver Shoes are an enchanted element they must stay were they belong. When leaving Oz the shoes are stripped of the magic that holds them to Dorothy's feet explaining how they happened to slip off and drop into the desert below during the way back home. However, having lost the shoes over the Deadly Desert, one might ask how it was that Dorothy didn't fall into the desert too since the shoes magic would not work outside of Oz. This is because she specifically commanded the pair to take her to Aunt Em who was in Kansas. Therefore the shoes were obliged to do as they were commanded before falling off and being lost forever between the two realms that separate Oz from the outside world.

The Silver Shoes are the first magical item introduced in the Oz stories. Other charmed items are placed into the plot of the book, for example: the magic Golden Cap. And even in Baum's other continuing Oz novels such as enchanted belts, whistles, keys, the Magic Picture and most notably the magic Powder of Life that was used in Disney's Return to Oz to bring the character of the flying Gump to life.

Dorothy Gale's Pets

Toto the "eventually" talking dog.

After moving to Oz permanently, it is revealed that Toto had the ability to talk. In fact, since Oz in general is a fantasy land filled with fairy magic, Toto had the ability to speak the entire time, even in 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'. When he came to Oz the first time while aloft in the Kansas cyclone with his mistress Dorothy when the farmhouse landed on the Wicked Witch of the East. Yet Toto simply prefers to only bark as he is so used to using barking as his way of communicating instead of speaking actual words or sentences like all the other animals in Oz, he also chose not to talk so that he didn't lead on. Thus gaining valuable information from those who did not think he was listening.

Billina the talking Hen

Billina was introduced in Baum's third Oz book titled 'Ozma of Oz' (1909). She is a yellow hen tossed overboard in a storm when Uncle Henry is traveling overseas to visit relatives in Australia while accompanied by his niece Dorothy Gale. Dorothy was also thrown overboard when the storm hit the sea, and she along with Billina found refuge in a chicken coop which took them to Ev.

Billina is Dorothy's animal companion for this adventure, the role that Toto the dog serves in the first Oz book. She is portrayed as a very spunky, talkative chicken, Billina was originally named Bill because, she tells Dorothy, "no one could tell whether I was going to be a hen or a rooster". Dorothy insists on changing the hen's name to a feminine form. Billina endures several scares with the Kansas farm girl before they defeat the Nome King as only a hen can as Nomes are poisonous to eggs, as the Wicked Witch of the West was to water. At the end of the novel, Billina chooses to stay in Oz permanently and settles in the Royal Palace of Oz within the Emerald City, which is under Princess Ozma's Royal-Reign. Billina gives births to multiple baby hens whom she names the boys all 'Daniel', and the girls all Dorothy in Dorothy Gale's honor.

Eureka the pink and purple Kitten

Eureka is a beautiful female kitten of all white who was originally a stray. She was found by Dorothy Gale's Uncle Henry, that he gave to her telling his niece that the name means "I have found it!" She is introduced in Baums forth Oz novel 'Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz' (1910)

Dorothy carries Eureka in a small cage on a train with her to San Francisco to visit her relatives on Hugson farm. While riding with Bill Hugson's nephew Zeb Hugson, an earthquake opens a large chasm in the ground, and Eureka falls in the earths bowels and straight into another dimension with Dorothy, her cousin Zeb, and Jim the Cab-Horse into the land of the Mangaboos. There, all the people consist of vegetable. With vegetable bodies and vegetable surroundings. The strange lights in the Magaboos' magic carven make Eureka appear to be pinkish-purple. Thus staining her permanently.

Speckles the Kansas chicken

Speckles is just an ordinary hen on Uncle Henry's farm. Not much is known about her except that she hatched a new brood of chickens.

Brains, Heart & Courage: Character Analysis of Dorothy Gale

"If Dorothy would only be contented to live in the Emerald City," continued the Scarecrow, "we might all be happy together." "But I don't want to live here," cried Dorothy. "I want to go to Kansas, and live with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry! "

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Specifically before her arrival in Oz, Dorothy Gale leads an isolated life that is focused on her dog Toto and on her hard working Uncle Henry, a seemingly very poor farmer. And her Aunt Em, a submitting housewife. Dorothy is therefore somewhat of a strict homebody, who never leaves nor has ventured off of the Kansas prairies. Nevertheless she interacts in a civil manner, and generously and honestly with others despite her isolated lifestyle. Dorothy has a tendency to focus on pressing matters, but has the patience to hold onto her dreams and is determined to make them come true. She cares about family and friends and is loyal to both, such as her Oz friends and Toto. Dorothy Gale is the very essence of the young at heart, especially Americans and represents the child like quality of the child in us all.

Dorothy also finds the good in everything, and continued believing in herself as well as others. Dorothy remains positive, humble, being usually sweet tempered. She is an optimistic dreamer, like her dead mother, and Aunt Em has suggested that the Fairies marked her soul at birth, since she has been protected and unharmed in all of her amazing and dangerous adventures through many strange and bizarre places. Dorothy symbolizes the Spiritual Orphan. She differs from other female protagonist in European culture and other Fairytales because she does not need a prince or a man to rescue her. She was an all American girl longing for something other than the boring routine of farm life in Kansas. Unlike Judy Garland's portrayal as Dorothy in 1939, she is much more independent and braver in Baum's book.

Even after becoming a official Princess of Oz, Dorothy remained unspoiled and un materialistic by all of the lavish riches surrounding her in the Royal Palace of Oz.

Dorothy is known to never looks anyone or thing over. This is how she became friends with the Scarecrow, seeing him wink at her as she was passing by, she saw him as more than just a sack of straw and saving him from his bleak existence in the cornfield. Dorothy saw the Tin Woodman, more than just a rusted piece of tin deep in the woods, and saved him also. And Dorothy even saw the Cowardly Lion being so much more than a mere coward. Dorothy saw the brains, heart and courage in all three of her Oz friends, even though they could not see it in themselves.

And just like her three friends, Dorothy is smart, loving and brave.

BRAINS...

In the original book, when Dorothy set out on her journey to see the Wizard, she was smart enough to fill her basket with bread and butter from the cupboard of her house to keep her and Toto fed on the way to the Emerald City. And when she had defeated the Wicked Witch of the West, she took the Witch's magic Golden Cap as she believed it may come in handy. The cap also let it's wearer command the Winged Monkeys. The Winged Monkey we're all obliged to obey their masters orders three times and three times only. Dorothy was smart enough to speak the Cap's charm and ask the Winged Monkey to fly her back home to Kansas. But to her dismay, the Monkeys were unable to cross over the Deadly Desert that surrounded the land and could not leave the realm of Oz, even if they desired to do so. Magical creatures cannot live in the realms of civilized countries or lands such as Kansas. This resulted in Dorothy having to travel to the south and seek out Glinda for her help.

HEART...

When she first came to the Land of Oz, she was eager to find a way home, as she was concerned if her Uncle and Aunt were okay back in Kansas after the cyclone. This made Dorothy a thoughtful person, thinking of others safety and well-being other than just her own. And showed her throughout the story as remaining unselfish because she was worried that Aunt Em would go into mourning over Dorothy's long disappearance and Uncle Henry not being able to afford the damage that the cyclone caused on the farm and the crops. In the iconic 1939 movie, Judy Garland's Dorothy was also ultimately unselfish. Despite running away from her unhappiness and troubles at home; when Dorothy discovered that her Aunt Em had been grief-stricken and dying of a broken heart, Dorothy realized she had made a mistake and spent the entire movie trying to find a way back home to get to her sick Aunt as she was guilt ridden.

COURAGE...

Despite being only a mere child, Dorothy is brave for a Kansas farmgirl who was orphaned. She has confidence and a sense of self and will fight for what she believes in. For example: while halfway to the Emerald City, the Cowardly Lion is brought into the story; when he tried to attack Dorothy and her traveling friends in the forest, he also attempted to bite Toto. Dorothy was brave enough to defend her little dog, not fearing the Cowardly Lion who Baum describes being nearly as large as a horse in size. Despite this Dorothy was not too scared to stand up for her helpless dog.

Dorothy was also portrayed as a natural hero unintentionally. She is seen overcoming being imprisoned and enslaved by the notorious Wicked Witch of the West. This alone makes Dorothy a survivor.

Dorothy's character and personality traits are generally of innocence. For she did not intentionally kill the Wicked Witch of the West on purpose, and when she learned that her farmhouse had accidentally killed the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy asked if there was anything that could be done to assist the crushed Witch as she lay under the house. Another positive trait is Dorothy is always very forgiving, for when she and her friends in Oz discovered that the great Wizard was nothing more than an old Humbug, Dorothy forgave him and felt that the Wizard wasn't such a bad man after all. In all of Dorothy's adventures in Oz, she seemed to have a maturity beyond her years and managed to take care of herself and Toto the best she could.

In Disney's 1985 film Return to Oz, The Nome King tries to manipulate and bribe Dorothy with a deal. He tells Dorothy that she could give up, and save herself and he will use the magic of the Ruby Slippers and send her back home again. He even promises to erase Dorothy's memories of Oz so she will never think of Oz ever again. Dorothy, having a confident character and sense of self, rejects the Nome King's offer and decides to do the right thing to help her friends who are all in trouble. Thus, continuing her brave quest of trying to save the land of Oz and it's people.

"There were several roads near by, but it did not take her long to find the one paved with yellow bricks. Within a short time Dorothy was walking briskly toward the Emerald City, her Silver Shoes made a pretty tinkling tune on the hard yellow road-bed. The sun shone brightly, the birds sang sweetly, and Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as you might think a little girl would who had been suddenly whisked away from her own home and set in the midst of a strange land."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Immortality in Oz

"Dorothy, after a moment's thought then said; "But Aunt Em has told me that the Witches were all dead--years and years ago." "Who is Aunt Em?" inquired the little old woman. "She is my Aunt who lives in Kansas, where I come from."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Because the land of Oz is a fantasy land filled with fairy magic, Princess Dorothy is forever immortal like all living things in the land. Therefore she nor anyone else can ever die. Princess Ozma, also used her powers to stop the aging process in Oz. No one ever becomes deathly-ill or dies unless they are bad and evil like the Wicked Witches who once dwelled in parts of Oz before Dorothy killed them. In Baum's later Oz books, Dorothy is in her late teens and even early twenties in the dozen sequels. But due to Oz's enchantment, Dorothy doesn't look a day older than she appeared to be when she was first brought to Oz by the cyclone in the first story, a truly disturbing element.

In the Oz book by author Plumly Thompson titled 'The Lost King of Oz', published in 1925, Dorothy is accidentally transported to Hollywood. When she arrives she begins to age rapidly into an adult woman. And while in Hollywood, she also meets Humpy, a live stunt dummy, whom she brings back to Oz.

Family Tree of Dorothy Gale

As many Historians believe that Dorothy Gale was inspired by Alice Liddell from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass; unlike Alice, Dorothy did not live an upper-class and pampered Victorian lifestyle.

Dorothy has a rather fuzzy history, and while not necessarily dysfunctional, Dorothy does have a broken upbringing but otherwise little to no backstory. All Baum tells us about the history of Dorothy is that she is apparently an only child whose parents have died. We do not even know if Dorothy remembers them. She seemed to be a content if lonely little girl living in Kansas, she seems to have no friends her own age and is most likely home-schooled. Whether or not her Aunt and Uncle are blood-related is also unclear.

Most likely, Dorothy's Uncle Henry is her blood relative. In Baum's third Oz novel, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and Henry are on a ship to see family in Australia to take a break from farming on doctor's orders due to the stress that the cyclone has brought upon Henry. Aunt Em stays behind in Kansas to look after the farm. In Baum's fourth Oz book, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, Dorothy is with Uncle Henry in California at Hugson's Ranch, on their way home from Australia, Dorothy having visited friends in San Francisco. She strikes up an acquaintance with Hugson's nephew and her second cousin, Zeb of Hugson's Ranch. These are probably Uncle Henry's relatives also. In the first chapter, Zeb tells Dorothy that his own uncle, Bill Hugson, married "your Uncle Henry's wife's sister". This seems to cement that Dorothy's blood relative is indeed Uncle Henry, since if she was related to Aunt Em, Zeb would have said "your Aunt Em's sister". Furthermore, in the second chapter of The Emerald City of Oz, Baum writes, "As for Uncle Henry, he thought his little niece merely a dreamer, as her dead mother had been." The wistful tone of this passage might be taken to suggest that Uncle Henry is Dorothy's mother's brother.

Unlike many versions of the story, in the original book Dorothy's Aunt Em does not seem to have a close relationship with her niece. She appears to be unable to find the joy in the small and simple things in life that Dorothy (being a child) still could. However, at the very end of the story, when Dorothy and Toto are sent home, Aunt Em is happy to see Dorothy has come back to her, indicating that she does have love for Dorothy after all.

In the opening chapter of his first Oz book, L. Frank Baum famously informs the reader that Dorothy is an orphan who lives with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry (In the 1902 stage adaptation of the book, she has a still-living father). Her family name, Gale, isn't mentioned in the books until the third one, Ozma of Oz. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are never identified as Gales in any of the Oz books (Henry is called "Henry Gale" in the 1939 movie based loosely on the first book).

In the 1985 Disney film Return to Oz, Henry's last name is "Blue". This result makes Dorothy's family relationship undetermined. However, Aunt Em mentions a sister named Garnet, who wouldn't be related to Dorothy directly.

In Syfy's Tinman miniseries, the character of D.G. is Dorothy Gale's great granddaughter. D. G. is sent to Oz in present day, over one hundred years after Dorothy came and made history as the "First Slipper" to cross over into the "Outer Zone."

In Disney's 2013 film Oz the Great and Powerful, set around thirty to forty years prior to Dorothy's arrival in Oz, a pre-Wizard Oscar Diggs has a lover by the name of Annie Gale in Kansas. This implies that Annie is Dorothy's mother. She is also wearing a gingham dress of checks just like Dorothy one day will.

In March Laumer's book Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Oz and its companion, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Oz, their last name is Mankato. Also, differing accounts of Dorothy's parentage are given in both, and in the fourth-wall breaking A Farewell to Oz, Laumer himself asks her which account is true. Her answer is unfortunately not given. Elsewhere in Laumer's sub-series, she marries Zippiochogollak and has a son with him who goes on to teach at the Wooglebug's university.

Baum's Character Inspiration

Dorothy Gale is a household name, it is the name belonging to one of the most beloved and well known characters of all time. But also one of the least discussed names of fiction. This is most likely due to Baum giving Dorothy little to no backstory. However, Oz's Dorothy was not the first Dorothy of L. Frank Baum's work. In Baum's first children's book Mother Goose In Prose, published in 1897 there is also another Dorothy who later would be unofficially identified as Dorothy Gale in Baum's Oz book. The name of Dorothy in general was also a very popular name at the time and many fictional characters were being given it. Such as Charles E. Carryl's Fairytale titled The Admiral's Caravan, published in 1891. Despite this fact, Baum later insisted that he did not base the character of Dorothy Gale on anyone in particular.

Many Historians believe that Baum's original influence on the creation of Oz's "Dorothy" appears to be the Alice of English author Lewis Carroll's Wonderland and Looking Glass books. It is highly possible that Baum took some of the personality traits of Alice and morphed them into his own for his character. He ultimately Americanized the character who would become known as Dorothy Gale.

Despite Baum stating Dorothy is not based upon anyone real, the name of Dorothy was most likely chosen in homage to Baum's own real-life niece, 'Dorothy Louise Gage', who died in infancy. Baum's wife was very attached to her and was deeply grieved by her death, so there is speculation that Baum inserted her name into his stories as a memorial. Elements of Dorothy Gale's character are possibly derived from 'Matilda Joslyn Gage', Dorothy's grandmother. Dorothy Gage is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington, Illinois.

Lee Sandlin, writes that L. Frank Baum read a disaster report of a tornado in Irving, Kansas, in May 1879 which included the name of a victim, Dorothy Gale, who was "found buried face down in a mud puddle."

Book Appearances

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (first appearance)
Ozma of Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
The Road to Oz
The Emerald City of Oz
Little Wizard Stories of Oz
"Little Dorothy and Toto"
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz
Rinkitink in Oz
The Lost Princess of Oz
The Tin Woodman of Oz
The Magic of Oz
Glinda of Oz
The Royal Book of Oz
Kabumpo in Oz
The Cowardly Lion of Oz
Grampa in Oz
The Lost King of Oz
The Wishing Horse of Oz
The Gnome King of Oz
The Giant Horse of Oz
Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz
The Yellow Knight of Oz
Pirates in Oz
The Purple Prince of Oz
Ojo in Oz
Speedy in Oz
The Wishing Horse of Oz
Handy Mandy in Oz
Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz
The Wonder City of Oz
The Scalawagons of Oz
Lucky Bucky in Oz
The Magical Mimics in Oz
The Shaggy Man of Oz
The Hidden Valley of Oz
Merry Go Round in Oz

Dorothy does not appear in The Marvelous Land of Oz, Captain Salt in Oz or The Silver Princess in Oz.

Other Books

In Magic Land

In Magic Land, the girl protagonist based on and modelled upon Dorothy Gale is named Ellie Smith. In this version, much of the story is the same as Baum's story with only a few changes such as the character's names.

Ellie Smith with her *Magic Land* Friends.

Magician of Oz and sequels

Dorothy meets Jamie Diggs, the great grandson of the Wizard at Glinda's palace. She receives a special gift of his friendship by Ozma, which represents the central theme of the book. Dorothy, along with Toto, accompanies Jamie who is declared the new Royal Magician of Oz, on his journey to battle the Army of Trees and casts her own Spell of the Stone Morels against the army of Morel Mushrooms who have sided with the Fighting Trees. (Magician of Oz)

Dorothy reunites with Jamie and meets his best friend, Buddy, when they arrive by balloon in the Emerald City. She joins them and even Ozma as they travel by balloon to explore the dark hole beneath the covered bridge in Winkie Country where the Shadow Demon was reborn. Her encounter with him while travelling by boat along the Winkie River provides Jamie a critical clue that sends him and Buddy to Mount Munch in order to save the Hyups from the Shadow Demon. (Shadow Demon of Oz)

Dorothy meets Jamie's mother, Amanda, along with two Hyups, Darlene and Heavenlee. They travel to the Emerald City and reunite with the rest of Jamie's family and friends, all of whom have been transported to Oz by means of a magic box. Dorothy joins everyone as they travel south to the banks of the Munchkin River to watch the climatic battle against Cobbler the Dog, the mechanical pet of Tik-Tok, who was possessed by the evil remains of the Wicked Witch of the East. (Family of Oz)

Dorothy of Oz

While Toto is barking at the chickens and Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are working on the farm in Kansas, Dorothy Gale takes a peek out the window and sees a bright and beautiful rainbow. She notices that the rainbow is approaching her and Toto as both of them run. Dorothy starts to see Glinda the Good Witch who tells Dorothy that she must return to Oz so that she can save her friends. ("Dorothy of Oz")

The Wicked Years

Despite being the child protagonist in the original story, Dorothy Gale is only referenced to a few times in the musical and appearing as a semi-cameo character toward the end of the book in the story of Wicked who is not the focal point of the plot. She plays a rather small but important role and is only involved in the chaos and drama towards the end of the novel, being seen as a mere outsider who knows nothing about the land of Oz or it's complex politics and overall laws. Although Dorothy is well-meaning, mature for her age and very compassionate beyond her years, her innocence and unyielding desire to return back to her homeland Kansas, causes a domino effect in the result of negative outcomes. And much unwanted trouble and heartache for the main character of the book, Elphaba Thropp as Dorothy does not know any better.

In both Baum's original children's book written in 1900 and Maguire's 1995 mature revision, Dorothy spends her first night in Oz at the house of a wealthy Munchkin farmer named Boq who has a family. In the latter, it is revealed that the two discussed the etymology of Dorothy's name. Boq finds it interesting that Dorothy's name is the reverse of her land's "King" Theodore — which means "gift of the gods" — and that Dorothy means "goddess of gifts", therefore making many of the superstitious Ozians look as Dorothy as a saint, sent to Oz to fulfill a prophecy by the unnamed God. And the fact Dorothy wears Nessarose shoes, make the citizens of Oz even more superstitious of her and the coincidence that her last name is the same name of the Wizard's Army the "Gale Force", makes Dorothy nearly untouchable.

On Dorothy Gale's first arrival to Oz, she and her pet dog named Toto are swept away in a Kansas cyclone. Dorothy was the age of ten when her farmhouse fell out of the sky and landed on Nessarose.

When Dorothy and her companions are seen in the Vinkus land she is captured by the Witches Flying Monkeys and brought to the Kiamo Ko castle which is the home of the Witch. There she meets an old woman by the name of Nanny and a young boy named Liir, who forms a crush on her. When Dorothy is confronted face to face with Nessarose's older Witch sister who is Elphaba, she demands for Dorothy to give her the magic slippers. All while assuming she had to be tied into the tapestry of conspiracies in Oz. Dorothy tries to do what Elphaba commands but the shoes are enchanted under the protection of Glinda and will not come off. Dorothy confesses that the Wizard even tried to pry the shoes off but the pair have been stuck on her feet since her arrival in Oz. Despite Dorothy's efforts, the slippers simply will not come off her feet. She is magically locked tight inside of them.

As it became apparent, Elphaba briefly realizes that Dorothy really was an innocent human girl from a different place who had been thrown into a world that she knew nothing about.

Suddenly, hot sparks from a nearby fire suddenly caught on Elphaba's long clothing and cape so Dorothy tried to put out the fire with a bucket of water to help the Witch who was ablaze. And Dorothy wishes the "nightmare" she thinks she's in will come to an end. But to Dorothy's horror it tragically melted the witch away, killing her by accident.

In Son Of A Witch...

In Son of a Witch, the story picks up right after Elphaba's tragic death. Liir her son, accompanies Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion back to the Emerald City.

While traveling, Dorothy and the group all meet a shape-shifting Princess who is also leader to her Scrow tribe, in the Vinkus. The Princesses name is Nastoya who is originally an Elephant. But because of the Wizard and his prejudice views against Animals, Nastoya disguised herself and vailed her true form. And in front of the traveling group she morphs herself and transforms right in front of them all which is described as being revolting to watch as Nastoya's skin stretches and her bones shift and body mutates. Seeing this, Dorothy nearly vomits in her apron and Toto passes out.

When Dorothy reaches the Emerald City she leaves Liir behind as she speaks with the Wizard and never comes back to say goodbye before returning to Kansas like she promised Liir she would do.

In Out Of Oz...

Like in the original book by Baum, in the end of the story Dorothy was teleported back to Kansas thanks to the magic of her Silver Shoes/Ruby Slippers after her epic adventure in Oz. And was found shoeless while on the prairie field's near the farm.

In Maguires' story, the plot takes place six years after Dorothy and Toto returned home. Due to her extended disappearance and unexplainable survival from the cyclone, the other children at the Kansas Schoolhouse shunned Dorothy and labeled her a freak of nature for riding the winds of a twister and living to tell about it. Nonetheless suddenly reappearing out of nowhere months later. And Dorothy's tales of Oz, only make her seem completely crazy. Thus, making her unmarriageable.

Six years later as a teenage girl, Dorothy along with Toto appear in 'Out of Oz'. Dorothy unexpectedly is sent to Oz by fate once again. But now she is approximately sixteen years old. Even though it has been less than a decade since Dorothy's first visit in her world, it has been around twenty to thirty years in Oz's time.

Back in Kansas, Dorothy's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry never believed her story about Oz and criticized her for having her head in the clouds and sabotaging herself as no one wanted to be around Dorothy because of her never-ending talk about Oz. To help Dorothy forget about Oz, she is taken to San Francisco on vacation by her Aunt and Uncle. However, after sight seeing, Dorothy ends up being trapped with Toto in a motel elevator during they're stay as an earthquake hits California. The elevator with Dorothy inside gets stuck and as the building collapses the elevator falls into the bowels of the earth and into another dimension. The elevator falls from the sky and accidentally landed on a cow and killed it. And also during the fall somehow Toto was lost as he fell out of the elevator doors which were cracked enough for Toto to squeeze through.

Dorothy is found by people nearby as she is buried alive under all the rocks and pieces of the earth from the earthquake that came down with the elevator. She suffers from a temporary state of amnesia and a bump on her head which gave her a near concussion. She is taken in by strangers and nursed back to health. Dorothy spends many months recuperating from the traumatic event and slowly gains her memory back. Dorothy realizes she is back in the land of Oz again, specifically in the country of Oz's Glikkus tribe. The Glikkun trolls extradited her to Munchkinland's new capital, Bright Lennins, where the new Eminence had her stand trial for the murders of Nessarose and Elphaba Thropp, calling it "regicide." Dorothy is imprisoned against her will and is used as a mere scapegoat who will be left accountable for the deaths of the two Thropp sisters who died decades prior. The overall court case finds Dorothy guilty and she is sentenced. To her surprise Brrr, her old friend who is the Cowardly Lion and Mr. Boss, and Little Daffy come to her defense and rescue her from her harsh sentence.

Dorothy is reunited with her dog Toto whom she thought was dead and the two eventually are sent back to Kansas by the magic of the Grimmerie book in the end of the story to find her Aunt and Uncle who she wonders survived the earthquake or not. Dorothy's ultimate fate when she returns to California again is left a mystery and left for the reader's imagination.

Wicked Musical

In the hit Broadway musical and play, Dorothy is never seen despite being referred to and talked to on stage. Only a silhouette is seen of a girl behind a screen who's presumed to be Dorothy, tossing a Bucket of water on Elphaba aka "The Wicked Witch of the West".

Dorothy: This Side Of The Rainbow

Dorothy Gale all grown up...

Author Vincent Begley wrote a novel based off of the character of Dorothy Gale. This story is a Memoir that is written as if Dorothy was a real person. This underrated novel tells the world about the past of Dorothy, before she lived on the Kansas farm and what happened after her trip to Oz. This novel wasn't successful, but most likely due to the fact it came out around the same time as Gregory Maguire's 'Wicked'.

WAS

A beautiful, sad and thought provoking tale of love, hate, pain and the outcome of a traumatizing childhood. This book is for anyone with a heart. But beware: In this story, Dorothy of Kansas does not have a happy ending.

In the 1992 novel by American author Geoff Ryman, focusing on the (in some cases, tragic) lives of disparate individuals indirectly linked to one another by L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and the musical film version. Ranging across time and space from the 1860s Kansas to the late 1980s California, among other locations, the novel's characters include a tapestry of characters, some real but most fictitious, whose lives indirectly affect each other and change one anther forever. This book will touch your soul and make you cry. ("Was")

Dorothy Gale of Broadway

The first musical adaption of the book was a Avant-garde version produced by Baum and Denslow (with music by composer Paul Tietjens) in Chicago in 1902 and moved to New York in 1903. Dorothy was portrayed by Theater Actress Anna Laughlin. In this stage version of Oz, many elements were left out due to being impractical for the time. For example: Dorothy does not wear Silver Shoes or any type of magic footwear.

The Wizard of Oz 1902 musical extravaganza Anna Laughlin as Dorothy — Anna Laughlin as Dorothy in the Avant-garde Stage adaption of Baum's Oz book of 1900.

It used many of the same characters, and was aimed more at adult audiences. It had a long, successful run on Broadway. Baum added numerous political references to the script, mentioning President Theodore Roosevelt, Senator Mark Hanna, and John D. Rockefeller by name.[3] Many existing songs that had nothing to do with the story were interpolated. Baum followed with two additional Oz musicals, The Woggle-Bug (1905) and The Tik-Tok Man of Oz (1913). Both were panned as rehashes rather than sequels; although Tik-Tok did better than The Woggle Bug, neither made it to Broadway.

Judy Of OZ 1939

Judy Garland is Dorothy Gale!

Pic13dorothy&tot-bw — Judy Garland As Dororhy Gale and Terry the female terrier as Toto.

In the year of 1938/1939 Judy was fifteen at the time she portrayed the twelve year old Kansas farm girl who gets swept away to Oz via cyclone. She turned sixteen on the set during the shooting of the movie as she began to develop into a curvy young woman. Despite being technically too old to play Dorothy as Baum intended his character in the book to be a little girl, even as a teenager Judy did portray a very good Dorothy of Kansas that captivated the world for decades to come. With her wide eyed expression of an adolescent girl, Judy was perfect for the role. Thanks to her talented singing voice, she beat many other young actresses for the lead role such as Shirley Temple who was a loyal fan of Baum's Oz books, and was more close to the look and age of Baum's description of Dorothy. Judy was put on a strict diet and even given barbiturate drugs which would lead on to a live long battle of personal demons.

During shooting, Judy was forced to wear a special type of corset under her costume. The corset flattened out her curves by painfully binding her breasts down flat against her chest to make her appear as a twelve year old little girl who was more innocent, underdeveloped and younger than her real life age.

Journey Back to Oz 1974

Judy Garland's daughter takes on the role of Dorothy!

In this animated little version of the Oz stories, Dorothy Gale is swept back to Oz to find an evil Witch who wants to take over the land and the Emerald City. In this version, Dorothy is voiced by Liza Minnelli. All the characters are voiced by an all star cast such as Mickey Rooney and Margaret Hamilton.

The Wiz 1974-78

In a different place, in a different time, different people around me, I would like to know of that different world, and how different they find me. And just what's a Wiz, is he big, will he scare me? If I ask to leave will the Wiz even hear me? How will I know then, if I'll ever get home again?

Dorothy is portrayed by singer and actress Stephanie Mills in 1974. Later in the film version the role was given to singer and actress Diana Ross.

Diana Ross as an African-American Dorothy in *The Wiz*, 1978!

Diana was far from Baum's original twelve year old character of Dorothy Gale. And she obviously wasn't sixteen portraying a twelve year old like Judy Garland did. Many people bashed Diana as Dorothy for being far too old to play the childlike character. But if Diana did not take the role as Dorothy, the film in general most likely would never have been made. It was only when Diana took interest in the film did the Motown company take interest also. Diana, being thirty four at the time, is portrayed to be a shy twenty-four year old Kindergarten teacher who is lost in life. Dorothy in this film is scared of the world and has no direction of her future. Her trip to Oz is a late-coming of age story as she faces her fears head-on.

Return to Oz 1985

Actress Fairuza Balk would be the next girl in 40 years to wear the Ruby Slippers. Her first film was a television film called The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, directed by George Shaeffer. The next role she was to play was Dorothy in Disney's Return to Oz, now a Cult Classic.

Return to Oz is a 1985 Disney Film starring Fairuza Balk as the insomniac and melancholy Dorothy Gale, and Piper Laurie as Aunt Em. In Return to Oz, Fairuza is much more closer to the age of Baum's Dorothy Gale as he intended her to be in the original book. She was not an actress made up to look more innocent or pretend to be younger than she actually was in real life, like many of the other Dorothys in the several various versions were.

The look, feel and tone of Return to Oz was intended to give its audience a more surreal and realistic point of view of the land of Oz and all of it's characters. Unlike the 1939 film it presented Oz as a real place, where nightmarish and marvelous things are possible. The plot is based loosely off of two of Baum's second and third original Oz sequel novels. During its release in the summer of 1985, it was bashed by critics for being too "scary and intense" for children and wasn't successful during the time of its release. Despite its failure to appeal to the public, Return to Oz has still gained a huge cult following of fans all over the world 30 years after it's original making.

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz 2005

In the 2005 Disney made for TV special, Dorothy is played by pop singer Ashanti who dreams of a glamorous life of the rich and famous and is eager to leave her small town trailer park existence behind.

Dorothy-796661 — R&B Singer Ashanti as Dorothy Gale of Kansas 2005.

She embarks on a quest in the land of Oz, to become a Superstar.

Syfy's Tinman 2009

In this 2009 Syfy version of Oz, Dorothy Gale of 1900 is long dead. But her great granddaughter 'D.G.' is swept away to the Outer Zone aka Oz now in present day and a hundred years later from when the original Dorothy first arrived.

D.G. must find her real family and discover the history of who she truly was and is.

Dorothy and the Witches of Oz 2011

In this version, Dorothy is a children's author who moves to New York City to become successful. She is played by actress Paula Ana Redding.

Legends of Oz-Dorothy's Return 2014

In this CGI animated film, Dorothy is given a more modern look as she trades her iconic blue and white look of gingham for denim overalls of blue and cowboy boots. She is Voiced by actress and singer Lea Mitchell, Dorothy Gale returns to Kansas to find it devastated. Dorothy then finds a new way to get back to the Land of Oz only to discover that her old friends-the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion-and the entire Land of Oz are all in grave danger. On Dorothy's new journey through Oz, she meets new friends like a china doll princess, a marshmallow man named Marshal Mallow, a large owl named Wiser, and an ancient tree-turned-tugboat named Tugg. With the help of her new friends, they band together against a wicked Jester who wants to control Oz by turning important people into marionettes. This movie is loosely based on the book Dorothy of Oz by Roger S. Baum.

Once Upon A Time Episode 2014

In the popular hit TV show, 'Once Upon A Time' Dorothy Gale gets carried to the land of Oz via Cyclone, and is thought to be the destined one to fulfill the part of a prophecy regarding all the Witches from the south, west, north and east who reside in Oz.

The character of this Dorothy Gale is not Cursed. She simply plays a minor role regarding the Witches of Oz and is sent back home to Kansas by Zelena the Witch of the West who disguised herself as the Wizard, after Dorothy thought she killed her with water from a nearby Well, all to defend herself and put out the ball of fire in Zelena's hand. This was all due to Zelena's envy for the newly arrived Dorothy. (Green with Envy).

Thinking Zelena was dead, Glinda the Good Witch of the South, took Dorothy to the Emerald City to seek the Wizard (who was Zelena in disguise after turning the Wizard into a Flying Monkey for his dishonest ways).

Disguised as the Wizard, Zelena also gave Dorothy the magic Silver Shoes, and told Dorothy to click the heels of the shoes together three times to be teleported home to get her out of the way because Zelena saw her as a threat. Strangely, Dorothy in this version wears no pigtails, nor does she have a pet dog, Toto. She comes to Oz all alone and does not meet the Scarecrow, Tinman or Cowardly Lion.

That's 70's Show-Tornado Prom Episode

In the popular TV Sitcom That's 70's show, the conceited and vain Jackie Burkeart has a dream on her Prom night which happens to be on the night a Tornado hits the Wisconsin town. Jackie dreams that she is Dorothy Gale with her stuffed animal Unicorn as Toto. Her look is based off of the 1900 illustrations by W. W Denslow from the original book by Baum.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Barnyard Studios)

An independent and yet faithful adaption of Baum's envision of Oz. In this version Dorothy Gale is played by child actress Mariellen Kemp who's appearance as Dorothy stays extremely loyal to Baum's original character as well as all the other characters in this production of the 1900 book.

In Comics

Marvel Comic released an entire series of Baums fourteen Oz books.

File:Marvel-wiz-of-oz02.jpg

The Oz series is written by Eric Shanower which is mostly quoted from the original books and illustrated by Skottie Young.

Oz Squad

Dorothy, now an adult years after her childhood adventures, has returned to the United States with her friends, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion. Unfortunately, some of their old enemies have returned as well, including the Wicked Witch of the East, now known as Rebecca Eastwich. (Oz Squad)

During this era, Dorothy has a son with Ozma, who they name Ozzy. (Oz Squad: March of the Tin Soldiers)

Dorothy

A Gothic Dorothy...

Dorothy is a jaded teenager who get swept with her car to the Land of Oz. There, she meets a robotic dog named Toto, as well as her other companions. (Dorothy)

The Twisted Land of Oz (Spawn Toys)

The Land of Oz gets pretty Twisted...

In a very dark and grim story, this erotic and gothic version of 'The Wizard of Oz' is indeed a twisted one. Dorothy is portrayed as a very innocent orphan who is also a fully developed and sexually frustrated girl in her late teens who is swept away to the land of Oz, a mysterious and psychotic realm of dark entities, sexual slavery, rape, mutant creatures and tortured souls.

Background

In Doctor Who, the seventh Doctor's companion, Dorothy Gale McShane (nicknamed "Ace") was named after Dorothy. Furthermore, like how a storm had sent the latter to the Land of Oz, a time storm sent Ace to an alien planet.

Gallery

Credits

The Wizard of Oz (Broadway, 1902): Anna Laughlin
The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays (1908): Romola Remus
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910): Bebe Daniels
His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914): Violet MacMillan
The Wizard of Oz (1925): Dorothy Dwan
The Wizard of Oz (1939): Judy Garland
Journey Back to Oz (1974): Liza Minnelli
The Wiz (Broadway, 1975): Stephanie Mills
The Wiz (film, 1978): Diana Ross
Dorothy in the Land of Oz/Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz (1980) Mischa Bond
The Wizard of Oz (1982) (anime film): Aileen Quinn
Return to Oz (1985): Fairuza Balk
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (animated series, 1987): Morgan Hallet
Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz (1987): Janice Kawaye
The Wizard of Oz (animated series, 1990): Liz Georges
The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True (1995): Jewel Kilcher
The Wizard of Oz on Ice 1996 TV special: Oksana Baiul
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005): Ashanti
The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's' (VeggieTales) (2007): Lisa Vischer as Junior Asparagus as Darby
De musical The Wiz (2007): Nurlaia Karim
Tin Man (2007): Zooey Deschanel as DG; Rachel Pattee as young DG; Alexis Llewellyn as young DG (voice); Grace Wheeler as Dorothy Gale
The Wiz (Broadway 2009): Ashanti
Tom and Jerry & the Wizard of Oz (2011): Grey DeLisle (Nikki Yanofsky as Dorothy's singing voice)
The Wizard of Song (2012): Tara Perry as Marina the Dorothy character
Dorothy and the Witches of Oz (2012): Paulie Rojas
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014): Lea Michele
The Land of Oz (2014): Madisyn Wright

@@ Line 124: / Line 124: @@
 [[File:IMG_20140523_144223.jpg|thumb|173px|''The house began to pitch, the kitchen took a slitch, it landed on a Wicked Witch, in the middle of a ditch!'']]
-In Baum's version, Dorothy wore Silver Shoes with pointed toes designed in a Arabian/Dutch style. When Dorothy clicks her heels to go home, she holds [[Toto]] tightly in her arms and closes her eyes. Dorothy is then instantly lifted into the air and carried away. The shoes then took three steps, each step made within the wink of an. When Dorothy reopened her eyes she found herself home again on the prairies of [[Kansas]], but also barefoot in her stockings.
+In Baum's book, Dorothy wore Silver Shoes with pointed toes designed in a Arabian/Dutch style. When Dorothy clicks her heels to go home, she holds [[Toto]] tightly in her arms and closes her eyes. Dorothy is then instantly lifted into the air and carried away. The shoes then took three steps, each step made within the wink of an eye. When Dorothy reopened her eyes she found herself home again on the prairies of [[Kansas]], but also barefoot in her stockings.
 Since the Silver Shoes are an enchanted element they must stay were they belong. When leaving Oz the shoes are stripped of the magic that holds them to Dorothy's feet explaining how they happened to slip off and drop into the desert below during the way back home. However, having lost the shoes over the [[Deadly Desert]], one might ask how it was that Dorothy didn't fall into the desert  too since the shoes magic would not work outside of Oz. This is because she specifically commanded the pair to take her to [[Aunt Em]] who was in Kansas. Therefore the shoes were obliged to do as they were commanded before falling off and being lost forever between the two realms that separate Oz from the outside world.