Wizard of Oz, The Easter Egg - The White House in Oz?

When Dorothy and the Scarecrow get to the apple trees, get ready to pause. When the scene where they show the apple tree throwing apples, pause and keep pressing pause to advance film frame by frame. Look at the right side back ground, is that the White House? Does that mean the president is actually from over the rainbow?

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Contributed By: jetz on 08-30-1999
Reviewed By: Webmaster
Special Requirements: VCR w/ pause, video of Wizard of Oz
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Comments

lbedal writes:
I can see how at first glance you might think this was the front of the White House or a large plantation house with columns on the front, but it is really just the depiction of a dense forest with tall tree trunks and clumps of greenery.
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Pir8Rbrts writes:
Gone With the Wind was filming at the same time as Wizard and the sets were very close together. Is it possible this was a peek at Tara?
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The A-Bomb writes:
This is true. If you are trying to see it, you must have a quick hand to hit the pause button. It comes and goes in a snap. BE ALERT!!
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Jade writes:
I would just like to know how exactly they fit the White House into the studio.
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Webster writes:
I also discussed this in a political science class in college. The film was a political statement based on the controversy over the main issues in the presidential campaign of 1896. The parties were in dispute over whether gold or silver should be the nation's monetary standard. The Democratic party's candidate, William Jennings Bryan, wanted silver- the Democrats of the agricultural South and West also viewed the issue as a symbolic protest against the commercial Northeast. So here's the symbolism: Dorothy, a down-home, small town farm girl from the Midwest battles against the Wicked Witch of the (industrial) East, sets the Munchkins (or "the work-worn, dust-begrimed, plain people of this country" as WJ Bryan referred to the farmers of the west) free from the bondage imposed by the Wicked Witch's sister, and exposes the fraud of the Wizard of Oz (presumably the politicians in Washington D.C.,who claimed to stand for the interests of rural America). The name Oz is also the abbreviation for "ounces", the measurement used for units of gold to back the dollar. The Emerald City- basically for the central issue, which was the dollar.
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jbickfor writes:
Yes, in the specific scene mentioned, there APPEARS to be a white structure with columns depicted on the backdrop. However, continued viewing of the rest of this scene--particularly when the witch is standing on the rooftop--reveals quite clearly that the backdrop depicts clusters of trees with greenery. Admittedly, they are odd-looking trees with awfully regular, white trunks and green blotches for leaves--but this IS Oz, after all. In the context of the later scenes, the backdrop is obviously funky-looking trees.
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Mastermind25 writes:
Sorry,Webster,but "Oz" wasn't supposed to signify "ounces." L. Frank Baum,the creator of The Wizard of Oz needed a name for his magical land and saw a filing cabinet with the letters "O-Z" on it.
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Hiroshi writes:
One clarification about Webster's great post. It was L. Frank Baum's original book that was the political commentary, not the movie. By the time the movie was made that was all ancient history. I'm sure the movie was made simply because it was a great fantasy story that could transfer well to the screen. There are no political overtones beyond what was originally in the book. One more thing, in the book, the shoes were silver, not ruby. Another reference to the silver standard debate.
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GrafXcd writes:
This is true, but it's not the white house. It is infact as mentioned before the house from gone with the wind in Culver City, CA. The building is still there today and is part of Culver Studios. The front "White House" looking part of it is Mel Brook's office. Heres 2 pictures: 1998: http://members.aol.com/nehrstrom/ccs1.jpg 1920: http://members.aol.com/nehrstrom/ccs1920.JPG
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greg writes:
regarding the whole gold standard -election symbolism in the wizard of oz:I recall reading years ago an entire article in an economic journal analyzing the very idea that the story represented the election, I just can't remember the name or date of the publication. Anyone familiar with it?
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In fact, the 1896 election symbolism is not intended, as was noted by the person saying that OZ came from a filing cabinet card. This is probably true. However, the movie does make quite a nice allegory. Perhaps Mr. Baum had the 1896 events on his mind when writing the book and did not consciously try to write about the events.
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jeffd1957 writes:
This post was not intended as a political commentary.....I just saw a couple of Greek Columns that looked like the ones on the White House or any other old plantation building......Any subsequent scenes may or may not have it because it may have been days or weeks later in the filming, and other backdrop scenes were used............Wow, I never thought I would conjure up so many weird and off the wall thoughts and comments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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emmychloe writes:
People, have some common sense! It's not actually the White House, because 1) the White House cannot be brought into the set, and 2) The scene WAS NOT filmed outside the White House. However, there is a huge possibility that it is a quick view of the plantation house (mansion?) at Tara, the plantation from Gone With the Wind. The two films were being filmed at pretty much the same time in adjacent studios. A glimpse of the Tara house most likely accidentally got filmed.
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l-k writes:
If anybody is interested, here's a link to the article titled "The Wizard of Oz: Parable on Populism" that first put forth this idea. It also has some interesting links to scholarly responses and later writings by the author. Check it out if you're interested: http://www.amphigory.com/oz.htm
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fubar writes:
In glancing at the formerly submitted picture of the building thought to possibly be the White House/Tara out in the grove of trees that are throwing apples, the parking meters in the foreground appear to be hidden Mickeys !!! LOL Check it out. http://members.aol.com/nehrstrom/ccs1.jpg
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ptcruisn56 writes:
The person did not mean the actual white house, he just meant a picture of it, or indeed it could be the gone with the wind mansion. Also the book is about the gilded age. When we had some presidents who did really nothing, and were being covered up by big steel industry leaders.
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Bam-bam writes:
It is definatly the White House, and for whoever said it couldn't be because you could not bring the White House into the set, even back then you could edit a picture and put it in the background of a movie. Even the old silent films used that technique. Also, to whoever said it was the Tara house, the White House (which is clearly in the background of the movie) doesn't look that much like the Tara House with white columns and a curved section. Do you people not have eyes? Oh- and it WAS a munchkin that hung himself and MGM didn't tell anyone because they didn't want to be accused of making him do it because they had fired him for insubordination.
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Joe writes:
I have the full text of the historical in the wizard of oz. if you wanna get a copy e-mail me use the subj. OZ. Joe
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JimmyGoGO writes:
It's an illusion made by the tree stumps
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TheChairman writes:
Just my two cents: I doubt very highly that it was Tara, unless they built a scale replica of it on a studio set. As far as I know, all the exteriors were filmed at a real house in Glendale, California (which I have seen), with the backgrounds matte painted later.
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maid7 writes:
Now I finally unerstand why the tinman sings"I could be another lincoln"!
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volcomsk8er writes:
I also saw this movie and it's not the white house it's just a building with a bunch of pillars.
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