The Genesis of Wizard of Oz at Profiles in History's Next Blockbuster Hollywood Auction

Profiles in History is proud to announce the original handwritten first draft script for The Wizard of Oz will be going up for sale at their next blockbuster Hollywood Auction, December 11th, 12th 13th & 14th in Los Angeles.

It's part of an entire production archive on the creation and development of not only one of the most beloved fantasy musicals ever made, but one of the greatest films in cinema history, The Wizard of Oz!

This single lot includes:

Noel Langley's original First Draft handwritten manuscript screenplay dated April 5, 1938. A full 86 pages of handwriting are present, with additional loose pages of notes. The first page is pictured left and at the top of the page is written in ink, "Screenplay Wizard of Oz Noel Langley 4/5/38". A collection of pages are pictured below. In this draft, after "Miss Gulch" takes "Toto" away, Dorothy also has a conversation with Aunt Em that poignantly sets up the theme's that follow through the many iterations of screenplays in setting up the lesson that, "There's no place like home."

Noel Langley's original Second Draft 96-page screenplay, dated May 9, 1938, including 10 fully handwritten pages. Of particular note, this script mentions silver shoes - not ruby slippers. Also the "Wicked Witch of the West" has a grand scheme to take control of the Emerald City by marrying her son "Bulbo" to "Sylvia" (characters not in the final version of the film) and making him the King of Oz.

Noel Langley's original Third Draft 103-page screenplay, dated May 14, 1938, including 59 fully handwritten pages. Of particular note, in this draft Langley vividly describes "Munchkin Country" as being in color when Dorothy and Toto arrive.

Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf''s fourth draft, 115-page "continuation of screenplay" dated July 5, 1938.

Noel Langley's original Fifth Draft 117-page continuation of "Oz Sequence Only" screenplay, dated August 2, 1938, including 26 fully handwritten pages.

Special effects logs from The Wizard of Oz, including 19 log pages accompanied with 16 photographs of some of the ground-breaking effects, including the Tornado, the outward view of the farmhouse from within the tornado, the exterior of house falling into camera (pictured above), exterior Witch skywriting, etc.

A typed carbon copy 4-page treatment titled "The Wizard of Oz", printed official MGM Inter-Office Communication stationery.

The Wizard of Oz Shot Log archive from the matte painting division of MGM's special effects department covering some of the most fantastical images from the film, including the Emerald City of Oz, the Witch's Castle and the poppy fields.

The historic lot is estimated to sell for $800,000 - $1,200,000.

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