Incidentally, when it comes to which actor played the part(s): in the plays, there are all sorts of wild things.
When #AlanAyckbourn directed one of the plays in 1968, Nigel Forde played both the Guardian of the Gate and Uncle Henry. The Wizard was a different actor.
http://careers.alanayckbourn.net/page4/page88/
In the NPR+L.A. Children's Museum centennial audio dramatization, John Goodman played (only) the Guardian of the Gates. Harry Anderson was the Wizard. (And #MichelleTrachtenberg was Dorothy.)
It is difficult to include John Goodman and Munchkin-sized in the same sentence without some form of negative. (-:
https://newwwoz.blogspot.com/2012/03/wonderful-wizard-of-oz-centennial.html
One could perform Elizabeth Fuller Chapman's 1928 play with the Guardian of the Gates and the Wizard as the same person, although there is one point in act 3 where it is implied that they are on stage together.
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102943486
#WizardOfOz #GuardianOfTheGates #LFrankBaum #NPR #NigelForde #JohnGoodman #ElizabethFullerChapman
Mostly, no. In some adaptations, such as The Wiz, and in some of the novels, it's either multiple guardians of the gate or identifiably another named character (e.g. Faramant).
In the first Baum book, the Guardian of the Gates has xyr own living quarters away from the wizard's palace, which they have to go back to in order to set off to the Wicked Witch of the West, and doesn't have the appearance of the wizard, being described as Munchkin-sized.
https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Guardian_of_the_Gates
https://newwwoz.blogspot.com/2015/02/volkov-thon-wizard-of-emerald-city.html
#WizardOfOz #GuardianOfTheGates #AlexanderVolkov #MagicLand #TheWiz #LFrankBaum
The Guardian of the Gates is a very jolly and friendly little man who guards the emerald studded gates of the Land of Oz's imperial capital known as the Emerald City. In Baum's original book he is described as rather short, being the same height as a Munchkin, even though it does not clarify if he is of Munchkin blood or a native Munchkin who came from the eastern quadrant known as the Munchkin Country. In appearance he is said to be a older man but very jolly and round, with a chubby fat...
The Wonderful Public Domain of Oz -Internet Archive Blogs
Internet Archive Blogs, Updates from the Internet Archive
The Wonderful Public Domain of Oz
Posted on November 17, 2025 by Sterling Dudley
Map of Oz; John R. Neill – Tik-Tok of Oz, first published in the United States in 1914.The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the American fairy tale. Like other fairy tales that resonate across time and cultures, this story has seen retellings time and again that morph, recontextualize, and expand the story. This phenomena continues with the second half of the Wicked film duology releasing this November with Wicked: For Good. Let’s explore some of the stories and lore of this American fairy tale that now live in the public domain. All these different stories crafted the lore and world of Oz in the imaginations of audiences around the world.
Books and Literature
Cover to the original 1900 Oz novelOz originates in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900. Its basic plot is well known: Dorothy of Kansas is swept away to Oz via cyclone. There she meets an exotic cast of characters including the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion. Along her journey she faces many challenges in an episodic style as she seeks to return home with the Wizard’s help.
Many fans might believe the Wicked Witch is the novel’s central antagonist, but in fact she appears in just one chapter in the original text. Her larger role in the plot is an association with the 1939 film, an interpretation that became highly influential, as nearly every later Oz story riffs on this idea, including Wicked. Baum would not reuse the Wicked Witch in later novels.
Beyond this original tale are numerous other novels, including another 13 by Baum and 19 by his immediate successor, Ruth Plumly Thompson. Of these 32 tales, 23 were published by the end of 1929 and are in the public domain, including all of Baum’s output. On January 1, 2026, another Plumly Thompson novel, The Yellow Knight of Oz, will join that group. Plumly Thompson’s output ultimately surpassed Baum’s, though her imaginative contributions, including introducing a new main focal character—Peter Brown—remain underappreciated today.
Cover to the first sequel Oz novelAmong Baum’s sequels, The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904), his first sequel, stands out for introducing Princess Ozma and expanding the mythology of Oz. It is the only one of Baum’s works to not feature Dorothy as a character in the story. Due to popular demand, she would return in Ozma of Oz (1907). In this tale she would be referred to as Dorothy Gale for the first time in the novels, although the name originated in the 1902 musical revue.
Check out all of the Oz books in the public domain in our collections!
Musicals and Sound Recordings
Promotional image for the 1902 musicalPart of Baum’s core campaign in expanding Oz’s reach was his ability to spread it into multi-media. In 1902, he penned the book for a musical revue that differed from his original text and introduced many more characters, including Imogen the Cow. Notable among the work are the plethora of songs created for it that were cycled in and out as the production shifted locations.
Read more: The Wonderful Public Domain of Oz -Internet Archive Blogs
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#1900Published #fairyTale #internetArchive #internetArchiveBlog #lFrankBaum #publicDomain #sterlingDudley #wicked #wizardOfOz
Hearing a lot about Oz this week? Did you know many of the original Oz books & early media are in the public domain? Explore these classic works & how you can access them in our blog!
📖 Learn more ⬇️
https://blog.archive.org/2025/11/17/the-wonderful-public-domain-of-oz/
A quotation from L. Frank Baum
When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had changed her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled, now.L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) American author [Lyman Frank Baum]
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, ch. 1 (1900)
More info about this quote: wist.info/baum-l-frank/79329/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #lfrankbaum #wizardofoz #ageing #farmer #gray #grind #kansas #midwest #wearout #wearying #growingold
Calling all those who signed up to The Storybook Sock Box - The Wizard Of Oz - it's time for the big reveal!
Introducing 'The Wizard Of Oz' - a 100g skein of hand dyed 100% British Bluefaced Leicester 4 ply high twist sock yarn along with a contrasting 25g mini skein perfect for heels, toes and cuffs.
Included in the box is a copy of the book, a set of stitchmarkers, a postcard and a sticker.
Boxes are already on their way. Happy knitting!
#yarn #knitting #crochet #indieyarn #indiedyer #handdyedyarn #yarnclub #books #reading #storybook #socks #sockyarn #sockknitting #TheWizardOfOz #LFrankBaum #Dorothy #EmeraldCity #Oz
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