The Wizard of Oz (1950 film)

The Wizard of Oz is a 1950 half-hour television adaptation with puppets of L. Frank Baum's famous 1900 novel, directed by Burr Tillstrom, best known for creating the TV show Kukla, Fran and Ollie.

It was telecast live on May 22, 1950, by NBC. A print of the show is preserved in 16 mm. It is not to be confused with the 1939 full-length classic MGM film starring Judy Garland, which was first telecast by CBS in 1956.

Reception
Tillstrom's work is said to have "brought to television the captivating charm of the early Walt Disney films". Although the film did not have a great commercial success, it received positive retrospective response.

Legacy
The puppets were displayed at the DIA in 2020.