The film The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced the musical fantasy film, which stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale. It adapts L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel and follows Dorothy after a tornado carries her Kansas farmhouse to the magical Land of Oz.
The film’s release unfolded in stages. It premiered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on August 10, 1939, with other early screenings and premieres following that month. Its Hollywood premiere took place at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on August 15, and it opened nationwide in the United States on August 25.
The year is sometimes confused with 1940 because the movie continued receiving attention, awards, and wider circulation after its initial release. It was nominated for six Academy Awards at the 12th ceremony, including Best Picture, and won for Best Original Song and Best Original Score. Its long television life later made it seem less like a single-year theatrical event, but 1939 is the canonical release year.