You never know the wailing winds could have been professional singers but the sound and visuals are amazing. Makes me want chase storms but that seems insensitive to those who suffer them
Lightning33 Hey, 1939 was a special FX renaissance! There have been awesome special effects since the silent era (ever seen "Metropolis?"), and indeed the 1925 version of "The Wizard of Oz" had a rather amazing and frightening cyclone of its own.
Special effects director Arnold Gillespie knew he couldn’t go to Kansas and wait for a real tornado to pick up a house, so he first tried building a 35 foot tall rubber cone. That rubber tornado turned out to be too rigid. It wouldn’t move. Next, Gillespie recalled that wind socks the ones that hung at airports, resembled a classic tornado funnel shape. He decided to make a tornado out of plain, woven, muslin cloth, which would allow it to twist, bend, and move from side to side. He connected the top of a 35 foot long tapered muslin sock to a steel gantry suspended at the top of the stage.
Not only does the tornado still look impressive today, but the sound design in this scene is incredible! The way the microphone stresses with the intensity of the wind is chilling!
I didn't get to see this in theaters, but I did get to see Twister when it came out. The sound of the opening scene exploding through a high powered theater sound system was just incredible to experience. Not even high quality bassy headphones at full blast comes as close as the theater surround system.
It's incredible to realize that these effects were created now nearly 85 years ago. And even now, it's a powerful and terrifying display of nature's wrath.
The other people caught up in the tornado waving and tipping their hats and stuff will never fail to make me laugh. They're behaving like it's just another Tuesday for them.
This scene, with Dorothy running about and that tornado looming in the background is more eerie, scary and effective than all the current CGI Hollywood crap nowadays.
I’ve seen so many comments on how the flying monkeys were the most terrifying part but this scene tops everything…That twister looked real and the roaring sound mixed with the landscape going crazy truly fits the mood.
I agree. Like so many others, I first saw this as a very small child. I truly thought it was some sort of a living creature that I didn't know about... like a monster or something. I was frozen solid watching this scene, yet I can remember my parents had told people that it was amazing how I would watch other scary things on TV and not be bothered at all. But this really did scare the hell out of me. Even now for a brief couple of seconds I was that little kid. Absolutely fantastic movie making!!
@@MaskedMan66 It's not odd when you're a little kid. I don't know if I had ever even heard the word at 5 years old. And I'm positive I'd never seen one, on television or otherwise.
The most realistic tornado to date . As a child, i was petrified and mesmerized at the same time . I believe the same sequence was used in other movies as well
It’s because CGI sucks. That’s why Twister was so good. Even though the tornadoes were CGI, the destruction and stuff wasn’t. Same with Independence Day. That actually recreated the explosions and stuff by using scale models and blowing them up in slow mo. Gone are those days! Now everything is CGI and it stinks
Why this film didn't win an Oscar for best visual effects I'll never know. This tornado scene is really amazing, given they had no reference footage to go by.
That year, _The Wizard of Oz_ lost the Best Special Effects Oscar to _The Rains Came,_ starring Myrna Loy and Tyrone Power. I guess the Academy was more impressed with floods than tornadoes.
The fade in after professor marvel said: "poor little kid. I hope she gets home alright," always gave me chills and made the appearance of the tornado more scarier to me. Especially when you're a little kid, and you've survived one yourself
Something about Aunt Em screaming that she can’t find her only niece as a tornado is shredding across the plains towards their home always sent chills down my spine.
I KNOW!!! That scene in general is just so haunting and sad. The way the tornado is just looming in the background, standing perfectly still, and the way she delivers that line is just so heartbreaking. You can tell the Aunt Em would truly do anything for Dorothy.
My parents would have been worried sick and scared to death for my safety if they were unable to find me during a MN tornado/bad storm! Thankfully though we were always together and safe in our basement during bad weather! Even if the bad weather occurred during the night when I was sleeping! Dad would come up and carefully take me out of bed, trying not to wake me(sometimes I'd wake a little when I was lifted up to his shoulder then I'd go right back to sleep), then take me down to the basement. Sometimes I'd wake up and find myself in my Cookie Monster sleeping bag on the floor in my playroom wondering how I got there!
@Gabriel The Wizard of Oz Fan 2021 We don't actually hear the giant fans (the cyclone's roar was added in post), and Clara Blandick could belt, as anyone who's seen her as Aunt Polly in "Tom Sawyer" could tell you! What is your source? I'd like to check it out.
@@MaskedMan66 Which version of Tom Sawyer are you referring to? If you are referring to the 1970s musical version... Celeste Holm played Aunt Polly in that version.
KentuckyWallChicken I live in Boston. The chances of getting tornados here are very slim. We do get a Tornado warning or watch every blue moon but it’s pretty uncommon. If we ever do get one it never usually goes beyond an F0 or a small funnel. I’ve never experienced a tornado and I’m very Great full for that. However I have been through many Hurricanes, Blizzards, and Nor’easters. But I’m sure they are VERY different from tornados. Although one of the worst Tornados in US history did happen in Worcester, MA (not too too far from Boston) in the 1950s. A little irony there.
I can't get over how accurate this is. As a storm chaser, I can tell you that at 2:07 when she goes back outside that is exactly what it is like to be as close to a violent tornado as she supposedly is. This is just amazing and dramatic filmmaking done by people who clearly knew what they were doing. The sound is spot on, the visuals, even the overall storm structure is pretty close. And the despair of the farm owners to get underground as they lose it all. Its amazing
@@penguinmaster7 well keep in mind the tornado in the movie never hit the house. The whole thing was a dream sequence after the window hit her in the head. You'll remember that she was back in bed, unscathed at the end of the film. That being said, the tornado they depicted definitely looked like had higher end Ef3 maybe Ef4 motion
The only thing that's missing is the lightning. And in our area we have multiple sirens, but they probably wouldn't have any. Whenever we have tornadoes there is often a dramatic increase in lightning. But I looked it up and there tornadoes that don't have any lightning. I shouldn't even be watching this tonight. Too stressful. Tornado season starts up again in November. November to July for us.
@@jeffzebert4982 Wouldn’t really know the rating for sure unless they showed damage from it after but given it took up a whole house I wouldn’t doubt your ratings.
God knows how I ended up here (was searching for Tornado GR3 aircraft!) but glad I saw this again. Has aged brilliantly. Totally agree far more 'scary'' than anything new. Must have scared quite a few kids in its time.
@@adamw2911 I'm 63 and watched The wizard of Oz every year until we could purchase it and watch it on our vcr and then our DVD player. In 2002 I moved from New England to a tornado prone area where tornadoes and storm shelters are our way of life. This is a 1,000 times more scary now, and I was pretty terrified as a kid. As a mom, I can't even comprehend how a person like Auntie Em would feel with a tornado bearing down on them and Dorothy somewhere out there in the debris, her life in danger. I would be hysterical, and indeed it would take three men to get me into the shelter. I have panic attacks now if I put myself in her position. Fortunately my daughter was always with me inside the storm shelter when she was living at home and we had tornado warnings. Always inside the shelter, a small but state of the art concrete and rebar Safe Shed.
Totally agree. I'm a weather fanatic and always like this. The way it gets darker and darker is truly amazing. Only someone really keen to storms would have added that detail.
Honestly, it's not just the timeless special effects, it's the sound effects/sound editing to that makes the scene really terrifying. The Tornado not only LOOKS scary but it SOUNDS scary too!! The sound of a tornado coming towards you like that....YIKES!!! O_O
+lenzino7383 Growing up in Kansas myself, twisters don't scare me, I yell at those storms to give it all they got! But honestly, you do get chills up and down your spine if you hear one, it's like hearing countless jets.
With all the advancements in effects, CGI and all of that sort of thing that we've had up to this point, it really says a lot that this is still the creepiest and most genuine-looking tornado I've ever seen in a movie.
Just had a really strong reaction watching this. Cried actually. I haven't seen this movie in 25 years, 30 now. I know every beat, inflection, shot and sound effect but had forgetten them. Was brought right back to being a kid sitting on the floor in front of the TV and watching this on repeat. It's very strange and very sad growing up. We're not in Kansas anymore
When I was a child in the 90s watching this, I thought it was the most terrifying and most beautiful thing I saw in any movie. It’s such a haunting and effective scene.
I rewatched this movie on the big screen a few years ago, and the tornado had me in tears it was so scary. Oddly enough, as a kid the tornado never seemed as bad as the Witch and the winged monkeys. How things change.
The first half of this whole scene when a kid, and even today, not only terrified me, but deeply unsettled me to my core. The way the tornado starts relatively far away, without that much dust or debris, and then it gradually gets closer, louder, dustier, and darker... It’s just flat out creepy. My dad survived the largest and deadliest tornado of the 1974 super outbreak. It was in Xenia Ohio, and he was only 10 years old at the time. He told me that the scene is horrifyingly accurate and realistic. Right down to the sounds, and the sense of impending doom, and helplessness. The scene is just so brilliantly choreographed, and mapped out. It’s so expertly filmed. And I think it was a brilliant choice not to add any score or music during this scene. When I was little, for the longest time I was convinced that this was a real tornado, and my dad explained to me how they did it and I was completely shocked. I thought there’s no way in hell that it could literally just be a tube of muslin on a gantry, some wind machines, and dust. I wonder why movies nowadays that feature tornado scenes don’t use the same technique? It’s so much more effective than shitty CGI... IM LOOKING AT YOU INTO THE STORM.
It strikes so many emotions, the essence of good storytelling; I've read where MGM didn't really aim this at the younger crowd, hence the intensity of the special affects and the themes of loss and fear.
I often wondered how they filmed the entire tornado scene, how they created it, and what they used to make the entire scene. Then I discovered that Arnold Gillespie (special effects director of The Wizard of Oz) created the tornado by suspending a muslin cloth from a steel gantry. The crew originally used rubber, but it wasn’t flexible enough to make the tornado appear realistic.
This scene scared me shitless as a kid. The loud whistling sounds and the distant tornado roaring as it comes closer. The tornado looks freakishly real, and the black and white imagery makes it even better. Truly such an amazing scene, especially for the time!
As a kid I found this scene terrifying. As an adult I have to say that Miss Gultch transforming into the Wicked Witch is one of my favorite moments in Film period. ...like not even just "in a kids movie" or anything like that, just "Film" in general.
Very ironic comment, Margaret Hamilton scared a lot of kids when she was the Wicked Witch of the West. She appeared in a banned episode of Sesame Street. However, in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, she explains that her portrayal of the witch was just an act. But, in this scene, she is the Wicked Witch of the East. If you look at her shoes, you can see the ruby slippers, despite not shown in color.
As a hardcore tornado enthusiast....BEST TORNADO SCENE EVER! The wind sounds were right on point for a strong and violent tornado. You can hear the howling plus the roar. When Dorothy goes in the house, you can hear the outside being pelted by debris. The tornado out in the distance and as it closes in is on point! Rope tornadoes like that can dance around like this one. The dust and high winds in the last scene before she goes back in the house are perfect! Into the Storm and Twister doesn't come close to this. Love both movies, but as far as tornado scenes.....this one is the best!
Absolutely. As a chaser and also a film buff it makes my want to cry at how amazing this is. The sound editing and overall atmosphere is exactly what its like for a tornado to bearing down here in the southern plains
Come on twister does away better at the tornado thing the tornado in this movie was used in different movies twister still beats this movie by along shot
Absolutely....the producers here were spot on accurate. You can also see the outflow of the storm, as well as the RDF...at one point as Dorthy is about to enter the house it looks like there are multiple vortices spinning around each other. They got it right....EF4-5
The whole scene, I think they did it amazingly well. The tornado is in the background, the wind is hardcore, and the whole thing drags on a while. I love the screen door flying away. It's all kinda like a dream. It not all realistic, but for what they had to work with it's fucking perfection.
My mom watched it in the movie house back then. It did. What brought tears to all the kids was when it switched to color just after this scene. That really blew them away!
Absolutely the best special effects tornado scene ever. It puts the far-less realistic tornado effects in 'Twister' to shame. Being from Oklahoma, I can especially appreciate the sense of fear and awe you feel as the long black funnel approaches. This movie should have won a award for these special effects.
1:30 as a kid I always thought that Aunt Em said "Oh whoopee!" Instead of "Dorothy". Now of course, as an adult I realize how out of place that line would have been had she said it considering the circumstance. 🤣🤣
Clara Blandick had developed a particular style of calling to children when she played that other great literary aunt, Tom Sawyer's Aunt Polly, in two movies made in 1930 and 1931.
She is so cute . I like her a lot -so fitting for the role of Dorothy (even though Dorothy is a lot stronger character in the book than in the movie ).
MaskedMan66 Please , remind me where Baum used the name Locasta for the Good Witch of the North?And who and where named the Wicked Witch of the West Momba?
Theodora Jelaca The Good Witch of the North was called Locasta in the 1902 stage musical "The Wizard of Oz" (which, incidentally, had no Wicked Witches in it), and the Wicked Witch of the West was called Momba in the 1910 movie "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," produced by the Selig Company.
MaskedMan66 Very interesting . Thank you! You know what I also hate about Wicked -those people who like it hate Dorothy!They hate the main character of the original Wizard of Oz (both book and the movie). I mean , come on , she is good . Wait , what ? No Wicked Witches? Momba is the name that I like a lot for the Wicked Witch of the West . It sounds old and fitting . I like Elphaba a lot (the name and her character a bit in the musical. I wish that I could combine the musical Wicked and the book Wizard of Oz with some elements from the movie-because I love Hamilton's performance a lot .I have always imagined the Wicked Witch of the West how Baum described her , but with Margaret Hamilton's voice and laughter in the movie . Why I like the musical Wicked?I am a girl . That's why. I hate the book. )and Theodora(but that name is more fitting for the Good Witch of the the North , I must admit),
Take a lesson film makers... Aside from this scene being visually striking and well done, notice how well it worked WITHOUT ANNOYING MUSIC to tell us how we should be feeling. Although the music works well during her dream sequence.
This was done in 1939 and it was one of the most realistic special effects of a tornado on film! I still cannot believe how realistic it was and even meteorologists said this was extremely well done, what does that tell you!! Classic in every right!!
I thank this scene for igniting my love for tornadoes and severe weather, amazing special effects for its time, this scared the crap out of me as a kid
***** Its fine, the worst I remember was a f4 that passed through, my home town, it was scary as hell. Went on for seeming hours. To answer, no, its not simliar by much, the wind power, fuck yes, but the way it bended and twisted like in the move, no. They also don't move from side to side, and as off course as it did. As for the f4 I was in, I remember running from our field to the cellar while we could see the cloud touching down. Scariest moment of my life.
***** Thank you, we went through a lot of tornados every year, but only...jeeze, 1% or less were above an f3. Its not like a super storm every time, but still, a f0 or f1 is nothing to laugh at. Still over 100 mph winds.
A lot of people don't realize how realistically scary this scene actually is. In terms of how tornadoes move and blow and destroy, this actually triggers a lot of PTSD for a lot of tornado survivors in its realism. Well, before the dream sequence of course.
I wish I could see people's reactions to seeing this for the first time in 1939. The effects for this scene are still pretty great, even by today's standards. But the most chilling part is seeing Ms. Gulch transform into the Wicked Witch before she lets out that horrific cackle. Easily the most terrifying part of an already scary sequence.
for a children's tale this film scared and amazed me as a kid - the twister, the witch, Oz with the belching fire, those flying monkeys - intense stuff for a 5 year old back in the day.
Honestly my favorite part of this scene is the last bit where the house is falling and right at the end the perspective changes so it seems to fall ON the viewer, and then blacks out with that *thump* as it lands. Also great music at that part.
A genuinely terrifying and exhilerating scene from a great movie; one of my favourites. Despite the crudity of the special effects compared to today, you get a strong sense of the approaching tornado and storm; how the air fills with debris of all kinds, and the wind drowns everything out. I loved how the screen door goes flying when Dorothy opens it! It`s a wonderful way to move from the drab world of Kansas to the multicoloured and vibrant one of Oz.
The "crudity" of the special effects????? This scene was filmed with a car driving way, way back on the set with a muslin stocking locked on the ceiling and into the car, which was filled with nothing but dirt and dust! As the car drove around the back of the set, the fans blasted the dust outwards to create the effect of a real tornado. Even CGI, to this day couldn't have filmed a better representation of a real tornado!! Are you daft??? Read about how they created this incredible effect. It scared the hell out of me as a child and it continues to do so with each new generation who sees this incredible film!! "Crude?" oh please....
@@bandfromtheband9445 There was no car; the bottom of the muslin tube was attached to a runner in a groove in the studio floor. But I share your attitude toward the OP's crazy comment.
Decades ago i thought this scene was a real tornado filmed and shown on ths set`s back ground...only to findout that it was a special effect ! ARNOLD GILLESPIE you`er a GENIUS !!!
+Danny Zawadzki Me as well. Comforting to hear it creeped others out too. I was born and raised in Tornado Alley, so I've seen quite a few, but this one, that was scary.
+Danny Z Man I just said it to my fiancée. I saw it in Brazil, when I was 8/9 years old and it marked me for life. I am now 50 years old and I didn't forget this scene. Great movie but yes scared the crap out of me!
Someone on social media once left a comment about his father seeing this film when it debuted in 1939. His father was just a wee lad....maybe 6 or 7. The poor kid was so totally freaked out over this shrieking twister scene that he got as far as Dorothy kicking at the storm cellar door and....that was it. The noise and chaos terrified him. He got up out of his seat badly shaken, walked out of the cinema and went directly home trembling and sobbing all the way. His nerves were so badly shattered that he's lucky he didn't vomit on the way home. Poor little boy.....
I'd take that with a grain of salt. Most kids had been raised on the book and knew what to expect; besides, children tend to be tougher than adults and to take things in a more matter-of-fact manner, at least 20th century kids.
CGI is the lazy way out. Gone are the days when people used their brains and imagination to make something work. Nowadays, just let the computer do the thinking.
Never noticed when I was younger how well this scene was done. Amazing job on the twister! Almost looks real, and it's from 1939. Step your game up Hollywood.
There's so much more to the technique of the tornado replication in this than just it being a stocking and the lack of music and the wind sounds. What about the puppetry skills here? It's so graceful and almost beautiful as it sways and dips and dances to come and kill Dorothy and all of us! It really captures the hypnotizing effect of that snakelike movement. And the debris cloud at its base.. watch that again. Did they slow the film down on that somehow? It makes the whole entire thing seem like a nightmare... dreamlike and realistic all at once. Perfection!
This being done digitally with today's technology just wouldn't be the same. Real tactile props beat a computer generated special effect in some cases - this being a significant example from The Wizard of Oz. I'll take the 30-foot high black nylon stocking and smoke pots over digital pixels for this scene hand down.
While this scene was the most expensive in the entire movie, I'm sure today it would be much cheaper than using CGI. Practical effects will always have a special place in my heart
You are so right with this comment! It pisses me off that this could be completed today, not as an "in-film" element, but as nothing but a computerized special effect. SO MUCH HARD WORK went into recreating a hostile tornado on the Kansas plains!! This was literally, a car driving way back on set with a muslin stocking locked to the ceiling and the car. It was filled with dust, dirt and sand and once the fans on the floor hit it, it looked and acted just like a real funnel cloud tornado. They wouldn't bother with this today, but this was back in 1937, 1938 before the film's 1939 release. This was Cinema special effects at it's greatest moment!! I sill get spooked and covered in goosebumps when I watch it!!
I can’t believe how creative the director was back in this very year 1939! Director and helpers behind the scene also deserve a big well done 👏🏽this will always be a all time fav classic
King Vidor directed the Kansas sequences, but he would probably give all the credit for the cyclone to the FX team headed by A. Arnold "Buddy" Gillespie. :-)
I first watched this when I was 9 years old (I'm 17 now) and it still creeps me out just as much. That's one of the most realistic things I've ever seen in a movie, period. It's scary how realistic it is. I've only experienced one in my life, and luckily I live in Buffalo NY where they only happen once every 50 or so years
@@peterconway6584 Terry did whatever was required of her. Poeple say she was startled by the steam coming out of the Tin Woodman's hat, but she was only acting there as well.
I think it's the reason for my reoccurring tornado dreams. No CGI and closing in on 100 years old it looks better then any Hollywood tornado stuff today.
I've never researched this, but I had them from childhood into my mid-20s. Perhaps it's true with me, too. This sure is a magnificent depiction of the storm and its mysterious power and intensity.
And this movie didn't win the oscar for special effects. Shameful.
Max Canon The Rains Came won far superior special effects I love wizard of Oz but the effects in the Rains Came were better
MineFreds nice one geezer 😀😀 top guy 😊😊
Max Canon
Тhis mоoоviе is nоw аvаilablееe tо wаtссссh hееerе => twitter.com/cb0ea07cb20be2b0e/status/822786847789023233 Тhее Wizаrd оf Оz 1939 It s a Тwister
Max Canon yes it is a shame. I mean, cmon! Just imagine how many takes they had to go through to get it just right!
The total lack of music makes this scene so much more terrifying
Realistically terrifying
I agree , music is important but there are some sequence that can do without.
That's because the wind effects said it all...until the window blew in at 2:29!
Great Gig in the Sky
You never know the wailing winds could have been professional singers but the sound and visuals are amazing. Makes me want chase storms but that seems insensitive to those who suffer them
For 1939 that's one damn good looking tornado.
I know right its amazing i cant beileve its 1939
Lightning33 Hey, 1939 was a special FX renaissance!
There have been awesome special effects since the silent era (ever seen "Metropolis?"), and indeed the 1925 version of "The Wizard of Oz" had a rather amazing and frightening cyclone of its own.
The tornado was made by using a nylon stocking and blowing a fan on it... it looked great!
@Inacio's Second Channel How do you think things were being blown about on the set? Of course they had wind machines! :)
Agreed
I still don’t understand how they managed to create a tornado scene this intense and convincing in 1939, unreal.
They used pantyhose to make it. That’s what i recall hearing years ago anyway. lol
Theaters had been creating stuff like this on stage for ages.
Special effects director Arnold Gillespie knew he couldn’t go to Kansas and wait for a real tornado to pick up a house, so he first tried building a 35 foot tall rubber cone. That rubber tornado turned out to be too rigid. It wouldn’t move.
Next, Gillespie recalled that wind socks the ones that hung at airports, resembled a classic tornado funnel shape. He decided to make a tornado out of plain, woven, muslin cloth, which would allow it to twist, bend, and move from side to side. He connected the top of a 35 foot long tapered muslin sock to a steel gantry suspended at the top of the stage.
@@EphemeralProductions Wrong.
@@cinerama62 Brilliant! Nice to meet people who've read the right books. :-)
Not only does the tornado still look impressive today, but the sound design in this scene is incredible! The way the microphone stresses with the intensity of the wind is chilling!
I saw this once on the Big screen theater and it was the best. Nothing close.
Yes, everything!!! Inside the house, outside the house... The banging inside the house is horrifying.
I didn't get to see this in theaters, but I did get to see Twister when it came out. The sound of the opening scene exploding through a high powered theater sound system was just incredible to experience. Not even high quality bassy headphones at full blast comes as close as the theater surround system.
@@BingBreep-mk6om Without a doubt.
Proper sound in any movie is No accident !!!
This scene was so horrifying as a child. The sounds of the tornado are just enough to scare you.
Agreed!
When Miss Glutch transforms into the "Witch of the East" and begins that insane laugh, Is Awesome!!! It still gives me chills !!!
I was So Scared Of Tornadoes In The.
Real tornadoes actually sound worse.
That's what Hurricane Katrina sounded like.
For 1939, those were very impressive special effects.
What do you mean "for 1939?" FX had reached a real renaissance by then, and pretty much every method short of CGI had already been invented.
For 2017, it's still impressive.
I think being in black and white made it even more scary. They just seemed more violent than most.
Jake Barbee this isn't black and white tho
That's what I'm saying! The Wizard of Oz Was TRULY WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME
It's incredible to realize that these effects were created now nearly 85 years ago. And even now, it's a powerful and terrifying display of nature's wrath.
As much as I love a good dose of CGI, I know what you mean. And that’s why this is one classic I won’t mind revisiting once in a blue moon
@@manuelorozco7760 cgi is cringe
@@bearzdlc2172 Depends on how what the movie is
The tornado was a couple old pairs of ladies tights if i recall correctly
@@bearzdlc2172 Some is, some isn't. Like any form of FX.
The other people caught up in the tornado waving and tipping their hats and stuff will never fail to make me laugh. They're behaving like it's just another Tuesday for them.
They might be ghosts 😨
Typical spring weekday in the Midwest lol
Eerie like the riding the bomb scene in Dr. Strangelove. They knew how to dig under our skin back then.
Did this scene scare the crap out of any one else when they were a kid?
Because it did to me.
I have watched the 1996 twister movie it would be the falling debris which scares me
Heck when I was little, I'd refuse to watch this movie because of the twister. .3.
Yes. Brilliantly so.
CarlyAKACmara When I was little I was looking forward to this movie just because of the twister :)
Oh that was a HIGHLIGHT
This scene, with Dorothy running about and that tornado looming in the background is more eerie, scary and effective than all the current CGI Hollywood crap nowadays.
What about the good, high-quality CGI?
@@MaskedMan66 have to admit Gollum and the JurassicPark dinosaurs are pretty good.
@@MaskedMan66 Good? 😂
@@mibukdesjarlais534 Yes. Such as in "Jurassic Park" and "The Lord of the Rings," as the OP just mentioned.
"BaCk In My DaY"
I’ve seen so many comments on how the flying monkeys were the most terrifying part but this scene tops everything…That twister looked real and the roaring sound mixed with the landscape going crazy truly fits the mood.
Winged Monkeys.
I agree. Like so many others, I first saw this as a very small child. I truly thought it was some sort of a living creature that I didn't know about... like a monster or something. I was frozen solid watching this scene, yet I can remember my parents had told people that it was amazing how I would watch other scary things on TV and not be bothered at all. But this really did scare the hell out of me.
Even now for a brief couple of seconds I was that little kid. Absolutely fantastic movie making!!
@@donarthiazi2443 I guess it helps to have known the story before seeing the movie. But it seems very odd not to know what a tornado is.
@@MaskedMan66
It's not odd when you're a little kid. I don't know if I had ever even heard the word at 5 years old. And I'm positive I'd never seen one, on television or otherwise.
@@donarthiazi2443 I had. Like I said, I knew the book as well.
The most realistic tornado to date . As a child, i was petrified and mesmerized at the same time . I believe the same sequence was used in other movies as well
Yes! I've heard of that too, and now that i think about it, i do remember seeing that sequence in another movie. I can't remember what it was, gosh..
same here, this scene terrified and fascinated me more than anything as a child. that undulating twister.
same
@@matthewroman6807The movie was “Cabin in the Sky”..Released 4 years after “The Wizard of Oz”.
For just being a sock on a hanger, that is one of the most realistic tornadoes that I’ve ever seen on film. It was so ahead of its time
35ft stocking with crane and car but yes lol pretty much
It wasn't a sock and it wasn't on a hanger.
@@MaskedMan66 it was more like wind sock for airports on a fence attached to a car, so Jennifer was spot on
@@sackofwetmice428 It was a purpose-made muslin tube covered in Fuller's Earth.
a WHAT NOW
A movie from 1939 has a much more realistic tornado than pretty much all movies today.
+Mongoven1904 ikr even though it clearly is fake todays still look that way XD
It’s because CGI sucks. That’s why Twister was so good. Even though the tornadoes were CGI, the destruction and stuff wasn’t. Same with Independence Day. That actually recreated the explosions and stuff by using scale models and blowing them up in slow mo. Gone are those days! Now everything is CGI and it stinks
The movie twister had some realistic tornado,s to
are u alive
Not all movies today have tornadoes; in fact, very few do.
Why this film didn't win an Oscar for best visual effects I'll never know.
This tornado scene is really amazing, given they had no reference footage to go by.
It was nominated at least!
Me neither
@@MaskedMan66true. guess that's better than nothing
That year, _The Wizard of Oz_ lost the Best Special Effects Oscar to _The Rains Came,_ starring Myrna Loy and Tyrone Power. I guess the Academy was more impressed with floods than tornadoes.
The fade in after professor marvel said: "poor little kid. I hope she gets home alright," always gave me chills and made the appearance of the tornado more scarier to me. Especially when you're a little kid, and you've survived one yourself
Something about Aunt Em screaming that she can’t find her only niece as a tornado is shredding across the plains towards their home always sent chills down my spine.
are u alive
Lmfao. This isn't a horror movie. Chill out.
@@Sam13806 That scene was scary
@@Sam13806 2007 called, it wants it’s faux hawk back.
@@Sam13806 It doesn't have to be a horror movie to have a scary scene in it.
I felt that aunt em screaming for Dorothy and telling Henry that she can’t find her was just toooo sad😭😭😭
I KNOW!!! That scene in general is just so haunting and sad. The way the tornado is just looming in the background, standing perfectly still, and the way she delivers that line is just so heartbreaking. You can tell the Aunt Em would truly do anything for Dorothy.
soooo sad e
My parents would have been worried sick and scared to death for my safety if they were unable to find me during a MN tornado/bad storm! Thankfully though we were always together and safe in our basement during bad weather! Even if the bad weather occurred during the night when I was sleeping! Dad would come up and carefully take me out of bed, trying not to wake me(sometimes I'd wake a little when I was lifted up to his shoulder then I'd go right back to sleep), then take me down to the basement. Sometimes I'd wake up and find myself in my Cookie Monster sleeping bag on the floor in my playroom wondering how I got there!
@Gabriel The Wizard of Oz Fan 2021 We don't actually hear the giant fans (the cyclone's roar was added in post), and Clara Blandick could belt, as anyone who's seen her as Aunt Polly in "Tom Sawyer" could tell you! What is your source? I'd like to check it out.
@@MaskedMan66 Which version of Tom Sawyer are you referring to? If you are referring to the 1970s musical version... Celeste Holm played Aunt Polly in that version.
This has better effects and more convincing than modern VFX.
It has a soul. Today's CGI effects are soulless, probably being created by people without souls in Hollywood...
Today it's all technology and no imagination. They want a tornado, a computer creates a random visual. This took a lot of work and effort
Mad respect to the production crew. Amazing scene.
As someone who's survived a tornado (and hopefully never sees one ever again) it's amazing for 1939 how accurate this was.
I live in Texas and never witnessed one but heard they have hit in my area .
KentuckyWallChicken I live in Boston. The chances of getting tornados here are very slim. We do get a Tornado warning or watch every blue moon but it’s pretty uncommon. If we ever do get one it never usually goes beyond an F0 or a small funnel. I’ve never experienced a tornado and I’m very Great full for that. However I have been through many Hurricanes, Blizzards, and Nor’easters. But I’m sure they are VERY different from tornados.
Although one of the worst Tornados in US history did happen in Worcester, MA (not too too far from Boston) in the 1950s. A little irony there.
I live in England, and we haven't had a tornado for a long time, and probably won't have one for a long time
+mustafawee Exactly! I am the Grandmaster after all, my thuum will perish all those who threaten my homeland
We live in Mars and we rarely get any tornados. As if there is no air at all!
I can't get over how accurate this is. As a storm chaser, I can tell you that at 2:07 when she goes back outside that is exactly what it is like to be as close to a violent tornado as she supposedly is. This is just amazing and dramatic filmmaking done by people who clearly knew what they were doing. The sound is spot on, the visuals, even the overall storm structure is pretty close. And the despair of the farm owners to get underground as they lose it all. Its amazing
So not always a freight train sound?
What would this tornado rate on the EF scale? Considering it was able to rip a house completely off the ground, i was thinking EF4 at the very least.
@@penguinmaster7 well keep in mind the tornado in the movie never hit the house. The whole thing was a dream sequence after the window hit her in the head. You'll remember that she was back in bed, unscathed at the end of the film. That being said, the tornado they depicted definitely looked like had higher end Ef3 maybe Ef4 motion
The only thing that's missing is the lightning. And in our area we have multiple sirens, but they probably wouldn't have any.
Whenever we have tornadoes there is often a dramatic increase in lightning. But I looked it up and there tornadoes that don't have any lightning.
I shouldn't even be watching this tonight. Too stressful. Tornado season starts up again in November. November to July for us.
It’s just stunning isn’t it?
I just decided to rewatch this scene in a long time. I forgot how violent they made that tornado look and sound. Very accurate!
Yeah! I'd say that if this were an actual tornado, it would be AT LEAST an EF-3, if not an EF-4!
@@jeffzebert4982 Wouldn’t really know the rating for sure unless they showed damage from it after but given it took up a whole house I wouldn’t doubt your ratings.
A movie made 82 years ago and we watch it to this day and fans of it haven’t even been born yet. Legendary is an understatement.
It’s one of the classics I would visit once in a blue moon
This tornado scene looks more realistic and foreboding than anything filmed since 1939.
God knows how I ended up here (was searching for Tornado GR3 aircraft!) but glad I saw this again. Has aged brilliantly. Totally agree far more 'scary'' than anything new. Must have scared quite a few kids in its time.
Right!
*SINCE 86TH ACADEMY AWARDS.*
why did dorothy look confused
@@adamw2911 I'm 63 and watched The wizard of Oz every year until we could purchase it and watch it on our vcr and then our DVD player. In 2002 I moved from New England to a tornado prone area where tornadoes and storm shelters are our way of life. This is a 1,000 times more scary now, and I was pretty terrified as a kid. As a mom, I can't even comprehend how a person like Auntie Em would feel with a tornado bearing down on them and Dorothy somewhere out there in the debris, her life in danger. I would be hysterical, and indeed it would take three men to get me into the shelter. I have panic attacks now if I put myself in her position. Fortunately my daughter was always with me inside the storm shelter when she was living at home and we had tornado warnings. Always inside the shelter, a small but state of the art concrete and rebar Safe Shed.
That roaring sound as she forces her way to the front door, while the picket fence is being pushed to the ground IS INTENSE AF
OhLook And then the screen door just flies away 🥺 get inside, kid!
are u dead
0:29 1:04 0:51 1:17 1:35 2:07
OhLook: YES. Sounded like the real thing. So did the howling wind. Awesome scene!
what was the wicked witch of the west real name in the wizard of oz the 1939 movie version?
To this day its still Hollywoods best Tornado, no VFX's can compete with amazing practical effects, optical illusions, and dam fine camera trickery
But it isn't just the twister. It's the screen door coming off, the window hitting Dorothy, and the room landing. It's all so perfect.
One of the most amazing moments in film history. Close to 80 years old and it's still one of the coolest and most effective effects
Totally agree. I'm a weather fanatic and always like this. The way it gets darker and darker is truly amazing. Only someone really keen to storms would have added that detail.
winterdesert1 Honestly, I find this scarier than any CGI. It just looks and feels real, plus Judy really acted well in this.
We often forget that film makers even back then, paid a lot of attention to detail than we give them credit for.
+PungiFungi Which, in its way, is a testament to their achievements!
The sounds of these scenes freak me out to the day.
Honestly, it's not just the timeless special effects, it's the sound effects/sound editing to that makes the scene really terrifying. The Tornado not only LOOKS scary but it SOUNDS scary too!! The sound of a tornado coming towards you like that....YIKES!!! O_O
+lenzino7383 Growing up in Kansas myself, twisters don't scare me, I yell at those storms to give it all they got! But honestly, you do get chills up and down your spine if you hear one, it's like hearing countless jets.
+Jordan Gee From what I understand, it's a sound that just drowns everything else out. You can't even hear yourself think.
the tornado sounds more like a hurricane rather than a freight train
Also with music '' Dark side of the moon'' Pink Floyd
Well also, the black and white is powerful as is the absence of music
1:19 That is a horrific sound, I tell you
The last sound you would ever hear if you encountered one of these beasts.
With all the advancements in effects, CGI and all of that sort of thing that we've had up to this point, it really says a lot that this is still the creepiest and most genuine-looking tornado I've ever seen in a movie.
Yes, it really does! It's not even close!
I wasn’t phased by this scene at all
@@manuelorozco7760ok Mr tough guy
@@necroslayer1546 Was that an insult?
That tornado just looks so vicious and scary, especially with all that churning dirt on the ground.
I doubt a big-budget film today could capture the creepiness of this scene.
Many have.
@@MaskedMan66You cant remake a masterpiece.
@@MaskedMan66 only one I can think of is Twister or Places in the Heart
@@holzkatz1 I wasn't talking about "remaking a masterpiece"; the topic was creating cyclones for the big screen.
@@holzkatz1 sadly, it will do now . They will remake the movie the wizard of oz and this remake will be development.
Just had a really strong reaction watching this. Cried actually. I haven't seen this movie in 25 years, 30 now. I know every beat, inflection, shot and sound effect but had forgetten them. Was brought right back to being a kid sitting on the floor in front of the TV and watching this on repeat. It's very strange and very sad growing up. We're not in Kansas anymore
My experience watching this was exactly the same. Looked forward to it every year, on the floor with my friends gathered around. It was an event.
When I was a child in the 90s watching this, I thought it was the most terrifying and most beautiful thing I saw in any movie. It’s such a haunting and effective scene.
Luckily I wasn’t scared!
That's the scariest tornado ever put on film.
Explosive Candy The Wizard Of Oz is what Originally got me interested in tornadoes this is one of my favorite tornado movies as well as Twister 1996
3:41 There's Miss Gulch!
I rewatched this movie on the big screen a few years ago, and the tornado had me in tears it was so scary. Oddly enough, as a kid the tornado never seemed as bad as the Witch and the winged monkeys. How things change.
Looks alot more like a real one then most of the ones put on film since then. lol
@London Novak Looks stronger than that.
When I was little, the witch scared me. Now, it's the tornado in the distance that creeps me out.
Same
Same
As it chews it's way across the prairie
This scene gave me a lifelong phobia of tornados. I saw it first on a B&W TV in the 50’s! When I finally saw the movie in color, I was astonished!
The Twister was literally a character in this movie. So eerie and dark.
Still one of the creepiest tornado scenes I've ever seen, and looks much more real than all the CGI stuff they do in movies today.
Not all of it.
Looks like a real one. To me.
agree.
Nope
The only tornado scene that comes as close to being this creepy is the night time F4 tornado in Twister that destroyed Wakita.
Those tornado, debris, and cloud effects still hold up to this day
The first half of this whole scene when a kid, and even today, not only terrified me, but deeply unsettled me to my core. The way the tornado starts relatively far away, without that much dust or debris, and then it gradually gets closer, louder, dustier, and darker... It’s just flat out creepy. My dad survived the largest and deadliest tornado of the 1974 super outbreak. It was in Xenia Ohio, and he was only 10 years old at the time. He told me that the scene is horrifyingly accurate and realistic. Right down to the sounds, and the sense of impending doom, and helplessness. The scene is just so brilliantly choreographed, and mapped out. It’s so expertly filmed. And I think it was a brilliant choice not to add any score or music during this scene. When I was little, for the longest time I was convinced that this was a real tornado, and my dad explained to me how they did it and I was completely shocked. I thought there’s no way in hell that it could literally just be a tube of muslin on a gantry, some wind machines, and dust. I wonder why movies nowadays that feature tornado scenes don’t use the same technique? It’s so much more effective than shitty CGI... IM LOOKING AT YOU INTO THE STORM.
Jesus for a movie that like nearly 90 years old, the graphics are awesome!
80 years this year
Practical effects and models will always be superior to CGI.
"Graphics"🙄
Lol you actually said graphics 🤣
That's not graphics.
this movie was beyond its time! looks like it could be released today. timeless classic!
Tara LS It's a twistah it's a twistah
Its re-released many times, every year, at many repertory cinemas across the country. Much better to see it on the big screen, with an audience.
It strikes so many emotions, the essence of good storytelling; I've read where MGM didn't really aim this at the younger crowd, hence the intensity of the special affects and the themes of loss and fear.
@@daviddave7392 makes so much sense as to why it was difficult to make this movie. Production wise, everything was on another level at that time
It's in black and white, while the fun part is the color part
I often wondered how they filmed the entire tornado scene, how they created it, and what they used to make the entire scene. Then I discovered that Arnold Gillespie (special effects director of The Wizard of Oz) created the tornado by suspending a muslin cloth from a steel gantry. The crew originally used rubber, but it wasn’t flexible enough to make the tornado appear realistic.
This scene scared me shitless as a kid. The loud whistling sounds and the distant tornado roaring as it comes closer. The tornado looks freakishly real, and the black and white imagery makes it even better. Truly such an amazing scene, especially for the time!
Yes I agree it is very amazing and realistic. Couldn't of gotten it any better then what they already did, a masterpiece
"It's a twistah! It's a twistah!" Kansas meets Queens lol
Eric B Read lol
Boston
99miyah right
That was the lovable Bert Lahr, bless his heart!
😭😄
As a kid I found this scene terrifying. As an adult I have to say that Miss Gultch transforming into the Wicked Witch is one of my favorite moments in Film period.
...like not even just "in a kids movie" or anything like that, just "Film" in general.
Me to I used to hide under my covers
Very ironic comment, Margaret Hamilton scared a lot of kids when she was the Wicked Witch of the West. She appeared in a banned episode of Sesame Street. However, in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, she explains that her portrayal of the witch was just an act. But, in this scene, she is the Wicked Witch of the East. If you look at her shoes, you can see the ruby slippers, despite not shown in color.
This was the very first tornado that I witness when I was a child. The tornado scene was my favorite part in the movie.
Clara Blandick is a very underrated actress. You can sense the panic in her voice when she can't find Dorothy. She really loved Dorothy.
As a hardcore tornado enthusiast....BEST TORNADO SCENE EVER! The wind sounds were right on point for a strong and violent tornado. You can hear the howling plus the roar. When Dorothy goes in the house, you can hear the outside being pelted by debris.
The tornado out in the distance and as it closes in is on point! Rope tornadoes like that can dance around like this one. The dust and high winds in the last scene before she goes back in the house are perfect!
Into the Storm and Twister doesn't come close to this. Love both movies, but as far as tornado scenes.....this one is the best!
Absolutely. As a chaser and also a film buff it makes my want to cry at how amazing this is. The sound editing and overall atmosphere is exactly what its like for a tornado to bearing down here in the southern plains
Come on twister does away better at the tornado thing the tornado in this movie was used in different movies twister still beats this movie by along shot
Absolutely....the producers here were spot on accurate. You can also see the outflow of the storm, as well as the RDF...at one point as Dorthy is about to enter the house it looks like there are multiple vortices spinning around each other. They got it right....EF4-5
Ezio Auditore da firenze Twister had plenty of cons to it. No wall cloud, unrealistic destruction of a few tornadoes.
fellow tornado fanatic! this is the best
The whole scene, I think they did it amazingly well. The tornado is in the background, the wind is hardcore, and the whole thing drags on a while. I love the screen door flying away. It's all kinda like a dream. It not all realistic, but for what they had to work with it's fucking perfection.
I agree with every single comment I've seen until now.
Wonderful best scene in the movie.🐼
They don't work with anything different now.
@@cesarfernandes2918 are you saying its realistic
the cyclone is in the background, the wind howls and blows terribly, but the whole thing grabs on while. i like the door flying away
The superb special effects make this scene feel more realistic and terrifying than the real thing.
I grew up in Kansas and will say this is the most realistic tornado scene. I’m still amazed they did that without modern special effects.
They did do it with modern FX, the most up-to-date FX available in 1939.
This is really advanced for 1939 .
Look a flying cow at 3:19
It was actually right up to date for 1939.
A tornado had never been portrayed on film before the wizard of oz
It was a wind sock of that helps!
@@bradyryan5105 they did a damn good job
They did a FANTASTIC job. I still find it pretty scary and real. It must have absolutely terrified people in the theater at the time!!
I agree specially on that large screen and the theatre being loud as it is
My mom watched it in the movie house back then. It did. What brought tears to all the kids was when it switched to color just after this scene. That really blew them away!
@@calcrappie8507 Yes, that would have been incredible!
they did less. that's pretty scary!
Absolutely the best special effects tornado scene ever. It puts the far-less realistic tornado effects in 'Twister' to shame. Being from Oklahoma, I can especially appreciate the sense of fear and awe you feel as the long black funnel approaches. This movie should have won a award for these special effects.
1:30 as a kid I always thought that Aunt Em said "Oh whoopee!" Instead of "Dorothy". Now of course, as an adult I realize how out of place that line would have been had she said it considering the circumstance. 🤣🤣
Clara Blandick had developed a particular style of calling to children when she played that other great literary aunt, Tom Sawyer's Aunt Polly, in two movies made in 1930 and 1931.
You must have been fun to be around as a kid. I always got song lyrics wrong.
I've always loved the tiny "Oh!" Judy gives when the house lands. So cute!
She is so cute . I like her a lot -so fitting for the role of Dorothy (even though Dorothy is a lot stronger character in the book than in the movie ).
Theodora Jelaca
Very true.
MaskedMan66 Please , remind me where Baum used the name Locasta for the Good Witch of the North?And who and where named the Wicked Witch of the West Momba?
Theodora Jelaca The Good Witch of the North was called Locasta in the 1902 stage musical "The Wizard of Oz" (which, incidentally, had no Wicked Witches in it), and the Wicked Witch of the West was called Momba in the 1910 movie "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," produced by the Selig Company.
MaskedMan66 Very interesting . Thank you! You know what I also hate about Wicked -those people who like it hate Dorothy!They hate the main character of the original Wizard of Oz (both book and the movie). I mean , come on , she is good . Wait , what ? No Wicked Witches? Momba is the name that I like a lot for the Wicked Witch of the West . It sounds old and fitting . I like Elphaba a lot (the name and her character a bit in the musical. I wish that I could combine the musical Wicked and the book Wizard of Oz with some elements from the movie-because I love Hamilton's performance a lot .I have always imagined the Wicked Witch of the West how Baum described her , but with Margaret Hamilton's voice and laughter in the movie . Why I like the musical Wicked?I am a girl . That's why. I hate the book. )and Theodora(but that name is more fitting for the Good Witch of the the North , I must admit),
I find it kinda funny that this tornado scene looks more legit than any other since (looking at YOU Into the Storm!)...
Eric Stearns I think the only good contender for legit-looking tornadoes in a movie is Twister
Eric Stearns The actual "twister" was a woman's nylon stocking all twisted up.....lol
YearoftheKitsune Wasn't too bad for 1939. We came a long way in the next sixty years.
itsmegp46 Yup, definitely good for that time
itsmegp46 Try 76 years.
Damn good effects. You can really sense that tornado getting closer, and time running out.
All done before CGI! Amazing! I was always enthralled.
Take a lesson film makers... Aside from this scene being visually striking and well done, notice how well it worked WITHOUT ANNOYING MUSIC to tell us how we should be feeling. Although the music works well during her dream sequence.
None of the music in this movie is annoying.
@@MaskedMan66 I think they meant “annoying music” when it applies to modern films with storm scenes in them
@@Zobiez92 I see. Unless, of course, the music is by someone like Hans Zimmer. :-)
Disagree. Music is the key to the soul. It is the tether between our mortal coils and the divinity of God's creation and his spirit
@@MaskedMan66 Not definitely not this one, but other more contemporary ones it can be a nuisance
As a kid, this scene scared the daylights out of me and it's still frightening, they knew what they wanted to accomplish and boy, did they do it.
Easily the most terrifying Tornado in all of film
The one in the 1925 silent version of _Wizard_ is pretty good too; it takes out a whole hillside at one point, IIRC.
This was done in 1939 and it was one of the most realistic special effects of a tornado on film! I still cannot believe how realistic it was and even meteorologists said this was extremely well done, what does that tell you!! Classic in every right!!
And it makes me feel good I live in Earthquake country instead.
I thank this scene for igniting my love for tornadoes and severe weather, amazing special effects for its time, this scared the crap out of me as a kid
Same with me!
Emma Newgate Same. I'm slightly scared of tornados. Yet....so interested in them! Its so cool to me how a cloud, can do things like it does.
***** Yeah, I grew up with _lots_ of tornadoes in the midwest, and yes, they gave it a very unique look, the way it bends and swirls. So cool.
***** Its fine, the worst I remember was a f4 that passed through, my home town, it was scary as hell. Went on for seeming hours. To answer, no, its not simliar by much, the wind power, fuck yes, but the way it bended and twisted like in the move, no. They also don't move from side to side, and as off course as it did. As for the f4 I was in, I remember running from our field to the cellar while we could see the cloud touching down. Scariest moment of my life.
***** Thank you, we went through a lot of tornados every year, but only...jeeze, 1% or less were above an f3. Its not like a super storm every time, but still, a f0 or f1 is nothing to laugh at. Still over 100 mph winds.
A lot of people don't realize how realistically scary this scene actually is. In terms of how tornadoes move and blow and destroy, this actually triggers a lot of PTSD for a lot of tornado survivors in its realism. Well, before the dream sequence of course.
I wish I could see people's reactions to seeing this for the first time in 1939. The effects for this scene are still pretty great, even by today's standards.
But the most chilling part is seeing Ms. Gulch transform into the Wicked Witch before she lets out that horrific cackle. Easily the most terrifying part of an already scary sequence.
When people saw this in movie theaters they must have been amazed.
The sound would have been incredible also. They really nailed it, especially when the tornado is really close.
According to my grandparents, this film astonished millions in 1939. My grandpa said he'd never seen anything like it
Luckily I was never traumatized
for a children's tale this film scared and amazed me as a kid - the twister, the witch, Oz with the belching fire, those flying monkeys - intense stuff for a 5 year old back in the day.
Honestly my favorite part of this scene is the last bit where the house is falling and right at the end the perspective changes so it seems to fall ON the viewer, and then blacks out with that *thump* as it lands. Also great music at that part.
A genuinely terrifying and exhilerating scene from a great movie; one of my favourites. Despite the crudity of the special effects compared to today, you get a strong sense of the approaching tornado and storm; how the air fills with debris of all kinds, and the wind drowns everything out. I loved how the screen door goes flying when Dorothy opens it!
It`s a wonderful way to move from the drab world of Kansas to the multicoloured and vibrant one of Oz.
That scene was one of the scariest things I'd ever seen as a kid. It became a challenge for me to watch it again and again.
The "crudity" of the special effects????? This scene was filmed with a car driving way, way back on the set with a muslin stocking locked on the ceiling and into the car, which was filled with nothing but dirt and dust! As the car drove around the back of the set, the fans blasted the dust outwards to create the effect of a real tornado. Even CGI, to this day couldn't have filmed a better representation of a real tornado!! Are you daft??? Read about how they created this incredible effect. It scared the hell out of me as a child and it continues to do so with each new generation who sees this incredible film!! "Crude?" oh please....
i agree.. This was not crude!@@bandfromtheband9445
@@bandfromtheband9445 There was no car; the bottom of the muslin tube was attached to a runner in a groove in the studio floor. But I share your attitude toward the OP's crazy comment.
At 4 years old, this was the first movie I found out what a tornado was.
So cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Name Is Jessica I Stated school When I Was 3
Baltic 144 Productions same with me
Me, too!
Really.
distractible brought me here lol
im listening to the ep right now and i just got to this part lol
Ayyy distractible gang
same
same
This scene alone provoked me into a lifetime of weather obsessions. So scary. It’s so fast and rope like. Looks and sounds completely legit. Love it.
Decades ago i thought this scene was a real tornado filmed and shown on ths set`s back ground...only to findout that it was a special effect !
ARNOLD GILLESPIE you`er a GENIUS !!!
This scene used to scare the crap out of me
+Danny Zawadzki Me as well. Comforting to hear it creeped others out too. I was born and raised in Tornado Alley, so I've seen quite a few, but this one, that was scary.
1:56
+Danny Z Man I just said it to my fiancée. I saw it in Brazil, when I was 8/9 years old and it marked me for life. I am now 50 years old and I didn't forget this scene. Great movie but yes scared the crap out of me!
+Danny Z That tornado scene always fascinated me when I was a kid and to this very day it still does.
+genevastein I've always liked storms, especially when I see them approaching.
Someone on social media once left a comment about his father seeing this film when it debuted in 1939. His father was just a wee lad....maybe 6 or 7. The poor kid was so totally freaked out over this shrieking twister scene that he got as far as Dorothy kicking at the storm cellar door and....that was it. The noise and chaos terrified him. He got up out of his seat badly shaken, walked out of the cinema and went directly home trembling and sobbing all the way. His nerves were so badly shattered that he's lucky he didn't vomit on the way home. Poor little boy.....
I'd take that with a grain of salt. Most kids had been raised on the book and knew what to expect; besides, children tend to be tougher than adults and to take things in a more matter-of-fact manner, at least 20th century kids.
Wonderfully done. Amazing the contrast too... it goes from absolute chaos with noise and movement to dead silence and stillness in an instant.
The part where she transitioned from within the house to out into the wind was amazing.
Even to TODAY'S standards this scene is pretty convincing. Practical effects are so much better than CGI!
CGI is the lazy way out. Gone are the days when people used their brains and imagination to make something work. Nowadays, just let the computer do the thinking.
Never noticed when I was younger how well this scene was done. Amazing job on the twister! Almost looks real, and it's from 1939. Step your game up Hollywood.
I discovered this movie as a little boy. But it was the King & I that sparked my Golden Age of Hollywood phase.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the good editing for a 1939 movie
There's so much more to the technique of the tornado replication in this than just it being a stocking and the lack of music and the wind sounds. What about the puppetry skills here? It's so graceful and almost beautiful as it sways and dips and dances to come and kill Dorothy and all of us! It really captures the hypnotizing effect of that snakelike movement. And the debris cloud at its base.. watch that again. Did they slow the film down on that somehow? It makes the whole entire thing seem like a nightmare... dreamlike and realistic all at once. Perfection!
The dust was Fuller's Earth, which is very heavy and spreads through the air like a cloud.
3:50 goosebumps. This moment scared me half to death as a kid.
Toto: “We’re finally going to Africa! :D”
huh?
@@RedCloudBeechWaveAhh There's a song called "Africa" by a band named "Toto."
I bless the rains down in Africa!
LMAO
Finally a comment that doesn't talk about how realistic the tornado is lol
When I was a child I always thought that Miss Gulch had sent the tornado because Toto had ran away from her lol
When Dorothy and Toto were in the house when it was inside the twister, in the middle of it, that's always been my favorite part of the entire movie
One of my favorite parts too
This being done digitally with today's technology just wouldn't be the same. Real tactile props beat a computer generated special effect in some cases - this being a significant example from The Wizard of Oz. I'll take the 30-foot high black nylon stocking and smoke pots over digital pixels for this scene hand down.
Totally agree with. Sometimes technology actually takes away the realism in movies. Low budgets force production to be more creative.
While this scene was the most expensive in the entire movie, I'm sure today it would be much cheaper than using CGI. Practical effects will always have a special place in my heart
You are so right with this comment! It pisses me off that this could be completed today, not as an "in-film" element, but as nothing but a computerized special effect. SO MUCH HARD WORK went into recreating a hostile tornado on the Kansas plains!! This was literally, a car driving way back on set with a muslin stocking locked to the ceiling and the car. It was filled with dust, dirt and sand and once the fans on the floor hit it, it looked and acted just like a real funnel cloud tornado. They wouldn't bother with this today, but this was back in 1937, 1938 before the film's 1939 release. This was Cinema special effects at it's greatest moment!! I sill get spooked and covered in goosebumps when I watch it!!
@@bandfromtheband9445 It wasn't a car.
@@kaitlynneprozan4187 _Wizard_ had a budget of nearly $3,000,000.00, so they had the money to deliver the best FX possible.
Incredible special effects with the tornado in these scenes. Even in 2019, you couldn't improve on this. Both realistic and terrifying.
I can’t believe how creative the director was back in this very year 1939! Director and helpers behind the scene also deserve a big well done 👏🏽this will always be a all time fav classic
King Vidor directed the Kansas sequences, but he would probably give all the credit for the cyclone to the FX team headed by A. Arnold "Buddy" Gillespie. :-)
I first watched this when I was 9 years old (I'm 17 now) and it still creeps me out just as much. That's one of the most realistic things I've ever seen in a movie, period. It's scary how realistic it is. I've only experienced one in my life, and luckily I live in Buffalo NY where they only happen once every 50 or so years
That has got to be the scariest looking and sounding tornado in any film EVER! And to think this movie is 75+ years old.
I think they used the earliest sound recording of a real tornado for this
This is a pretty damned convincing tornado!
are u alive
3:33 looking at the cyclone
Who's here for reference after Distractible talked about the VFX for this scene?
That dog remained so calm during the filming of this scene!
Terry (Toto) was a professional. She was also in a couple of movies with Shirley Temple.
Toto was pretty chill whatever happened, but I bet he was kinda freaked out by the flying monkeys.
Douglas Griffiths really which movies?
@@douglasgriffiths3534 I think Shirley Temple was considered at one point for the part of Dorthy,
@@peterconway6584 Terry did whatever was required of her. Poeple say she was startled by the steam coming out of the Tin Woodman's hat, but she was only acting there as well.
I think it's the reason for my reoccurring tornado dreams. No CGI and closing in on 100 years old it looks better then any Hollywood tornado stuff today.
I've never researched this, but I had them from childhood into my mid-20s. Perhaps it's true with me, too. This sure is a magnificent depiction of the storm and its mysterious power and intensity.
I always loved that "Oh!" when the house lands at the end 😁
now THAT is a terrifying tornado. just the way it moves is so chilling