Lion of oz and the badge of courage
Encyclopedia
Lion of Oz is an official animated
prequel film to The Wizard of Oz
. It tells the story of how the Cowardly Lion
, formerly part of the Omaha Circus, came to be in Oz
, how he stopped the Wicked Witch of the East
from getting the Flower of Oz. It is based upon the book Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage
by Roger S. Baum
(great-grandson of L. Frank Baum
, the original author of the Oz books).
Lion comes across a living Oak Tree being harassed by Flying monkeys. Lion frightens them off and the Tree thanks him, and Lion is surprised he can talk. The Tree explains the monkeys serve the Wicked Witch of the East, and speak of the devil, she shows up.
The Witch is bent on conquering Oz, but is prevented from total control by something called the Flower of Oz. She threatens Lion to find it for her or he'll never see Oscar again as she says Oscar is her prisoner.
Setting out, Lion comes across two fairies, whose friend Starburst, is trapped in a chest of emeralds at the bottom of a deep pond. Lion dives in, despite his aversion to water, to save her when the Witch's henchman Gloom, a living mist of misery, arrives and tries to tempt Lion into forgetting Starburst and taking as many of the emeralds as he wants, but he ignores him and saves the little fairy. The fairies gratefully point Lion in the right direction, telling him to go to a certain castle.
As he nearly arrives, he comes across a springy teddy bear named Silly Oz-bul, who says he needs to cross the river to get a drink at the castle. Lion points out he can get a drink from the river, which Silly does. He follows Lion to the castle where they are confronted by a toy soldier named Captain Fitzgerald, who thinks they're enemies. but the misunderstanding is cleared when a young girl named Wimzik and her toy ballerina Caroline come along. Lion explains his mission and they decide to come along with him.
Meanwhile, Gloom reports to the Witch that Lion interfered with his business, so the Witch confronts Lion again, and zaps Fitzgerald to her dungeon, threatening that for each day Lion doesn't find her the Flower of Oz, she'll hurt more of his friends.
Undeterred, the friends keep going, until they come to a waterfall. But they see a silver bridge to a floating island and Silly leaps out of the frying pan and into the fire when he tries to cross the bridge, but it turns out to be an illusion, and nearly falls over the cliff. Luckily Lion saves him. They then hear a voice from the bottom of the cliff telling them to go back, but when Lion announces they're looking for the Flower of Oz, they are invited down by the voice. They come to the town of the Mini-Munchkins, who built the Silver Bridge before it was destroyed by the Wicked Witch of the East and she punished them by making them smaller so they couldn't rebuild it. The bridge the group saw earlier was just an illusion caused by the Mini-Munchkins' sadness. But Wimzik inspires them to believe in themselves and not to give up, somehow breaking the Witch's spell over them, returning them to their real sizes and restoring the bridge.
Inside the dungeon, Fitzgerald learns from a guard that the Witch never really kidnapped Oscar, and had merely tricked Lion into thinking so, and the toy soldier realizes he must escape and warn his friends.
The group has crossed the bridge and as they go, Caroline's battery runs out, but Wimzik merely says she needs some sunlight to recharge it. But then the Witch returns, casting Caroline's unconscious body into a whirlpool. Lion dives in to save her but the current's too strong. Wimzik dives in and helps them to shore, whereupon Lion says somehow Wimzik's touch gave him strength and Caroline is fully charged from Wimzik's touch as well. The Witch leaves, promising that Silly's next.
Back in the dungeon, Fitzgerald escapes and spies on the Witch while the group come across a strange cottage, where they are then confronted by the Seamstress, an elderly enchantress with powers over thread, hems, and patchworks, her wand is a large sewing needle. She turns Silly and Caroline into quilt patches but then her wand is knocked from her hand by Lion and her living Pin Cushion nails her sleeve to the wall. Realizing the Seamstress is under another of the Witch's spells, Wimzik manages to calmly talk the Seamstress into remembering how to laugh and smile, breaking the spell and revealing the Seamstress to be a nice old lady, and she turns Silly and Caroline back to their real selves. She then gives them a petal she says came from the Flower of Oz. Lion gets a whiff and tracks it to a large garden that's encased in ice. When Wimzik touches the flower, the garden is instantly thawed and Lion realizes that they've had the Flower of Oz all along: Wimzik. And the flower she unfroze is really her throne.
The Witch attacks, bringing Gloom with her, as well as Fitzgerald, as he'd stowed along, and reveals the Witch doesn't have Oscar. Lion demands an explanation and the Witch reveals Oscar's balloon actually carried him to the distant Emerald City. The Witch then tries to destroy Wimzik, but with the combined efforts of Lion, Silly, Fitzgerald, and Caroline, she is thwarted and Wimzik seats herself on her throne (unintentionally), restoring her mystical powers as the Flower of Oz. The Witch then sends Gloom after Wimzik. He tries to absorb her, but she is too powerful and he is sent flying into the air (and most likely destroyed).
Enraged, the Witch steals Lion's Badge of Courage and sends it to a retreating Gloom. Wizmik orders the Witch to leave, and the Witch swears vengeance before vanishing.
Lion is distraught to have lost his badge, now thinking himself no more than a Cowardly Lion. Wimzik explains his courage and everything he's done weren't because of a badge but Lion's brave and noble heart. Despite this, Lion sadly bids his friends goodbye as he must go find his badge and Oscar, but promises to come back someday.
Lion eventually comes across a yellow brick road and meets none other than Dorothy Gale
, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and Toto, and the story of "The Wizard of Oz" continues with his part in it, ending the story of the Lion of Oz.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
prequel film to The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
. It tells the story of how the Cowardly Lion
Cowardly Lion
The Cowardly Lion is the main character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is a Lion, but he talks and interacts with humans....
, formerly part of the Omaha Circus, came to be in Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
, how he stopped the Wicked Witch of the East
Wicked Witch of the East
The Wicked Witch of the East is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his Oz series of books....
from getting the Flower of Oz. It is based upon the book Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage
Lion of oz and the badge of courage
Lion of Oz is an official animated prequel film to The Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of how the Cowardly Lion, formerly part of the Omaha Circus, came to be in Oz, how he stopped the Wicked Witch of the East from getting the Flower of Oz. It is based upon the book Lion of Oz and the Badge of...
by Roger S. Baum
Roger S. Baum
Roger Stanton Baum is a former banker and stockbroker, and currently a children's author, residing in Branson, Missouri. Baum publishes under the name Roger S. Baum. Baum is a former resident of Los Angeles and the vicinity of Las Vegas. He also tours the country, reading from and signing his...
(great-grandson of L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
, the original author of the Oz books).
Plot
The Lion is a circus lion, displayed in a cage where everyone's afraid of him. His only friend is Oscar, the Circus Balloonist, who lets Lion out of his cage and takes him up on his balloon. While they're up there, Oscar gives Lion a Badge of Courage for coming up on his balloon, but they are soon caught in a storm, and unknowingly blown to the Land of Oz. Lion falls from the balloon and Oscar can't stop it from leaving and carrying him off.Lion comes across a living Oak Tree being harassed by Flying monkeys. Lion frightens them off and the Tree thanks him, and Lion is surprised he can talk. The Tree explains the monkeys serve the Wicked Witch of the East, and speak of the devil, she shows up.
The Witch is bent on conquering Oz, but is prevented from total control by something called the Flower of Oz. She threatens Lion to find it for her or he'll never see Oscar again as she says Oscar is her prisoner.
Setting out, Lion comes across two fairies, whose friend Starburst, is trapped in a chest of emeralds at the bottom of a deep pond. Lion dives in, despite his aversion to water, to save her when the Witch's henchman Gloom, a living mist of misery, arrives and tries to tempt Lion into forgetting Starburst and taking as many of the emeralds as he wants, but he ignores him and saves the little fairy. The fairies gratefully point Lion in the right direction, telling him to go to a certain castle.
As he nearly arrives, he comes across a springy teddy bear named Silly Oz-bul, who says he needs to cross the river to get a drink at the castle. Lion points out he can get a drink from the river, which Silly does. He follows Lion to the castle where they are confronted by a toy soldier named Captain Fitzgerald, who thinks they're enemies. but the misunderstanding is cleared when a young girl named Wimzik and her toy ballerina Caroline come along. Lion explains his mission and they decide to come along with him.
Meanwhile, Gloom reports to the Witch that Lion interfered with his business, so the Witch confronts Lion again, and zaps Fitzgerald to her dungeon, threatening that for each day Lion doesn't find her the Flower of Oz, she'll hurt more of his friends.
Undeterred, the friends keep going, until they come to a waterfall. But they see a silver bridge to a floating island and Silly leaps out of the frying pan and into the fire when he tries to cross the bridge, but it turns out to be an illusion, and nearly falls over the cliff. Luckily Lion saves him. They then hear a voice from the bottom of the cliff telling them to go back, but when Lion announces they're looking for the Flower of Oz, they are invited down by the voice. They come to the town of the Mini-Munchkins, who built the Silver Bridge before it was destroyed by the Wicked Witch of the East and she punished them by making them smaller so they couldn't rebuild it. The bridge the group saw earlier was just an illusion caused by the Mini-Munchkins' sadness. But Wimzik inspires them to believe in themselves and not to give up, somehow breaking the Witch's spell over them, returning them to their real sizes and restoring the bridge.
Inside the dungeon, Fitzgerald learns from a guard that the Witch never really kidnapped Oscar, and had merely tricked Lion into thinking so, and the toy soldier realizes he must escape and warn his friends.
The group has crossed the bridge and as they go, Caroline's battery runs out, but Wimzik merely says she needs some sunlight to recharge it. But then the Witch returns, casting Caroline's unconscious body into a whirlpool. Lion dives in to save her but the current's too strong. Wimzik dives in and helps them to shore, whereupon Lion says somehow Wimzik's touch gave him strength and Caroline is fully charged from Wimzik's touch as well. The Witch leaves, promising that Silly's next.
Back in the dungeon, Fitzgerald escapes and spies on the Witch while the group come across a strange cottage, where they are then confronted by the Seamstress, an elderly enchantress with powers over thread, hems, and patchworks, her wand is a large sewing needle. She turns Silly and Caroline into quilt patches but then her wand is knocked from her hand by Lion and her living Pin Cushion nails her sleeve to the wall. Realizing the Seamstress is under another of the Witch's spells, Wimzik manages to calmly talk the Seamstress into remembering how to laugh and smile, breaking the spell and revealing the Seamstress to be a nice old lady, and she turns Silly and Caroline back to their real selves. She then gives them a petal she says came from the Flower of Oz. Lion gets a whiff and tracks it to a large garden that's encased in ice. When Wimzik touches the flower, the garden is instantly thawed and Lion realizes that they've had the Flower of Oz all along: Wimzik. And the flower she unfroze is really her throne.
The Witch attacks, bringing Gloom with her, as well as Fitzgerald, as he'd stowed along, and reveals the Witch doesn't have Oscar. Lion demands an explanation and the Witch reveals Oscar's balloon actually carried him to the distant Emerald City. The Witch then tries to destroy Wimzik, but with the combined efforts of Lion, Silly, Fitzgerald, and Caroline, she is thwarted and Wimzik seats herself on her throne (unintentionally), restoring her mystical powers as the Flower of Oz. The Witch then sends Gloom after Wimzik. He tries to absorb her, but she is too powerful and he is sent flying into the air (and most likely destroyed).
Enraged, the Witch steals Lion's Badge of Courage and sends it to a retreating Gloom. Wizmik orders the Witch to leave, and the Witch swears vengeance before vanishing.
Lion is distraught to have lost his badge, now thinking himself no more than a Cowardly Lion. Wimzik explains his courage and everything he's done weren't because of a badge but Lion's brave and noble heart. Despite this, Lion sadly bids his friends goodbye as he must go find his badge and Oscar, but promises to come back someday.
Lion eventually comes across a yellow brick road and meets none other than Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and Toto, and the story of "The Wizard of Oz" continues with his part in it, ending the story of the Lion of Oz.
DVD release
The film was released onto Region 1 DVD in 2000 with special features on the disc including Sing Alongs, Music Videos (which were straight from the movie), Games, Interviews with Behind the Scenes and a Gallery. The film was later released onto Region 2 DVD in 2002 but had no special features and only a scene selection on the DVD menu.http://img.amazon.ca/images/I/517Z4ZQE8RL._SS500_.jpg
Cast
- Jason PriestleyJason PriestleyJason Bradford Priestley is a Canadian-American actor and director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role which catapulted him to recognition in the early 1990s....
as Lion, the main protagonist of the story. He is not cowardly like in the movie The Wizard of Oz, but is brave instead (believing his bravery comes from a medal that Oscar gave him). - Jane HorrocksJane HorrocksBarbara Jane Horrocks is an English voice, stage, screen and television actress, voice artist, musician, and singer. She is best known for her role as "Bubble" in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous as well as her distinctive voice....
as Wimzik, the second protagonist. She joins the group for a chance at adventure. It is later revealed that she is the Flower of Oz. - Bobcat GoldthwaitBobcat GoldthwaitRobert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
as Silly Oz-Bul, a strange teddy bear like creature with springs. He is very clutsy, giving him the often said saying "Silly me!" - Kathy GriffinKathy GriffinKathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American actress, stand-up comedienne, television personality, New York Times best-selling author and an LGBT rights advocate. Griffin first gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of Seinfeld, and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom...
as Caroline, one of Wimzik's toys. She is a wooden, long limbed doll. - Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
as Captain Fitzgerald, another one of Wimzik's toys. He is a wooden soldier who likes to shoot pebbles at enemies. He is very protective of Wimzik. - Lynn RedgraveLynn RedgraveLynn Rachel Redgrave, OBE was an English actress.A member of the well-known British family of actors, Redgrave trained in London before making her theatrical debut in 1962...
as The Wicked Witch of the EastWicked Witch of the EastThe Wicked Witch of the East is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his Oz series of books....
, the main antagonist. She forces Lion to find the Flower of Oz. They beat her, however, and she is forced to retreat. - Scott McNeilScott McNeilScott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
as Gloom, the secondary antagonist, he is a living smoke spirit and the witch's partner. He is sent flying away (or most likely killed) at the end of the movie when he attempts to capture Wimzik. - Dom DeLuiseDom DeLuiseDominick "Dom" DeLuise was an American actor, comedian, film director, television producer, chef, and author. He was the husband of actress Carol Arthur from 1965 until his death and the father of: actor, director, pianist, and writer Peter DeLuise; actor David DeLuise; and actor Michael DeLuise...
as Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambrose Diggs, Lion's friend and tamer who pilots a hot air balloon. The Witch tricks Lion in to believing she has Oscar her prisoner, but this is a fib. It is revealed at the climax that he landed in Emerald City, implying that he is in fact the Wizard. - Maxine MillerMaxine MillerMaxine Miller is a Canadian actress who first appeared in the first three seasons of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. In the 1980s, she voiced True Heart Bear in The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation and appeared on the animated series My Pet Monster.More recently, she guest starred in Showtime's...
as Seamstress, a old lady that is put under a spell by the Witch. - Don Brown as Pin Cushion, the Seamstress' talking pin cushion.
- Gerard Plunkett as The Oak Tree, the first being Lion meets in Oz.
- Mik Perius as Sunbeam, the only male fairyof the ones Lion meets.
- Eleanor NobleEleanor NobleEleanor Noble is a Canadian voice actor. She voices Lori Mackney in What's With Andy? and George in Arthur . She also acted onscreen in the sixth season of the MTV anthology series Undressed, as well as a Genie named Belle in the episode Tale of the Time Trap, on the SNICK show Are You Afraid of...
as Moonbeam, another fairy Lion meets. - Elizabeth Robertson as Starburst, a fairy Lion rescues from Gloom.
- Peter KelamisPeter KelamisPeter Kelamis is an Australian-born Canadian actor and comedian.-Life and career:Kelamis was born in Sydney, Australia of Greek origin. In 1985, Kelamis enrolled in the University of British Columbia...
as Tog - Henry BeckmanHenry BeckmanHenry Beckman was a Canadian stage, film and television actor. He appeared in well over 100 productions in the United States and Canada, including recurring roles as Commander Paul Richards in the 1954 Flash Gordon space opera television series, Bob Mulligan in the ABC sitcom I'm Dickens, He's...
as Narrator
Other animated Oz films/series
- Journey Back to OzJourney Back to OzJourney Back To Oz is a 1974 animated film and the official sequel to the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz. It is loosely based on L. Frank Baum's second Oz novel, The Marvelous Land of Oz, although Baum received no screen credit. However, the Wizard was nowhere to be found, at least in the...
- Return to Oz (TV program)Return to Oz (TV program)Return to Oz is an animated television special produced by Crawley Films for Rankin/Bass . It first aired 9 February 1964 in the United States on NBC's General Electric Color Fantasy Hour. It was directed by F.R...
- The Wizard of Oz (TV series)