Original subtitles

♪♪ [trumpet]

where Western history comes alive.

Stories of the Old West...

are stories of hardships and adventure.

Of dreams and of courage.

Stories of the American pioneer

are all a part of our past, of our heritage.

In 1887, Frank Baum moved to South Dakota,

where a gold rush was on.

He didn'’t find his fortune-- well, not gold, anyway--

but he did discover a treasure of ideas

that later made him "The Wizard of Aberdeen."

[children yelling]

Well, what kind of foolishness has that father of yours written this week?

Take one, Mr. Ruggedo, no charge.

Get your news right here! [continues hawking]

[laughs]

So there she was, this frightened little girl,

scooped up by the magic wind and flown away through the clouds.

Oooh.

Ahhh!

And dropped right smack in the middle of this

strange, wondrous land--

Ahh...

[other children] Ahh!

Okay, kids. That'’s all. See you tomorrow.[disappointed sighs]

May I?Well, come on. Let me close up, son.

Hey, did you, uh, deliver all your papers?

All but these. Couldn'’t sell them.

Not doin'’ so well, huh? MAN: Mr. Baum?

Why, good afternoon, Mr. Ruggedo.

Can I help you?May I remind you, Mr. Baum, that you are two months

behind in your rent?

Uh, yes, I was, uh--

I was gonna talk to you about that, sir. I um...

I had to pay for the printing press, and paper, and--

Aberdeen operates on money, Mr. Baum.

Not on nonsense and fairy tales!

Little girl... dog...

Read to a woman who takes dog...

Swooped up by the magic wind...

Don'’t you ever finish a story, Frank?

They'’re just-- Just notes.

You'’ve got enough of them to wallpaper a room!

[sighs] [exhales]

I guess the room could use some wallpaper, couldn'’t it?

You spend so much time, scribbling these little notes.

More time than you give to the newspaper.

Well, they'’re just ideas from the stories I tell the children.

You know, when I was young, I wanted to write the...

Great American Novel-- oh, I was going to be famous.

But aside from my evident inability to do anything great...

I'’ve come to regard fame as a...

as a will o'’ the wisp.

If I could please a child...

It'’s a sweet and lovely thing.

It warms the heart.

Does that sound ridiculous, Nora?

From another man, maybe.

But not from you.

You know, it'’s uh...

You know, it'’s embarrassing, really.What?

For a grown man to believe in fairy godmothers.

Well she sent me you, didn'’t she?

[laughs]

[laughing]

[all laughing]

[laughing]

I don'’t understand, Dad.

If people like our newspaper, why do we owe so much money?

They don'’t take it serious, son.

Oh, they enjoy it, but they don'’t buy it.

You see, one person'’ll buy a copy of The Pioneer,

and then... four people will read it at one time.

And then they pass it on to somebody else.

I still don'’t get it.

Well, son,

grown-ups play games, too, sometimes.

Only they don'’t always realize it.

You see, in Aberdeen, it'’s just not considered... smart

to buy The Pioneer.

But I tell you what, I bet you more people read it than the other one.

Just a minute, Dad.

Dad, they want to know if you'’ll tell them a story.

Oh. Okay!

Hey. But they have to walk along home with us.

We cannot be late for dinner again.

Okay? Okay.

Now, let'’s see. "There was this... Gingerbread Man!

And he had a suit of fustian and a hat made of apple skin."

KIDS: Oooh! "And one day..."

"So the mean Mr. Toto chased the Gingerbread Man,

"and just as he was about to catch him--"

[bird tweets]

Linda? Stop that!

What are you doin'’?This old scarecrow.

It frightens me every time I pass.

I'’m gonna tear him down.Oh, no.

You mustn'’t do that. He can'’t hurt you.

Look at him. He'’s just a pathetic, big rag doll.

He'’s just old clothes stuffed with straw.

But he scared me! [laughs]

Well, that'’s why they call him a scarecrow!

But he'’s supposed to scare crows, not little girls.

Maybe you have a little crow in you, huh, baby?

[laughing]

You know, when I was a little boy,

I used to have nightmares about an old scarecrow

we had on one of our fields.

I used to dream he was chasing me.

Then I realized, he'’s just a... scarecrow.

[snickers] Poor old guy.

He didn'’t even have any brains.

Just plain stupid.

Now, don'’t you feel sorry for him?

I guess so.

You know, he'’s a pretty skinny old scarecrow at that!

Why don'’t we fatten him up, huh?

[together] Yay!

Come on, kids!

Come on, Dad. Gimme it!

[laughing]

[chuckles] That'’s funny!

[clears throat]

Give it to me.

Do you want people making more fun of you, reading this foolish rag?

Oh, Pop, a lot of people read the exact paper and laugh too!

You listen to m--

Cicelia, go inside.

How old are you now, son?

Twenty-seven.

Well, when I was your age--Oh, Pop, I heard all that before!

I am gonna tell it to you again!

I was married, I was supporting a wife and a child!

And-And look at you!

Well, I got a job!What, cleaning out a stable?

Shoveling... hay?

Well, it'’s good, honest work.Ohh!

[scoffs] I want my flesh and blood

to be somebody in this town!

I want people to look up to him,

and-and respect him!I got a lot of friends.

Oh, "friends" puts no money in your pocket!

That'’s the trouble with you, Pa!

That'’s all you worry about, is just money!

Now maybe if you had worried more about friends,

and less about money, you'’d be a happier man!

And maybe you wouldn'’t have this fine house,

and food on the table!

And clothes on your back!

[laughing]

[boy babbling]

Hey, wait a minute. What'’s goin' on here?

Corey says he can'’t go near the old mill after dark.

Thinks there'’s ghosts and goblins there, or something.

[laughing]

I know how you feel, son.

I felt the same way once.

Sometimes, it seems life is unbearable without, uh--

without a little bit of courage.

It seems to me I remember a story about a...

about a ferocious-looking animal. Not a tiger.

Or an elephant. It was a, uh-- It was a lion.

KIDS: Whoo...

That'’s it. It was a lion.

You see, there was this ferocious-looking lion

who was just a big, old scared pussycat.

He used to hide in the jungle, because he was so afraid.

Axle grease peddler, crockery salesman,

came out here and opened a general store and that went bankrupt!

Well, you gave out too much credit.

161 people still owe us money from the store.

And now the newspaper.

You sure picked a dilly of a husband.

You have a wonderful mind.

And a marvelous imagination.

It'’ll pay off one day.

Well, imagination won'’t pay those bills.

How long am I gonna chase rainbows?

You'’ll find yours, one day.

Well, if you say it, I believe it.

[sighs] I better get back to the office.

I still have a newspaper to get out.

Cecilia Ruggedo'’s birthday is Monday.

Why don'’t you say something about it in the paper?

[chuckles] Okay. I'’ll do a little feature on it.

[laughs]

Get '’em delivered fast, son, and we'’ll walk home together.

Okay.

Get a new Pioneer! Get a new Pioneer!

Get the Aberdeen Pioneer!

Pioneer, Pioneer. You want a Pioneer?

[laughing] Get a newPioneer!

[child continues hawking]

[guffawing]

[chattering, laughing]

"Miss Ruggedo, who claims to be all of 19,

has lied all these years in Aberdeen."

Lied? Oh, dear.

Cecilia, get in the house.

[yelling] Milfred, come out here!

He is not gonna get away with this.

Yes, Pa?Look at this newspaper!

See how that Frank Baum has insulted your sister!

[chuckles]

You know, I'’ve got to show that Eastern whippersnapper

that he cannot insult your sister!

What'’s that for?

Cecilia'’s honor is at stake. The whole town is laughing!

You... are gonna defend your sister'’s good name.

I am?And at the same time, show him what kind of a man you are!

Come on!

Pa? I don'’t like guns!Put it on!

Son!

Did you deliver all the papers, son?

Just like you said, Dad. All but these two.

Gosh! Did you read what your father wrote about Cecilia Ruggedo?

No, I haven'’t had time. Been delivering my papers.

My mother says Cecilia is xxx as she could be.

That'’s Milfred! And he'’s wearing a gun!

Whoa, Sandy.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Mr. Ruggedo--Your husband is going to pay for insulting Cecilia!

Milfred will see to that.Oh, I'’m sure there must be some mistake.

You see, sometimes, when printing a newspaper--

You can'’t stop my son, Mrs. Baum.

He is determined to defend his sister'’s honor!

Look at the set of his jaw. The fire of his eyes!

But Mr. Ruggedo--

Some people in this town think of Milfred Ruggedo

as just a stableboy,

but they are going to find out what my son is made of!

I'’m sure if you'd let my husband explain--

I can'’t stop my son, Mrs. Baum!

His blood runs hot with vengeance!

Call him out.

Mr. Baum! Not here.

[loud] Frank Baum!

I was just going to come over and see you, Mr. Ruggedo.

Too late for apologies, the damage is done.

My son demands satisfaction.

Well, I'’ll print a retraction. [laughs]

No, you'’re not gonna get out of this that easily.

Milfred, tell him.

Under arrest.Now, put the...

back in the holster.

He will be waiting for you out in the street.

Waiting for me? You mean, you want me to--

You'’re talking about a duel. [laughs]

Me and... and Milfred?

That'’s right. You and Milfred.

Milfred! [laughs]

That'’s ridiculous!We will see who is the real man here.

You and my son. This whole town is gonna see!

Milfred T. Ruggedo

is not something to be ridiculed!

Milfred?

What are you going to do, Frank?

Well, nothing. They'’ll cool off.

Hey, fellas. What are you lookin'’ at me like that for?

But Dad, if you don'’t face Milfred,

the whole town will think you'’re a... coward!

Well, son, I don'’t care what the town thinks.

It'’s what I think that'’s important.

But what about what we think?

Me, Jumba, Connie, all of us!

Well, you all know how I feel about violence.

About guns!

Now, that'’s not the way to live. You know what I'’ve told you.

But--What do you want me to do, son?

You want me to go get a gun, and kill Milfred?

Or maybe he'’ll kill me. Is that what you want?

What else could you do?

Son, haven'’t I taught you that the measure of a man

is not about the muscle in his arm,

it-it'’s what's in here, in his heart.

That'’s what counts.

Courage is not weighed by how good a man can fight.

Remember the story I told you about the lion that was--

that was so scared?

Are you scared, Dad?

Lend me your gun.

MR. RUGGEDO: Everybody off the street!

Not you, Milfred.

Here is your chance.

Now you show him that you'’ve got your father'’s blood in you! Hmm?

Good luck, boy.

Off the street. There'’s gonna be a fight.

My son needs a...

Psst!

[gunfire]

Watch what you'’re doing!

Don'’t let him get behind you!

[gunshot]

[dog barking]

Now cut that out, Milfred. I'’m not gonna hurt ya!

I told you to stop that!

So you see, Milfred, it was all a mistake.[gunshot]

That'’s a typographical error.

A what?[gunshot]

The story was supposed to say your sister "has lived all these years in Aberdeen,"

not "lied."

The letter "v" must have popped out of the typsetter.

Understand?

Yeah!

So... Well--

You know I like your sister.

I think Cecilia'’s a-- a wonderful girl.

Well, thanks, Mr. Baum!

So, we'’ll let your father and the others

think we shot it out.

Okay?Okay!

Dad! For a minute there I thought maybe you were--

I'’m all right, son. I'’m all right.

Well, it was close. He almost got me twice.

Hey, just missed me by a hair!

Well, I guess it was a draw, huh, Milfred?

Yeah. Fair fight. Right to the draw.

[laughing]

Guess I'’m not a very good shot.

Neither one of us are very good with a gun.

Now why don'’t we all go home and forget it?

Do you have the money? I want it right now,

or I take back my store and your printing equipment.

Well, I guess it'’s all yours, Mr. Ruggedo.

Come on, boy.

Pa...

Now I don'’t mean any disrespect,

but you'’re just plain mean!

And I like workin'’ at the stable!

And Celia does lie about her age!

And I hate--[gunshot]

I hate guns!

It'’ll be nice to get back to Illiois again.

Right back where we started from.

I'’m sorry, Maud.Don'’t worry, dear.

You'’ll find it! It'’s up there, somewhere!

Your rainbow. [chuckles]

Hey, Dad!

Is there time for a story before dinner?

CHILDREN: Yeah! [chuckles]

Tell you what: you want to hear some more about the little girl

who was swept wasy by the magic wind?

Oh, boy!

OTHERS: Oooh! You'’re going to miss

the ooh'’s and ahh's of these children back in Chicago.

Mr. Baum? What is the name of the place where the wind blew the litte girl?

Ooze? Oh, no!

No!

"Oz."Oz!

"The Land of Oz."

There was Dorothy in this strange land of Oz.

With only her little dog for company.

And as she walked through the forest,

she looked over and saw... a scarecrow.

Not long after he left South Dakota,

Frank Baum put his notes together,

and found his rainbow in his book about a little girl

named Dorothy, and her friends the Scarecrow,

the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Man.

They became the most beloved fairy tale in American Literature--

"The Wizard of Oz."