The Story of The Scarecrow of Oz

The Story of The Scarecrow of Oz is a record that was released by Disneyland Records in 1965. It was narrated by Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow in the 1939 film as the studio wanted to help bring the story to life and add a selling edge.

He appeared only for Disney on this record, and one can almost imagine this as a side piece to his other Oz readings for Caedmon Audio. It was based on the novel The Scarecrow of Oz (which in turn was based on the silent film His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz) and includes a full-color storybook which with it being adapted by Jimmy Johnson.

As a further connection to an already prominent work, Martha Wentworth, who voices Blinkie the witch, had previously voiced the similar villainess Mad Madam Mim in Disney's animated Arthurian epic The Sword in the Stone (1963).

Description[]

The Story And Songs Of The Scarecrow of Oz is a 43-minute 12-inch full-length long-playing radio theater-style storyteller vinyl record adaptation especially prepared for very young children. It includes two songs: an original one called "Happy Glow" and a children's chorus cover version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".

The story begins several chapters into Baum's original book, since it starts with Scarecrow visiting Glinda's palace and going to Jinxland, where he meets Trot and Pon, but the story follows the book pretty faithfully. The record's case opens up into a giant-sized 11-page read-along picture storybook that contains magnificent and beautifully rendered full-color pastel painted illustration drawings by the Walt Disney studio's staff artists, where many characters have original designs, but some of the more classic characters are based on their classic designs.

The Scarecrow goes to visit Glinda, who tells him about Trot and Cap'n Bill. Glinda has a magic television set and she records what she sees in her book of records. Glinda tells the scarecrow about Trot and Cap'n Bill's journey, and that the two travelers are on an island in Jinxland, but Scarecrow says that there are no oceans, lakes, and islands in Oz, even though there are Lake Quad, Lake Orizon, the Ozure isles, and the island of the magic flower. After hearing how Trot and Cap'n Bill have been persecuted by King Krewl and Blinkie, the Scarecrow heads to Jinxland. Blinkie wrecks the Scarecrow, and after being torn apart by her, he meets Cap'n Bill as a grasshopper and Gloria whose heart is frozen, but Trot, Pon, and Gloria put him back together, then the ork arrives with Button-Bright and they make a plan on how to conquer king Krewl. The Scarecrow goes to Krewl's palace to command him to surrender, but he is captured and almost burned at a stake when the ork rescues him. The scarecrow throws Krewl in jail and captures Blinkie, who makes her shrink until she restores Gloria's heart and cap'n Bill's true human form and then he removes her knowledge of magic. The ork then carries everyone to the Emerald City in Oz where Trot, cap'n Bill, and Button-Bright are welcomed.