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"There were several roads nearby, but it did not take her long to find the one paved with yellow bricks. Within a short time she was walking briskly toward the Emerald City, her silver shoes tinkling merrily on the hard, yellow road-bed."
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
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Yellow Brick Road.

The Yellow Brick Road, originally known as the "Road of Yellow Bricks ", is the road that Dorothy Gale, her pet dog Toto and her companions the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion followed on the majority of their adventures throughout Oz.

Baum's Description[]

The Yellow Brick Road begins in the very heart of Oz's eastern quadrant known as the Munchkin Country, which is the most prosperous and wealthiest country out of the other three quadrants also in Oz. If followed all the way it leads travelers to Oz's official imperial capital aka the Emerald City, which stands in the very center of the land. The road is said to be made entirely of millions of heavy smooth bricks that are all painted completely of a bright glowing yellow, which is so bright it cannot be missed. The road itself is a very wide one in width and a very, very long one in length, running hundreds of miles on and across the vast landscapes and locations of Oz until reaching its ultimate destination.

The road is not all entirely straight. Like seen in the various movie adaptations of Oz, it gracefully curves and swoops, looping around mountains and swiveling over rich grassy green hills and attractive flowery meadows throughout the land. Even though the majority of the road is all neatly polished and smooth, the road does have areas where many bricks are broken or have been uprooted from their foundation, such as in the dark forests and jungles in Oz where not many people wish to pass because of wild beasts that dwell within, such as lions, tigers, bears,and the flesh-eating creatures known as the Kalidahs. Those places have missing bricks or large potholes and dead ends by steep cliff edges cutting the road in half. There are also areas where the road meets deep raging rivers and waterfalls or runs straight into obstacles such as the field of deadly Poppies at the Munchkin border.

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You can see the Yellow Brick Road on Oz's Official Map.

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it is stated that there is only one paved yellow road leading from the Country of the Munchkins to the Emerald City. However there are other roads that were built as extensions to the original road after Dorothy came, featured in other works: One from Gillikin Country in The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904) and a second extended one in another part of the Munchkin Country in The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913).

History[]

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Building the Yellow Brick Road...

When Oscar Diggs arrived in Oz via hot air-balloon that had been swept away in a storm, the people of the land were so impressed by his majestic persona, they became quickly convinced he was a great Wizard who had finally come to fulfill Oz's long awaited prophecy. When King Pastoria was overthrown and his baby daughter the Princess Ozma was hidden away in secrecy, Oscar immediately proclaimed himself as Oz's new dominate ruler. And when he did, he also ordered construction of an all green city to be built by his subjects in his honor. Thus, his subjects constructed the yellow brick road that started in the very heart of the eastern quadrant of Oz known as Munchkin Country. The paved yellow road stretched miles out across all of Oz until it finally ended at the imperial gates of the capital establishment that was ultimately named Emerald City. Differing accounts credit the magic of the Wicked Witch of the East for the road, or at least the many obstacles on the way.

Dorothy Gale and her companions the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion followed this road on their first adventure. In the Munchkin Forest it was broken by two deep crevices, and nearer the Emerald City a river cuts through it. (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz).

Tip and Jack Pumpkinhead followed another branch of this road as they rode the Sawhorse from the Gillikin Country to the Emerald City. (The Marvelous Land of Oz)

Ojo, the Patchwork Girl, the Glass Cat, and the Woozy found the road on their journey, and were captured by Man-Eating Plants. The Shaggy Man happened along and rescued them. (The Patchwork Girl of Oz)

Background[]

The inspiration behind the Yellow Brick Road is disputed. According to local legend, the Yellow Brick Road was derived from a road paved with yellow bricks near Holland, Michigan, where Baum summered. Yellow Brick Roads can also be found in Aberdeen, South Dakota; Albany, New York; Rossville (Baltimore County), Maryland; Bronxville, New York (on Prescott and Valley roads); Chicago, Illinois; Liberal, Kansas; Sedan, Kansas; and Syracuse, New York, as well as a school in Abington, Pennsylvania, and abroad in Sofia, Bulgaria. Historian John Curran believes the original road was in Peekskill, New York; older maps show that it would have been the quickest route from the docks on the Hudson River to the Peekskill Military Academy, which Baum attended as a child.

The Vision Oz Fund was established in November 2009 to raise funds that will be used to help increase the awareness, enhancement, and further development of Oz-related attractions and assets in Wamego, Kansas. The first fundraiser is underway and includes selling personalized engraved yellow bricks, which will become part of the permanent walkway (aka "The Yellow Brick Road") in downtown Wamego.

Adaptations[]

In each version of an Oz story, many characters and places slightly or even drastically change looks and appearances over time, regardless of the plot lines taking place, the yellow brick road is always the same. The yellow brick road of Oz is nearly identical in each movie adaptation despite the differences and events of everything else happening around it.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)[]

"...follow the Yellow Brick Road?"
Judy Garland (1939)

The Yellow Brick Road was first brought to life in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. Cardboard murals were delicately painted by artist to connect the real road to the illustrated one. This trick allowed the road to appear much longer than it actually was on the MGM stage to add on to its look in the background sets since computer graphics such as "CGI" did not exist yet. The paintings gave the road a realistic look for the technicolor camera, which gave the illusion of a very long road across beautiful landscapes.

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973)[]

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Album Cover

Singer Sir Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin wrote "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" in 1973 for the album of the same name. The song expresses a desire to get back to one's "roots" it soon became the top ten in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It was one of John's biggest hits, and quickly surpassed his previous single, "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", in both sales and popularity, following its release. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is still regularly included in John's live performances, and John named his farewell tour after the song, the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.

The Wiz (1974/1978/2015)[]

"Don't you carry nothing that might be a load. Come on, Ease on down, ease on down the road"
The Wiz.
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1975

The-road

1984

In the stage production, four dancers dressed in all yellow, symbolize the road.

In the 1978 film adaptation, Dorothy (portrayed by Diana Ross), must set out to find the road after meeting the Munchkins and the Good Witch called Miss One. She mistakes taxis for being the yellow brick but after meeting the Scarecrow (portrayed by Michael Jackson) they find the true road of yellow brick.

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The Wiz Live! 2015.

In the 2015 TV adaptation, the Yellow Brick Road lights up when Dorothy, (played by Shanice Williams), steps on it for the first time. When night falls, it no longer lights up, but Dorothy and her friends still make their way to the City the next morning.

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The Wiz Live! 2015.

Return to Oz (1985)[]

"Oh, no, Billina, you don't understand. This was the Yellow Brick Road! It leads to the Emerald City! "
Dorothy Gale in Return to Oz (film) (1985)

In the 1985 Walt Disney cult classic film Return to Oz, an insomniac Dorothy Gale (played by Fairuza Balk), returns to Oz six months after clicking her heels and being sent home.

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Return to Oz

Dorothy returns only to find that Oz is in apocalyptic ruins and discovers that Munchkinland has been replaced by a thick gloomy, abandoned forest. The Munchkins are nowhere to be seen and the yellow brick road lies shattered and nearly unrecognizable. These broken bricks lead Dorothy and Billina the hen to a stone cold Emerald City. In the end of the adventure, Dorothy defeats the Nome King and retrieved the stolen Ruby Slippers that made it possible for him to conquer Oz. When Dorothy clicks her heels she wishes Oz back to normal again. It is not clarified if the road is magically put back together; but since the Emerald City is restored, it suggest that the road was most likely fixed as well.

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)[]

In this made-for-TV movie by Disney, Dorothy Gale wants to be a superstar, who is played by contemporary R&B singer Ashanti. Dorothy follows the Yellow Brick Road, which also has brick walls on each side of the pathway in this version.

Tin Man (2007)[]

In this made for TV mini series, that is set circa 100 years after the original Dorothy Gale aka "the first Slipper" arrived, to Oz aka "Outer Zone". The yellow brick road is now known as the Old Road. Otherwise known as the Brick Road by the locals of the Outer Zone, it is no longer used as the main thoroughfare of the country and is nearly forgotten about in the present day, since cars and automobiles are driven by the people who live in Oz now.

VeggieTales (2007)[]

In the VeggieTales special "The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's", Darby (Junior Asparagus) and his pet dog "Tutu" are told by Splenda the Sweet but non-fattening fairy (Madame Blueberry) and the Munchies (The French Peas) to follow the old Yellow McToad.

Dorothy and the Witches of Oz (2011)[]

The yellow brick road is seen in the land of Oz while the Witches both good and bad, are in a war. The Wizard also takes part in the events while battle the Witches and Dorothy Gale fight each other, over a magic key and powerful spell book.

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)[]

Theodora the Good Witch helps a very young and lost Pre-Wizard of Oz, Oscar to the Emerald City, believing he is the Wizard who has come to Oz to fulfill the Prophecy. Unlike the original book, the Emerald City and Yellow Brick Road did not exist prior to Oz's arrival.

Once Upon a Time (2014)[]

In the Oz episodes revolving around Zelena the Witch of the West, the yellow brick road is shown in the land of Oz.

When Dorothy Gale arrives in Oz and melts Zelena, Glinda takes Dorothy on the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to speak with the Wizard who is Zelena in disguise after turning the Wizard into a Flying Monkey.

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)[]

In the CGI animated Oz movie with the voice talents of an all-star cast, the yellow brick road is looked for by a returned Dorothy and Toto, and found in their amazing adventures in the Land of Oz.

Emerald City TV Show

The brick road is a path covered in poppy pollen, giving it a yellowish appearance. Due to the poppy pollen, anyone walking down the road get sleepy if they stay on it too long. The road leads to the Emerald City, which was the seat of the Wizard, the Great and Powerful. It’s a combination of The Yellow Brick Road and The Deadly Poppy Fields

Book Appearances[]

Gallery[]

Yellow Brick Road/Gallery