On this day in 1939, The Wizard of Oz had its premiere screening. Dorothy is the main character in this American musical fantasy film based on the 1900 fairytale novel. When a tornado approaches her family’s Kansas farmhouse, she and her dog Toto take shelter inside. Dorothy loses consciousness and awakens in Munchkinland in the fictional Land of Oz.
Note: In gay slang, a “friend of Dorothy” is a term for a gay man, dating back to at least World War II. It is commonly understood as a reference to the film because Judy Garland, who starred as Dorothy, is a gay icon. In the film, Dorothy is accepting of those who are different.
