This film is very rare and hardly known by anyone. I first saw this film when I was about 5 or 6, and to this day I've always loved it! Just the story, the voices the songs, the animation was really cute and simple, the gorgeous backgrounds- Liza Minnelli is in the lead as the voice of 'Dorothy', the rest of the cast include, Mickey Rooney (Scarecrow), Ethel Merman (Mombi-the wicked witch of the west's cousin) Paul Lynde (Pumpkin head), and the original 'wicked witch of ther west' from the 1939 MGM classic, does a cameo as Dorothy's Aunt Em! The plot is a mesh of "Ozma Of Oz" and "The Land Of OZ" (The wizard of oz's author's, other book sequels) I've always loved this movie, it is a little cheesy mind you, (and some of the songs would be severly critisced by film critics)and are waaaay too long, but the story is a good sequel, it fits in better to the mgm version everyone knows, better than the 1985 film "return To Oz" (which i also love mind you) because it has, the same cheery backdrops, songs, and voices.
It's not perfect, but I've honestly seen worse. Even Margaret Hamilton, the wicked Witch in the 1939 film, voices Aunt Em here The story is like the animation, cute and charming, not the best story line in the world, but stays fairly true to the film it obviously drew its inspiration from. This is still the same person who has the big, brassy voice from films like Call Me Madam, yet she does this film, and manages to do a truly excellent voice over, that is both sinister and fun. I loved the characters Pumpkinhead, Glinda (voiced by beautiful opera singer Rise Steevens) and the Horse, but the biggest surprise was Ethel Merman as the witch Mombi. Liza Minelli does an excellent job as Dorothy, and I think her singing voice here was beautiful, and here she sounds like her mother, the wonderful Judy Garland. The songs, while not as fabulous as the 1939 film, are still very nice and quite charming, even "Carousel". The animation while simple, is colourful and adds to the charm of the film. I don't think it is quite as good as the 1939 classic, which was and still is my childhood favourite, but it is an enjoyable underrated film, that is nowhere near as bad as some people say it is.
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