Page One: “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)

Screenplay by Noel Langley & Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf, adaptation by Noel Langley, from the book by L. Frank Baum

The movie version of the opening:

You may read the screenplay here.

The script is a classic example of a production draft in the old Hollywood studio system. Specific camera shots designated in the script: MS = Medium Shot. LS = Long Shot. CU = Close Up. In contemporary screenplays, we can indicate camera shots by using individual paragraphs of scene description without camera jargon.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.

You may follow the daily conversation on Twitter as I cross-post there: @GoIntoTheStory.