Rainbow of extras with evergreen ‘Oz’

The Wizard of Oz -- Three-Disc Collector’s Edition

(Warner Home Video, $50)

THIS new three-disc set of the beloved 1939 musical fantasy does feature several of the extras that appeared on the special two-disc set released a few years back with documentaries, tributes, home movies, outtakes and deleted sequences. But thankfully this handsomely packaged collector’s edition is packed with new goodies, notably a digitally restored version of the movie as well as several early silent “Oz” films.

Though some “classic” films haven’t stood the test of time, this “Wizard of Oz” remains magical, memorable and moving on repeat viewings. Based on L. Frank Baum’s seminal children’s book, “Wizard of Oz” made a superstar of Judy Garland, who played Dorothy Gale; equally enchanting are Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Frank Morgan as the Wizard (he actually plays six parts in the film), Margaret Hamilton as Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch, Billie Burke as Glinda and Terry as Toto.

Directed by Victor Fleming, who left the project before it was finished to do “Gone With the Wind,” “Wizard” also features an extraordinary score by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, including the Oscar-winning “Over the Rainbow.”

Extras

Disc I: “Wizard” was digitally restored in Warner’s “Ultra-Resolution” process, which cleans up dirt and scratches and corrects flaws in Technicolor movies. Though sometimes the “Ultra-Resolution” technique has made these vintage films so pristine that they look too new, the right balance seems to have been struck with “Wizard.” At least on the small screen, the sepia Kansas sequences and the lush Technicolor “Oz” scenes look great without altering the filmmaker’s original intent.

Accompanying the movie is marvelous commentary hosted by Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack and anchored by “Oz” historian John Fricke, a font of information regarding the film. There are also discussions with associate producer Arthur Freed’s daughter, Hamilton’s son, vintage interviews with Hamilton (who was a real hoot) and Munchkin Jerry Maren, among others.

Angela Lansbury is on hand to read the “Wizard of Oz” storybook and to present short, concise biographies of all the cast members. Also included: a comprehensive look at the restoration of the film, the original mono track of the film and a “music and sound effects only” track.

Disc 2: Features previously released material.

Disc 3: “L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain” is a new, charming documentary on the man who created “Oz.” It features interviews with historians and even Baum’s great-grandchildren. The disc features five “Oz” films: 1910’s “The Wizard of Oz,” 1914’s “The Magic Cloak of Oz” and “His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz,” the 1925 feature “The Wizard of Oz” and the 1933 animated short “The Wizard of Oz,” which like the 1939 release is in both black-and-white and color.

The 1925 version has been newly restored and features a bouncy score by Robert Israel. However, it’s a disappointment -- the film stresses slapstick over heart. Larry Semon, a popular lanky comedian of the time, not only stars as the Scarecrow, he also directed the film and married Dorothy Dwan, who plays the rather Clara Bow-esque Dorothy. And a young Oliver Hardy plays the Tin Man.

The collection also features reproductions of the souvenir program from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in 1939, MGM’s invitation to the premiere and original 1939 Kodachrome publicity art.