Judy Garland was 16 when she made "The Wizard of Oz," and 17 when it was released.

The movie was released in 1939 and Judy was born in 1922: 17 years' difference! But the fact is that by the time Judy's 17th birthday came around (on June 10, 1939), she was busy at work on "Babes in Arms." Principal filming on "Oz" began in September 1938 (she was 16), and was completed around the end of March 1939.

More detailed info:

Judy Garland was born on June 10, 1922, so she was 16.4-16.8 years old when she filmed her 7th movie, "The Wizard of Oz."

By the way, have you ever wondered whether Judy Garland was single or married when she played the role of Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz"? To find out, simply click the Related link.

It is in helping to rescue Dorothy from the Wicked Witch of the West that the Lion shows courage in "The Wizard of Oz."

Specifically, Dorothy Gale is captured by the Winged Monkeys and imprisoned in the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West. Her pet dog Toto manages to escape and bring the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman to Dorothy's rescue. The Lion owns up to being fearful on seeing the Winkie guards and once inside the scary castle. But he plays his part in getting Dorothy out alive.

Brains, courage, heart and home are what the main characters are looking for in "The Wizard of Oz."

Specifically, the main character is Dorothy Gale, whom a cyclone carries all the way from Kansas, over the rainbow and into the magical lands of Oz. She and her pet dog Toto looks for a way back home to Kansas. In the process, they meet the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, who respectively seek brains, a heart and courage.

The Scarecrow states an incorrect version of the Pythagorean theorem.

He states: "The sum of the square root of two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the third side."

There are two errors. The Pythagorean theorem applies to right triangles, not isosceles. Also the theorem is that the squares of two legs equals the square of the hypotenuse.

Properly stated, "The sum of the squares of the two legs of a right triangle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse."

He said...

"The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an Isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side. Oh joy, rapture, I've got a brain. How can I ever thank you enough?"

That the setting is a farm and that the main character is a little farm girl whose family struggles to survive are ways in which "The Wizard of Oz" relates to the farmers' plight during the nineteenth century.

Specifically, farmers struggled against the stress of natural forces that they did not have the technology to control or mitigate during the nineteenth century. That struggle is reflected in "The Wizard of Oz," which begins and ends on farm land in the vast, hostile, bleak Kansas prairies. It is found in the worried, gaunt, exhausted appearances and words of Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, guardians of the little farm girl Dorothy Gale. It is evident in the resigned reaction of Uncle Henry to having to check the cows and horses and the panic of Aunt Em to getting under cover before the full fury of the cyclone is felt.

That she is a farm girl who meets challenges through her own hard work, personality and wits is the reason why Dorothy may symbolize populism in "The Wizard of Oz."

Specifically, the populist interpretation is not an analytical approach ever known to have been articulated by author and Oz series originator Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 - May 6, 1919) in terms of "The Wizard of Oz." But great literary works continue to challenge readers who find support for interpretations within and beyond the original author's expressed intentions. Populism therefore can be made to work as an interpretation of the book overall and in particular of Dorothy. Dorothy indeed appears as an ordinary prairie girl who uses common sense, manual labor and her wits to get through life. Populism acts to elevate the ordinary person as key to the unique identity and success of the United States of America as a young country among the world's nations.