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"The Scarecrow"
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Michael Jackson plays "The Scarecrow" in the movie "The Wiz"
The Wiz is a 1978 American musical film produced by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on October 24, 1978. An urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an entirely African-American cast, The Wiz was adapted from the 1975 Broadway musical of the same name. The film follows the adventures of Dorothy, a shy schoolteacher from Harlem,
New York who finds herself magically transported to the wonderland of Oz which resembles a fantasy version of New York City. Befriended by a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion, Dorothy travels through the world of Oz to seek an audience with the mysterious "Wiz",
who they say has the power to take her home.
Produced by Rob Cohen and directed by Sidney Lumet,
Cast:
Diana Ross (Dorothy Gale)
Michael Jackson (Scarecrow)
Nipsey Russell (Tin Man)
Ted Ross (Cowardly Lion)
Theresa Merritt (Aunt Emma)
Lena Horne (The good witch Glinda)
Richard Pryor (The Wiz)
At the time the movie was made, Michael Jackson had already left Motown Records (one of the production companies of the movie) to work for Epic. Nevertheless he was cast as the Scarecrow - his first movie role.
The movie was filmed at the Astoria Studios in Queens, New York (USA). In July 1977, Michael moved to New York for six month to begin rehearsals and filming. He was accompanied by his sister LaToya.
As Quincy Jones, who was the musical supervisor and music producer for the film, tells in his autobiography, Michael was very dedicated to the role. For example he watched videotapes of animals in order to learn movements for his part. The film was the first time that Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson worked together. Jones would later produce 3 of Michael's albums: 'Off the Wall', 'Thriller', and 'Bad'. In his autobiography, Quincy Jones recalled working with Michael Jackson as one of his favorite experiences from 'The Wiz'.
It was also Michael`s first cooperation with Stan Winston, who served as the film's head makeup artist. Winston, nowadays famous as the director of 'Terminator', 'Aliens', and 'Jurassic Park', would later direct Michael Jackson`s movie 'Ghosts'.
Michael's performance in the movie is wonderful and he also sings - with the most popular songs probably being 'You Can't Win' and 'Ease On Down The Road'. His performance as the Scarecrow was one of the few positively reviewed elements of the film when it was released, with critics noting that the 19-year-old singer possessed "genuine acting talent" and "provided the only genuinely memorable moments." Michael himself stated about his role:
"I don't think it could have been any better, I really don't."
In 1980, he also said that his time working on 'The Wiz' was
"my greatest experience so far...I'll never forget that."
The film received four Academy Award nominations for
Best Art Direction,
Best Costume Design,
Best Original Music Score and
Best Cinematography.
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zeasky  
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1 ก.ค. 53 14:05:09
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