The Wizard of Oz (film)/Fridge

Fridge Brilliance

• In the Emerald City, the city's doorman, the guard to the Wizard's sanctum, and the cab driver with the "horse of a different color" are all played by the same actor: Frank Morgan, the guy who played the Wizard himself. This seems like just getting extra-mileage out of an actor, until you realize that it's all probably part of the Wizard's con. Since no one can be allowed to see how ordinary the Great Oz really is, in order to govern the Emerald City he puts on a disguise, pretends to be one of his own subordinates, and "relays" orders from the Wizard to the rest of Oz.
  • This also lets him see and hear what's going on for himself instead of relying on messengers and such. This way, people will be amazed at the Wizard's omniscience.
• Why didn't Dorothy just turn Death's Hourglass on its side?

Fridge Horror

• Even if the WMG is wrong and Glinda isn't a Villain with Good Publicity, she's certainly no angel. First, she swipes the Wicked Witch of the East's shoes and pawns them off on Dorothy - thus depriving the WWotE's only remaining relative (the Wicked Witch of the West) of her sister's last remaining possession, which is pretty repugnant. And Glinda's just warming up, too. She then taunts the Witch of the West and makes sure her rage is focused on Dorothy - who, let's remember, might've committed manslaughter but certainly didn't ask to be brought to Oz via tornado and didn't exactly aim for anything when her house landed. She then sends Dorothy on a fairly pointless quest to the Wizard of Oz; yes, it's important to the story and yes, Dorothy learns a lot about herself and gains several new friends. But Glinda's excuse for not telling Dorothy, right off the bat, that she was now the owner of a pair of slippers that could teleport their wearer? "You wouldn't have believed me." As if that excuses not mentioning it anyways. Yep, you wouldn't have believed her, Dorothy - never mind that you just splatted one Witch with your house, witnessed a pair of spectacular entrances by both the Witch of the West and Glinda, got threatened by the WWotW, and were lauded for your house-fu skills by Munchkins. Nope, no reason to believe that your ruby slippers might teleport you anywhere. It's due to Glinda, in fact, that Dorothy is placed in life-threatening danger several times throughout the movie - the Witch of the West would have gone away quietly if she'd been given her sister's slippers, after all, and it's Glinda who sends Dorothy on a quest outside of Munchkinland...which is also a zone of protection that the Witch of the West can't harm Dorothy within. This also combines with Adult Fear when you consider the fact that most parents probably worry about their kids falling into the hands of some pleasant-faced stranger who'll happily sell them down the river.