The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | American Oz

Official Website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexpe... | #AmericanOzPBS Explore the life and times of author L. Frank Baum, the creator of one of the most beloved, enduring and classic American narratives. By 1900, when The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published, Baum was 44 years old and had spent much of his life in restless pursuit of success. With mixed results he dove into a string of jobs — chicken breeder, actor, marketer of petroleum products, shopkeeper, newspaperman and traveling salesman — Baum continued to reinvent himself, reflecting a uniquely American brand of confidence, imagination and innovation. During his travels to the Great Plains and on to Chicago during the American frontier’s final days, he witnessed a nation coming to terms with the economic uncertainty of the Gilded Age. But he never lost his childlike sense of wonder and eventually crafted his observations into a magical tale of survival, adventure and self-discovery, reinterpreted through the generations in films, books and musicals. This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support your local PBS stations: https://pbs.org/donate Subscribe to the American Experience | PBS channel for more clips:    / americanexperiencepbs   Enjoy full episodes of American Experience anytime, anywhere with the free PBS Video App: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR FOLLOW US: Facebook:   / americanexperiencepbs   Twitter:   / amexperiencepbs   Instagram:   / americanexperiencepbs