Map of Oz Monday - Under Baum's Directions

Next week we will begin our discussion of the Oz Club's set of maps. But before we start on that part of our journey I wanted to revisit, and I hope strengthen, one of my views on the geography and orientation of the Land of Oz: there is no mistake in directions on Baum's original 1914 map of Oz. He fully intended that Oz have a backwards compass, with east on the left and west on the right.

Baum's 1914 Map of Oz with non-standard compass points.

I am not the only Oz fan to prefer Baum's quirky directional sense. Bill Campbell on The Oz Enthusiast blog said of Baum's 1914 map:  "This is unlike any standard map, but Oz is a magical land - perhaps that is simply how things work there! . . . I still like the original map in Tik-Tok with its unique directions - that's how I think the map should be!"

Oz fans long surmised that Baum probably had a hand in drawing the 1914 map and sent it in to the publisher where it was redrawn by a staff artist. Yet there was never any proof that Baum had a hand in the creation of the 1914 map. But a couple years ago I found verification when I was given access to the papers of Louis F. Gottschalk, composer of the 1913 musical The Tik-Tok Man of Oz and of the scores to the 1914 Oz Films.

Gottschalk and Baum circa 1913 - Collection of David Maxine.

In 1925 Louis F. Gottschalk wrote his memories of watching L. Frank Baum draw the Oz map that was included as the endpapers of Tik-Tok of Oz (1914). Here's Gottschalk's recollection:

I remember when we were at work on the Tik-Tok Man of Oz, Frank took a day off to answer at least 100 letters that had accumulated during the previous week. One little girl wrote and asked him for a map of the land of Oz saying she wished to follow them in their travels. In my presence he made a map of the mythical country of Oz and in the next Oz book the map appeared. “I do so love the map of Oz” wrote the little girl, “for now I can follow the Scarecrow, Tin-Woodman, and Tik-Tok and Betsy and Pumpkin head when the cyclone picks them up here and drops them down there in another country.”

Gottschalk's full-length memorial to Baum, which includes this passage, was published for the first time in the Winkie Con 50 Souvenir Program which is available here: Order a copy of the Winkie Con 50 Souvenir book.

So we have confirmation that Baum designed the 1914 map of the Land of Oz. To me, knowing that Baum was responsible makes this map the most authentic of all Oz maps. That, of course, does not address why the map has east on the left and west on the right. But it is too deliberate and if it was a mistake, it was too easily fixed. As I said in this previous post:

Neither Baum, nor his wife, nor the artist who redrew it, nor John R. Neill, nor the publisher ever said, "Hey LFB, you got your compass points wrong!" If Baum had some moment of directional dyslexia when he drew the rough map, there are just too many eyes and too many steps, from his sketchy doodles to finished drawing, to making proofs, to printing the book, for this not to have been EASILY corrected. If it wasn't corrected - it wasn't an error - thus, this is how Baum viewed Oz.

Two years after the map was first published we get confirmation from Baum himself that this is how he viewed Oz and that it wasn't simply a typesetting or artistic error. On September 6, 1916, Baum submitted another map along with the manuscript of The Lost Princess of Oz to the publisher and in the accompanying cover letter he stated:

You will find a "Map of the Search for the Lost Princess," which I would like to have redrawn and printed in black-and-white and placed in the fore part of the book. Nothing we ever did made such a hit with the kiddies as the maps of Oz we once used for endpapers, and I think this present map worthwhile on that account.

So Baum confirms that he drew this map (admittedly to be neatened up by a staff artist), but it preserves the Winkie Country "on the right and in the West" orientation and other geographical details of the 1914 map. Baum has even labeled the branches of the Winkie River, which as you'll read below, becomes very important.

Map of Oz from THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ (1917).

In the text of Lost Princess Baum writes the following:

At the east [border of the Winkie Country] which part lies nearest the Emerald City, there are beautiful farmhouses and roads, but as you travel west, you first come to a branch of the Winkie River, beyond which there is a rough country where few people live, and some of these are quite unknown to the rest of the world. After passing through this rude section of territory, which no one ever visits, you would come to still another branch of the Winkie River, after crossing which you would find another well-settled part of the Winkie Country extending westward quite to the Deadly Desert . . .

And a little later he writes:

In the course of a few hours, however, they had left the tilled fields [around the Emerald City] and entered the country of the Winkies. . . . Long before night the travellers had crossed the Winkie River near to the Scarecrow's tower (which was now vacant) and had entered the rolling prairie where few people live.

Here we have Baum himself using this map in his written text and describing the travelers leaving the Emerald City, moving left to right on the map, and getting to the "East Branch" of the Winkie River before they get to the "West Branch." A careful reading of the text makes it clear that Baum intended the text to reflect the map - including the reversed compass directions.

It seems very clear that this is simply how Baum saw the Land of Oz. Why he never made more of it I can't imagine. Perhaps he just thought it was quaint or magical. At one time I would have suggested that Baum was bad at directions and simply drew the map with the Winkies and Munchkins reversed. And then, rather than start over, he chuckled and fixed it by labeling the compass to suit his drawing. Perhaps that was how it happened. But it must have become a very deliberate choice, as it could have been fixed at any point in the book's production process at Reilly and Britton. So I'm left with the firm belief that this map shows Oz how it was meant to be.

But I am curious what Baum's hand-drawn map of Oz would have looked like. How detailed was it? Was it a scribble or quite precise? Baum's original map does not seem to survive. But I think I can show you a similar map that I believe was in fact drawn by Baum himself.

This is the map included in Baum's Boy Fortune Hunters in Panama (1908) which has been reprinted by Hungry Tiger Press as Sam Steele's Adventures: the Amazing Bubble Car. If you're interested you can order a copy below! In that book's text the map is found in the diary of  the recently murdered Maurice Kleppisch. The map was almost certainly drawn by Baum himself and submitted with his manuscript to Reilly & Britton. We know Baum was artistic and a good craftsman, and I find it impossible to believe that the publisher had a staff artist draw this map for an inconsequential boys series book. This is simply Baum having fun. And since the map didn't need to be as "polished" as the Oz map would need to be, Baum's pen-and-ink skill were totally adequate. Here's that map.

Baum's map from THE BOY FORTUNE HUNTERS IN PANAMA (1908).

I think you can see there are many similarities to the 1914 Map of the Land of Oz. The way rivers are drawn, forests delineated by little little "x" marks, the "hash mark" mountains, and indeed even the lettering of the oceans which runs top to bottom in differing directions for each ocean - exactly like the labeling of the Deadly Desert on the 1914 map.

Granted, how many ways are there to draw a map? But if Baum drew as detailed and finished Oz maps as he seemingly drew for The Boy Fortune Hunters in Panama, then I think we can say Baum himself is responsible for the detail in the Oz maps, whether the undulations of rivers or the placement of the Winkie and Munchkin countries.

Next Monday we will begin our discussion of the Oz Club's Maps of Oz.
Click here to go to our next installment of Map of Oz Monday!

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Would you like to read L. Frank Baum's

Boy Fortune Hunters in Panama?

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Luckily, Sam’s partner is the unpredictable inventor Duncan Moit. Moit’s latest invention, the Amazing Bubble Car, can travel over land and water and is impervious to almost any attack! But obstacles abound—cultures in collision, the Indian chief’s beautiful daughter, and a mysterious dwarf’s golden hoard. So come join Sam and his friends on a dangerous journey to riches and adventure in their Magic Travelin’ Machine!

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Talkin' About Tik-Tok

Polychrome, the Shaggy Man, and Betsy assist Tik-Tok.

This year's Winkie Con features a unique program on Saturday evening, August 9, 2014. Clockwork Productions will revive The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, the musical play originally produced in Los Angeles, California, in 1913. The book and lyrics were written by Oz author L. Frank Baum, as a sequel to his 1903 Broadway smash The Wizard of Oz. The music for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz was composed by Louis F. Gottschalk, composer of many early film scores, including Orphans of the Storm by D. W. Griffith, A Woman of Paris by Charlie Chaplin, and Little Lord Fauntleroy starring Mary Pickford.

Oliver Morosco produced The Tik-Tok Man of Oz at the Majestic Theater in Los Angeles, California, where it premiered March 31, 1913. The show then toured the USA and Canada, arriving in San Diego, California, in 1914. Now, one hundred years later, San Diego will once again host a presentation of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. It's appropriate that The Tik-Tok Man of Oz will be performed in San Diego, since L. Frank Baum wrote the earliest drafts of the show in 1907 at the Hotel del Coronado, the famous luxury resort near San Diego.

The Tik-Tok Man of Oz has not had a fully staged production in a century. If you ever wanted to see a fully staged performance of one of L. Frank Baum's stage works, this is your chance. This revival will be presented one night only, on Saturday, August 9, 2014, as the evening program of the 50th annual Winkie Con, the world's longest running Oz event. The Regency Ballroom of the Town and Country Resort, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, California, will be turned into a theater to present the show.

Sheet music from 1913

All the surviving musical numbers from the original production--more than twenty in all--will be performed. These include the fourteen songs written by L. Frank Baum and Louis F. Gottschalk, as well as four additional songs by Oliver Morosco and Victor Schertzinger, an overture, an entr'acte, reprises, and dances. The original script by L. Frank Baum has been abridged by award-winning Oz author and illustrator Eric Shanower in order to keep the running time of this production under two and a half hours.

A full-convention ticket to Winkie Con 50 includes guaranteed seating for the Saturday evening performance of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. To register for Winkie Con 50, click here for the Winkie Con website.

Sheet music from 1913

The Tik-Tok Man of Oz features plenty of action, comedy, romance, and suspense. The star of the show is Tik-Tok, the copper clockwork man who must be wound up with a key to move, think, and speak. Tik-Tok is rescued by young Betsy Bobbin and her pet mule Hank who are helping the Shaggy Man search for his long lost brother. They are joined by Queen Ann and her brave Army of Oogaboo, as well as Polychrome the Daughter of the Rainbow and Ozma the Rose Princess. They all must face the magical power of Ruggedo the villainous Metal Monarch and his Metal Imps deep in the underground Metal Forest. The story is similar to the seventh Oz book, Tik-Tok of Oz, because L. Frank Baum based that book on this play.

The Tik-Tok Man of Oz Kickstarter Campaign
A Kickstarter campaign for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz has launched. Won't you consider becoming part of this fascinating project by making a pledge? To contribute, click here to go directly to Kickstarter. We're offering some cool rewards for contributors, including a DVD of the performance, a book reprinting all the surviving sheet music from the original production, artwork by Eric Shanower, VIP seating at the performance, posters, and more--you could even have a walk-on role in the show! Some of these rewards are exclusive and won't be available anywhere else. Watch our Kickstarter video to hear music from The Tik-Tok Man of Oz.

Auditions and Open Dance Call
The cast will have about twenty members to bring The Tik-Tok Man of Oz to life. Auditions are April 4 in the San Diego area. Open Dance Call is April 6. For details, see the Audition Notice here.

Behind the Curtain
The creative team for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz is already in place, and here they are:

Chrissy Burns, Director: Chrissy has directed such productions as 42nd Street, Sweet Charity, Nunsense, and Chicago. She has acted on many San Diego stages, including Lambs Players, Diversionary Theatre, Starlight Theatre, and more. She was recently seen in miXtape, the hit 1980's musical at the Horton Grand Theater. She teaches Musical Theater and Voice at Infinity Dance Arts in El Cajon, California.

Joseph Grienenberger, Musical Director: Joseph has been Musical Director for productions that include Man of La Mancha, Pacific Overtures, Blood Wedding, and The Wizard of Oz. His credits include stage direction, singing, acting, and orchestrating for the Old Globe Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory, and more. Joseph is a voice and acting coach and is a core chorister at San Diego Opera .

Jennifer Solomon-Rubio, Choreographer: Teaming with director Chrissy Burns, Jenn has choreographed such stage musicals as 42nd Street, Ruthless! the Musical, and Chicago. Her stage experience includes fashion shows, trade shows, and choreographic work throughout the San Diego region. She is studio director and an instructor at Infinity Dance Arts in El Cajon, California.

Christopher Boltz, Lighting Design: Chris worked on the television shows Third Rock from the Sun and That 70's Show. He coordinated lighting and sound for the pre-Broadway workshop of The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. He has designed lighting for productions including Mirror Mirror, Epic of Gil, and The Rocky Horror Show. He teaches in the Theatre Arts department of Fresno City College.

David Maxine and Eric Shanower, Set and Costume Design: David has designed productions including Sweeney Todd, Oklahoma!, and The Baltimore Waltz for theaters such as Skylight Opera, Yale Rep, Trenton State College, and Bard College. He was Associate Designer for ABC News, Production Designer for the film Ready? OK!, and Scenic Artist at San Diego Opera and La Jolla Playhouse. Eric is a cartoonist whose comics projects include the ongoing series Age of Bronze, the story of the Trojan War, and scripts for New York Times best-selling comics adaptations of L. Frank Baum's Oz books with art by Skottie Young. He has illustrated numerous other comics and books.

If you want to be in the audience for this historic performance of L. Frank Baum's The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, be sure to register for Winkie Con 50 as soon as you can.

To see many aspects of Tik-Tok and his friends, see the gallery of images on The Tik-Tok Man of Oz website here.

Crossover Collectibles

While my interest in Baum and Oz has always been book-focused, I do have a certain fondness for Oz memorabilia from the many stage and screen adaptations. I also like the weird, unusual, and unique sort of Ozzy collectible. The document shown at left is such a thing.

It is a contract between Louis F. Gottschalk and Sam Goldwyn, enlisting the services of Gottschalk to write the score for the 1926 film version of Stella Dallas.

Gottschalk is best known to Oz folk for writing the music for L. Frank Baum's musical comedy The Tik-Tok Man of Oz (1913), the scores to accompany the various Oz Film Manufacturing Company movies, and the music for the abandoned Patchwork Girl of Oz "Children's Theatre" musical. Gottschalk was also a close friend of Baum's during the Hollywood years - both men were instrumental in forming "The Uplifters," a social and theatrical enterprise associated with the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Sam Goldwyn is the man who bought the film rights to The Wizard of Oz from the Baum family, beginning the process of developing a certain film starring Judy Garland. Goldwyn is also the "G" of MGM.

I really like that this piece of paper connects to otherwise disparate Oz-related names. It's just kind of neat. While the 1926 Stella Dallas film survives, Gottschalk's score seems to have been lost. This film just barely predates sound on film and the score would have been played live in the theatre by either orchestra or organ, depending on the venue.

On a side note, Gottschalk's daughter, Gloria Gottschalk, had a small part in the film. She played one of the Bridesmaids.

If you'd like to hear some of Gottschalk's music you might consider our CD Before the Rainbow - The Original Music of Oz. You can listen to two different suites from The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, as well as all of the themes from the silent film version of The Patchwork Girl of Oz.

Below is a video clip of the marriage scene from the film. I can not tell which Bride's maid Gloria might have been and I do not think the humdrum organ accompaniment is Gottschalk's original score. Still, give it a watch.

Scraps and Stills

Last spring I presented a talk on Oz composer Louis F. Gottschalk at the Oz conference at California State University - Fresno. As most Oz fans know, Gottschalk composed the scores to L. Frank Baum's 1914 Oz films as well as writing the music for the 1913 Tik-Tok Man of Oz stage musical.

Since I needed a few stills from the 1914 Patchwork Girl of Oz film for my lecture, I made my own screen-grabs, and was amazed at how much detail could be brought out with a little tweaking in Photoshop and making sure to grab a well-illuminated frame. Here's a good example:

Look at the lovely and Ozzy sculpting work! This is almost invisible in the flickery and dimly-lit video releases. You can click on the image to enlarge it a bit.

Here's a favorite screen-grab showing Pierre Couderc as Scraps. It looks so much like a John R. Neill drawing brought to life.

 

You can hear Gottschalk's film score to The Patchwork Girl of Oz, as well as a suite from The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, on our CD Before the Rainbow: The Original Music of Oz. It would be so great to get a good restoration job done on the film and include the original score, too.