The Tin Woodman of Oz.

Later printing of the twelfth of the Oz books, remarkably signed by the seven principal stars of the classic 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. Quarto, original brown cloth with pictorial label to the front panel, printed black title and Tin Man vignette to spine, illustrated by John R. Neill. Presentation copy, signed on the verso of the front free endpaper and on the half-title by the film’s seven leading players, Judy Garland (Dorothy), Ray Bolger (the Scarecrow), Jack Haley (the Tin Woodman), Bert Lahr (the Cowardly Lion), Frank Morgan (the Wizard), Billie Burke (Glinda), and Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West). Several have inscribed their signatures to “Bill” or “William,” Jack Haley writing “Bill, greatest wishes,” Margaret Hamilton “To Bill, best wishes,” and Judy Garland, on the half-title, “To William, warmest wishes, Judy Garland.” The 1939 film adaptation The Wizard of Oz, directed by Victor Fleming and produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, was revolutionary in its visual and technical achievements. While it was not the first color film, it was among the earliest and most influential to use Technicolor as a deliberate artistic device rather than a novelty. The dramatic shift from the sepia-toned realism of Kansas to the vibrant, multicolored world of Oz symbolized Dorothy’s passage from ordinary life into the realm of imagination and self-discovery. This use of color served both aesthetic and thematic purposes, illustrating the emotional and psychological contrasts between confinement and freedom. The film’s combination of groundbreaking visuals, memorable music, and universal moral lessons elevated it beyond a children’s fantasy, turning it into a defining moment in cinematic history. The Wizard of Oz thus demonstrated how emerging technologies could be harnessed to deepen narrative meaning and create enduring cultural myths. In good condition, the front free endpaper and half-title loose but holding, with light dampstaining, minor toning, and a few stray stains, the cloth bumped and lightly frayed at the extremities with light wear to the cover label, lacking the dust jacket. Greene and Hanff XII.  An exceptional example, rare and desirable signed by seven leading members of the groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece including Judy Garland.