"The Library of Congress has acquired rare artifacts related to the beloved 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The treasures include 35 musical manuscripts from composer Harold Arlen and lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg's creative output, including the first handwritten drafts of music and lyrics from some of the most well-known The Wizard of Oz songs, draft song lists and correspondence from the director of the film, Mervyn LeRoy."
"'Over the Rainbow' is considered to be one of the greatest songs of all time. It topped the 'Songs of the Century' lists of the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts, and was named the 'greatest movie song of all time' by the American Film Institute. It has been covered by artists countless times including pop star Ariana Grande and Hawaiian ukulele artist Israel Kamakawiwo'ole."
"Nicholas Brown-Caceres, the acting chief of the Library's Music Division, told NPR "Over the Rainbow" nearly got left on the cutting room floor during the movie production process. "The creators had to advocate for it to get placed back in multiple times," he said. The Wizard of Oz was inducted in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1989. "For a long time this has been an important work for us to try to preserve,""
The Library of Congress acquired rare artifacts associated with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, including 35 musical manuscripts from composer Harold Arlen and lyricist E.Y. 'Yip' Harburg. The collection contains first handwritten drafts of music and lyrics, draft song lists, and correspondence from director Mervyn LeRoy. The only known lyric sketch for "Over the Rainbow" is included, showing an early line that evolved into the final lyric. Donated by Rita Arlen, the material also includes Arlen's Academy Award for Best Original Song (1939). "Over the Rainbow" achieved major honors, numerous covers, and the film entered the National Film Registry in 1989.
Read at www.npr.org
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