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Of great interest as film history, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is also quite enjoyable as film -- provided, of course, that one approaches it with the proper attitude. Clearly, a film made in 1910 is going to lack the technical finesse modern audiences expect. The fact that it also tries to encapsulate a full story into 13 minutes -- several of which are devoted to dance sequences which certainly do not forward the plot -- also means that the dramatic narrative is going to be jerky at best. Yet the primitive technical and dramatic technique are actually quite charming, and for the time, they represent something pretty close to state of the art. And while Wizard features a static camera, it's still a lively production, with plenty of movement on screen and with characters that fly and jump (quite well) at the drop of a hat. Indeed, there's something utterly disarming about this production, which has a verve and a freshness that make one willing to overlook the simpleminded choreography and the chorus girls who still can't handle it. The animal costumes are especially ludicrous to modern eyes, but again, they nevertheless have a whimsical charm. An extremely young Bebe Daniels is quite good as Dorothy and the Scarecrow (probably Robert Z. Leonard, although the credits are sketchy in confirming this) is an energetic delight. There are also delightful turns from the actors portraying the Wizard, the Tin Woodman and Mombi. Those who can get the classic 1939 film out of their heads should find this version a joyous alternative.