One of the few remaining cast members of “The Wizard of Oz” has taken a leave down the yellow brick road, reminding audiences of just how important this piece of cinematic history, celebrating a major milestone, is.

Ruth Robinson-Duccini, one of the two remaining actors who played a munchkin in the cult classic “The Wizard of Oz,’’ died Jan. 16 at the age of 95, leaving behind the last male munchkin Jerry Maren, 93.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the tale, and celebrations for the anniversary began when “Oz” was re-released in IMAX 3D and on Blu-Ray late last year. The movie will also be honored during the Academy Awards March 2. Oz is a well-known classic on screen with many renditions of the plot that have stretched as far as Broadway.

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Students and professors remember the effect the movie and its numerous spinoffs had on them.

Walter Metz, chair of the Cinema and Photography, said the novel “The Wizard of Oz” was based on was written around the turn of the century and was great literature for its time. The novel is openly about putting on the “green glasses,” which characters had to wear to see the opulence of Oz, to make it seem like everything with the economy is fine, he said.

Although the world was going through the Great Depression in 1939, there was a need and a want for an escape, and the movies were their escape, he said. When “The Wizard of Oz” was released, it gave people hope and marked an important moment in film—traditionally men took the long journey, not a strong female character, he said.

“Dorothy sings about color and does not like her home life, but she finds that Oz is no better,” he said

Metz said the film is superior to its several remakes, including the comedic “Under the Rainbow” and the African-American rendition “The Wiz,” which he said was more of a foreshadowing of Michael Jackson’s demise through Jackson’s desire to latch on to his childhood. Metz said last year’s “Oz the Great and Powerful” brings back the masculinity factor where Oz is the dominate figure in the tale.

Acting Radio/Television chair Novotny Lawrence said while he was not fond of the original film, he recognizes its importance during the Great Depression. Lawrence said he watched “The Wiz” when it was released in 1978, but looking at it today, he realizes the plot did not work.

“The film was hilarious and had all the right elements by having people like Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor and Lena Horne who were all crossover stars that could pull in numbers from both races,” he said.

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Among the student population, “The Wizard of Oz” holds both good and bad memories. Megan Larson, a senior from Jasper, Ind., studying radio-television, said “Oz” is a movie that never gets old and the updated releases just don’t have the same effect for her.

“I’ve watched it ever since I was a baby and I love the colors and I still have the VHS,” she said. “I know I can get the restored DVD, but I like vvvvthe grainy look that I remember and came with my childhood.”

Brendan Mier, a sophomore from Springfield studying criminal justice, said he saw the film and thought the movie was terrible— it gave him an irrational fear of flying monkeys. However, he said Hollywood knows the concept will sell and said he would probably see another movie based on the original.

Jaelyn Anderson, a sophomore from Bolingbrook studying criminal justice and psychology, said she was terrified the first time she saw the original but it grew on her. She enjoyed “The Wiz” and “Wicked,” the Broadway musical that serves as a prequel to the film. While she enjoyed “Oz the Great and Powerful,” she said it was cheesy.

“In comparison to the original, it seemed like a cheap way to make a dollar because it seemed fake but had a good back story,” she said.

David Frey, a sophomore from Canton studying mechanical engineering, said he enjoyed the remakes and updates, but the original is what he remembers most.

“I do not remember how old I was when I first saw it, but I know I loved it and still do,” he said.

Anjen’e Marion can be reached at [email protected] or 536-3311 ext. 254.