Behind the Scenes: The Wizard of Oz

Karen Maness is leading a talk on The Wizard of Oz at the French Legation State Historic Site on Saturday, October 17, from 11 AM to 12 PM. It's part of the outdoor film series Painted Dreams & Western Horizons, which grew out of the legation's Cinema East tradition of communal open-air screenings. The series pairs each film with a talk by Maness, and this one focuses on the scenic artists and designers who built the world of Oz.

Maness draws on her book, The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop, to explain how hand-painted scenic backdrops—shaped by European and French artistic traditions—created some of Hollywood's most iconic visuals. She'll be showing previously unpublished images from the production, so you'll get to see the work that went into those backgrounds rather than just the finished shots on screen. It's a look at the craft behind the movie, the kind of thing that usually stays on the studio lot.

Maness is a scenic artist herself and an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin, where she oversees the Texas Performing Arts Hollywood Backdrop Collection. She's talking about her own field, so this isn't just a fan's overview—it's coming from someone who knows how these things are actually made. If you've ever wondered how they pulled off those sweeping vistas before digital effects, this is where you'll find the answer.

The talk is on Saturday, October 17, from 11 AM to 12 PM, and it's followed by a screening of The Wizard of Oz on Thursday, October 22, at 7 PM. Both are at the French Legation, 802 San Marcos Street. Admission is $5 for adults, and children 17 and under are free with an adult.