Return to Oz

A couple months ago on eBay, several artifacts from the 1984 Disney production of Return to Oz were put up for auction. I didn't acquire any of the items, but I was very intrigued by a piece of the set that was offered. In the film, there are several close up shots in the ruined Emerald City. One of these shows a statue of a lion holding a scroll with the intertwined OZ logo. Apparently, there were two of these original lions which survived the film. One was auctioned - the second had met its demise some time earlier in a garden, where the weather took its toll.

Seeing the interest stirred by this piece, the seller had the good sense to look into the possibility of having some additional lions made from the original. In the end, 10 lions were produced and I'm now the happy owner of one. The new pieces were cast in resin rather than concrete, and consequently were of lighter weight and a bit easier to deal with than the original. As this was being shipped from England, less weight was a help in holding down costs!