This is a promotional pamphlet created to try and sell the idea to potential sponsors. For $200,000 you could be the single sponsor of the hour long show! A number of interesting points are brought up; the success of The Wizard of Oz, which had then been shown twice on television, and the high ratings for other TV fantasy productions such as Peter Pan, Cinderella, Babes in Toyland and Pinocchio. Groucho's Q-rating (a scale measuring a performer's popularity) was high, with 93% audience familiarity.
"Integrated into the Gabrielson - (Robert) Dwan script will be elements from MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO teleplays that have been written by Gore Vidal and Joseph Schrank for subsequent use, should this property evolve into a series."Clearly plans were being made for a ongoing project! (As it happens, David Maxine has a copy of the Gore Vidal script, which apparently reads as a one time story rather than a series). And what would this show be like?
"Enacting the dual role of THE MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO and a modern, henpecked husband with three unmarried daughters and a mischief-minded nine-year-old son, Groucho will be transported from today's world and its problems into the mythical paradise created by Baum."
"...This is a magical land into which Groucho and his family enter when the realities of his frustrating daily existence drive him to seek refuge in fantasy .... "
"Groucho's land of Mo reflects the limitations of the real-life character he portrays. As its Monarch, he transforms Mo into his own private Utopia, complete with cigar trees, money weeds and beautiful blondes, but is unable to dispense with his "family," which accompanies him to his new realm in the slightly more palatable guise of his Queen, three unwed princesses and a brash juvenile court magician."
Hmmm..... it never happened.
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There is another Oz/Baum connection to Frank Gabrielson: He wrote the script for the St. Louis Light Opera's stage adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz", which had been the script most companies used for decades until the RSC adaptation came along.
ye gods. who knew?
I didn't realize that - apparently he wrote the Wizard of Oz in 1942, not long after the movie premiered. Interesting that he kept returning to Baum inspired projects!
Wow! I have never seen or known of this brochure before - though I have a bad photocopy of the cover.
But I do have a copy of Gore Vidal's MO teleplay. As I recall it's fairly straightforward and written as a stand-alone presentation.
Re: the Baum/Groucho resemblance, Baum was also a big fan of cigars.
I wanted to use an image of Baum with a cigar, but I didn't run across one that worked as well as this!
Last year I read a copy of Gore Vidal's script in his papers with an eye toward a Bugle article. It doesn't have clear or direct references to Groucho, and this booklet seems ambiguous about whether Vidal's script was originally meant for Groucho or he was attached later.
I filed my notes on the project because I knew the article would need more information on the production than the script alone provided. This booklet seems to have that. Bill, are you interested in pooling resources and collaborating on an article?
I'm happy to help out - I'll drop you an email.
Gore Vidal wrote an admiring essay about L. Frank Baum and the Oz books, but I never knew he had written a script based on Baum's work. Could those who have read it comment further on its quality --- and does it seem to be mostly Baum or mostly Vidal?
What a cool item. Really hope you guys make it into a Bugle article!
Was this to be animated or live action?
It was intended to be a live action series.
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