MovieChat Forums > The Wiz (1978) Discussion > Should have used some white actors/actre...

Should have used some white actors/actresses!

posted 12 years ago by sealug
29 replies | jump to latest

I was flipping channels and came across this movie today. I must say I was actually entertained. I thought it had decent production values. The costumes were excellent. The music wasn't bad. After the movie, I decided to come here to IMDB for more info about the movie and was surprised to see such a low rating. Although not the greatest movie, I don't think it deserves the low 4.7. Not understanding the hate, I decided to take a peak in the forums...

One complaint I keep hearing on this forum is the lack of any white actors and actresses in the film. And I agree! This movie could have and should have had some white actors. I think this movie could have been a great platform for social commentary via satire.

In other words, they should have cast white actors and actresses as the wicked witch and the villains. Then ofcourse cast one or two token white actors here and there who would eventually die a horrible death or betray Dorothy, The deceptive and cowardly Wiz himself could have been a possible candidate. Or maybe cast tin man white and have him be the clutzy comic relief cracking one liners throughout the movie. This would have been comedy gold! Ofcourse we all know some people would not have understood and would not have been laughing if this had actually happened.

This kind of satirical comedy is done quite often these days, and most people can laugh about it. Back then it would have been controversial. The same people who saw no problems when the exact roles were reversed as was so common back then(and even still today), would no doubt have cried and screamed foul and labelled it as racist, never understanding the irony of it all.

[–] the-organizm 9 years ago

Sealug, how does it feel, three years later, to know that the IMDB userbase doesn't understand satire?

[–] jmrmpd 9 years ago

I think you're missing the point of having an all black cast, if you cast CAUCASIAN actors for parts in The Wiz... That was the main point of The Wiz, in the first place. An all black cast of a musical production of Frank L. Baum's The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz.

[–] queencity86 8 years ago

Why?? The original Wizard of Oz didn't have any black people!!

[–] doc_old55 8 years ago

Why?? The original Wizard of Oz didn't have any black people!!

Had a green lady...

doc

"Undomesticated equines could not remove me" - Teal'c

[–] pj-now 8 years ago

And Oskar Schindler should have been played by a Chinese guy, while the Jewish characters should have been played by Mexicans. Right.

[–] FangsMcWolf 8 years ago

"The Wiz" is the black version of "The Wizard of Oz" (Oz) and I enjoyed it. Mind you, that's not said to be racial in any way, it's just how it is and there's nothing wrong with it. If anything, I'm glad that it exists because even now, a majority of entertainment (movies/TV) is white on some level and honestly I would prefer to see more diversity when possible. (For the record, I'm white.)

[–] singjohn 8 years ago

Somebody missed the point.

[–] vette_guy_59 8 years ago

I don't really see where it's a big deal rather they would have had no white actors in The Wiz, nor do I see it as a big deal that there were no black actors in The Wizard Of Oz.
This is what is making race relations bad in the United States and everywhere else. In the 1950s and 1960s Schools were desegregation to mix races together so black Children would get the same opportunity as white Children.
The world is now more segregated than ever before. Race relations will never get better as long as we have this kind of mentality.

[–] InherentlyYours 8 years ago

I agree. But maybe things need to ,unfortunately, get worse before they get better. Something is certainly wrong, and it's not getting better. What should we do, have a war, go back to segregation, learn to say "no" to people, I don't know.

[–] BigRich 8 years ago

I was 8 when this came out, and when they showed Lena Horne at the end, I thought she was white. Never heard of her before then. I thought to myself, "Um, why is there a white person in this movie?"

_
Every person that served can be called a veteran, but not every veteran can be called a Marine.

[–] activista 7 years ago

@BigRich

Nope,she was black---she had some white ancestry,though. She was also the director's mother-in-law at the time, which was part of the reason she got the role.