Frank Joslyn Baum
Encyclopedia
Frank Joslyn Baum was a lawyer
, soldier
, writer
, and film producer
, though his attempts to continue the legacy of his father brought him lawsuit and estrangement from his family. Nonetheless, he became the first president
of The International Wizard of Oz Club
.
He is best known as the author of To Please a Child (a biography of his father, L. Frank Baum
) (1962) and The Laughing Dragon of Oz (1936). He was also involved in the production of Wizard of Oz
(1925), and The Wizard of Oz
(1933), for which he also received writing credit, after which he sold the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
to Samuel Goldwyn
.
His attempt to trademark
the Oz name distanced him from the rest of his family, and his biography has been suspect from before it was published, as most of his family would not let him confirm anything he didn't know, so he resorted to making things up and building a hero myth around his father.
, their first son, who was known in the household by the nickname "Bunny". Like his brothers, Robert Stanton, Harry Neal
, and Kenneth Gage, he attended the Society for Ethical Culture Sunday school
, which taught morality
without religion
, as the Baums considered religion a mature decision. Despite his father's unflattering caricatures of the military, Baum had always desired to become a soldier, and he attended Michigan Military School in Orchard Lake, Michigan. He briefly attended Cornell University
, studying law, and he would act as his parents' lawyer when they traveled abroad. He enlisted in the U.S. Army
and served in the Philippinies in 1904. He married Helen Louise Snow on 27 June 1906. His first notable contribution to the cinema was when he served as the projectionist
for The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays
(1908). Although he could not have the control that writers such as William K. Everson
, Yuri Tsivian and others have claimed that early cinema projectionists had, due to the presence of the filmmakers in the room each night, it was a foray into the cinema that would pave the way for things to come. He also worked briefly for his father's publisher, Reilly & Britton
, worked in advertising
in Chicago
, and was the first member of the Baum family to move to the Los Angeles
area.
in 1914, Frank J. was established as the business director in the New York City
office, at 300 W. 42nd Street
in Times Square
. After the company's failure, Frank J. regrouped the organization under the name Dramatic Feature Films
. Exhibitors, however, were aware of the name change and were not interested in the Oz product by any name at all. Frank J. probably wrote the scripts for its two known films, The Gray Nun of Belgium
, a five-reel feature set during "the present war in Europe", and Pies and Poetry, a short film, probably a slapstick comedy, although little is actually known about it beyond that both starred Betty Pierce in the lead. Sometimes these scripts are attributed to L. Frank, though this is not the case. Soon after the venture ended, Baum re-enlisted in the army and fought in World War I
, achieving the rank
of Lieutenant Colonel
.
was selected to continue the Oz series by publishers Reilly & Lee
. Frank Joslyn Baum had some desire to continue the series himself, but he represented his mother, who had turned over the rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
to him once she had gotten them back from Harrison Rountree, who had acquired them after L. Frank Baum's bankruptcy
, in this decision. After a long separation, Baum divorced his wife in 1921. Baum licensed the novel to I. E. Chadwick and Larry Semon
, who created Wizard of Oz
(1925
). The film that was ultimately created bears the writing credit "L. Frank Baum, Jr., Leon Lee
, and Larry Semon", with Lee also credited as title writer, though Frank J. may or may not have actually collaborated on the screenplay. The film bears almost no resemblance to the novel, but certainly seems to borrow on suggestions from His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz. That film has a King Krewl, this film a Prime Minister Kruel. The novel that followed the film, The Scarecrow of Oz
, also mentions a deceased King Kynd, and there is a Prince Kynd in this film, to which was added a Lady Vishuss for the new film. The film depicts Dorothy Gale
as an eighteen-year-old princess betrothed to Prince Kynd, whose throne is coveted by the Prime Minister and his Lady. A Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman [sic], and Cowardly Lion all appear, but they are nothing more than men who have put on disguises to avoid capture. The film bankrupted the studio, Chadwick Pictures, and it did not get a wide release.
A marriage to Rosine Agnes Shafer Brubeck lasted from 29 July 1932 to her death on 2 September 1934. In 1933, Baum, credited as "Col. Frank Baum" may also have written Ted Eshbaugh
's animated short, The Wizard of Oz
, or he may simply have negotiated the license.
on the name "Oz
" (it would later be reprinted in the International Wizard of Oz Club's Oziana). He demanded that Reilly & Lee cease and desist
publishing Oz books. Maud, who was the one who made the agreement with the publishers, had to sue him to get the trademark back, and she took Frank J. out of her will.
Finally, as "Frank Baum", he produced a two-part manuscript called Rosine and the Laughing Dragon that was broken into The Laughing Dragon of Oz and The Enchanted Princess of Oz. He barely mentioned Oz in the text, and no Oz
characters were used except for his own and a brief mention of the Wizard. His publisher, Whitman
, was sued by Reilly & Lee after publishing the first part in its Big Little Books
series in 1936. The book quickly went out of print and Whitman agreed not to publish the sequel. Baum sold the rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to Samuel Goldwyn
on 26 January 1934, for $60,000. Goldwyn sat on the rights, and ultimately sold them to MGM
for the production of The Wizard of Oz
(1939), for which Goldwyn saw a large profit that none of the Baums did.
After Maud died in 1953, he was admitted back into The Baum Trust, but he had gained only the tolerance, and not the faith of his family.
From time to time he would write articles about his father's work, the most notable being "The Oz Film Co.", which appeared in the August–September 1956 Films in Review, which appeared when the films had been generally forgotten. When Justin G. Schiller founded the International Wizard of Oz Club, Baum was appointed its first president, and served in that position until his death. He had been friendly with the founding members, who were unaware of his family conflicts. He had been working in near-isolation on a biography of his father, eventually titled To Please a Child, derived from an inscription L. Frank Baum wrote in his sister Mary Louise's copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, after a suggestion by Fred M. Meyer, the club secretary. His brother Robert was the only member of his family to provide any information. Russell P. MacFall became his collaborator, but he had difficulty speaking with Baum's family. They were willing to discuss family matters only after Baum had died. Reilly and Lee had imposed a 1961 deadline, and the book that appeared is filled with Frank Joslyn Baum's mythologizing about his father, claiming so far as that L. Frank Baum had had a heart attack at age 12 and had marched in a torchlight parade in support of William Jennings Bryan
's presidential candicacy, both of which were fabrications.
Baum died from a heart attack
on 2 December 1958.
, who similarly writes Oz books within a mythos that appears to be distinct from the one about which L. Frank Baum wrote.
The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story
credits Michael Patrick Hearn
as a principal source. While Hearn collaborated with David Brooks
on the original treatment, the final script by Richard Matheson
primarily relied upon To Please a Child. In the film, Frank Joslyn Baum (called "Frank, Jr." in the credits) was played by three actor
s, Joshua Boyd (age 3), Tim Eyster (ages 5–9), and Christopher Pettiet
(teenage).
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, though his attempts to continue the legacy of his father brought him lawsuit and estrangement from his family. Nonetheless, he became the first president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of The International Wizard of Oz Club
The International Wizard of Oz Club
The International Wizard of Oz Club, Inc., was founded during 1957 by Justin G. Schiller, a then thirteen-year-old boy.The sixteen charter members, some of whom continue to make valuable contributions to the club, were garnered from the mailing list found among the papers of the recently deceased...
.
He is best known as the author of To Please a Child (a biography of his father, L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
) (1962) and The Laughing Dragon of Oz (1936). He was also involved in the production of Wizard of Oz
Wizard of Oz (1925 film)
Wizard of Oz is a 1925 silent film directed by Larry Semon, who also appears in a lead role. The first major film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, this film features a young Oliver Hardy as the "Tin Woodsman."-Plot:...
(1925), and The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1933 film)
The Wizard of Oz is an animated short film directed by Ted Eshbaugh. The story is credited to "Col. Frank Baum." Frank Joslyn Baum, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and eldest son of writer L...
(1933), for which he also received writing credit, after which he sold the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
to Samuel Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn was an American film producer, and founding contributor executive of several motion picture studios.-Biography:...
.
His attempt to trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
the Oz name distanced him from the rest of his family, and his biography has been suspect from before it was published, as most of his family would not let him confirm anything he didn't know, so he resorted to making things up and building a hero myth around his father.
Early life and work
Baum was born 3 December 1883 to Lyman Frank Baum and Maud Gage BaumMaud Gage Baum
Maud Gage Baum was the wife of L. Frank Baum. Her mother was the suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage. In her early life, she attended a boys' high school and was raised to be headstrong....
, their first son, who was known in the household by the nickname "Bunny". Like his brothers, Robert Stanton, Harry Neal
Harry Neal Baum
Harry Neal Baum is an American author and the third son of L. Frank Baum. His father dedicated his 1902 novel The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus to him....
, and Kenneth Gage, he attended the Society for Ethical Culture Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
, which taught morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
without religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, as the Baums considered religion a mature decision. Despite his father's unflattering caricatures of the military, Baum had always desired to become a soldier, and he attended Michigan Military School in Orchard Lake, Michigan. He briefly attended Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, studying law, and he would act as his parents' lawyer when they traveled abroad. He enlisted in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and served in the Philippinies in 1904. He married Helen Louise Snow on 27 June 1906. His first notable contribution to the cinema was when he served as the projectionist
Projectionist
A Projectionist is a person who operates a movie projector. In the strict sense of the term this means any movie projector and therefore could include someone who operates the projector in a home video show or school. In common usage the term is generally understood to describe a paid employee of...
for The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays
The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays
The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays was an early attempt to bring L. Frank Baum's Oz books to the motion picture screen. It was a mixture of live actors, hand-tinted magic lantern slides, and film. Baum himself would appear as if he were giving a lecture, while he interacted with the characters...
(1908). Although he could not have the control that writers such as William K. Everson
William K. Everson
William Keith "Bill" Everson was an English-American archivist, author, critic, educator, collector and film historian. He often discovered lost films.-Early life and career:...
, Yuri Tsivian and others have claimed that early cinema projectionists had, due to the presence of the filmmakers in the room each night, it was a foray into the cinema that would pave the way for things to come. He also worked briefly for his father's publisher, Reilly & Britton
Reilly & Britton
The Reilly and Britton Company, or Reilly & Britton was an American publishing company of the early and middle 20th century, famous as the publisher of the works of L. Frank Baum.-Founding:...
, worked in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and was the first member of the Baum family to move to the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area.
Dramatic feature films
When L. Frank Baum founded The Oz Film Manufacturing CompanyThe Oz Film Manufacturing Company
The Oz Film Manufacturing Company was an independent film studio from 1914-1915. It was founded by L. Frank Baum , Louis F. Gottschalk , Harry Marston Haldeman , and Clarence R. Rundel as an offshoot of Haldeman's social group, The Uplifters, that met at the Los Angeles Athletic Club...
in 1914, Frank J. was established as the business director in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
office, at 300 W. 42nd Street
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. After the company's failure, Frank J. regrouped the organization under the name Dramatic Feature Films
Dramatic Feature Films
Dramatic Feature Films was an unsuccessful silent film venture by Frank Joslyn Baum, son of L. Frank Baum. The office was at 300 West 42nd Street in New York City , while the films were made in the Hollywood studios of The Oz Film Manufacturing Company, which was the company's former identity.Two...
. Exhibitors, however, were aware of the name change and were not interested in the Oz product by any name at all. Frank J. probably wrote the scripts for its two known films, The Gray Nun of Belgium
The Gray Nun of Belgium
The Gray Nun of Belgium was a 1915 film announced for release on the Alliance Program by Dramatic Feature Films, Frank Joslyn Baum's short-lived successor to The Oz Film Manufacturing Company....
, a five-reel feature set during "the present war in Europe", and Pies and Poetry, a short film, probably a slapstick comedy, although little is actually known about it beyond that both starred Betty Pierce in the lead. Sometimes these scripts are attributed to L. Frank, though this is not the case. Soon after the venture ended, Baum re-enlisted in the army and fought in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, achieving the rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
.
Wizard of Oz
After the death of L. Frank Baum, Ruth Plumly ThompsonRuth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson was an American writer of children's stories.-Life and work:An avid reader of Baum's books and a lifelong children's writer, Thompson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and began her writing career in 1914 when she took a job with the Philadelphia Public Ledger; she wrote...
was selected to continue the Oz series by publishers Reilly & Lee
Reilly & Britton
The Reilly and Britton Company, or Reilly & Britton was an American publishing company of the early and middle 20th century, famous as the publisher of the works of L. Frank Baum.-Founding:...
. Frank Joslyn Baum had some desire to continue the series himself, but he represented his mother, who had turned over the rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
to him once she had gotten them back from Harrison Rountree, who had acquired them after L. Frank Baum's bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, in this decision. After a long separation, Baum divorced his wife in 1921. Baum licensed the novel to I. E. Chadwick and Larry Semon
Larry Semon
Lawrence "Larry" Semon was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter during the silent film era. In his day, Semon was considered a major movie comedian, but he is now remembered mainly for working with both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before they started working together.He is also...
, who created Wizard of Oz
Wizard of Oz (1925 film)
Wizard of Oz is a 1925 silent film directed by Larry Semon, who also appears in a lead role. The first major film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, this film features a young Oliver Hardy as the "Tin Woodsman."-Plot:...
(1925
1925 in film
-Events:*November 5: The Big Parade holds its Grand Premier*December 30: premier of Ben-Hur the most expensive silent film ever made costing 4-6 million dollars -Top grossing films :...
). The film that was ultimately created bears the writing credit "L. Frank Baum, Jr., Leon Lee
Leon Lee
Leon Lee is a former minor league baseball player and minor league manager. He played first base and third base during his career, batting and throwing right-handed....
, and Larry Semon", with Lee also credited as title writer, though Frank J. may or may not have actually collaborated on the screenplay. The film bears almost no resemblance to the novel, but certainly seems to borrow on suggestions from His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz. That film has a King Krewl, this film a Prime Minister Kruel. The novel that followed the film, The Scarecrow of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz is the ninth book set in the Land of Oz written by L. Frank Baum. Published on July 16, 1915, it was Baum's personal favorite of the Oz books and tells of Cap'n Bill and Trot journeying to Oz and, with the help of the Scarecrow, overthrowing the cruel King Krewl of Jinxland...
, also mentions a deceased King Kynd, and there is a Prince Kynd in this film, to which was added a Lady Vishuss for the new film. The film depicts Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
as an eighteen-year-old princess betrothed to Prince Kynd, whose throne is coveted by the Prime Minister and his Lady. A Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman [sic], and Cowardly Lion all appear, but they are nothing more than men who have put on disguises to avoid capture. The film bankrupted the studio, Chadwick Pictures, and it did not get a wide release.
A marriage to Rosine Agnes Shafer Brubeck lasted from 29 July 1932 to her death on 2 September 1934. In 1933, Baum, credited as "Col. Frank Baum" may also have written Ted Eshbaugh
Ted Eshbaugh
Ted Eshbaugh was a Canadian animated filmmaker whose work includes The Wizard of Oz, Goofy Goat Antics, and The Sunshine Makers.Sammy Salvage 1943 - External links :...
's animated short, The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1933 film)
The Wizard of Oz is an animated short film directed by Ted Eshbaugh. The story is credited to "Col. Frank Baum." Frank Joslyn Baum, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and eldest son of writer L...
, or he may simply have negotiated the license.
The Laughing Dragon controversy
Baum was undaunted, and claimed to have written a 1931 radio drama called Tweety in Oz, though no script has ever been found, which he followed with a 1934 story, Jimmy Bulber in Oz, which was printed in order to achieve a trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
on the name "Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
" (it would later be reprinted in the International Wizard of Oz Club's Oziana). He demanded that Reilly & Lee cease and desist
Cease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
publishing Oz books. Maud, who was the one who made the agreement with the publishers, had to sue him to get the trademark back, and she took Frank J. out of her will.
Finally, as "Frank Baum", he produced a two-part manuscript called Rosine and the Laughing Dragon that was broken into The Laughing Dragon of Oz and The Enchanted Princess of Oz. He barely mentioned Oz in the text, and no Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
characters were used except for his own and a brief mention of the Wizard. His publisher, Whitman
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
, was sued by Reilly & Lee after publishing the first part in its Big Little Books
Big Little Books
The Big Little Books, first published during 1932 by the Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin, were small, compact books designed with a captioned illustration opposite each page of text...
series in 1936. The book quickly went out of print and Whitman agreed not to publish the sequel. Baum sold the rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to Samuel Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn was an American film producer, and founding contributor executive of several motion picture studios.-Biography:...
on 26 January 1934, for $60,000. Goldwyn sat on the rights, and ultimately sold them to MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
for the production of The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
(1939), for which Goldwyn saw a large profit that none of the Baums did.
To Please a Child and Oz Club Presidency
Baum married Margaret Elizabeth Ligon Turner on 19 August 1940.After Maud died in 1953, he was admitted back into The Baum Trust, but he had gained only the tolerance, and not the faith of his family.
From time to time he would write articles about his father's work, the most notable being "The Oz Film Co.", which appeared in the August–September 1956 Films in Review, which appeared when the films had been generally forgotten. When Justin G. Schiller founded the International Wizard of Oz Club, Baum was appointed its first president, and served in that position until his death. He had been friendly with the founding members, who were unaware of his family conflicts. He had been working in near-isolation on a biography of his father, eventually titled To Please a Child, derived from an inscription L. Frank Baum wrote in his sister Mary Louise's copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, after a suggestion by Fred M. Meyer, the club secretary. His brother Robert was the only member of his family to provide any information. Russell P. MacFall became his collaborator, but he had difficulty speaking with Baum's family. They were willing to discuss family matters only after Baum had died. Reilly and Lee had imposed a 1961 deadline, and the book that appeared is filled with Frank Joslyn Baum's mythologizing about his father, claiming so far as that L. Frank Baum had had a heart attack at age 12 and had marched in a torchlight parade in support of William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
's presidential candicacy, both of which were fabrications.
Baum died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on 2 December 1958.
Legacy
Frank Joslyn Baum is grandfather of Roger S. BaumRoger S. Baum
Roger Stanton Baum is a former banker and stockbroker, and currently a children's author, residing in Branson, Missouri. Baum publishes under the name Roger S. Baum. Baum is a former resident of Los Angeles and the vicinity of Las Vegas. He also tours the country, reading from and signing his...
, who similarly writes Oz books within a mythos that appears to be distinct from the one about which L. Frank Baum wrote.
The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story
The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story
The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story is a 1990 film that stars John Ritter as Lyman Frank Baum, the man who wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and thirteen of the other Oz books. Also starring in this TV movie was Annette O'Toole as Baum's supportive wife Maud, and Rue McClanahan who played...
credits Michael Patrick Hearn
Michael Patrick Hearn
Michael Patrick Hearn is an American literary scholar and one of America's leading men of letters specializing in children's literature and its illustration. His works include The Annotated Wizard of Oz , The Annotated Christmas Carol , and The Annotated Huckleberry Finn...
as a principal source. While Hearn collaborated with David Brooks
David Brooks
David Brooks may refer to:* David Brooks , American actor and stage director and producer* David Brooks , Australian author of short stories and co-editor for Southerly...
on the original treatment, the final script by Richard Matheson
Richard Matheson
Richard Burton Matheson is an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is perhaps best known as the author of What Dreams May Come, Bid Time Return, A Stir of Echoes, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and I Am Legend, all of which have been...
primarily relied upon To Please a Child. In the film, Frank Joslyn Baum (called "Frank, Jr." in the credits) was played by three actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s, Joshua Boyd (age 3), Tim Eyster (ages 5–9), and Christopher Pettiet
Christopher Pettiet
Christopher Lee Pettiet was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Jesse James in the Western TV series The Young Riders and as Zach Crandell in the cult comedy film Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead .-Career:Pettiet began his career as a child actor making...
(teenage).