The Wizard of Oz: Why Don’t We See More of the Tin Man’s Dance?

The Wizard of Oz is a great movie.  No question.  Like most people who grew up on it in the age of television, I’ve probably seen it close to a hundred times.  It’s an Easter perennial, like The Ten Commandments or Easter Parade.  I’ve watched it for so many years I can remember when Dorothy opened her front door in Munchkinland, and the land over the rainbow was still black and white, or at least it was on my black and white TV screen.

The Wizard of Oz: why didn't we see more of the Tin Man's dance? Share on X

As great as The Wizard of Oz is, that doesn’t mean the movie is without any flaws.  I could pick out a few scenes I’m not crazy about, but there’s one scene I find particularly perplexing, and that is the Tin Man’s dance scene.

The Tin Man’s Dance

What problem could I have with a dancing tin man, you ask?  Besides the apparent lack of a pulmonary system to pump oil through his overheated limbs, I don’t have any more or less of a problem with him than I do with a scarecrow who lacks a neural network to control all the tiny pieces of straw that constitute his body.

My main problem with the Tin Man’s dance is that you barely see the dance.  As great as the dance probably was, the director decided to cut away and show a long, drawn-out conversation between Dorothy and the Scarecrow.  What would you rather see?  A dancing garbage can, or Dorothy whispering to the Scarecrow?

It makes no sense.  What could they possibly have to say to each other?

Whisper, whisper.

Dorothy: So what do you think?  Should we invite him?

Scarecrow: I don’t know.  What do you think?

Dorothy: I think we should.  What do you think?

Scarecrow: I’m not sure.  I guess so.

Dorothy: Yeah, let’s do it.

Scarecrow: Great.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he cuts back to the Tin Man, then cuts away again.  What else could they possibly have to discuss?

Dorothy: Are you worried about the witch?

Scarecrow: Yeah, it’s that whole fire thing that scares me.

Dorothy: Oh, that’s right.  You’re afraid of fire.  I forgot.  Keep reminding me.

Scarecrow: Okay, I will…  So is he done yet?

Dorothy: No, not yet.  I’m going to steal that one move.

Scarecrow: Which one?

Dorothy: The one where he slaps his thighs.

Scarecrow: Oh, yeah, that’s a good one.

They could have had one whisper scene and been done with it.  Or better yet, none at all.

Alternate Conversations

Of course, I’m only guessing about the contents of their discussion.  It could be something entirely different:

Dorothy: So I heard from one of the munchkins that there’s a great restaurant in Emerald City.

Scarecrow: Really?  What’s a restaurant?

Dorothy: You don’t know what a restaurant is?  It’s a place where people serve you food.  I’ve heard it’s the best barbecue in Oz.

Scarecrow: What’s barbecue?

Dorothy: It’s a kind of food.

Scarecrow: I’ve never tried it.

Dorothy: I hope we can get in.

Scarecrow: To Oz?

Dorothy: To Oz.

And off they go.  Or maybe:

Dorothy: Don’t look now, but I think that haystack is checking you out.

Scarecrow: What?  Where?

Dorothy: No, no, don’t look.  Don’t look.  Too late.  You blew it.

Scarecrow: What should I do?

Dorothy: Play cool.  Act natural.

Scarecrow: You think she likes me?

Dorothy: How could she not?  Here, let me straighten out your chest stuffing.

Scarecrow: What should I say to her?

Dorothy: Go tell her about your new brain.

Scarecrow: Right.

I don’t know.  I’d still rather watch the Tin Man.

The Old Roberooney Speaks

Yes, the old Roberooney is on his pulpit now.  I know this is a minor issue, but I’m ticked off that we don’t get to see the Tin Man’s entire dance routine.  He could have popped open his chest and shown us the inside of his empty barrel.  Who knows?  We can only imagine.

Let that be a lesson to all future directors.  Don’t cut away from a dancing tin man!