Noel Langley(1911-1980)

South African-born novelist, playwright and screenwriter, in Hollywood from the 1930's. He was best known as being one of the writing team of MGM's classic Il mago di Oz (1939). Langley also wrote a screenplay for a second Oz film, based on 'The Marvelous Land of Oz', which was never produced.

[on viewing Il mago di Oz (1939) for the first time] I saw it in a cinema on Hollywood Boulevard at noon. And I sat and cried like a bloody child. I thought, "This is a year of my life". I loathed the picture. I thought it missed the boat all the way around. I had to wait for my tears to clear before I went out of the theater. [NOTE: Years later he saw the picture again and changed his opinion, stating that although the film was not perfect, he liked it.]