document_title: Tin Woodman

question_text: what did the tin man want in the wizard of oz

text: Tin Woodman

text: The books[edit]

text: Originally an ordinary man by the name of Nick Chopper (the name first appearing in The Marvelous Land of Oz), the Tin Woodman used to make his living chopping down trees in the forests of Oz, as his father had before him. The Wicked Witch of the East enchanted his axe to prevent him from marrying his sweetheart, after being bribed by the lazy old woman who kept the Munchkin maiden as a servant, and did not wish to lose her. (In a later book of the series, The Tin Woodman of Oz, the woman is said to be the Witch's servant, and it is the Witch herself who decides to enchant Nick's axe.) The enchanted axe chopped off his limbs, one by one. Each time he lost a limb, Ku-Klip the tinsmith replaced it with a prosthetic limb made of tin. Finally, nothing was left of him but tin. However, Ku-Klip neglected to replace his heart. Once Nick Chopper was made entirely of tin, he was no longer able to love the lady he had fallen for.

text: In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy Gale befriends the Tin Woodman after they find him rusted in the forest, as he was caught in rain, and use his oil can to release him. He follows her to the Emerald City to get a heart from The Wizard. They are joined on their adventure by the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion. The Wizard sends Dorothy and her friends to the Winkie Country to kill the Wicked Witch of the West. The Tin Woodman's axe proves useful in this journey, both for chopping wood to create a bridge or raft as needed, and for chopping the heads off animals that threaten the party. When the Winged monkeys are sent by the Witch of the West against the group, they throw the Tin Woodman from a great height, damaging him badly. However Winkie Tinsmiths are able to repair him after the death of the Witch.

text: His desire for a heart notably contrasts with the Scarecrow's desire for brains, reflecting a common debate between the relative importance of the mind and the emotions. This occasions philosophical debate between the two friends as to why their own choices are superior; neither convinces the other, and Dorothy, listening, is unable to decide which one is right. Symbolically, because they remain with Dorothy throughout her quest, she is provided with both and need not select.[1] The Tin Woodman states unequivocally that he has neither heart nor brain, but cares nothing for the loss of his brain. Towards the end of the novel, though, Glinda praises his brain as not quite that of the Scarecrow's.

text: The Wizard turns out to be a "humbug" and can only provide a placebo heart made of silk and filled with sawdust. However, this is enough to please the Tin Woodman, who, with or without a heart, was all along the most tender and emotional of Dorothy's companions (just as the Scarecrow was the wisest and the Cowardly Lion the bravest). When he accidentally crushes an insect, he is grief-stricken and, ironically, claims that he must be careful about such things, while those with hearts do not need such care. This tenderness remains with him throughout the series, as in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, where he refuses to let a butterfly be maimed for the casting of a spell.[2]

text: When Dorothy returns home to her farm in Kansas, the Tin Woodman returns to the Winkie Country to rule as emperor. Later, he has his subjects construct a palace made entirely of tin — from the architecture all the way down to the flowers in the garden.

text: Baum emphasized that the Tin Woodman remains alive, in contrast to the windup mechanical man Tik-Tok Dorothy meets in a later book. Nick Chopper was not turned into a machine, but rather had his flesh body replaced by a metal one. Far from missing his original existence, the Tin Woodman is proud (perhaps too proud) of his untiring tin body.

text: A recurring problem for the Tin Woodman in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and afterward was his tendency to rust when exposed to rain, tears, or other moisture. For this reason, in The Marvelous Land of Oz the character has himself nickel-plated before helping his friend the Scarecrow fight to regain his throne in the Emerald City. Even so, the Tin Woodman continues to worry about rusting throughout the Oz series.

text: This is inaccurate, in that tin does not rust; only iron does. This may reflect the usage where an object made of iron or steel but coated with tin (in order to prevent rusting) is called a "Tin" object, as a "tin bath", a "tin toy", or a "tin can"; thus, the Tin Woodman might be interpreted (in English, at least) as being made of steel with a tin veneer. One passage in The Road to Oz, by Baum himself, wherein the Woodman attends Ozma's birthday party accompanied by a Winkie band playing a song called "There's No Plate Like Tin," strongly implies that this is the case. Another explanation may be that the Woodman is chiefly made of tin, with iron joints; in some of the illustrations, his joints are a different color from the rest of his body.[3] In Alexander Volkov's Russian adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Volkov avoided this problem by the translation of "The Tin Woodman" as the "Iron Woodchopper".

text: The Tin Woodman appeared in most of the Oz books that followed. He is a major character in the comic page Baum wrote with Walt McDougall in 1904-05, Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz. In Ozma of Oz, he commands Princess Ozma's army, and is briefly turned into a tin whistle. In Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, he serves as defense counsel in the trial of Eureka. He affects the plot of a book most notably in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, in which he forbids the young hero from collecting the wing of a butterfly needed for a magical potion because his heart requires him to protect insects from cruelty. Baum also wrote a short book titled The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, part of the Little Wizard Stories of Oz series for younger readers.

text: In The Tin Woodman of Oz, Nick Chopper finally sets out to find his lost love, Nimmie Amee, but discovers that she has already married Chopfyt, a man constructed partly out of his own dismembered and discarded limbs. For the Tin Woodman, this encounter with his former fiancée is almost as jarring as his experiences being transformed into a tin owl, meeting another tin man, Captain Fyter, and conversing with his ill-tempered original head.

text: Baum's successors in writing the series tended to use the Tin Woodman as a minor character, still ruling the Winkie Country but not governing the stories' outcome. Two exceptions to this pattern are Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz, by Ruth Plumly Thompson, and Lucky Bucky in Oz, by John R. Neill. The biggest exception is in Rachel Cosgrove's The Hidden Valley of Oz, in which the Tin Woodman leads the forces in the defeat of Terp the Terrible and cuts down the Magic Muffin Tree that gives Terp his great size.

text: The fact that Nick includes the natural deaths of his parents in the story of how he came to be made of tin has been a major element of debate. In his eponymous novel, he proclaims that no one in Oz ever died as far back as Lurline's enchantment of the country, which occurred long before the arrival of any outsiders such as the Wizard. (It should be noted, however, that although the living creatures of Oz do not die of age or disease, they may die of accidents or be killed by others.)

text: The Tin Man in later fiction[edit]

text: In the 1998 novel The Tin Man, by Dale Brown, the eponymous protagonist is a power-armored vigilante whom the media and police have dubbed The Tin Man for his physical resemblance to the Wizard of Oz character.

text: The Tin Woodman is a minor character in author Gregory Maguire's 1995 revisionist novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, its 2003 Broadway musical adaptation and Maguire's 2005 sequel Son of a Witch. In the book, Nessarose - the Wicked Witch of the East - is seen enchanting the axe to swing around and chop off Nick Chopper's limbs. She does this for a peasant woman who wishes to stop her servant, probably Nimmie Amee, from marrying Nick Chopper. This seems to be close to the Tin Man's origin in the original books, but from the Witch's perspective.

text: In the musical adaptation of Wicked the Tin Man is revealed to be Boq, a Munchkin whom Nessarose, the Wicked Witch of the East, fell in love with when they were at school together. When she discovered his heart belonged to Glinda, she botched a spell that was meant to make him fall in love with her by taking his heart, but instead shrunk his heart to nothing by taking it away without 'giving' it to Nessa. To save his life, Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, was forced to turn him into tin. Not understanding her reasons, he pursues Elphaba with a single-minded vengeance for his current form. The Tin Man's humble origin in the novel conflicts with his having been the aristocratic Boq.

text: In Oz Squad, Nick was shown in a sexual relationship with "Rebecca Eastwitch" in order to get closer to Nimmie Amee and attempt to elope with her.

text: A darker twist to the beloved woodman is made by author James A. Owen in the fourth installment of his series, The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica when his identity is revealed to be Roger Bacon.[4]

text: The Tin Woodman appears in the 2011 TV series Once Upon a Time episode "Where Bluebirds Fly" portrayed by Austin Obiajunwa (as a teenager) and by Alex Désert (as an adult).[5] In this version he goes by the name Stanum (derived from the Latin world "stannum", which means "tin").

text: Since youth, Stanum has been a woodcutter and one day when he first met Zelena, the daughter of another woodsman, he finds out that Zelena has magic and befriends her, regardless of whatever the children say about Zelena, who they see as a freak. Many years later, Stanum, now a man, is punished by the Wicked Witch of the North for chopping down a tree in her domain, and his body slowly begins to transform into tin. To prevent himself from completely becoming tin, Stanum seeks out help from Zelena (now the Wicked Witch of the West) at the Emerald City of Oz. Zelena agrees to help him seek out the Crimson Heart, which can save him. During their quest, Stanum tells Zelena that she doesn't have to be lonely but she is doing her best to deny his advice. Suddenly, a lion comes of nowhere to attack Stanum, and Zelena uses her magic to make the lion go away (at this point the lion has become as Zelena would put it, cowardly). When they finally arrived to the location of the Crimson Heart, the two learned that the only way to make it work is through the absorption of another person's magic. Unfortunately Zelena's actions and selfish greed for magic causes her to betray Stanum, whom she suspect was aligned with Dorothy by keeping the Crimson Heart for herself, leaving Stanum to transform into the Tin Man permanently. Some time later, when Robin Hood arrives in Oz in the episode "Heart of Gold", the Tin Man is seen on the side of the Yellow Brick Road, torn apart.

text: Depictions on stage and screen[edit]

text: In 1902, Baum helped to adapt The Wizard of Oz into a wildly successful stage extravaganza. David C. Montgomery played the Tin Woodman, Niccolo Chopper (who played the piccolo), opposite Fred Stone as the Scarecrow, and the team became headliners. The piccolo would continue to appear in early adaptations, such as the 1910 film, but was largely forgotten, and the name "Niccolo" never appeared in one of the books. Revisionist books like Oz Squad have referred to him as "Nicholas," a name not found in the books, either.

text:
In the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man was played by actor Jack Haley. Originally, Ray Bolger was cast to play the role of Tin Man, despite his desire to play the Scarecrow. Buddy Ebsen was, at the time, cast as Scarecrow, and was convinced to swap roles with Bolger.[6] While this pleased Bolger, it led to medical problems for Ebsen. The Tin Man's makeup originally contained aluminum powder which got into Ebsen's lungs, bringing him to the edge of death. He was rushed to a hospital and had to give up the role. Despite this, and the fact that the Tin Man's makeup was changed to a safer aluminum paste, Ebsen went on to outlive both Bolger and Haley. Haley based his breathy speaking style in the movie on the voice he used for telling his son bedtime stories. His portrayal of the character is by far the most famous. There is no explanation in the film of how the Tin Man became the Tin Man. It is subtly implied that he was always made of tin; the only reference to the tinsmith is the Tin Man's remark "The tinsmith forgot to give me a heart". Unlike the costumes of the Scarecrow (in the National Museum of American History) and Cowardly Lion (two sets in private hands), that of the Tin Man "was largely destroyed".[7][8] Haley also portrayed the Tin Man's Kansas counterpart, Hickory (one of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry's farmworkers). Screenwriter Noel Langley created this character for the film.[9] Hickory helps Zeke (Lion's alter ego) lower a bed into its place on a wagon at the farm. Unlike Zeke, Hickory and Hunk (Scarecrow's alter ego) lose their hats with Uncle Henry as they struggle to open the cellar when the tornado approaches the farm. He reunites with Dorothy when she awakes from being unconscious. Hickory is seen with Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, Zeke, and Hunk as well as Professor Marvel (The Wizard's alter ego).
In the original Broadway version of The Wiz, Tiger Haynes played the Tinman, a human woodcutter who became tin after the Wicked Witch of the East cursed his axe to chop him up (as in the book). Nipsey Russell played the Tinman in the film adaptation of The Wiz. In this version, as in the 1939 movie, there is no explanation of how he became tin, just a reference of the "genius who created me". He worked as the carnival barker and when the park was closed, he was abandoned, rusted and squeezed by his fourth wife, "Teeny" (a heavy tin sculpture of a fat lady). He was saved by Dorothy and the Scarecrow. Ne-Yo played the Tinman in the TV special The Wiz Live!. This version portrayed him as a construction worker on whom the Wicked Witch of the East developed an unrequited crush. When she found out he already had a girlfriend, "Bertha", she became so jealous, she turned him into a heartless tinman. The Witch boasted afterwards that if she couldn't have his heart, then no one could. Like Jack Haley in the 1939 movie, Ne-Yo also played one of Aunt Em's farmhands - John, who walks with a metal leg brace.
Other notable actors who have played the Tin Woodman include Oliver Hardy in a 1925 silent version of The Wizard of Oz directed by and starring Larry Semon, in which a villainous farmhand briefly fell into a tin pile and emerged as a "Tin Woodsman" [sic]. In subsequent scenes the tin was removed and he became "Knight of the Garter". In the 1960 television adaptation of The Land of Oz, he was played by vaudeville comedian Gil Lamb; in the 1969 film, The Wonderful Land of Oz he was played by Al Joseph; and in the 1985 film Return to Oz, he was played by Deep Roy, a little person who was able to fit inside a costume that looked nearly identical to John R. Neill's artwork.
In the 1961 animated TV series, Tales of the Wizard of Oz and its sequel, the 1964 NBC animated television special Return to Oz, the Tin Man (here named Rusty) was voiced by Larry D. Mann.
In the 1970s, the Tin Woodman appeared in a series of short animated educational films about heart health from Joleron Productions.
In an episode of The World's Greatest Super Friends, Superman temporarily became the Tin Man after a tornado took him, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman to Mister Mxyzptlk's planet of Oz.
In a 1981 episode of Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, Scrappy is dressed as the Tin Man after a tornado took him, Shaggy, and Scooby to "Ahz", a direct spoof of Oz with a different spelling by its enunciation.
In 1985, the Tin Woodman appeared in the educational film Act on Arthritis as well as in promotional commercials.
Roger Daltrey portrayed this character in the 1995 television stage performance The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True. The Kansas farmworker Hickory does not appear in this production. Daltrey performed a rock and roll tempo of "If I Only Had a Heart" in which he swung his microphone mimicking his Who persona. He also performed the bridge verses sung by the Tin Man in Nathan Lane's long version of "If I Only Had the Nerve". Toward the end, he hugged the Wizard (Joel Grey) saying to him "Thank you from the bottom of my heart!".
In 1996, they made a cartoon animated The Oz Kids. He has a son named Tin Boy. Like his father he can cut wood with his ax. And he has to be careful with water and snow or he'll be rust. His voice played by Andy Milder.
Hiroki Tsujiai from Ultra Maniac dresses as the Tin Man in the costume party.
James Kall portrayed the Tin Man in the 2001 ABC miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows.
The Muppet Gonzo plays a similar role, the Tin Thing, in 2005's television film The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. In this version, he is the Wicked Witch's research assistant, transformed into a robot to prevent him wanting a day off to marry Camilla. Gonzo's other role is himself. He appears at the end of this film in the Muppets' show.
In 2006, the Tin Man was the protagonist in a pair of television commercials for Chef Boyardee brand canned Beef Ravioli, in a costume identical to the design used in the 1939 Oz film. In the commercials, the Tin Man (played by Australian actor David Somerville) is pursued by groups of children due to the fact that an oversized Beef Ravioli can label has been affixed to the back of his cylindrical torso (which he doesn't notice until the midpoint of the first commercial); thus, he appears to be a very large, mobile can of ravioli. In the first ad, the Tin Man escapes from his pursuers only to discover that the building he ducked into is an elementary school cafeteria full of hungry children and a teacher. The second ad begins with the Tin Man running through a residential neighborhood, accidentally adding to his pursuers when he stumbles across a backyard birthday party; after fleeing across a golf course (while dodging balls from the driving range), he is cornered in another backyard and threatened with a garden hose (playing on the Tin Man's classic weakness of rusting). As the scene shifts to the image of a Beef Ravioli can, sounds of water hitting metal and the Tin Man's cries for help are heard.
In 2006, the Chicago Under Ground Film Festival premiered Lee Lynch’s feature film titled Transposition of the Great Vessels. Based on the story of his own parents, who moved from Redding to Los Angeles, in hopes of making a better life. His father wanted to work for the forest service, and his mother wanted to be a cook, but their baby was born with a rare heart condition. They were forced to give up those dreams, and make choices that would give them insurance and stability. A naturalist movie interspersed with dream sequences; the “Tin Woodman” makes an appearance while on his deathbed, at UCLA Medical Center.
At Sundance of 2007, a film premiered by young director Ray Tintori entitled Death to the Tinman. It is a somewhat modernized retelling that takes place at sometime in the 1900s, in the town Verton, rather than Oz. However, the book of the same name, which tells the origins of the character, is cited by opening intertitles as the source. Although the basic premise is nearly identical, much of the details and all names and locations have been changed. This is partially due to the film's satirical look at criminal reenactments, as it states at the beginning that names "have been changed to protect the innocent." Perhaps the most interesting change that story makes, though, is the origin of the curse upon the Tinman's Axe, which is changed from being the Witch to being a curse from God. This film won a short filmmaking award at Sundance.
A 2007 CG animated short film called "After Oz",[10] produced by the film students at Vancouver Film School, centered on a stylized version of the Tin Man, after he has received his heart from Oz. The movie shows him moving through a colorful Oz city with his brand-new mechanical heart, before meeting a reddish female Tin Woman (or robot?) to whom he gives the heart. She proceeds to cruelly play with the heart.
An internet-collaboration, CG animated feature based on Baum's book The Tin Woodman of Oz was produced by A:M Films, and completed in 2009.
In 2010, Whitestone Motion Pictures[11] produced a 23-minute live-action short film, Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man. The film is based on the book The Tin Woodman of Oz, where Woot the Wanderer visits the Tin Man and asks how he came to be made of tin. In the film, the Tin Man appears to be more steam- or coal-powered. His chest cavity is covered by a door which reads "Pedudoe Tin Co." but this is a reference to the workings of the film company, and not a reference to any Oz book or material. The movie was made available for free viewing online and free downloading of its soundtrack.
In the 2013 prequel, Oz the Great and Powerful, although the Tin Woodman does not physically appear, the film introduces his creator, the Master Tinker, portrayed by Bill Cobbs.[12]
Tin Man appears in the animated film Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (which is based on Dorothy of Oz), voiced by Kelsey Grammer.
The Woodsman, a 2012 stage play written by James Ortiz with music by Edward W. Hardy, tells the backstory of the Tin Man, using puppetry, movement, and music. The play has received multiple Off Broadway productions, and won a 2016 Obie Award for Ortiz's puppet design.[13]
In the TV series Emerald City, the Tin Woodman equivalent is Jack (Gerran Howell), a friend of the enigmatic Tip, who helps 'him' escape from his imprisonment by a witch. When it is revealed that Tip is actually a girl whose true identity was suppressed by a potion, her strained emotional state causes her to push Jack over a balcony after he kisses her. Jack is subsequently found and rebuilt by scientists in a cyborg-like state; his head and right arm are still organic, but his heart and the rest of his body has been replaced or covered by mechanical armour.
The Tin Man appears in Once Upon a Time. In this show, he started out as a woodcutter named Stanum (portrayed by Austin Obiajunwa as a young man and by Alex Désert as an adult) who encountered a younger Zelena when she saved a bird's nest. When two bullies show up to harm Zelena, Stanum helped to fend them off. Years later, Stanum comes to Zelena for help. He tells Zelena that he is slowly turning to tin after he was cursed by the Wicked Witch of the North for cutting down a tree in her area. Stanum states that the Crimson Heart artifact might be able to help him, but needs Zelena's help to get by the beast that guards it. When close to its location, Stanum is attacked by a lion who is then fended off by Zelena. When they get to the heart, Zelena picks it up and felt some of her magic draining. When Zelena claims that Dorothy Gale put Stanum up to this task, Stanum commented that he never met Dorothy. He also stated that Zelena once claimed on the day they met that she would be happy being a normal human. As Stanum fully turns to tin and is unable to move, Zelena takes the box containing the Crystal Heart and leaves while telling Stanum that perhaps Dorothy will meet Stanum and free him.

text: Modern works[edit]

text:
The song "Country Robot/A Letter to Dorothy" by The Incredible Moses Leroy is written from the Tin Man's perspective; it includes the lyrics "You gave me oil, I was a rusty load/ You even helped me find my heart."
In the song "Tin Man" by the band America, the lyrics state that "Oz never did give nothin' to the Tin Man, that he didn't, didn't already have." The rest of the song has nothing to do with the Tin Man or Oz.
Country artist Kenny Chesney recorded the song "Tin Man" for his album "All I Need to Know". The first verse and refrain state:
Tracy Chapman included a song titled "Remember the Tinman" on her 1995 album New Beginning.
In the VeggieTales episode The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's, the Tin Man and his Kansas counterpart from the 1939 film were played by Larry the Cucumber.
In the 2007 Sci-Fi miniseries Tin Man, a "Tin Man" is a term used for the law enforcers of Central City in the Outer Zone (O.Z.) One of the story's protagonists, Wyatt Cain (played by Neal McDonough in the title role), is a Tin Man whose past left him hardened and distant from others. In addition, he is first found by Dorothy imprisoned in an iron suit that replays a non-stop loop of the capture of his wife and child.
The Avett Brothers 2009 Album I and Love and You features a song called "Tin Man".
Verses of the Future Islands 2010 post-pop, synth-ballad Tin Man contain numerous metaphorical, Tin-Man related references. The song also features a powerful and climactic end chorus consisting solely of the repeated line - "I am the Tin Man".
In the 2011 direct-to-DVD animated film Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man was voiced by Rob Paulsen.
The Tin Man appears in Dorothy and the Witches of Oz played by Jordan Turnage. He appears in the form of a man named Nick (played by Billy Boyd).
A 1990 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation is titled "Tin Man."
The Phineas & Ferb episode "Wizard of Odd" features the Tin Man in his rusted state, but he is never freed from this condition. He is also featured in an end credits song entitled "Rusted."
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse did a parody special entitled "The Wizard of Dizz," in which the role of the Tin Man is played by Mickey Mouse.
The parody The Muppets' Wizard of Oz featured Gonzo the Great in the role of the Tin Man.
In the game Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., Tin Man, along with other Oz characters, is a playable character. His design is more based on Japanese culture and he have the ability to give steam to allies.
The Tin Woodman appears as a major antagonist in Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die novel series. In this series, Dorothy and her friends have been corrupted by Dorothy's use of magic and the 'magic' in the gifts they received from the Wizard, with the Tin Woodman now driven by a twisted 'love' for Dorothy that is nevertheless unrequited. He is described as possessing a more twisted appearance, with his legs compared to horses' legs and his hands possessing knives for fingers. At the conclusion of the first novel, series protagonist Amy Gumm cuts out his heart, having been informed by the Wizard that she must take the gifts of Dorothy's companions to kill Dorothy herself.

text: Sources of the Tin Man image[edit]

text: Economics and history professors have published scholarly studies that indicate the images and characters used by Baum and Denslow closely resembled political images that were well known in the 1890s.[14] They state that Baum and Denslow did not simply invent the Lion, Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, Yellow Brick Road, Silver Slippers, cyclone, monkeys, Emerald City, little people, Uncle Henry, passenger balloons, witches and the wizard. These were all common themes in the editorial cartoons of the previous decade. The notion of a "Tin Man" has deep roots in European and American history, according to Green (2006), and often appeared in cartoons of the 1880s and 1890s.[15] Baum and Denslow, like most writers and illustrators, used the materials at hand that they knew best. They built a story around them, added Dorothy, and added a series of lessons to the effect that everyone possesses the resources they need (such as brains, a heart and courage) if only they had self-confidence. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a children’s book, of course, but as Baum warned in the preface, it was a "modernized" fairy tale as well.

text: The Tin Man—the human turned into a machine—was a common feature in political cartoons and in advertisements in the 1890s. Indeed, he had been part of European folk art for 300 years. In political interpretations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Tin Woodman is supposedly described as a worker, dehumanized by industrialization. The Tin Woodman little by little lost his natural body and had it replaced by metal; so he has lost his heart and cannot move without the help of farmers (represented by the Scarecrow); in reality he has a strong sense of cooperation and love, which needs only an infusion of self-confidence to be awakened. In the 1890s many argued that to secure a political revolution a coalition of Farmers and Workers was needed.[16]

text: The 1890 editorial cartoon to the right shows President Benjamin Harrison wearing improvised tin armor because he wanted a tariff on tin. Such images support the argument that the figure of a "tin man" was in use as political allegory in the 1890s. The man on the right is politician James G. Blaine.

text: The oil needed by the Tin Woodman had a political dimension at the time because Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company stood accused of being a monopoly (and in fact was later found guilty by the Supreme Court). In the 1902 stage adaptation, which is full of topical references that do not appear either in the novel or in any of the film adaptations (unless they are satirical), the Tin Woodman wonders what he would do if he ran out of oil. "You wouldn't be as badly off as John D. Rockefeller," the Scarecrow responds, "He'd lose six thousand dollars a minute if that happened."[17]


document_title: Clint Howard

question_text: who did clint howard play on andy griffith show

root

text: Clint Howard

text: Early life[edit]

text: Howard was born in Burbank, California, the younger son of actors Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard. His brother is actor and filmmaker Ron Howard.

tag: p

text: Career[edit]

text: Television[edit]

text: Howard began his career when he was two, appearing in five episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, then starring his older brother Ron. He played Leon, a toddler in a cowboy outfit who wandered around Mayberry and silently offered people a bite of his sandwich, to which they would respond "no, thank you".[1] Other early notable roles include his appearance on The Streets of San Francisco in the episode entitled "The House on Hyde Street", and The Virginian as Tommy, the proud owner of a new litter of pups in the episode entitled "Melanie".

text: In 1963, he appeared in the ABC medical drama Breaking Point in the role of four year old Mikey in the episode "The Gnu, Now Almost Extinct". He also played little Billy Taft, the nephew of Dr. Richard Kimble, in the season one episode of The Fugitive, "Home is the Hunted" (1964).

text: His first prominent role was as a regular on the series Gentle Ben (1967–69). He also starred in an episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery as Herbie, a ten-year-old boy who predicts the near future, and played Billy in the made for television version of John Steinbeck's The Red Pony, with Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara.

text: Howard appeared in various Star Trek episodes:

text:
In 1966, he appeared as the powerful but childlike alien Balok in "The Corbomite Maneuver," a season one episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (although not the first episode broadcast, it was the first episode of season one to be produced after the pilot episodes). The appearance is a well-remembered one in Star Trek history, and he briefly reprised the character in 2006 on Comedy Central's roast of William Shatner
"Past Tense Part II," a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
"Acquisition," a season one episode of Star Trek: Enterprise
"Will You Take My Hand," a season one episode of Star Trek: Discovery[2]
As a nod to Howard's prominent place in Star Trek culture, he played a part in Star Trek director J. J. Abrams' series Fringe; in the season one episode, "The Road Not Taken", playing a man who thought he was the son of Sarek of Vulcan. He discussed a fictitious plot by Romulans from the future, much like the one in Abrams' own Star Trek film. (In the next episode, Leonard Nimoy was revealed to be the mysterious character he was discussing.)

tag: ul

text: In 2003, Howard played Johnny Bark on Arrested Development in the season one episode Key Decisions, which was produced and narrated by his brother, Ron. He was seen in an episode of Married... with Children as a creepy janitor. He played a car thief/murderer in the season four Seinfeld episode "The Trip". Howard played Creepy Rodney in the season one My Name Is Earl episode "Stole a Badge", and he was a guest star in the season three episode of the NBC show Heroes "I Am Sylar".[3][4]

text: Film[edit]

text: In his film debut The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963), he played a child party guest standing on a table at his birthday party, that Shirley Jones put an Indian headdress on his head.[citation needed] Howard also voiced Roo in Disney's animated shorts Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), which were later incorporated into The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), and Hathi Jr. in The Jungle Book (1967).

text: Howard appeared in seventeen films directed by his brother, Ron Howard, including Ron's first directorial effort — a short film called Old Paint — when Clint was ten. He also starred in Ron's first full length feature, Grand Theft Auto. Other roles in the elder Howard's films include: John Dexter in Cocoon (1985), Paul in Gung Ho (both film and TV series), pathologist Ricco in Backdraft (1991), Lou in Parenthood, Flynn in Far and Away (1992), flight controller Seymour Liebergot in Apollo 13 (1995), Ken in EDtv (1999), and Whobris in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).

text: He also played Sheriff Purdy in The Missing (2003), Lloyd Davis in Frost/Nixon (2008), Herbert Trimpy in The Dilemma, and Paul Lucas in the episodes "Spider" and "We Interrupt This Program" of the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, which was produced by brother Ron.

text: He played Eaglebaur in Rock 'n' Roll High School, Usher in Get Crazy, Paco in The Waterboy, Arthur Lynne in Uwe Boll's Heart of America, cellmate Slinky in Tango & Cash, CJZZ Disk Jockey in That Thing You Do!, Johnson Ritter in the Austin Powers series, another flight controller in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Nipples in Little Nicky (2000), Gregory Tudor in the low budget film Ice Cream Man (1995), Rughead in The Wraith (1986), Stanley Coopersmith in Evilspeak (1981), Kate the Caterer in The Cat in the Hat, Doctor Koplenson in Halloween (2007), and appeared in the romantic comedies, Play the Game and Speed-Dating.

text: He also played Sanders in Alabama Moon and Dr. Owen in Nobody Gets Out Alive, which was written and directed by filmmaker Jason Christopher, and was released nationwide on February 26, 2013. The film made rounds of the festival circuit in 2012, and won two best feature awards, a best director award, and a best actor award.[5]

text: He appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which his brother Ron Howard directed.[6]

text: Music[edit]

text: In 1981, Howard formed The Kempsters, a new wave rock and roll group that was composed mostly of his friends who were neighbors with him on Kemp Street. In 1982, their original drummer, Mike "Spooner" Bauer, was replaced by Tony Rodriquez and the band played regularly at Madame Wong's West. The band retired in 1983. Although The Kempsters never released an album while together, Howard has recently begun distributing No Brains At All, a CD featuring four tracks the band recorded in various studios, and seven tracks recorded live on October 17, 1982 at Madame Wong's.

text: Personal life[edit]

text: Howard married his wife Melanie on October 29, 1995. In 2017, it was announced that Howard had filed for divorce.[7]

text: Howard is a Republican (contrasting with his brother, Ron, a Democrat).[8] On January 29, 2016, three days before the Iowa Caucuses, he endorsed United States Senator Ted Cruz of Texas for the Republican presidential nomination.[9][10]

text: Howard is an avid golfer, who played 150 rounds a year, and is also known for playing World of Warcraft in which he plays under the name Extas, of the guild "Thrust" on the Dark Iron realm.[8]

text: Filmography[edit]

text: Film[edit]

text:
Year
Title
Role
Notes

1963
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
Child Party Guest
Uncredited[citation needed]

1966
Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
Roo (voice)
Short film

An Eye for an Eye
Jo-Hi Quince – Brian's Son

1967
The Jungle Book
Hathi Jr. (voice)

Gentle Giant
Mark Wedloe

1968
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
Roo (voice)
Short film

1970
The Wild Country
Andrew Tanner

1973
Salty
Tim Reed

1976
Eat My Dust!
George Poole Jr.

1977
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Roo (voice)

Grand Theft Auto
Ace

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
Baseball Catcher

1978
Harper Valley PTA
Corley

1979
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Eaglebauer

1981
Evilspeak
Stanley Coopersmith

1982
Night Shift
Jefferey

1983
Get Crazy
Usher

1984
Splash
Wedding Guest

1985
Cocoon
John Dexter

1986
Gung Ho
Paul

The Wraith
Rughead

1987
End of the Line
Les Sullivan

1988
Freeway
Ronnie

B.O.R.N.
Jerry

1989
Parenthood
Lou

Tango & Cash
Slinky

1990
Disturbed
Brian

1991
Backdraft
Ricco

The Rocketeer
Mark

1992
Far and Away
Flynn

1993
Carnosaur
'Slim' Friar

Ticks
Jarvis Tanner

1994
The Paper
Ray Blaisch

Leprechaun 2
Tourist

Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter
Gary

Forced to Kill
Drifter

1995
Fist of the North Star
Stalin

Ice Cream Man
Gregory Tudor

Forget Paris
Exterminator

Digital Man
Deakins

Apollo 13
Sy Liebergot

Not Like Us
Wede

Twisted Love
Gardener

1996
Barb Wire
Schmitz

Unhook the Stars
Gus

That Thing You Do!
KJZZ Disc Jockey

Santa with Muscles
Hinkley

1997
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Johnson Ritter

1998
Twilight
EMS Worker

The Dentist 2
Mr. Toothache

Telling You
Customer
Uncredited

The Waterboy
Paco

Evasive Action
Hector Miller

1999
EDtv
Ken

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Johnson Ritter

2000
My Dog Skip
Millard

The Million Dollar Kid
Harvey

Little Nicky
Nipples

Ping!
Stu

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Whobris

2001
Blackwoods
Greg

2002
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Johnson Ritter

Heart of America
Artie Lynne

100 Women
Mr. Willens

2003
Pauly Shore is Dead
Pauly's Business Manager

House of the Dead
Salish

The Cat in the Hat
Kate the Caterer

The Missing
Sheriff Purdy

2004
Raising Genius
Mr. Goss

The Sure Hand of God
Clyde Trotter

I Am Stamos
Himself
Short film

2005
River's End
Mr. Powell

My Big Fat Independent Movie
The Mechanic

Cinderella Man
Referee

Planet Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen

Fun with Dick and Jane
INS Agent

2006
Church Ball
Gene Jensen

The Powder Puff Principle
Principal Richard Skelter
Short film

Curious George
Balloon Man (voice)

How to Eat Fried Worms
Uncle Ed

Big Bad Wolf
Fulton Chaney

2007
Music Within
Clerk

Halloween
Dr. Koplenson

A Plumm Summer
Binky the Clown

A Christmas Too Many
Todd

2008
Foreign Exchange
Long Larry

Frost/Nixon
Lloyd Davis

Senior Skip Day
Lionel Huffer

2009
London Betty
Narrator (voice)

Play the Game
Dick

Super Capers
Mugger

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Air and Space Mission Control Tech #1

Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!
Farmer Dan (voice)

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
Cthulu (voice)

Alabama Moon
Constable Sanders

2010
Holyman Undercover
Roy Sr.

Speed-Dating
Dom

2011
The Dilemma
Herbert Trimpy

Blubberella
Dr. Mangler

BloodRayne: The Third Reich

Night Club
Cliff

2012
Last Call
George

The Lords of Salem
Carlo

Nobody Gets Out Alive
Doctor Owen

2013
Assault on Wall Street
Chuck

Huff
Karl

Sparks
Gordon Eldridge

The Profane Exhibit
Bob
Segment: "Basement"

2014
Bald
Nathan
Short film

Sand Castles
Todd Carlson

Balls Out
Philip

2015
The Funhouse Massacre
Taxidermist

2016
Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends
Gus

2017
Mad Families
Gravy

The Church
Alexander James / The Spirit

2018
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Ralakili

tag: table

text: Television[edit]

text:
Year
Title
Role
Notes

1962–64
The Andy Griffith Show
Leon / Boy at Church Social (uncredited)
5 episodes

1963
Breaking Point
Mikey
Episode: "The Gnu, Now Almost Extinct"

1964
Vacation Playhouse
Little Boy
Episode: "Hey, Teacher"

1964–65
The Baileys of Balboa
Stanley
26 episodes

1964, 1965
The Fugitive
Billy Taft / Johnny Stransel
Episodes: "Home Is the Hunted" / "Set Fire to a Straw Man"

1965
Bonanza
Michael Thorpe
Episode: "All Ye His Saints"

1966
The Patty Duke Show
Ralphie
Episode: "Three Little Kittens"

1965, 1966
Please Don't Eat the Daisies
David / Davey
3 episodes

1965, 1970
The F.B.I.
Alan Ellwood / Josh Cobb
Episodes: "An Elephant Is Like a Rope" / "Incident in the Desert"

1966, 1967, 1971
The Virginian
Will / Tommy / Manuel
3 episodes

1966
The Jean Arthur Show
Robbie Fielding
Episode: "My Client, the Rooster"

1966
Star Trek: The Original Series
Balok
Episode: "The Corbomite Maneuver"

1966
Laredo
Midj
Episode: "Leave It to Dixie"

1967
The Monoroes
Jody Larson
Episode: "Teaching the Tiger to Purr"

1967
Judd for the Defense
Tim Oliver
Episode: "A Civil Case of Murder"

1967–69
Gentle Ben
Mark Wedloe
56 episodes

1970
Lancer
Willie Sharpe
Episode: "Blue Skies for Willie Sharpe"

1970
Love, American Style
David Kaufman
Episode: "Love and the Coed Dorm/Love and the Optimist/Love and the Teacher"

1970
The Red Skelton Show
Lemonade Stand Proprietor
Episode: "Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make: So They Added Iron Bars"

1970
The Odd Couple
Randy Granger
Episode: "The Big Brothers"

1970
Family Affair
Tom Richards
Episode: "Say Uncle"

1971
Gunsmoke
Lonny
Episode: "Murdoch"

1971
The Mod Squad
Davey Carr
Episode: "The Price of Love"

1971
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Kimmy Rolf
Episode: "Tender Comrade"

1971
Night Gallery
Herbie Bittman
"The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes"

1971
Nanny and the Professor
Timmy McGovern
Episode: "One for the Road"

1971, 1973
Insight
Larry Gilprin
2 episodes

1973
The Rookies
Dennis Palmer
Episode: "Crossfire"

1973
The Red Pony
Jody Tiflin
Television film

1973-74
The Streets of San Francisco
Billy Rudolph
2 episodes

1974
Doc Elliot
Paul Scarne
Episode: "A Small Hand of Friendship"

1974
The Cowboys
Steve
12 episodes

1974
Movin' On
Mark
Episode: "Life Line"

1975
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
Andrew
Episode: "Wild Country: Part 2"

1975
Huckleberry Finn
Arch
Television film

1976, 1980
Happy Days
Moose
2 episodes

1977
The Death of Richie
Peanuts
Television film

1978
The Fitzpatricks
D'Annunzio
Episode: "A Living Wage"

1978
Cotton Candy
Corky Macpherson
Television film

1982
Lou Grant
Jerry Kovacovich
Episode: "Recovery"

1986–87
Gung Ho
Googie
9 episodes

1987
Sledge Hammer!
Police Officer
Episode: "State of Sledge"

1987
Santa Barbara
Marshall
Episode: "#1.677"

1990
Hunter
Man in Restaurant
Episode: "Kill Zone"

1992
Seinfeld
Tobias Lehigh Nagy
Episode: "The Trip" Part 2

1993–94
Space Rangers
Mimmer
6 episodes

1994
Cheyenne Warrior
Otto Nielsen
Television film

1995
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Grady
Episode: "Past Tense"

1995
Married... with Children
Mullen
Episode: "And Bingo Was Her Game-O"

1995
Silk Stalkings
Craig P. Sykes
Episode: "Kill Shot"

1996
The Outer Limits
Dennis
Episode: "First Anniversary"

1996
Humanoids from the Deep
Deputy
Television film

1997
Gun
The Homeless Guy
Episode: "The Shot"

1998
From the Earth to the Moon
Paul Lucas
Miniseries

1998
Addams Family Reunion
Dogcatcher (uncredited)
Television film

1999
Total Recall 2070
Pontifex
Episode: "Baby Lottery"

1999
The Pretender
Smitty
Episode: "Qallupilluit"

1999
Arthur's Quest
Mr. Whitney
Television film

2002
Star Trek: Enterprise
Muk
Episode: "Acquisition"

2002
Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe in Santa
Tug (voice)
Television film

2003
Crossing Jordan
Gil Runkis
Episode: "The First Six Years"

2003, 2013
Arrested Development
Johnny Bark
2 episodes

2006, 2008
My Name Is Earl
Creepy Rodney
2 episodes

2009
Heroes
Tom Miller
Episode: "I Am Sylar"

2009
Fringe
Emmanuel Grayson
Episode: "The Road Not Taken"

2011
Workaholics
Replacement for Adam Demamp
Episode: "The Strike"

2013
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
Harold
Television film

2013
Hawaii Five-O
Superintendent
Episode: "Kupouli 'la"; uncredited[citation needed]

2014
Key and Peele
Aerobics Director
Episode: "Aerobics Meltdown"

2014
The Birthday Boys
Traffic Control Operator
Episode: "Plight of the Working Class"

2016
Still the King
Crazy Dave
2 episodes

2018
Star Trek: Discovery
Orion Drug Dealer
Episode: "Will You Take My Hand?"

text:
Direct-to-video

Year
Title
Role

1990
Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation
Ricky

1991
Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker
Ricky

2003
Beethoven's 5th
Owen Tuttle

text:
Video games

Year
Title
Voice role

1998
Tex Murphy: Overseer
Larry Hammond


document_title: Despicable Me 2

question_text: who voices the minions in despicable me 2

text: Despicable Me 2

text: Plot[edit]

text: A mysterious vehicle using a huge magnet steals a highly potent mutagen known as PX-41 from a secret laboratory in the Arctic Circle. The Anti-Villain League (AVL), headed by Silas Ramsbottom, tries to recruit former supervillain Gru to track down those responsible and recover the mutagen, but Gru refuses, claiming that he is now a legitimate businessman as well as the devoted father of Margo, Edith, and Agnes. Dr. Nefario, Gru's friend and assistant, longs to go back to villainy and leaves Gru for new employment. Gru reluctantly agrees to investigate the theft, and is partnered with undercover AVL agent Lucy Wilde.

text: The pair begin their search in the Paradise Shopping Mall, disguised as bakery employees. Gru immediately comes to suspect Mexican restaurant owner, Eduardo Pérez, of being the infamous "El Macho", a legendary supervillain who supposedly died by riding a shark into the mouth of an active volcano with 250 pounds of dynamite strapped to his chest. Gru and Lucy break into Eduardo's restaurant at night, but find no proof. Meanwhile, Agnes, confiding in her dream to one day have a mother, believes that Gru will fall in love with Lucy, though Gru states that his relationship with Lucy is professional.

text: Although holding Eduardo as his chief suspect, Gru agrees to pursue others, including wig merchant Floyd Eagle-san. After witnessing Eduardo's two-timing son, Antonio, woo Margo and invite everyone to his Cinco de Mayo party, Gru renews his focus on Eduardo. He is then set up on a dinner date with a vacuous woman named Shannon. The date goes horribly, and Shannon is about to humiliate Gru after she spots his wig, until Lucy, visiting the restaurant herself, saves Gru and renders Shannon unconscious with a tranquilizer gun. While they take Shannon home, Gru and Lucy spend personal time together, and Gru falls in love with her, proving Agnes right.

text: The next day, the AVL arrest Eagle-san after finding an almost-empty jar of the mutagen in his shop, and the investigation is closed by Ramsbottom. Lucy is reassigned to Australia, but gives Gru her lipstick Taser as a gift before leaving. A heartbroken Gru, having lacked the courage to ask Lucy out on a date, instead takes his girls to the Cinco de Mayo party. While there, he follows Eduardo and discovers a secret musical steps-activated elevator, where he finally finds proof that Eduardo is El Macho.

text: On her flight, Lucy, realizing that she has also fallen in love with Gru, jumps out of the plane and hang glides down to the party. Gru discovers that Macho, who is revealed to have hired Nefario as a partner, has been abducting Gru's Minions and using the stolen PX-41 serum to make them evil. Macho plans to launch rockets full of the mutated Minions into major cities in order to achieve world domination. He gives Gru the chance to team up with him, but Gru walks away.

text: Lucy later arrives at the party, but Macho captures Lucy after Pollito, Macho's pet chicken, retrieves her AVL ID badge from her purse. Nefario rejoins Gru, who fakes being captured with two other minions to help him rescue Lucy. Fighting alongside his daughters and Nefario, Gru and his team return the Minions to their normal, friendly, yellow state using jelly containing a powerful antidote that was created by Nefario. Macho then takes the mutagen himself and turns into a monster, but Gru and Nefario defeat him using Lucy's lipstick Taser and a fart gun.

text: Gru finds Lucy strapped to a TNT-loaded shark rocket and starts to untie her, but Pollito launches the rocket, sending it flying towards the same volcano where Macho previously faked his death. Lucy accepts Gru's invitation for a date, and the pair dive into the ocean seconds before the rocket enters the volcano and violently explodes. Gru rejoins the AVL, and then he and Lucy get married, and Margo, Edith and Agnes finally have someone close to a mother.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Steve Carell as Gru,[4] a former villain turned father (and then member of the Anti-Villain League).
Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde, an Anti-Villain League agent and then Gru's love interest.[5][6] Wiig previously voiced Miss Hattie in the first film.
Benjamin Bratt as Eduardo "El Macho" Pérez, the owner of Salsa & Salsa, a Mexican restaurant in the Paradise Mall, and the mastermind behind the theft of the PX-41 serum.[7][8][9] Al Pacino was originally cast in the role and had recorded all his lines, but left the film due to creative differences.[10]
Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, the oldest child of the three girls.[4]
Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, Gru's elderly, hearing impaired gadget man.[4]
Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom, the director of the Anti-Villain League.[4][11]
Ken Jeong as Floyd Eagle-san, the owner of Eagle Hair Club, a wig store in the Paradise Mall.[7][12]
Elsie Fisher as Agnes, the youngest child of the three girls.[13]
Dana Gaier as Edith, the middle child of the three girls.[13]
Moisés Arias as Antonio Pérez, Margo's first love interest and Eduardo's son.[14][15]
Nasim Pedrad as Jillian, Gru's irritating matchmaking neighbor who wants Gru to date her friends.[16][17]
Kristen Schaal as Shannon, Jillian's superficial friend.[17]
Pierre Coffin as Kevin, Stuart, Bob and additional and evil Minions.[17] According to Coffin, he lent his voice to 899 Minions.[18]
Chris Renaud as additional and evil Minions.

Renaud also voices an Italian waiter.[17]

Vanessa Bayer as Flight Attendant.[17]
Nickolai Stoilov as Arctic Lab Guards.[17]

text: Production[edit]

text: Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination Entertainment, said in July 2010 that a sequel was in the works.[19] Release was tentatively scheduled for July 3, 2013.[20] Miranda Cosgrove stated on her official Facebook and Twitter page on October 14, 2011 that she had recorded her first lines,[21] while Meledandri confirmed in February 2012 that they had started working on the film.[22]

text: Casting[edit]

text: In October 2011, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Javier Bardem was negotiating to voice a villain, named El Macho,[23] but the negotiations failed.[24] By February 2012, Al Pacino had joined the cast to voice the villain.[25] In April 2012, producers confirmed that Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier and Elsie Fisher were returning to reprise their roles. Kristen Wiig, who voiced Miss Hattie in the original film, voices Lucy Wilde, an agent of the Anti-Villain League (AVL) who recruits Gru to track and take down a tough, Mexican villain named El Macho. Steve Coogan joined the cast as Silas Ramsbottom, the head of the Anti-Villain League.[4]

text: On May 3, 2013, just a month before the film's premiere, producers announced that Al Pacino had left the film over creative differences about how his character should come to life.[10][26] At the time of his departure, Pacino's character had already been fully voiced and animated.[27] Chris Renaud, co-director of the film, commented on Pacino's departure: "So we don't want an unhappy actor, and we want something that is well-realized on all sides. If you don't see eye to eye, sometimes it's easier to (part company) and move on from there."[26] Benjamin Bratt, who had already been considered before Pacino,[26] stepped in to voice Eduardo.[8] Chris Meledandri, producer of the film, admitted that he was not "aware of any of the major animated films of the last 15 years that has brought an actor in at such a late stage".[27] Due to the finished animation, Bratt had to match his timing exactly to the character's mouth movement.[28] Initially, during his five-day recording,[27] he tried to imitate Pacino's voice, but found it impossible, saying "no one can out-Al Pacino Al Pacino". He ended up only using Pacino as an inspiration, and resolved to go with his own interpretation of the character.[29] His work was commended by Variety, saying: "You'd never guess he wasn't the filmmakers' first choice."[15]

text: Release[edit]

text: Despicable Me 2 premiered on June 5, 2013, at Event Cinemas in Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia. Steve Carell and Miranda Cosgrove were present at the red carpet premiere.[30][31] In France, it premiered on June 12, 2013, as part of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.[32] The American premiere was held at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles on June 22, 2013;[16] Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Ken Jeong, Elsie Fisher, Dana Gaier, Nasim Pedrad and composer Pharrell Williams were present at the "yellow carpet" premiere.[33][34] The film was theatrically released in the United States on July 3, 2013.[4] It was digitally re-mastered into IMAX 3D format and released in select international IMAX theatres.[35] This film was also shown in the 4DX format, featuring tilting seats, water sprays, strobe lightning, aroma, wind, pops, and ticklers, in selected countries.[36][37][38][39] Cinépolis opened its first 4DX room at the Centro Comercial Limonar Premier mall in Cali, Colombia, with the release of the film.[40][41][42]

text: As with the first film, which did not have a theatrical release in China, the film's distributor Universal Pictures had troubles releasing the sequel.[43] When it was reported in July 2013 that the film had been denied a theatrical release in China, then the second largest film market in the world, some analysts attributed this to the protection of locally produced animation.[44][45] There were also rumors that the film's release was banned in China because the film's minions too much resembled former Chinese president Jiang Zemin.[46] China's Film Bureau was "furious" about the negative comments, stating that the film was not submitted for censorship approval.[47] In fact, there was reportedly a "commercial conflict" between Universal and Edko Films, the film's local distributor, over which titles are to be imported.[48] Edko had decided that the film "would not do well in China and decided against using one of the precious quota slots for the film."[47] In December 2013, a few weeks after the Universal Pictures' announcement that it would open a Beijing office, it was reported that Despicable Me 2 would be theatrically released in China on January 10, 2014.[46]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: A blimp dressed to appear as a Minion, named "Despicablimp," toured the United States from March 2013 in a six-month tour to promote the film's release.[49] As one of the largest airships in the world, measuring 165 feet (50 m) in length, 55 feet (17 m) in height,[49] and weighing 8,000 pounds (3.6 t),[50] it crossed the country three times during its 20,000 miles (32,000 km)-long tour, visiting hundreds of events, including the film's premiere in Hollywood.[49] The blimp, an American Blimp Corporation A-150 model,[51] could be tracked in real-time via GPS at the Despicablimp Command Center website, which allowed fans to post photos of sightings, and compete for various prizes, including for a ride in the blimp.[49]

text: A free mobile action video game inspired by the Despicable Me franchise, titled Despicable Me: Minion Rush, was released on June 13, 2013. The game, developed by Gameloft, was adapted for iPhone, iPad and Android devices.[52] Played as one of the Minions, it allows customization of the character, who must perform various tasks, including defeating Vector and a new villain created for the game, to earn the title of Minion of the Year.[52][53] The game was downloaded more than 100 million times in the first three months after its release,[54] and won a BAFTA's British Academy Children's Award in the category BAFTA's Kids Vote.[55] For the film's release, Roblox, a massively multiplayer online game, released two virtual items, a Minion and goggles.[56][57] Six books were released for the film: The Junior Novel,[58] The Anti-Villain League Handbook,[59] Undercover Super Spies,[60] Attack of the Evil Minions!,[61] Make a Minion,[62] and Meet the Minions.[63]

text: Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment partnered with more than 100 licensing and promotional partners in a deal valued at an unprecedented $250 million.[64] One of the partners was McDonald's, which included in its Happy Meals various Minion toys, some of them unique to a specific country.[65] To take advantage of banana-loving Minions, Chiquita Brands International ran various sweepstakes,[66] and a Minion, voiced by Pierre Coffin, performed the song "Chiquita Banana" in the film.[17] Thinkway Toys released various toys and figures,[67] and Hasbro made special Monopoly and Operation games.[68] Custom 3D glasses, modelled after the Minions' goggles, were released exclusively at Best Buy and Look3D, the producer of the glasses,[69] for use in RealD 3D theatres and with passive 3D home theatre systems.[70]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Despicable Me 2 was released in Digital HD on November 26, 2013, and on DVD and Blu-ray on December 10, 2013.[71] The DVD and Blu-ray combo pack features three "mini movies" titled Puppy, Panic in the Mailroom, and Training Wheels.[71] A Walmart exclusive Blu-ray/DVD combo pack included two limited edition Minion toys.[72] In its first week of home entertainment release, 4.5 million physical and digital units had been sold, earning $80 million and breaking several records.[73] The film had the highest first-week sales for a digital title ever and became the best selling animated Blu-ray title in its first week, surpassing its predecessor, which previously held the record.[73] Despicable Me 2 was the best selling Blu-ray of 2013 with 4,689,747 sold for a total of $93,734,824 in sales.[74] It was also the second best selling DVD for the year 2013 with 4,566,911 sold for sales totaling $77,250,269.[75] As of January 2015, Despicable Me 2 has sold 6,998,018 DVDs and 5,560,038 Blu-ray discs totalling $112,572,748 and $114,061,866 respectively totalling $226,634,614 in North America.[76]

text: Despicable Me 2 was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on June 6, 2017.[77]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Film score by Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams

Released
June 18, 2013

Recorded
2013

Genre
Score

Length
1:01:25

Label
Back Lot Music

Heitor Pereira film scores chronology

The Smurfs
(2011)The Smurfs2011
Despicable Me 2
(2013)
The Smurfs 2
(2013)The Smurfs 22013

Singles from Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

"Happy"
Released: November 21, 2013

text: Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album for the film, released on June 18, 2013 through Back Lot Music. The original music was composed by Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams.[78][79] The album was promoted by the highly successful single "Happy" performed by Williams.

text: Track listing[edit]

text: All music composed by Heitor Pereira, except where noted.

text:
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Performer
Length

1.
"Scream"
Pharrell Williams
Cee Lo Green
3:41

2.
"Another Irish Drinking Song"
Paul and Storm
Pierre Coffin[17]
0:39

3.
"Just a Cloud Away"
Williams
Williams
2:56

4.
"Happy"
Williams
Williams
3:53

5.
"I Swear" (John Michael Montgomery)
Gary Baker, Frank J. Myers
Coffin[17]
1:38

6.
"Y.M.C.A." (Village People)
Henri Belolo, Jacques Morali, Victor Willis
Coffin[17]
2:55

7.
"Fun, Fun, Fun"
Williams
Williams
3:26

8.
"Despicable Me"
Williams
Williams
4:14

9.
"PX-41 Labs"

2:06

10.
"The Fairy Party"

1:27

11.
"Lucy and the AVL"

5:39

12.
"Goodbye Nefario"

1:27

13.
"Time for Bed"

1:27

14.
"Break-In"

3:00

15.
"Stalking Floyd Eaglesan"

1:35

16.
"Moving to Australia"

3:09

17.
"Going to Save the World"

1:25

18.
"El Macho"

1:27

19.
"Jillian"

0:47

20.
"Take Her Home"

1:29

21.
"El Macho's Lair"

3:32

22.
"Home Invasion"

1:57

23.
"The Big Battle"

7:23

24.
"Ba Do Bleep"
Johannes Brahms
Chris Renaud[17]
0:13

Total length:
1:01:25

text: Chart positions[edit]

text:
Chart (2013–14)
Peak
position

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[80]
163

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[81]
160

UK Compilation Albums (OCC)[82]
48

US Billboard 200[83]
86

US Independent Albums (Billboard)[83]
19

US Top Soundtracks (Billboard)[83]
3

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Despicable Me 2 received positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 74% approval rating with an average rating of 6.7/10 based on 175 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Despicable Me 2 offers plenty of eye-popping visual inventiveness and a number of big laughs."[84] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating from mainstream critics, gave the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[85] The film earned an "A" from audiences polled by CinemaScore, on an A+ to F scale.[86]

text: Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "Steve Carell's Slavic inflections as Gru do the trick, as before. Wiig's clever hesitations and comic timing help save the day."[87] Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review, saying "The new edition doesn't quite catch that inspired spark."[7] Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger gave the film three out four stars, saying "Not only a fun cartoon but – that rare thing – a sequel which actually improves on the original."[88] Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News gave the film two out of five stars, saying "Armed with masses of minions and an excess of adorability, Despicable Me 2 is guaranteed to charm anyone who's out of school and already bored."[89] Soren Anderson of The Seattle Times gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "It's fun. It's cheerful. It's lollipop colorful. Best of all, it features lots of minion mischief, which guarantees plenty of laughs. But what it doesn't have is an edge."[90] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "It feels at times as if Despicable Me 2 actually is The Minions Movie. Coffin and Renaud and returning screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio haven't managed to come up with a dastardly plot to rival the shrinking and stealing of the moon from the previous film."[91]

text: Stephen Holden of The New York Times gave the film two and a half stars out of five, saying "It is consistently diverting and so cute you'll want to pet it. Yet it is also weightless and lacks a center."[92] Rafer Guzman of Newsday gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "Better, or at least sweeter, than the first, with Wiig adding some much-needed romantic charm to the toddler-level humor."[93] Tirdad Derakhshani of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film two and a half stars out of five, saying "If you're looking for quality prepackaged, predigested Hollywood family fun this summer, you could do a lot worse than Despicable Me 2."[94] Keith Uhlich of Time Out gave the film three out of five stars, saying "A fleeter film than its predecessor, Despicable Me 2 delights more often than it disappoints."[95] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap gave the film a negative review, saying "The minions are still wacky scene-stealers – and once again, we don't get nearly enough of them – but Gru and his daughters have been blanded down to bad-sitcom level."[96] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film two out of four stars, saying "With its predecessor having made a whopping $540 million globally, it's no wonder that Universal saw fit to order a sequel. But it's not enough just to trot out legions of minions and cobble together a plot. Audiences deserve more imagination and inventiveness than this wan recycling."[97] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a 'C' grade, saying "By the end, every child in the audience will want his or her own monster-minion toy. Adults will just regret the way that Despicable Me 2 betrays the original film's devotion to bad-guy gaiety."[98]

text: Sara Stewart of the New York Post gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Sure, it's not as novel as the first time we were here, but directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud stay true to the clever, slapstick vibe."[99] James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Despicable Me 2 feels like an opportunity to get together with some old friends, hang out, and discover what they've been up to."[100] Tom Russo of The Boston Globe gave the film a positive review, saying "The scope of the 'toon espionage-adventure goings-on is surprisingly limited. But the filmmakers so clearly love working on these characters, their creative joy is infectious."[101] Stephanie Merry of The Washington Post gave the film three out of four stars, saying "The animation is beguiling, particularly when Lucy drives her car into the ocean, transforming it into a submarine that scoots around sharks and fish."[102] Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying "While not quite as charming or unique as the original, Despicable Me 2 comes awfully close, extending co-directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin's delightfully silly sensibility to a bit larger universe."[15] Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film three out of four stars, saying "It's a credit that the writing can be so funny in the moment, that it takes time to realize there's no cohesive story, zero dramatic tension and nary a practical lesson for either the characters in the film or the people watching in the theater."[103]

text: James Rocchi of MSN Movies gave the film four out of five stars, saying "Heartfelt and hilarious, smart and silly, action-packed but never violent, Despicable Me 2 is that rare sequel that outshines its beginnings."[104] Colin Covert of the Star Tribune gave the film three out of four stars, saying "For an adult, the predictability could turn you blasé. For kids, revisiting these jokes is a howl. Pinkie promise."[105] Mary F. Pols of Time gave the film a positive review, saying "As a sequel it stands level with the first film, and may have the edge on it."[106] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Co-directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, who do Minion voices expertly, never let up on the laughs. A fart joke in 3-D may not be three times as wacky, but the high spirits of Despicable Me 2 are irresistible fun."[107] A.A. Dowd of The A.V. Club gave the film a 'C' grade, saying "What's missing—and this was the crucial component of part one—is a little sour to undercut the sweet. Like its protagonist, a bad guy gone boringly good, Despicable Me 2 has no edge. It's fatally nice and insufficiently naughty."[108] Laremy Legel of Film.com gave the film a 6.3 out of 10, saying "Despicable Me 2 is fun, especially near the culmination. Structural issues aside, it's impossible not to like these characters, all of them, rendered with love, always entertaining even when the story around them doesn't make much sense."[109]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Despicable Me 2 grossed $368 million in North America, and $602.7 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $970.8 million.[3] Calculating in all expenses, Deadline.com estimated that the film made a profit of $394.5 million.[110] It is currently the thirtieth highest-grossing film, the sixth highest-grossing animated film, the third highest-grossing 2013 film (behind Frozen and Iron Man 3), the second highest-grossing 2013 animated film, the second highest-grossing Illumination Entertainment film,[111] and the fifth highest-grossing Universal Studios film. [112] With a budget of $76 million,[2] the film is the most profitable film in the 101-year history of Universal Studios.[112][113][114]

text: Despicable Me 2 is the twenty-sixth highest-grossing film, the fourth highest-grossing 2013 film,[115] the sixth highest-grossing animated film,[116] the seventh highest-grossing 3-D film,[117] and the second highest-grossing Illumination Entertainment film.[111] It is the sixth animated film to pass the $300 million mark.[118] Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold more than 40 million tickets in North America.[119] The film opened on Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at first place with $35.0 million (including $4.7 million from Tuesday night showings). Its opening-day gross stands as third highest for an animated feature,[120] and the seventh highest among films opening on a Wednesday.[121] The film then dropped 30% to $24.5 million on Thursday,[122] marking the second-largest non-opening Thursday gross.[123] Over the five-day Independence Day weekend (Wednesday-to-Sunday, including Tuesday night showings), the film earned $143.1 million, the highest five-day start for an animated film (ahead of Toy Story 3's $141.0 million five-day debut). During the traditional three-day opening weekend (Friday-to-Sunday), the film earned $83.5 million.[124] The film's three-day opening-weekend gross was the largest among Illumination Entertainment films,[111] the third largest for an Independence Day holiday,[125] the fourth largest among animated films,[126] the seventh largest among films released in July,[127] and the tenth largest among films not released on a Friday.[128] The film remained in the first position at the box office for two consecutive weekends.[129]

text: Despicable Me 2 is the twenty-seventh highest-grossing film, the third highest-grossing animated film, the fourth highest-grossing Universal film,[130] and the third highest-grossing 2013 film.[131] It is also only the fourth animated film to have grossed over $600 million. On its first weekend, Despicable Me 2 opened only in Australia with $6.66 million,[132] ahead of Monsters University which opened on the same weekend.[133] The film set an opening-day record in Latvia.[134] In total, it opened at number one in 67 territories,[135] and set opening-weekend records among animated films in Latin America, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam,[136] and Lebanon,[137] as well as opening-weekend records among all films in South Africa and Venezuela.[136] The film remained in the first position at the box office for two consecutive weekends during July 2013.[138][139] The film's largest openings occurred in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta ($22.5 million), China ($15.4 million) and Mexico ($14.9 million). In total earnings, its largest markets were the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta ($72.2 million), China ($53.0 million) and Mexico ($47.7 million).[140]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Award
Category
Recipient(s)
Result

Academy Awards[141]
Best Animated Feature
Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin & Chris Meledandri
Nominated

Best Original Song
"Happy" – Pharrell Williams
Nominated

Alliance of Women Film Journalists[142]
Best Animated Feature
Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud
Nominated

American Cinema Editors[143]
Best Edited Animated Feature Film
Gregory Perler
Nominated

Annie Award[144]
Best Animated Feature

Nominated

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial

Won

Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production
Jonathan Del Val
Nominated

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Eric Guillon
Nominated

Music in an Animated Feature Production
Heitor Pereira, Pharrell Williams
Nominated

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Yarrow Cheney, Eric Guillon
Nominated

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Eric Favela
Nominated

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Kristen Wiig
Nominated

Steve Carell
Nominated

Pierre Coffin
Nominated

British Academy Film Awards[145][146]
Best Animated Film
Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
Nominated

British Academy Children's Awards (BAFTA)[55]
BAFTA Kid's Vote (Feature Film)

Won

Cinema Audio Society Awards[147][148]
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures – Animated
Charleen Richards, Tom Johnson, Gary A. Rizzo, Chris Scarabosio, Alan Meyerson, Tony Eckert
Nominated

Critics' Choice Movie Award[149]
Best Animated Feature

Nominated

Best Song
"Happy" – Pharrell Williams
Nominated

Denver Film Critics Society[150]
Best Animated Film

Nominated

Golden Globe Award[151]
Best Animated Feature Film

Nominated

Kids' Choice Awards[152]
Favorite Animated Movie

Nominated

Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie
Steve Carell
Nominated

Miranda Cosgrove
Won

Kids' Choice Awards Argentina 2013[153]
Best Animated Film

People's Choice Awards[154][155]
Favorite Family Movie

Favorite Movie

Nominated

Producers Guild of America Award[156]
Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Picture
Janet Healy, Chris Meledandri
Nominated

Satellite Awards[157]
Satellite Award for Best Original Song
"Happy" – Pharrell Williams
Nominated

Saturn Awards[158]
Best Animated Film

Nominated

Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards[159]
Best Animated Feature
Pierre Coffin and Chris Renurd
Nominated

Visual Effects Society Awards[160]
Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
Nominated

text: Prequel and sequel[edit]

text: Prequel[edit]

text: A prequel feature film titled Minions, featuring the Minions as the main characters, was released on July 10, 2015.[161] Written by Brian Lynch, it was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy.[161] The film, set in the 1960s, focuses on the Minions before they met Gru, where they compete for the right to become henchmen of an ambitious villain, Scarlet Overkill, voiced by Sandra Bullock.[162]

text: Sequel[edit]

text: A sequel, titled Despicable Me 3, was released on June 30, 2017.[163] The film was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, with Eric Guillon serving as co-director, and was produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy. Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio returned to write the screenplay for the film. Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Julie Andrews and Steve Coogan reprised their roles from previous films as Gru, Lucy Wilde, Margo, Edith, Marlena Gru, and Silas Ramsbottom, respectively. New cast members include Trey Parker as former child star-turned-supervillain Balthazar Bratt, Jenny Slate as AVL member Valerie Da Vinci, and Nev Scharrel as the new voice of Agnes. Steve Carell and Steve Coogan also voiced new characters: Gru's long-lost twin brother Dru, and his courteous butler, Fritz. Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud reprised their roles as the Minions, respectively.


document_title: MGM Grand Las Vegas

question_text: when did the mgm grand open in vegas

question_tokens: when did the mgm grand open in vegas

text: MGM Grand Las Vegas

text: History[edit]

text: Marina Hotel and Casino (1975–1990)[edit]

text: The property was originally the site of the Golf Club Motel during the 1960s.[3] In 1972, Tom Wiesner co-founded Southwest Securities Development Company, and later founded Wiesner Investment Company.[4] In November 1973, Southwest Securities Development was planning the Airport Marina Hotel, to be built at the site of the 170-room Golf Club Motel, which was located near McCarran International Airport. Southwest planned to renovate the motel structure and add a 14-story addition with 518 rooms. Fred Harvey Company would serve as the operator of the hotel, its restaurants, and other areas of the resort. Fred Harvey had previously opened hotels in other parts of the United States under the Airport Marina name. Southwest also planned to construct a 28,400 sq ft (2,640 m2) casino that would operate separately from Fred Harvey.[5]

text: The 700-room Marina, located at 3805 South Las Vegas Boulevard, was built by Wiesner Investment Company and was opened in 1975.[4][6] In 1989, Wiesner and his partners sold the Marina to Kirk Kerkorian,[7] who also bought the Tropicana Country Club, located behind the Marina and across Tropicana Avenue from the Tropicana and San Rémo hotels to obtain the site that would become the home of the MGM Grand. Kerkorian saw the Marina as a stable and solidly built resort, and decided not to destroy the hotel, but to build around it.[8] During that time, the Marina was known as the MGM-Marina Hotel.[9][10][11]

text: The Marina closed on November 30, 1990, and ground was broken for the new casino hotel complex on October 7, 1991. The Marina hotel building still exists as the west wing of the main hotel building.[9][10]

text: MGM Grand (1993–present)[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: When the latest MGM Grand opened on December 18, 1993, it was owned by MGM Grand Inc. At that time it had an extensive Wizard of Oz theme, including the green "Emerald City" color of the building and the decorative use of Wizard of Oz memorabilia. After entering the casino's main entrance, one would find themselves in the Oz Casino facing Emerald City. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion were seen in front of the city. The Emerald City attraction featured an elaborate yellow brick road walk-through, complete with the cornfield, apple orchard, and haunted forest, as well as audio-animatronic figures of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Wicked Witch of the West. It would end at the door of the city, leading inside for a performance of "The Wizard's Secrets". When MGM Grand began its extensive refurbishment in 1996, the Oz Casino was the first to go. The Emerald City was completely demolished, and the Emerald City Gift Shop was moved to a new shopping section of the casino. The store remained open until early 2003.

text: Originally, the main entrance on the Strip was under the head of a giant cartoon-like version of MGM's logo, Leo the Lion, but this entrance feature was changed to a more traditional entrance. In 1998, a large bronze statue of Leo was added above the entrance to keep with the MGM Lion theme, while not scaring away guests. The statue weighs 50 tons, and at 45 feet (14 m) tall, on a 25-foot pedestal, is the largest bronze statue in the U.S.[12]

text: When the MGM Grand opened, the intention was to create the first true destination hotel in the Las Vegas area by including the MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park behind the casino. The plan was to make the Las Vegas Strip more family friendly by providing activities for those too young to linger inside the casino. The theme park performed poorly and did not reopen for the 2001 season. On December 5, 2002, MGM Resorts International (then named MGM Mirage) announced that the former theme park would be developed as a luxury condominium and hotel complex called The Signature at MGM Grand.

text: The Las Vegas Monorail was built to connect MGM Grand to Bally's in 1995. The coming-out party for the monorail, on behalf of Bally's, consisted of showgirls and guys from Bally's famed show, Jubilee!, helping groups to the monorail. Characters from the Wizard of Oz greeted the groups on the MGM side. The track was later updated to become the southernmost section of the Las Vegas Monorail. The MGM Grand station was refurbished, the trains were replaced with Bombardier M-VI's, and the track was extended beyond the southern station to provide for track switching for the trains, as well as a starting point for a potential future southern extension to the monorail line.

text: In 2000, in an attempt to appeal to a more "mature" clientele, the hotel underwent a major renovation, and almost all traces of the Oz theme were removed. The theme is now more of the Art Deco era of classic Hollywood, and the hotel started billing itself as The City of Entertainment. More recently, the resort has used the phrase "Maximum Vegas", referring to the vast amount of activities MGM Grand offers its guests.

text: On April 26, 2000, MGM opened a new satellite registration/hotel check-in center at McCarran International Airport. This was the first of its kind opened by a hotel company at any United States airport.[13]  However, this airport check-in center appears to have closed in late 2013.

text: In 2005, MGM opened the West Wing, a renovation of the original Marina Hotel rooms.

text: In October 2011, MGM began a renovation in which all of its rooms and suites in the main tower were fully renovated, along with the casino floor and other public areas. This has provided the hotel with a more contemporary room design. The work was completed in September 2012.

text: Film history[edit]

text:
The MGM Grand was featured prominently in the 1996 boxing comedy The Great White Hype.
The MGM Grand was one of the casinos that Danny Ocean and his crew robbed in the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven. A staged title unification match between heavyweight boxing champions Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko was prominently featured in the film.
Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his family play a game of Keno in the final scenes of Vegas Vacation alongside a character played by Sid Caesar. Keno is no longer offered at the casino.
The MGM Grand's Wizard of Oz theme is referenced in the 1996 film Swingers as the friend of the waitress that Trent picks up works as "a Dorothy".
The MGM Grand, with its old entrance, was featured at the close of Casino as an example of the "new" Las Vegas.
The MGM Grand was featured in The Amazing Race 15, and The Amazing Race 24.

text: Media[edit]

text: A parody of the MGM Grand was featured in the BMX video game Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2. Leo the Lion was replaced with dragons.

text: The MGM Grand was among many casinos at which the MIT Blackjack Team gambled in the book Bringing Down The House.

text: The MGM Grand is the home base of David Whele in Dominion.

text: Attractions[edit]

text:
MGM Grand featured a glass-sided lion habitat inside the casino area, in which up to six lions were shown daily since 1999. A see-through tunnel ran through the habitat for close-up viewing, where the lions would frequently lounge on top of the glass, allowing visitors to walk under them. The lions were owned by Keith Evans, a trainer of exotic animals, and did not live at the habitat, but at his ranch 12 miles (19 km) outside Las Vegas.[12] The lion habitat closed permanently in February 2012 as part of MGM Grand's renovation.[14]
CSI: The Experience opened in the Studio Walk in September 2009. Here, guests try to solve one of three murder cases interactively, guided by touchscreen stations, cast member videos, and realistic recreated evidence. The first stop is a debriefing room where Gil Grissom introduces the "new recruits" to their assigned cases. After observing the evidence at the crime scene, visitors go to lab areas where they analyze the gathered evidence. They then present their findings in Grissom's office, answering a test based on their analysis of the evidence. Finally, visitors receive a case summary and a CSI diploma.[15]
TopGolf: Opened in 2017.

text: Gaming[edit]

text: The MGM Grand has one of the largest gaming floors in all of Las Vegas, measuring 171,500 square feet (15,930 m2). There are more than 2,500 machines for gaming as well as 139 poker and table games.[16]

text: The slot machines at the MGM Grand range from 1¢ to $1,000 and include progressive slots, video poker, and multi-game machines. There is a special High Limit Slots area, featuring slot machines with payouts up to $500,000.

text: The race and sports book is a state of-the-art betting area that features thirty-six 60-inch plasma TVs, along with twenty-four 42-inch plasmas. Bets are offered on a range of sports including soccer, football, boxing, MMA and more. They are also the first room to offer what they call "SkyBoxes". These boxes can hold up to ten guests and come with beverage servers and complimentary food.[17]

text: Hotel[edit]

text: The hotel rooms are located in several buildings including:

text:
The main hotel building, with 5,044 rooms (4,293 rooms ranging from USD $79 to USD $499 per night and 751 suites ranging from USD $275 to USD $20,500 per night.)[12]
SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand, a AAA Five-Diamond, Forbes Five Star hotel, occupies the top two floors of the main building. The hotel has 51 lofts ranging from USD $2,000 to USD $10,000 per night and is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.[18][19]
The three The Signature at MGM Grand towers, each with 576 suites ranging from USD $170 to USD $599 per night (designed by Bergman Walls Associates).
The Mansion at MGM Grand with 29 villas reserved for VIP's, celebrities, and casino-invited guests ranging from USD $5,000 to USD $35,000 per night.

text: The Signature at MGM Grand[edit]

text: The Signature at MGM Grand is a condo hotel project by MGM Mirage and Turnberry Associates, who teamed up to build the three currently open Signature at the MGM Grand towers. The 38-story, 475-foot (145 m) tall structures have 576 all-suite units each and were priced from $450,000 to more than $2.0 million. Signature is located on the property where the MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park once stood. Each tower has its own private pool with cabanas as well as access to MGM Grand pools. Additional guest/owner amenities at The Signature include a Starbucks, meeting rooms, exercise room, bar and restaurant. Each tower is connected with walkways including moving walkways for the connection to the MGM Grand.

text: Entertainment venues[edit]

text:
Brad Garrett's Comedy Club - features Garrett and other comedians.
David Copperfield Theater - nightly shows by the illusionist
Hakkasan - restaurant and nightclub
Jabbawockeez Theater - features "Jreamz" by the eponymous dance group, and Beacher's Madhouse. Formerly home to the "Crazy Horse Paris."[20]
Kà Theatre - home to Cirque du Soleil's production Kà. Formerly home to EFX.
MGM Grand Garden Arena - hosts major concerts and sporting events.
Wet Republic Ultra Pool - dayclub

text: Restaurants[edit]

text:
Joël Robuchon
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Hakkasan
Emeril's
Michael Mina's Pub 1842
Craftsteak
Wolfgang Puck
Fiamma
Morimoto
TAP Sports Bar
Pearl
Shibuya
Rainforest Cafe (Opened on December 18, 1997; Closed in August 24, 2015)
China Tang