Uncle Henry is a fictional character from
The Oz Books
The ''Oz'' books form a book series that begins with '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) and relates the fictional history of the Land of Oz. Oz was created by author L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length ''Oz'' books. Bau ...
by
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', part of a series. In addition to the 14 ''Oz'' books, Baum penned 41 other novels ...
.
[ Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 227.] He is the uncle of
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by the American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most o ...
and husband of
Aunt Em
Aunt Em is a fictional character from the Oz books. Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 10. She is married to Uncle Henry and the aunt of Dorothy Gale, who lives together with ...
, and lived with them on a
farm
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
in
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
.
Oz Books
After their house was famously carried off to the
Land of Oz
The Land of Oz is a fantasy world introduced in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by William Wallace Denslow, W. W. Denslow.
Oz consists of four vast quadrants, the Gillikin Countr ...
by a tornado in ''
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a 1900 children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the ma ...
'', Henry
mortgaged his farm in order to rebuild. This crisis, combined with the stress of Dorothy's prolonged disappearance and sudden reappearance, took a toll on his health, and his doctor ordered him to take a vacation. He took Dorothy with him on an ocean voyage to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, where he had relatives, but during this trip (in ''
Ozma of Oz
''Ozma of Oz'' was the third book of L. Frank Baum's List of Oz books, Oz series, published in 1907.
Publication
The full title of the first edition read ''Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow ...
'') Dorothy was lost again during a storm, and for several weeks a despondent Henry believed she had
drowned
Drowning is a type of Asphyxia, suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where othe ...
, until she suddenly returned again, courtesy of the
Nome King
The Nome King is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum, introduced in the 1907 book ''Ozma of Oz''. The Nome King recurs in many of the ''Oz'' novels, being the most frequent antagonist in Baum's book series.
Precursor ...
's
Magic Belt
The Land of Oz is a fantasy world introduced in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow.
Oz consists of four vast quadrants, the Gillikin Country in the north, Quadlin ...
.
In ''
The Emerald City of Oz
''The Emerald City of Oz'' is the sixth book in L. Frank Baum's List of Oz books, Oz series. Originally published on July 20, 1910, it is the story of Dorothy Gale and her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em coming to live in Oz permanently. While they are t ...
'', Henry and Em finally confessed to Dorothy the extent of their financial problems, and revealed to her that their farm was on the verge of foreclosure. Dorothy solved this problem for them by bringing them to live with her in the
Emerald City
The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's ''Oz'' books, first described in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900).
Fictional description
Located in the center of ...
, as permanent guests of
Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma of Oz, formally known as Tippetarius, is a fictional character from the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She appears for the first time in the second Oz book, '' The Marvelous Land of Oz'' (1904), and in every ...
. Henry was given the job of being Keeper of the Jewels in Ozma's treasure hoard for the purpose of keeping him occupied. Unlike Em, who is questioning everything about the Land of Oz, Henry accepts his new life and home with surprising ease, having traveled and seen the world a lot more than his wife had.
By ''
Glinda of Oz
''Glinda of Oz'' is the fourteenth book in the Oz series written by children's author L. Frank Baum, published on July 10, 1920. It is the last book of the original Oz series, which, following Baum's death, was continued by other authors. Pre ...
'', he has become one of Ozma's closest advisers, having taught his agricultural abilities to Ozite farmers, getting them producing surplus for the Emerald City storehouses.
Henry has been featured slightly more than Em in the Oz books, despite being less featured than she in the film, ''
The Wizard of Oz
''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...
'' (1939).
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson (27 July 1891 – 6 April 1976) was an Americans, American writer of children's stories, best known for writing many novels placed in Land of Oz, Oz, the fictional land of L. Frank Baum's classic children's novel ''The Wonde ...
gave him only two brief mentions, in ''
The Royal Book of Oz
''The Royal Book of Oz'' (1921) is the fifteenth book in the List of Oz books, Oz series, and the first to be written after L. Frank Baum's death. Although Baum was credited as the author, it was written entirely by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It wa ...
'' and ''
Grampa in Oz
''Grampa in Oz'' (1924) is the eighteenth book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the fourth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Unlike in Baum's books, ''Grampa in Oz'' presents a kingdom in Oz that has a monetary ...
''. He had somewhat larger roles in
John R. Neill's ''
The Wonder City of Oz
''The Wonder City of Oz'' (1940) is the thirty-fourth book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the first written and illustrated solely by John R. Neill Neill introduced a modern-day reimagining change in tone tha ...
'' and ''
The Scalawagons of Oz
''The Scalawagons of Oz'' (1941) is the thirty-fifth book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and continued by his successors; it is the second volume in the series both written and illustrated by John R. Neill. The novel was followed by ...
'',
Jack Snow's ''
The Magical Mimics in Oz
''The Magical Mimics in Oz'' (1946) is the thirty-seventh book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the first written by Jack Snow. It was illustrated by Frank G. Kramer. The novel was followed by ''The Shaggy Man ...
'', and
Eric Shanower
Eric James Shanower (born October 23, 1963) is an American cartoonist, best known for his ''List of Oz books, Oz'' novels and comics, and for the ongoing retelling of the Trojan War as ''Age of Bronze (comics), Age of Bronze''.
Early life
Eric S ...
's ''
The Giant Garden of Oz''.
Other media
Frank Alexander portrayed him as a villain in
Larry Semon
Lawrence Semon (February 9, 1889 – October 8, 1928) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter during the silent film era. In his day, Semon was considered a major movie comedian, but he is now remembered mainly for working ...
's ''
Wizard of Oz''.
In MGM's 1939 musical adaptation ''
The Wizard of Oz
''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...
'', Uncle Henry is played by
Charley Grapewin
Charles Ellsworth Grapewin (December 20, 1869 – February 2, 1956) was an American vaudeville and circus performer, writer, and stage and film actor. He worked in over 100 motion pictures during the silent and sound eras, most notably portrayin ...
. Hickory (
Tin Man's alter ego) addresses Aunt Em as "Mrs. Gale" just before she offers crullers to the three farmhands, and Hunk (
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin that is often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops. ...
's alter ego) does so just afterward. The name "Gale" appears on the mailbox and Miss Almira Gulch (
Wicked Witch
The Wicked Witch of the West, a fictional character in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) by the American author L. Frank Baum, is the evil ruler of the Winkie Country, the western region in the Land of Oz. S ...
's alter ego) addresses him as "Mr. Gale". Baum however, never gives Uncle Henry's surname in his books, nor indicates whether Henry or Em is Dorothy's blood relative. It is also possible that "Aunt" and "Uncle" are affectionate terms of a foster family and that Dorothy is not related to either of them. In this film, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are the only characters whose roles are limited to the Kansas sequence and do not make an appearance in the Oz sequence, although Aunt Em is seen again in the crystal ball at the Wicked Witch's castle still looking for Dorothy. He and Aunt Em reunite with their three farmworkers and Professor Marvel (
Wizard's alter ego) when Dorothy awakens from being unconscious.
In the 1974 animated film ''
Journey Back to Oz
''Journey Back To Oz'' is a 1972 American Animation, animated Adventure film, adventure Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Filmation. Although L. Frank Baum received no screen credit, the film is loosely based on his second novel ''Th ...
'',
Paul Ford
Paul Ford Weaver (November 2, 1901 – April 12, 1976) was an American character actor and comedian, comedic actor who came to specialize in portraying authority figures whose ineptitude and pompous demeanor were played for comic effect, notabl ...
voices Uncle Henry. He and Aunt Em have a farmworker named Amos (voiced by
Larry Storch
Lawrence Samuel Storch (January 8, 1923 – July 8, 2022) was an American actor and comedian known for his comic television roles, including voice-over work for cartoon shows such as Mr. Whoopee on '' Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales'' and his li ...
) who does not have an alter ego in Oz.
In the 1980 animated TV special ''
Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz
''Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz'' is an animated Thanksgiving TV special that first aired on CBS on November 15, 1980. The special was retitled ''Dorothy in the Land of Oz'', with some of the references to Thanksgiving cut out, for the CBS repea ...
'', Uncle Henry is voiced by Charles Woolf.
In the 1985 film ''
Return to Oz
''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film is ...
'', Uncle Henry's wife Emily is called "Mrs. Blue," implying that his full name is Henry Blue. He is played by
Matt Clark opposite
Piper Laurie
Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932 – October 14, 2023) was an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films '' The Hustler'' (1961), '' Carrie'' (1976), and '' Children of a Lesser God'' (1986), and the miniseries ...
. He has a broken leg throughout the film that Aunt Em insists is mended. His laziness and lack of work ethic at the beginning of the film is contrasted to his energetic and joyful actions after having found Dorothy, proving that Dorothy is where his will to work comes from.
In the comic book ''The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles'', Henry Gale was born in 1852, but died in old age of a heart attack. He was buried in St. Ann's Cemetery in Kansas. Due to Oz residents never really dying in entirety, the "new" Witch in Oz had Henry in unconscious stasis, after his Earthly soul had died.
In the American television program ''
Lost'', the character
Benjamin Linus
Benjamin Linus is a fictional character portrayed by Michael Emerson on the ABC television series '' Lost''. Ben was the leader of a group of Island natives called the Others and was initially known as Henry Gale to the survivors of Oceanic Flig ...
initially tells survivors his name is Henry Gale and claims to have arrived on the island via hot air balloon. It is later revealed that the real Henry Gale was indeed a balloonist who died upon crashing on the island—just one of the many references to Baum's Oz novels on the show.
In the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
telefilm ''
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
''The Muppets' Wizard of Oz'' is a 2005 musical fantasy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher, and the third television film featuring the Muppets. The film stars Ashanti, Jeffrey Tambor, Quentin Tarantino, David Alan Grier, Queen L ...
'', Henry was played by
David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier (born June 30, 1956) is an American actor and comedian. Known for his roles on stage and screen, Grier gained popularity playing multiple roles in the American sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'' (1990–1994) ...
and owned a diner rather than a farm.
In the ''
VeggieTales
''VeggieTales'' is an American Christian media, Christian Computer animated, CGI-animated series and multimedia franchise created by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki under Big Idea Entertainment. The series stars Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumb ...
'' episode ''
The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's'', Uncle Henry and his wife Aunt Em were substituted by a father (Dad Asparagus) to retell
The Prodigal Son The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a parable of Jesus in the Bible.
The Prodigal Son or Prodigal Son may also refer to:
Film
* ''L'Enfant prodigue'' (1907 film) (The Prodigal Son), by Michel Carré, based on his play
* , a short silent film by ...
, a biblical parable from the Gospel.
Uncle Henry appears in ''
Dorothy and the Witches of Oz
''Dorothy and the Witches of Oz'' is a 2012 film directed by Leigh Scott, based on the early 20th century novels ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', ''Ozma of Oz'', ''The Road to Oz'' and ''The Magic of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum. The film stars Paulie Ro ...
'' played by
Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen (born May 5, 1940) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in various science fiction, action and horror genre productions, including Bishop in the ''Alien'' film franchise and Frank Black in the Fox television series ...
. He posthumously reveals that his great-grandparents Frank and Maud Baum were the true parents of Dorothy Gale in a letter.
Uncle Henry was voiced by
Stephen Root
Stephen Root (born November 17, 1951) is an American actor. He has starred as Jimmy James on the NBC sitcom ''NewsRadio'' (1995–1999), as Milton Waddams in the film ''Office Space'' (1999), and voiced Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland on the a ...
in the direct-to-video animated film ''
Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz''.
Uncle Henry appears in ''
Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz'', voiced again by Stephen Root.
References
{{Oz
Oz (franchise) characters
Fictional characters from Kansas
Fictional farmers
Literary characters introduced in 1900
Male characters in literature