The movie didn't do quite as well as expected at the box office. It was outperformed by the more critically acclaimed and star-powered 'Gone with the Wind', and it's only over time that it's gained the reputation and huge affection that it now enjoys. Also, there's the small fact that World War II broke out at around the same time the film hit cinemas.
Not to be put off, the Mason City Globe Gazette in Iowa saw fit to promote the film with this exact headline: 'War Nerves? See The Wizard Of Oz For A Genuine Rest'. We think that the movie is enchanting and charming, and we're really hoping you can still enjoy it even though you now know all these facts about it, but we're not sure it would go quite the whole way of stopping us from being concerned about the threat of Nazism crossing over the sea from Europe and destroying our way of life completely.