What Movie Is Somewhere Over the Rainbow From
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is a song from the 1939 American musical fantasy film The Wizard of Oz, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, and the song was written by composer Harold Arlen and lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. It is widely recognized as one of the most iconic movie songs in American film history. The song opens the film and is reprised near the end, anchoring Dorothy's emotional arc. Forbes lists The Wizard of Oz among the most influential films of the 20th century.
The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 12th Academy Awards ceremony held in 1940. It lost to "The Way You Look Tonight" from the film Swing Time, but it later became a signature recording for Judy Garland and a standard covered by many artists. The American Film Institute ranks it among the top movie songs of all time in its AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs list. The Library of Congress selected the recording for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
Who Wrote Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg
Harold Arlen composed the music, and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg wrote the lyrics for "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Arlen was a prominent composer of popular and film music, while Harburg was known for his witty and socially conscious lyrics. MGM's musical unit, led by producer Arthur Freed and director Victor Fleming, oversaw the production of The Wizard of Oz. The film's score was recorded with a large orchestra at MGM studios in Culver City, California.
The song was first performed in the film by Judy Garland, who was 16 years old at the time of filming. Her version became the definitive recording, though Arlen himself recorded several other versions. The song's structure, with its slow build from a gentle opening to a soaring climax, was innovative for its time. It has since been studied in music schools as an example of effective film song composition.
Where to Watch The Wizard of Oz
Streaming and Home Video
The Wizard of Oz is available on major streaming platforms and home video services. Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of Warner Bros. Pictures, manages the distribution of the film through its digital and physical media divisions. The film is also available for digital purchase and rental on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. Physical copies include Blu-ray and DVD editions with restored high-definition transfers.
Public television broadcasts and special theatrical re-releases have kept the film in cultural circulation for decades. The film's copyright and licensing are handled by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., and clips from the movie are often featured in documentaries and retrospectives about American musical cinema. The Library of Congress and the Academy Film Archive hold archival copies of the original Technicolor negatives and soundtrack elements.