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Kansan farm girl Dorothy Gale lives with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry and three farm hands, Hickory, Hunk and Zeke. When Miss Almira Gultch is bitten by Dorothy's dog Toto, she gets a sheriff's order and takes Toto away to be destroyed. He escapes and returns to Dorothy who, fearing for his life, runs away with him.
Dorothy soon encounters a travelling fortune teller named Professor Marvel who guesses she has run away, and invites her to his wagon so that he can tell her fortune. Sneaking a look at the photograph of Dorothy and Aunt Em, Professor Marvel tricks her into returning home by telling her that her aunt has fallen ill with grief, and as she rushes back to the farmhouse a twister is fast approaching. Unable to join her family in the locked storm shelter she takes shelter inside the house where she is knocked unconscious by a window frame blown by the twister. Dorothy awakens to find the house being carried away by the tornado, with her and Toto inside. When the house eventually falls back to earth she opens the door and finds herself alone in a strange village.
Flying into the village, Glinda the good witch of the North informs the girl that she and her falling house have killed the Wicked Witch of the East. The timid Munchkins come out of hiding to celebrate the demise of the Wicked Witch by singing 'Ding dong the witch is dead'. Their celebration is interrupted when the Wicked Witch of the West suddenly appears in a cloud of smoke and tries to claim her dead sister's powerful ruby slippers. But Glinda magically transfers the slippers from the dead witch onto Dorothy's feet and reminds the Witch of the West that her power has no effect in Munchkinland. The witch vows revenge on Dorothy.
When Dorothy asks how to get back home Glinda advises her to seek the help of the mysterious Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City, which she can reach by following the yellow brick road, and she warns Dorothy never to remove the slippers or she will be at the mercy of the Wiched Witch. On her way to the city Dorothy meets a Scarecrow, a Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion who each tell her that they needed, respectively, a brain, a heart and courage. The three decide to accompany Dorothy in the hope that the Wizard will also fulfil their desires, although on the way they demonstrate that they already have the qualities that they think they lack.
The foursome enter the Emerald City and are eventually allowed to visit the Wizard's castle to put in their requests to the great man himself. Although they don't actually see the Wizard he speaks to them in a booming voice saying that he will consider granting their wishes if they bring him the Wicked Witch's broomstick. They set out to find the Witches castle, but she detects them and sends her army of flying monkies, who carry Dorothy and Toto back to her. When the witch threatens to drown Toto Dorothy agrees to give up the ruby slippers, but a shower of sparks prevents their removal and Toto escapes. Realsing the shoes cannot be removed unless Dorotjy dies, the Witch leaves to ponder how to do this without diminishing the power of the shoes.
Toto finds Dorothy's friends and leads them to the castle. After ambushing some of the Witch's Winkie Guards and disguising themselves in their uniforms they enter the castle and free Dorothy. The Witch and her guards pursue and corner the group, where the Witch sets the Scarecrow's arm alight with her broomstick. Dorothy throws water at her friend to put out the fire, accidentally splashing the Witch which causes her to melt. The Winkie Guards are delighted and give Dorothy the broomstick.
Upon their triumphant return to the Emerald City and the Wizard's chamber, Toto opens a curtain revealing the Wizard to be an ordinary man operating a console of wheels and levers while speaking into a microphone. Aplogetic, the man explains that Dorothy's companions already had what they had been seeking all along, but bestows upon them tokens of esteem in recognition of their respective virtues.
Explaining that he too was born in Kansas, and had been brought to Oz by a runaway hot air balloon, the man offers to take Dorothy home in the same balloon, leaving the Scarecrown, Tin Man and Lion in charge of the Emerald City. As they are about to leave Toto is heard barking in the crowd. the guards let go of the rope to go and get the dog and the Wizard, unable to control the balloon, leaves without her.
As Dorothy despairs of ever leaving Oz, Glinda appears and tells her that she has always had the power to return home, explaining to her that she needed to learn for herself that she doesn't have to run away to find her heart's desire. Dorothy says a tearful goodbye to her friends, then follows Glinda's instructions to close her eyes, tap her heels together three times, and keep repeating 'There's no place like home'.
Dorothy finds herself back in Kansas, surrounded by family and friends, and tells them of her journey. But, when Aunt Em assures her it was all a dream Dorothy insists otherwise, and promises that she will never leave home again, because she loves them all.......... and because 'there's no place like home'.
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