The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film directed by Victor Fleming. It was based on the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, who died twenty years before this film was released. It features Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Frank Morgan, with Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charles Grapewin.
Seth MacFarlane has stated in episode commentary that when they do Oz-related cutaways, they have to use the characters as designed in the books due to refusal by MGM to allow access to the movie's characters. This is evident when Dorothy is shown wearing silver/blue slippers instead of the movie's Ruby Red. However, she is shown wearing Ruby Slippers in "Herpe, the Love Sore".
In "I Never Met the Dead Man", when Peter goes through withdrawal of not watching TV, he has a dream based on the tornado scene in the Wizard of Oz. Peter dreams he is in the house in the eye of the tornado. First he sees Alf, then Gilligan and the robot from Lost in Space. Next, he sees Jeannie who transforms into Samantha from Bewitched which is similar to Mrs. Gulch transforming into the Wicked Witch of the West.
The guard at the Dean’s office In "The Story on Page One" shouts, “Nobody sees the Dean, not nobody, not no how,” a reference to the Wizard’s guards. Also, Peter Griffin tells Luke Perry that Dark Side of the Moon synchs up with the film.
In "Holy Crap", Peter talks to the Scarecrow and Tin Man.
In "Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High", Lois confuses the prison drama Oz with The Wizard of Oz, where the prisoners sing a parody of "Merry Old Land of Oz". The song was parodied again in "Bigfat" during Quagmire's cutaway about Canadian strip clubs.
In the special opening in "PTV", Stewie runs through Oz on his Big Wheel and runs over Dorothy and her posse.
Brian is watching an episode of Scarecrow and Mrs. King in "Deep Throats", but instead of Bruce Boxleitner’s character, secret agent Lee “Scarecrow” Stetson, Kate Jackson’s Amanda King is paired with the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. In the scene, Scarecrow has been attacked by drug dealers, who have disassembled him just as the flying monkeys did in the film, and Scarecrow uses the same reaction lines.
A poster for the Broadway show Wicked, adapted from the Gregory Maguire novel that explores the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the South, is seen outside Red Dawn: The Musical in "Hell Comes to Quahog".
In "Don't Make Me Over", the Tin Man's homosexuality is revealed.
"Saving Private Brian" claims that Dorothy has herpes.
Dorothy has a rather awkward goodbye in "The Former Life of Brian".
Peter claims "there is nothing in that black bag for me" in "Peter's Progress", a reference from when Dorothy believes the wizard can't help her get home.
Seth MacFarlane portrays a live-action Cowardly Lion in a screen test for the movie Flight 93 in Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show.
Peter writes "Retire Cher" in the same manner and to the same music as the Wicked Witch of the West did to write "Surrender Dorothy" in "Quagmire's Baby".
When Peter's thought process trips up the show directors on a cutaway in "Thanksgiving", they slip in a cutaway of The Cowardly Lion as Lindsay Lohan's gynecologist.
In addition to his live-action performance, Seth MacFarlane voiced the Lion in his animated speaking roles. Rachael MacFarlane provides the voice of Dorothy.
Peter attends a "Cowards Anonymous" meeting with the Cowardly Lion in "Herpe, the Love Sore". After hearing about such things as flying monkeys, Peter convinces him that his fear is a natural reaction and the Lion returns and flips off Dorothy and the gang.
In "This Little Piggy", a cutaway reveals the Tin Man receiving an actual donated heart from the wizard and regrets asking for one literally.