# Uncle Henry

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Fictional character from L. Frank Baum's Oz-series

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Fictional character

Henry Gale Oz character Uncle Henry with Dorothy Gale; art by W.W. Denslow (top) and John R. Neill (bottom) First appearance The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) Created by L. Frank Baum Portrayed by Frank Alexander Charley Grapewin Stanley Greene Matt Clark David Alan Grier Lance Henriksen In-universe information Gender Male Title Agricultural Adviser to Princess Ozma Occupation Farmer Family Dorothy Gale (niece) Spouse Aunt Em Relatives Uncle Bill Hugson (brother-in-law) unnamed sister-in-law Zeb of Hugson's ranch (nephew) unnamed Australians Nationality American

**Uncle Henry** is a fictional character from [The Oz Books](/source/The_Oz_Books) by [L. Frank Baum](/source/L._Frank_Baum).[1] He is the uncle of [Dorothy Gale](/source/Dorothy_Gale) and husband of [Aunt Em](/source/Aunt_Em), and lived with them on a [farm](/source/Farm) in [Kansas](/source/Kansas).

## Oz Books

After their house was famously carried off to the [Land of Oz](/source/Land_of_Oz) by a tornado in *[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz](/source/The_Wonderful_Wizard_of_Oz)*, Henry [mortgaged](/source/Mortgage_loan) 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](/source/Australia), where he had relatives, but during this trip (in *[Ozma of Oz](/source/Ozma_of_Oz)*) Dorothy was lost again during a storm, and for several weeks a despondent Henry believed she had [drowned](/source/Drowning), until she suddenly returned again, courtesy of the [Nome King](/source/Nome_King)'s [Magic Belt](/source/Magic_Belt).

In *[The Emerald City of Oz](/source/The_Emerald_City_of_Oz)*, 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](/source/Emerald_City), as permanent guests of [Princess Ozma](/source/Princess_Ozma). 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](/source/Glinda_of_Oz)*, 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](/source/The_Wizard_of_Oz)* (1939). [Ruth Plumly Thompson](/source/Ruth_Plumly_Thompson) gave him only two brief mentions, in *[The Royal Book of Oz](/source/The_Royal_Book_of_Oz)* and *[Grampa in Oz](/source/Grampa_in_Oz)*. He had somewhat larger roles in [John R. Neill](/source/John_R._Neill)'s *[The Wonder City of Oz](/source/The_Wonder_City_of_Oz)* and *[The Scalawagons of Oz](/source/The_Scalawagons_of_Oz)*, [Jack Snow](/source/Jack_Snow_(writer))'s *[The Magical Mimics in Oz](/source/The_Magical_Mimics_in_Oz)*, and [Eric Shanower](/source/Eric_Shanower)'s *[The Giant Garden of Oz](/source/The_Giant_Garden_of_Oz)*.

## Other media

[Frank Alexander](/source/Frank_Alexander_(actor)) portrayed him as a villain in [Larry Semon](/source/Larry_Semon)'s *[Wizard of Oz](/source/Wizard_of_Oz_(1925_film))*.

In MGM's 1939 musical adaptation *[The Wizard of Oz](/source/The_Wizard_of_Oz)*, Uncle Henry is played by [Charley Grapewin](/source/Charley_Grapewin). Hickory ([Tin Man](/source/Tin_Woodman)'s alter ego) addresses Aunt Em as "Mrs. Gale" just before she offers crullers to the three farmhands, and Hunk ([Scarecrow](/source/Scarecrow_(Oz))'s alter ego) does so just afterward. The name "Gale" appears on the mailbox and Miss Almira Gulch ([Wicked Witch](/source/Wicked_Witch_of_the_West)'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](/source/Wizard_of_Oz_(character))'s alter ego) when Dorothy awakens from being unconscious.

In the 1974 animated film *[Journey Back to Oz](/source/Journey_Back_to_Oz)*, [Paul Ford](/source/Paul_Ford) voices Uncle Henry. He and Aunt Em have a farmworker named Amos (voiced by [Larry Storch](/source/Larry_Storch)) who does not have an alter ego in Oz.

In the 1980 animated TV special *[Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz](/source/Thanksgiving_in_the_Land_of_Oz)*, Uncle Henry is voiced by Charles Woolf.

In the 1985 film *[Return to Oz](/source/Return_to_Oz)*, Uncle Henry's wife Emily is called "Mrs. Blue," implying that his full name is Henry Blue. He is played by [Matt Clark](/source/Matt_Clark_(actor)) opposite [Piper Laurie](/source/Piper_Laurie). 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](/source/Lost_(2004_TV_series))*, the character [Benjamin Linus](/source/Benjamin_Linus) 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](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company) telefilm *[The Muppets' Wizard of Oz](/source/The_Muppets'_Wizard_of_Oz)*, Henry was played by [David Alan Grier](/source/David_Alan_Grier) and owned a diner rather than a farm.

In the *[VeggieTales](/source/VeggieTales)* episode *[The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's](/source/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](/source/Parable_of_the_Prodigal_Son), a biblical parable from the Gospel.

Uncle Henry appears in *[Dorothy and the Witches of Oz](/source/Dorothy_and_the_Witches_of_Oz)* played by [Lance Henriksen](/source/Lance_Henriksen). 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](/source/Stephen_Root) in the direct-to-video animated film *[Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz](/source/Tom_and_Jerry_and_the_Wizard_of_Oz)*.

Uncle Henry appears in *[Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz](/source/Tom_and_Jerry%3A_Back_to_Oz)*, voiced again by Stephen Root.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Jack Snow](/source/Jack_Snow_(writer)), *Who's Who in Oz*, Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 227.

v t e The Wonderful Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum Ruth Plumly Thompson John R. Neill Jack Snow Rachel Cosgrove Payes Eloise Jarvis McGraw Books Books by Baum The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904) Ozma of Oz (1907) Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908) The Road to Oz (1909) The Emerald City of Oz (1910) Little Wizard Stories of Oz (1913) The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913) Tik-Tok of Oz (1914) The Scarecrow of Oz (1915) Rinkitink in Oz (1916) The Lost Princess of Oz (1917) The Tin Woodman of Oz (1918) The Magic of Oz (1919) Glinda of Oz (1920) by Thompson The Royal Book of Oz (1921) Kabumpo in Oz (1922) The Cowardly Lion of Oz (1923) Grampa in Oz (1924) The Lost King of Oz (1925) The Hungry Tiger of Oz (1926) The Gnome King of Oz (1927) The Giant Horse of Oz (1928) Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz (1929) The Yellow Knight of Oz (1930) Pirates in Oz (1931) The Purple Prince of Oz (1932) Ojo in Oz (1933) Speedy in Oz (1934) The Wishing Horse of Oz (1935) Captain Salt in Oz (1936) Handy Mandy in Oz (1937) The Silver Princess in Oz (1938) Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz (1939) Yankee in Oz (1972) The Enchanted Island of Oz (1976) by others The Wonder City of Oz (1940) The Scalawagons of Oz (1941) Lucky Bucky in Oz (1942) The Magical Mimics in Oz (1946) The Shaggy Man of Oz (1949) The Hidden Valley of Oz (1951) Merry Go Round in Oz (1963) The Forbidden Fountain of Oz (1980) The Ozmapolitan of Oz (1986) The Wicked Witch of Oz (1993) The Giant Garden of Oz (1993) The Runaway in Oz (1995) Paradox in Oz (1999) The Hidden Prince of Oz (2000) The Rundelstone of Oz (2001) The Emerald Wand of Oz (2005) Trouble Under Oz (2006) Characters Baum Aunt Em Billina Cowardly Lion Dorothy Gale Glass Cat Glinda Good Witch of the North Jack Pumpkinhead Jellia Jamb Jinjur John Dough Mombi Munchkins Nome King Pastoria Patchwork Girl Polychrome Princess Ozma Queen Lurline Scarecrow Shaggy Man Soldier with the Green Whiskers Tik-Tok Tin Woodman Toto Uncle Henry Wicked Witch of the East Wicked Witch of the West Winged monkeys Wizard of Oz Woggle-Bug Post-Baum Elphaba Madame Morrible Jinnicky the Red Jinn Kabumpo Peter Brown Elements Emerald City Gingham dress Land of Ev Land of Oz Merryland Ruby slippers Silver shoes "Surrender Dorothy" Yellow brick road Related The Magical Monarch of Mo (1899) Dot and Tot of Merryland (1901) The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902) The Enchanted Island of Yew (1903) Queen Zixi of Ix (1904) John Dough and the Cherub (1906) The Sea Fairies (1911) Sky Island (1912) Copyright status Political interpretations Adaptations Stage The Wizard of Oz (1902) The Woggle-Bug (1905) The Tik-Tok Man of Oz (1913) The Wizard of Oz (1942) The Wiz (1974) The Marvelous Land of Oz (1981) The Wizard of Oz (1987) The Wizard of A.I.D.S. (1987) Twister (1994) Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz (2003) The Wizard of Oz (2011) The Woodsman (2012) Films The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays (1908) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910) The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914) The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914) His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914) The Wizard of Oz (1925) The Wizard of Oz (1933) The Wizard of Oz (1939) The Wizard of Oz (1950) The Rainbow Road to Oz (unproduced) Return to Oz (1964, TV) The Wizard of Mars (1965) The Wonderful Land of Oz (1969) Ayşecik ve Sihirli Cüceler Rüyalar Ülkesinde (1971) Journey Back to Oz (1972) Oz (1976) The Wiz (1978) The Wizard of Oz (1982) Os Trapalhões e o Mágico de Oróz (1984) Return to Oz (1985) Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz (1987) The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story (1990) The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True (1995) Lion of Oz (2000) The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) Apocalypse Oz (2006) After the Wizard (2011) Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz (2011) Dorothy and the Witches of Oz (2012) Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014) OzLand (2014) Guardians of Oz (2015) The Wiz Live! (2015) Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz (2016) The Steam Engines of Oz (2018) Rainbow (2022) Wicked (2024) The Wizard of the Emerald City (2024) The Wizard of Oz at Sphere (2025) Wicked: For Good (2025) Gale: Yellow Brick Road (2026) Television Tales of the Wizard of Oz (1961) Off to See the Wizard (1967–68) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1986–87) The Wizard of Oz (1990) The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz (1992–93) The Oz Kids (1996) Tin Man (2007) "Wizard of Odd" (2010) Once Upon a Time (2011–18) Lost in Oz (2015–18) Emerald City (2017) Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (2017–20) "The Wicked Wiz of Oz: The Rusical!" (2025) Books The Wizard of the Emerald City (1939) A Barnstormer in Oz (1982) Mister Tinker in Oz (1985) Dorothy of Oz (1989) Sir Harold and the Gnome King (1991) Was (1992) Queen Ann in Oz (1993) The Magic Dishpan of Oz (1994) The Wicked Years Wicked (1995) Son of a Witch (2005) A Lion Among Men (2008) Out of Oz (2011) Visitors from Oz (1998) Oz Before the Rainbow (2000) The Unknown Witches of Oz (2000) Bloodstained Oz (2006) The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls (2006) Dorothy Must Die (2014) The Wicked Will Rise (2015) Comics Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz (1904–05) Adventures in Oz (1986–92) The Enchanted Apples of Oz (1986) Oz Squad (1991) Lost Girls (1991–92) Dorothy (2004–07) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (2005) Cheshire Crossing (2006–19) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (2009) The Marvelous Land of Oz (2010) Games The Wizard of Oz (1985) The Wizard of Oz (1993) The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (2008) Emerald City Confidential (2009) Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love (2009) The Wizard of Oz (2010) The Wizard of Oz (2013) Music 1939 film The Wizard of Oz (1939 album) The Wizard of Oz (soundtrack) "Over the Rainbow" "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" "We're Off to See the Wizard" "If I Only Had a Brain" "The Merry Old Land of Oz" "If I Were King of the Forest" The Wiz The Wiz (original cast album) "Ease On down the Road" "A Brand New Day" a.k.a. "Everybody Rejoice" Wicked "The Wizard and I" "Popular" "Defying Gravity" "As Long as You're Mine" "No Good Deed" "For Good" Other The Wozard of Iz (1968) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) Meco Plays The Wizard of Oz (1978) The Wizard of Oz: Live Australian Cast Recording (2001) Oz the Great and Powerful (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2013) Wicked: The Soundtrack (2024) Wicked: The Original Motion Picture Score (2024) Related Land of Oz Oz Park Oz-story Magazine The International Wizard of Oz Club The Baum Bugle The Oz Film Manufacturing Company Wizard of Oz festival Wizard of Oz Museum Category

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Uncle Henry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Henry) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Henry?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.