Ruby slippers from The Wizard Of Oz up for auction 19 years after theft
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The ruby slippers worn by US actress and singer Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard Of Oz are pictured on display in London on Nov 27.
PHOTO: AFP
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LONDON – The ruby slippers worn by the late American actress Judy Garland in classic film The Wizard Of Oz (1939) will be sold at auction in December, nearly 20 years after they were stolen.
Heritage Auctions showed off the magical footwear in London before they go under the hammer in Dallas, the United States, on Dec 7, with predictions they could sell for up to US$3 million (S$4 million).
“They are legendary like no other,” said Ms Nikki Hale, manager of special projects at Heritage, of the distinctive sequin-covered court shoes, which are topped with bows. “The Wizard Of Oz really stands the test of time as a cult-classic, iconic film. Anywhere across the world, people know what The Wizard Of Oz is.
“You see them when she’s clicking the heels to go home. You see them when she starts her adventure, when she goes down Munchkinland,” Ms Hale added. “They are absolutely the Holy Grail, as far as movie memorabilia goes.”
Only four pairs made for the film, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz (1900), still survive, and those on sale have belonged to a collector since 1970.
Garland died in 1969 at the age of 47.
The shoes were kept in the Judy Garland Museum in her home town of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, until they mysteriously disappeared in 2005.
Despite a six-figure reward and the involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it was not until 2018 that they were finally tracked down.
“They were recovered, apparently buried in a Tupperware (box), underground,” said Ms Hale.
The perpetrator of the theft, Terry Martin, admitted to taking them and said he did so because he believed they were encrusted with real rubies.
Now 76, he was given a suspended prison sentence in January.
Other memorabilia from The Wizard Of Oz will also be on sale, including Garland’s wigs, film posters and photographs, as well as other items such as a wooden game board from the film Jumanji (1995) starring the late American actor Robin Williams. AFP
