Ruby slippers from The Wizard Of Oz are auctioned 19 years after theft

On By Pranco

LONDON – The ruby ​​slippers worn by the late American actress Judy Garland in the classic film The Wizard Of Oz (1939) will be sold at auction in December, almost 20 years after they were stolen.

Heritage Auctions showed the magical shoes in London before they went under the hammer in Dallas, the United States, on December 7, with predictions that they could sell for up to US$3 million ($4 million).

“They are legendary like no other,” says Ms. Nikki Hale, special projects manager at Heritage, of the striking sequin-covered pumps, which are finished with bows. “The Wizard Of Oz truly stands the test of time as a cult classic, iconic film. People all over the world know what The Wizard Of Oz is.

“You see them when she clicks on her heels to go home. You see them as she begins her adventure, as she descends into Munchkinland,” Ms. Hale added. “They are definitely the Holy Grail, as far as movie memorabilia goes.”

Only four pairs were made for the film, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz (1900), and the ones for sale have been owned by a collector since 1970.

Garland died in 1969 at the age of 47.

The shoes were kept at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown 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 wasn’t until 2018 that they were finally tracked down.

“They were found, apparently buried in a Tupperware (box), underground,” Ms Hale said.

The perpetrator of the theft, Terry Martin, admitted to taking them, saying he did so because he believed they were encrusted with real rubies.

He is now 76 and received a suspended prison sentence in January.

There will also be other memorabilia from The Wizard Of Oz for 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