In the MGM 1939 classic, Wizard of Oz, there is just one pair of ruby slippers that is worn by Dorothy Gale throughout the film. But making the film, there are multiple pairs of ruby slippers that were all worn by star Judy Garland. This is the first pair to be publicly offered since 2012. Four pairs of the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland during the filming of the film are known to have survived.
One pair is at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, one pair is at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the other belongs to a private collector. This pair of ruby slippers auctioned are the cross-matched sister shoes to the pair at The Smithsonian Institution. It is believed that they were most likely separated in the early spring of 1970.
This pair was displayed around the country during the popular Michael Shaw’s Hollywood on Tour show and seminars. They were also displayed multiple times at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. But in 2005, a burglar broke in and stole them. The shoes finally resurfaced in 2018. How? Well, the FBI recovered them in a sting operation and the burglar was eventually publicly identified.
These slippers were sold at Heritage Auctions December 7th, 2024 for a record price of 28 million dollars (32.5 million after buyer’s premium, ect).
Rhys Thomas, who is an author and expert on the slippers puts it best when he wrote this statement in his book titled “The Ruby Slippers of Oz”. He wrote “They [the Ruby Slippers] were much more than just a piece of Hollywood memorabilia, much more than a valuable piece of industry history. They transcended Hollywood, to the point where they represented the powerful image of innocence to all America.”
Gary Miceli has loved film from a very early age, from the silent masterpieces of Charlie Chaplin to recent blockbuster hits. His love for cinema from all eras of history inspired him to go to film school and graduate with his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He continues to work hard in this wonderful field and always explores new avenues of expressing his love for movie/TV history.