They were stolen almost 20 years ago and then found in 2018: the famous red shoes that Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz It will be sold at auction in December.
Covered in ruby sequins and adorned with a bow on the front, Dorothy’s shoes are “legendary” because the film on which they are based is “a cult classic, known around the world,” notes Nikki Hale, director of special projects at the Heritage auction house, whose London branch is currently exhibiting the famous couple.
The house estimates that its price could reach 3 million dollars. The sale, which began online, will close on December 7 in Dallas (United States).
“The Holy Grail”
The pair is what Dorothy wears “when she begins her adventure” or “when she steps on her heels to get home,” recalls Nikki Hale, for whom the shoes are “the Holy Grail when it comes to movie memories.”
Only four couples survive from the filming of wizard of ozreleased in 1939, and which marked generations of Americans and movie buffs around the world.
The story of this one, owned by the same collector since the 70s, is worthy of a movie. Located in the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, the actress’ Minnesota hometown, the shoes mysteriously disappeared in 2005.
One year suspended prison sentence
Despite a reward offered to find them that increased over time to one million dollars, it was not until 2018 that the FBI finally managed to get hold of them after a long investigation. “They were found in Tupperware buried in the ground,” says Nikki Hale.
The perpetrator of the theft, Terry Martin, who was in his fifties at the time, admitted the facts and indicated that he had stolen the shoes because he believed they were inlaid with real rubies. He was finally sentenced to a year of suspended prison in early January.
Other relics related to wizard of oz Also for sale are one of Judy Garland’s wigs, vintage posters and photographs, as well as items from other films, such as the wooden game board from the film. jumanji (1995) with Robin Williams.
Source: BFM TV
