The ‘Wizard of Oz’ is one of the most loved movies ever made. So it’s no surprise that people often wonder ‘What happened to the Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz?’.
When the movie was released in 1939, movie studios were often careless with props, costumes, and scripts, and so its a surprise that the slippers survived at all. Workers would often keep props as souvenirs without permission, knowing their employers would not particularly care.
So What Happened To The Ruby Slippers?
It is believed that five pairs of Ruby Slippers still exist and that at least seven were made originally. One pair of Ruby Slippers was owned by Roberta Bauman, who won them after for placing second in a National Four Star Club competition.
Roberta Bauman with her pair of the Ruby Slippers.
The other four pairs were found by Kent Warner. Warner, who worked as a costume designer, amassed a large private collection of movie props. Often supplementing his income selling the props on. It was he who found four pairs of the Ruby Slippers in February or March of 1970 while helping set up an auction of MGM props and wardrobe. The four pairs found by Warner were all different sizes.
The slippers had been stored and forgotten in the basement of the MGM wardrobe department. One pair, size 5C, became the centerpiece of the MGM auction, selling for $15,000. Warner kept the other three pairs for himself, including the best pair, size 5B.
Kent Warner showing off the Ruby Slippers.
Warner would sell one pair to memorabilia collector Michael Shaw in 1970 for $2,500. This pair, size 5 1/2 B, were later donated to the Judy Garland Museum. In 2005 they were stolen from the museum, in what some believed was an inside job.
It is believed that Warner also sold a second pair, but little is known about this pair of Ruby Slippers. Leaving him with just the 5B pair, which were in the best condition. This pair was believed to have been worn by Judy Garland in the static and closeup shots. He would go on to sell the slippers for $12,000 in 1981. Just three years before his death from AIDS complications at the age of 41.
Where Are The Slippers Now?
The pair of Ruby Slippers won by Roberta Bauman were sold at auction by Christie’s for $165,000 in 1988. The winner of the auction was Anthony Landini, who worked with the Disney Company to start exhibiting them in the queue area for The Great Movie Ride which debuted in 1989.
Roberta Bauman and Anthony Landini.
Landini auctioned the Ruby Slippers in 2000 for $666,000, the buyer was David Elkouby and his partners, who own memorabilia shops in Hollywood.
Three pairs of Ruby Slippers found by Warner have all found new homes. While the fourth pair, which were believed to have been sold privately by Warner, are yet to resurface (if they still exist at all).
The 5C ruby slippers that sold at the MGM auction for $15,000 are now on display in the Popular Culture wing of the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.
Ruby Slippers at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institute.
This pair was donated to the museum anonymously. The director of the museum, Dr. Brent Glass, stated: “they were worn by Judy Garland during her dance routines on the Yellow Brick Road because there’s felt on the bottom of these slippers”.
However, it has been said that all but one pair had an orange felt on the shoes.
The pair of shoes sold by Warner to Michael Shaw, which were then given to the Judy Garland Museum and stolen, were later found. In 2015 an anonymous donor offered a $1 million reward for the 5 1/2 B size Ruby Slippers. In 2018, the FBI announced the stolen pair had been found and returned to the museum.
Ruby Slippers at the Judy Garland Museum
The 5B pair, also known as ‘The Witch’s Shoes’, which were originally bought for $12,000 by an unknown bidder, were later bought for $165,000 by Philip Samuels (the exact same price as the Bauman pair sold for). He used the shoes to fundraise for children’s charities.
In 2012 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences purchased the Slippers with the help of Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, and other benefactors for an unknown sum.
The best pair of Slippers, which were used for closeups. Bought in 2012 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.