Dorothy’s Slippers
Rhys Thomas’ articles on Judy Garland’s ruby slippers were excellent (“The Ruby Slippers: A Journey to the Land of Oz” and “The Ruby Slippers: The Search for Sole Survivors,” March 13 and 20).
In 1970 I was a freshman at UCSB, but with the love for old movies I was drawn for a number of days to the MGM auction and touring the old MGM studios.
On the day the slippers were to be auctioned I was in the auctioneer’s offices shortly before they were to go out on the bidding floor. The Slippers were there and I felt honored to touch them.
A few moments later one of auctioneer’s employees was handling one of the slippers when they dropped it! There on the office floor were dozens of ruby-colored sequins that flew from the shoe during this mishap. Everyone there was aghast.
Later when the slippers went for the amazing $15,000 it made an interesting contrast to how rudely they had been treated only moments before.
KIRK WHISLER
Publisher
Nevada magazine
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