Slipper Madness

Hey, you want slippers? I got your slippers right here.

I’m fed up reading about how every Tom, Dick, and Ernie claims he’s got a pair of authentic ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” movie (“The Ruby Slippers: A Journey to the Land of Oz” and “The Ruby Slippers: The Search for Sole Survivors,” by Rhys Thomas, March 13 and 20). I say they don’t know shoes from Shinola!

There is only one pair of slippers from the movie and I own them. They were given to me as a birthday present by my grandfather 5 years ago.

You see, back in the early ‘50s when Grandpa worked as a janitor at MGM, he found the slippers under a bed in the prop department. Realizing what they was, he stuck them in his lunch box and hot-footed off the lot, never telling a soul.

As you can see (above), contrary to common belief, these slippers ain’t ruby nor are they slippers at all. They was just made to look that way through some hi-fi visual effects, like hidden mirrors and trick photography and lights and stuff.

Sorry to bust your Technicolor bubbles, but that’s Hollywood, man! I bet you thought them flying monkeys was real too! Duh!

P.S. Although these slippers are real special to me, the first $25 takes them.

GRADY FREDERICKS

Sun Valley