Return to Oz
A pair of ruby slippers believed to have been worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and also known to collectors of Hollywood memorabilia as the “witch’s shoes,” were privately sold for $165,000 by Christie’s East last week, Outtakes has learned.
The size 5B red-sequined shoes, sold by an anonymous man from Northern California, were purchased by St. Louis art collector-dealer Philip Samuels, who told us that he made the acquisition for “personal and business” reasons.
The sale, according to Christie’s spokeswoman Lee Anne Fahey, marked the second selling of ruby slippers this year. On June 21, the auction house sold a pair of 6Bs for $165,000.
Last week’s transaction was the second Christie’s sale of the “witch’s shoes”; in 1981, the same pair sold for $13,200.
While there is no question about the authenticity of the shoes, their provenance isn’t clear. Made by Western Costume in 1938 and presently in near-perfect condition, the pair probably was used sparingly in the making of the movie.
Some people speculate that the shoes were used by Garland when she tapped her heels together in the climactic scene in Oz; others say they were seen on the protruding feet of the dead Witch of the East, hence the nickname among collectors.
Five pairs of Oz ruby slippers--of possibly seven made for the film--are known to exist.
Before being sold by Christie’s in 1981, the shoes were part of a vast memorabilia collection owned by the late costumer Kent Warner, who supposedly spirited that pair and several others off the MGM lot in a duffel bag. He put one pair up for sale in the MGM auction in 1970. It sold for $15,000 and was later donated to the Smithsonian Institution--and he sold the rest for personal profit.
Samuels, 39 and married with two children, said he believes “the shoes are undervalued,” even at $165,000. He had bid $100,000 in the June auction, then dropped out. But he told officials that he’d be interested in bidding again if another pair became available.
According to the supervisor of Christie’s collectibles department, Julie Collier, the owner of the “witch’s shoes” contacted Christie’s following the June auction and said he wanted to privately sell them. He’s known to be from Northern California but Christie’s wouldn’t ID him.
Samuels specializes in American contemporary art and Americana such as comic-book toys from the early 20th Century. He plans to display the shoes at his Samuels Art Gallery in St. Louis during Christmas: “We’re going to build a yellow brick road to display them.”
Samuels considers the shoes “the greatest historical prop” from Hollywood. “There is a certain magic about them, especially when you grow up having seen the movie at least a dozen times on television. I think they do have magic--they must have something to sell for that amount of money.”