*NEW BOOK* THE RUBY SLIPPERS OF OZ 30 YEARS LATER

Exposing the clandestine and often treacherous underground of movie memorabilia, this Hollywood mystery may be the film industry's most bizarre account of ambition, greed, obsession, and deception.

Something's afoot here as a colorful group of characters are spellbound by the charm and curse of the screen's most indelible and iconic image: The Ruby Slippers of Oz. Updated for the first time in 30 years, with many new revelations, this is a fascinating read for any Oz movie buff and those who love a good mystery.

The Ruby Slippers of Oz Thirty Years Later

THE RUBY SLIPPERS FROM JUDY GARLAND'S MUSEUM HAVE BEEN RECOVERED!

The Recovered Ruby Slippers (The Traveling Pair)

Today, FBI authorities in Minneapolis, together with Grand Rapids Police Chief Scott Johnson, will release information on the recovery of the stolen Ruby Slippers worn by Grand Rapids native Judy Garland in the 1939 movie classic, "The Wizard of Oz."

The case has intrigued people worldwide. The Herald-Review will broadcast the press conference live on www.grandrapidsmn.com, starting at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 4.

The famous shoes, one of only four original pairs of such red slippers, were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in August of 2005.

“These shoes are the holy grail of all Hollywood memorabilia,” said Rhys Thomas, the author of “The Ruby Slippers of Oz,” who has tracked the case closely for years. “There isn’t anything else that does more to evoke the power of belief.”

Per the Associated Press, federal authorities revealed Tuesday they have recovered perhaps the most recognizable footwear in all of film history after the crimson heels went missing in 2005 when the culprit broke into a small display case holding the shoes at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Reportedly insured for $1 million, the shoes — which Garland’s Dorothy famously taps together to return home to Kansas following her stay in the fantasy world of Oz — comprise one of four remaining pairs of ruby slippers the actress wore in the film.

These are the mismatched pair that match the other pair in the Smithsonian!

FBI Recovers Stolen Ruby Slippers Used in ‘The Wizard of Oz’

Leonardo DiCaprio and director Steven Spielberg privately acquired one of the pairs in 2012 for eventual display inside the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures when it opens in 2019.

Details regarding the stolen pair’s return were not disclosed, though officials with the Minneapolis FBI, the North Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Grand Rapids Police Department have scheduled a Tuesday press conference WILL BE AT 1PM to release more information, according to ABC News.

Anyone with additional information regarding the theft of the ruby slippers or the extortion plot is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or submit information online at tips.fbi.gov.

Read More on RK

The Ruby Slippers of Oz

L FRANK BAUM ACTOR

Jay Davis: This is from when Mr. Baum was out there as an actor in his play "The Maid of Arran," which was a hit. However, after the props and costumes were lost in a fire, he turned to the family business.

That started going badly (the book-keeper shot himself), so he left it moved himself, his wife and their two sons to what he thought would be the next big city: Aberdeen (in what is now South Dakota).

That didn't work out, so after trying to get back on his feet, he finally went out to Chicago, where after other ventures, he finally began writing children's books. After a huge hit with "Father Goose: His Book," he decided to work with the illustrator on a book about a little girl carried to magical world by a tornado...

THE MYSTERIOUS RUBY SLIPPERS OF OZ

I found this book called The Ruby Slippers of Oz by Rhys Thomas. It reads like a suspense filled detective novel. Keeping up with who just ran off with which pair of shoes...There were many pairs of shoes created for the Wizard of Oz movie. Miss Garland had several pairs and her stand ins had their own Ruby Slippers as well. The Witches shoes were the Slippers on the feet of the deceased Wicked Witch of the East. Her slippers had a much higher heel. (See the photo below)

With the disappearance of the traveling slippers

This pic above shows the "Witches" Shoes (higher heel)

Back to my personal fascination with the Ruby Slippers. All my life I have longed to own, touch, see, feel, and try on a pair of those slippers! They are a totem for my life. I have always made jokes in reference to OZ. "Somebody always helps that girl..." "These things must be handled delicately..."

Purchase the Book 

Click the links below

The Ruby Slippers of Oz

The Ruby Slippers of Oz tells a fascinating story of all the designers that worked on making those shoes and the drama behind the scenes of people trying to snatch them for their own financial gain.

Interesting is that there were possibly more than 12-17 pairs or slippers created for the movie. Judy Garland had several, the dead witch wore a pair with higher heels than Judy's. Margaret Hamilton wore a pair in the tornado scene (as the witch of the East). Debbie Reynold's has the the first prototype pair. (ugly ones) The first ones were supposed to be silver but they didn't photograph very well.

The fine print says: Protruding feet of the recently squished Wicked Witch of the East, shortly before she loses her shoes. Slipper fanatics will note a higher heel than on shoes worn by Judy Garland in the film

Arabian Ruby Slippers once owned by Debbie Reynolds

Arabian style ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz. Gilbert Adrian designed two different style for Dorothy's shoes but this arabian pair were too exotic and didn't suit the look of a Kansas farmer girl. In the original novel of L. Frank Baum Dorothy wore a silver pair of slippers but it was changed in benefit of the Technicolor.

This book though is a fascinating read with all the background drama that happened to all of these shoes. Drama continues to this day. And the fact that any of them exist is pretty miraculous as they were made of flimsy materials.

They weren't much of a shoe to begin with, just a plain cloth pump but the sequins, bow and red dye made the magic and all the difference...

Western Costume designer Joe Napoli is credited with designing the slippers.

Kent Warner found a few pairs of them while working on a back lot that were supposed to be discarded. He was smart enough to hang on to those slippers!

Smithsonian Ruby Slippers

How the Ruby Slippers were obtained by the Smithsonian

Read more about the drama behind the 2 different shoes that are on display in the Smithsonian ... Rumor has it that these are a mismatched pair of the slippers..(2 different sizes)

UPDATE:  READ MORE ABOUT THE RUBY SLIPPERS BY RANDY STRUTHERS

The history of the pair that we all own is quite interesting. Here's what I've come to understand through my personal research. The Smithsonian's slippers, as they exist now, are actually a mix of shoes from two different pairs made for production. Look extra closely and you might notice that the right shoe has a slightly thicker heel and the left shoe has a slightly thinner one. 

These slippers, probably worn the most by Judy Garland of all the sets, and being comprised of shoes used in three separate close-up shots in the beloved film, are arguably the most important pair of Ruby Slippers that exist. Full Story Here

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE RUBY SLIPPERS OF OZ

I found this book called The Ruby Slippers of Oz by Rhys Thomas. It reads like a suspense filled detective novel. Keeping up with who just ran off with which pair of shoes...There were many pairs of shoes created for the Wizard of Oz movie. Miss Garland had several pairs and her stand ins had their own Ruby Slippers as well. The Witches shoes were the Slippers on the feet of the deceased Wicked Witch of the East. Her slippers had a much higher heel. (See the photo below)

With the disappearance of the traveling slippers

This pic above shows the "Witches" Shoes (higher heel)

Back to my personal fascination with the Ruby Slippers. All my life I have longed to own, touch, see, feel, and try on a pair of those slippers! They are a totem for my life. I have always made jokes in reference to OZ. "Somebody always helps that girl..." "These things must be handled delicately..."

Purchase the Book 

Click the links below

The Ruby Slippers of Oz

The Ruby Slippers of Oz tells a fascinating story of all the designers that worked on making those shoes and the drama behind the scenes of people trying to snatch them for their own financial gain.

Interesting is that there were possibly more than 12-17 pairs or slippers created for the movie. Judy Garland had several, the dead witch wore a pair with higher heels than Judy's. Margaret Hamilton wore a pair in the tornado scene (as the witch of the East). Debbie Reynold's has the the first prototype pair. (ugly ones) The first ones were supposed to be silver but they didn't photograph very well.

The fine print says: Protruding feet of the recently squished Wicked Witch of the East, shortly before she loses her shoes. Slipper fanatics will note a higher heel than on shoes worn by Judy Garland in the film

Arabian Ruby Slippers once owned by Debbie Reynolds

Arabian style ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz. Gilbert Adrian designed two different style for Dorothy's shoes but this arabian pair were too exotic and didn't suit the look of a Kansas farmer girl. In the original novel of L. Frank Baum Dorothy wore a silver pair of slippers but it was changed in benefit of the Technicolor.

This book though is a fascinating read with all the background drama that happened to all of these shoes. Drama continues to this day. And the fact that any of them exist is pretty miraculous as they were made of flimsy materials.

They weren't much of a shoe to begin with, just a plain cloth pump but the sequins, bow and red dye made the magic and all the difference...

Western Costume designer Joe Napoli is credited with designing the slippers.

Kent Warner found a few pairs of them while working on a back lot that were supposed to be discarded. He was smart enough to hang on to those slippers!

Smithsonian Ruby Slippers

How the Ruby Slippers were obtained by the Smithsonian

Read more about the drama behind the 2 different shoes that are on display in the Smithsonian ... Rumor has it that these are a mismatched pair of the slippers..(2 different sizes)

NEW WIZARD OF OZ SERIES: EMERALD CITY PREMIERES JAN 6 ON NBC!

From TV Guide:  Tornado in Kansas, ruby slippers, yellow brick road, green witch who melts: most of us know The Wizard of Oz. Or so we think. The iconic film is just one take on the 14 books Frank Baum wrote -- books that were much more complex, adult and filled with political allegory and social commentary than the Technicolor movie we remember. 

 

That complex jumping-off point is the basis for NBC's Emerald City, a grownup take on the story that's (not inaccurately) being called a darker interpretation and "The Wizard of Oz meets Game of Thrones." Premiering Friday, Emerald City is an over-the-top, often eye-popping spectacle that keeps steady with the basic story while giving it modern updates and imaginative, playful turns. It's addictive - READ FULL STORY HERE

FIND MISSING RUBY SLIPPERS: 1 MILLION DOLLAR REWARD!

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (AP) — An anonymous donor has offered a $1 million reward for credible information leading to the pair of Judy Garland's sequined, ruby red slippers stolen from a museum in her Minnesota hometown.

The late actress wore the slippers in "The Wizard of Oz." Three other pairs still exist, including one on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

John Kelsch, executive director of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, says the donor is from Arizona and is a huge fan of Garland and the 1939 movie.

The reward offer requires the exact location of the slippers and the perpetrator's name.

The 10-year anniversary of the theft is in August. The slippers were insured for $1 million. Kelsch says they could be worth $2 million to $3 million now.

WIZARD OF OZ TRIBUTE TONIGHT ON THE ACADEMY AWARDS®

This is positively the finest exhibition ever to be shown! The Academy Awards® is celebrating the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz! Tune in tonight at 7e/4p on ABC.

THE WIZARD OF OZ IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE!! ONE WEEK SCREENING ONLY

Release Date: September 20, 2013. Rated: PG. Run time: 102 min. Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939.

The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg.

DOROTHY™ was portrayed by a 4'11" sixteen-year-old girl who quickly earned her reputation as “the world’s greatest entertainer”—the incomparable Judy Garland. Ray Bolger appeared as the SCARECROW™; Bert Lahr as the COWARDLY LION™, Jack Haley as the TIN MAN™. Frank Morgan was seen in six different roles, including that of the wonderful “Wizard of Oz" himself.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

TIMES AND LOCATIONS

THE HISTORY OF THE FLYING MONKEYS OF OZ...

As a child, those flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz always scared the crap out of me. I'm NOT scared of flying monkeys anymore. If I ever encounter any... I'll stomp on them with my ruby slippers....Be gone flying monkeys...You have no power here LOL.....

In the original Oz novels, winged monkeys were just what the name implies: intelligent monkeys with wings. The Winged Monkeys were once a free people, living in the forests of Oz. They were carefree, but rather mischievous.

One day the King of the Winged Monkeys, as a prank, tossed a richly dressed man into a river, ruining his costume of silk and velvet. The man whose name was Quelala was good natured enough, but his fiancée Gayelette was furious and punished the Winged Monkeys by making them the slaves to the Golden Cap she had prepared as a wedding present for her betrothed. The cap allows its possessor to command the winged monkeys three times.

Quelala used the Golden Cap only once, commanding the Winged Monkeys to stay away from Gayelette. Eventually the cap fell into the hands of the Wicked Witch of the West, who used the Winged Monkeys to conquer the Winkie Country, defeat the armies of the Wizard of Oz, and capture Dorothy Gale and the Cowardly Lion, destroying the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman in the process.

In the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the monkeys are apparently intelligent enough to obey commands, but do not speak, as in the book. They kidnap Dorothy and dismantle the Scarecrow, but do nothing to the Tin Man or the Cowardly Lion, leaving them free to put the Scarecrow back together and rescue Dorothy.

There is no mention of any three wishes in the film, suggesting that the monkeys serve the witch unconditionally. Nikko (the head monkey) is shown again after the Witch orders him to throw a basket containing the dog Toto in the river (an order that Dorothy prevents him from carrying out), with the Witch as she angrily throws down the hour glass after the trio rescues Dorothy, and once more after the Witch has been melted.

There is only a brief glimpse of the Golden Cap in the film: after Dorothy and the Lion reawake after Glinda breaks the spell on the poppies conjured by the Witch, she is seen watching them in anger in her crystal ball. Nikko hands her the Golden Cap and she utters the "somebody always helps that girl" line, before throwing the cap across the room angrily.

RETRO KIMMER LOVES INCURABLE COLLECTORS

 Guinness World Record holder for the biggest Vintage Barbie Collector

What is a collector? The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. 

Collecting is a huge global hobby...Around the world people collect everything from the tiniest postage stamps to luxury automobiles and jets.  And beyond...

Usually collecting begins in childhood and is left behind as we grow up..ala rock collecting, insect and butterfly collecting, dolls, miniature toy cars and thousands of other items were coveted by children.

But as the "baby boomer" generation has grown older their vintage collections are still a huge hobby for many.  From the very inexpensive collections of things like swizzle sticks and match books to the more high end vintage Barbie's and Star Wars collections, we are a generation of collectors....

This man is a true Barbie lover.  Notice that all of his Barbies are out of their boxes.  That makes his collection less valuable but loved by the collector none the less.

Actress Debbie Reynolds amassed a huge Hollywood memorabilia collection over the years.  The Ascot dress from "My Fair Lady" is one of her pieces. Debbie sold her collection in 2011 for over 18 million dollars!

"The Incurable Collector," A&E TV show, had no problem finding people who collected interesting, unique and bizarre items.  This was one of my favorite tv shows but sadly it went off the air.  There are a few video clips which I'll share in this story.

One show featured the woman who collects swizzle sticks. "She has a thousand swizzle sticks," said the series' executive producer Pam Burke. "It is one of the more inexpensive [hobbies] to get involved in."

Each episode featured three experts: "Garage Sale Susan" Goldberg, "The Instant Appraiser" Niles Grace and Usha Subramanian, who focuses on "fantastic finds."

Host and narrator was Emmy Award-winning actor John Larroquette, who is an incurable collector of first editions by 20th century writers.

Larroquette has approximately 3,000 books. "Everything is well-protected and on display," he says. "I love reading them. My wife gets irritated sometimes when I fall asleep in bed with a signed William Faulkner on my chest."

A lot of boys in my neighborhood collected Match Box cars.  I recently interviewed a 60 year old Hot Wheels car collector!

I have never met an unhappy collector!  Most people who are incurable collectors find great joy in finding new things and displaying them in their homes.

A mighty happy Wizard of Oz collector.

I have a some W of Oz  things , a Wicked Witch of the West clock, Ruby Slippers snow globe, an 18" tall Tin Man,  and lots of refrigerator magnets. I also have a small Barbie Collection, glass animal figurines, rock memorabilia/posters most autographed.  What do you collect??

Some of my favorite episodes featured Wizard of Oz collectors as this video shows...