Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Hollywood Big Bucks Help Get Ruby Slippers For Future Oscars Museum
There's No Place Like Home: One of four authentic pairs of ruby slippers used in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" will soon be a permanent fixture at the planned Oscars museum.
Thanks to the financial help of some Hollywood players with deep pockets like Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio, the iconic shoes will eventually end up not in Kansas, but here in L.A. at the planned Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, explains City News Service.
The pair of ruby slippers purchased by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are said to be in the best condition of all four of the pairs used in the classic film. The ruby slippers acquired by the Academy are actually known as the "Witch's Shoes,'' because they are thought to be the ones seen on the feet of the Wicked Witch of the East after Dorothy's house falls on her. They also happen to be the pair thought to have been worn by star Judy Garland during close-ups, including when she famously clicked her heels three times and recited "there's no place like home."
And that home for the ruby slippers will be in the old May Co. building currently being used as LACMA West. A proper "movie museum" for Los Angeles has been in the works since the 1960s, but securing a long-term lease on the space last fall was the first concrete steps towards making such a much-needed venue a reality.
Spielberg, DiCaprio, and LACMA Co-Chair Terry Semel were part of a team of "angel donors" who pooled their money--an estimated $2-3 million based on auction house values, though the Academy wouldn't reveal their purchase price--to obtain the slippers for the museum. Another pair has been on display at the Smithsonian, but are actually being removed from display this week to get tidied up to go into another exhibit opening in early April.
"The ruby slippers occupy an extraordinary place in the hearts of movie audiences the world over,'' said Bob Iger, president and CEO of the Walt Disney Co. and chairman of the capital campaign for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. "This is a transformative acquisition for our collection.''
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
