February 22, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Oz" Ruby Slippers Find Their Way Home.
MAJOR ACQUISITION FOR THE ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES.
Leonardo DiCaprio spearheads effort with help from Steven Spielberg,
Terry Semel.
Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has
acquired a pair of the iconic ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" for the
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio led a group of "angel donors" whose gifts to the
Academy Foundation enabled the purchase.
In addition to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation - a component fund of CCF
Environmental and Humanitarian Causes - donations came from producer-director
Steven Spielberg and Terry Semel, co-chair of Los Angeles County Museum of Art
and the former chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. and Yahoo! - along with other
donors.
"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 chair of the capital campaign for the Academy Museum of Motion
Pictures. "This is a transformative acquisition for our collection."
"Leo's passionate leadership has helped us bring home this legendary piece of
movie history," added Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. "It's a wonderful gift to the
Academy museum project, and a perfect representation of the work we do
year-round to preserve and share our film heritage."
These slippers, known as the "Witch's Shoes," are in the most pristine
condition of the four pairs of ruby slippers known to exist. It is widely
believed that these are the slippers Judy Garland wore in close-ups and insert
shots, most famously when Dorothy clicks her heels three times to return to
Kansas. They are called the "Witch's Shoes" because they are likely the pair
seen on the feet of the Wicked Witch of the East after Dorothy's house falls on
the witch.
After production of the film ended in 1939, the ruby slippers were stored on
MGM's Culver City lot for the next three decades. Several pairs of slippers
were discovered in 1970 by costumer Kent Warner while he was preparing for that
year's historic auction of MGM costumes, props and other production-related
items. One pair of slippers was sold at the auction and was donated anonymously
to the Smithsonian in 1979.
Warner kept the finest pair – the "Witch's Shoes" – in his private collection
for more than a decade before selling them at auction in 1981. They were sold
again in 1988 to another private collector, and have been displayed publicly
only a handful of times in the years since, most notably at the National
Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress.
The 2012 sale to the Academy was handled by auction house Profiles in History.
Last October, the Academy and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced
plans to establish the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures inside the historic
May Company building, currently known as LACMA West. The building has been a
Los Angeles landmark since its opening in 1939, the same year "The Wizard of
Oz" premiered.
ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent
movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most
accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy
Awards—in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners—the
Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and
events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related
organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of
motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and
Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to
movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities
the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people
everywhere who love movies.
AWARDS PUBLICITY
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