Well I think its swell Leo pitched in on the shoes, but I just don't think their his size.
On Feb 22, 2012, at 2:27 PM, David Kusumoto wrote: > > > > > 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 > 8949 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD | BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90211-1907 > > The Communications Department of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and > Sciences handles all press, media and public relations and supplies > additional resources to the media about the Academy, its year-round > activities and the Academy Awards. 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