Did You Know Leonardo DiCaprio Once Purchased The Stolen Ruby Slippers Before The BIG Auction?

A pair of ruby slippers famously worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz sold for an astonishing $28 million during a live auction hosted by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. After including the buyer’s premium and additional fees, the total purchase price came to $32.5 million.

The identity of the winning bidder has not been disclosed.

A Storied History

The ruby slippers, an iconic piece of Hollywood history, were initially discovered among vintage costumes and purchased by a collector. However, in 2005, they were stolen during a smash-and-grab heist at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The theft remained unsolved for over a decade.

In recent years, another pair of slippers used in the film has been housed at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. These were acquired in 2012 by a group of investors, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Steven Spielberg, to serve as a highlight of the museum’s collection.

Hollywood’s Most Treasured Artifact

Among the four known pairs of ruby slippers made for the film, the recently auctioned pair is considered the most well-preserved. They are believed to have been worn by Garland for close-ups, including the iconic heel-clicking scene. Rhys Thomas, author of The Ruby Slippers of Oz, has described them as “the holy grail of Hollywood memorabilia.”

These slippers have been featured in various private collections since being retrieved from MGM’s Culver City storage lot, where they were kept for decades after the film’s production.

Academy Museum Acquisition

In 2012, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences acquired one pair of the slippers, with Leonardo DiCaprio leading a group of benefactors. The acquisition was brokered by Profiles in History, with contributions from Steven Spielberg and other prominent supporters.

Dawn Hudson, CEO of the Academy, praised the effort, calling it “a wonderful gift to the Academy Museum project” and “a perfect representation of the work we do to preserve and share film heritage.” Bob Iger, then CEO of Disney, echoed the sentiment, noting the slippers’ extraordinary place in cinematic history.