The Wizard of Oz (MGM, 1939), Judy Garland "Rehearsal Slipper" from the Michael Shaw Collection.

Description

The Wizard of Oz (MGM, 1939), Judy Garland "Rehearsal Slipper" from the Michael Shaw Collection. From the esteemed collection of noted Wizard of Oz collector Michael Shaw comes this extraordinary "rehearsal slipper" directly acquired from Kent Warner, who was hired by David Weisz Co. to catalog and organize the now-iconic 1970 MGM auction, and personally identified this piece and confirmed its provenance. This right-foot red silk faille slipper, manufactured by Innes Shoe Co. of Pasadena and Hollywood, is identical in color, size, and construction to the four known pairs of screen-worn Ruby Slippers. The interior bears the manufacturer's stamp, is lined in cream kid leather, and features the internal stamp 5 ½ and serial number AG 752503 U20. In black fountain pen ink, the interior is inscribed "#2 Judy Garland" while the underside arch is marked "5 ½ A". The sole, painted red, retains black felt applied to the front foundation-a feature used to reduce footstep noise and prevent damage to the paint on the Yellow Brick Road. According to Warner's account to Shaw, this was Judy Garland's right rehearsal slipper, worn during preparation for her portrayal of Dorothy Gale. The rationale is compelling: this simple red shoe, identical in form and feel to the sequined Ruby Slippers, but lacking their delicate adornments, would have allowed Garland to rehearse comfortably without risking damage to the jeweled pairs. Accompanying the slipper is a packet of sixteen (16) original crimson-burgundy glass bugle beads (each approx. 4 mm long), also obtained by Warner, intended as replacements for the Ruby Slippers' beadwork during production. This slipper stood as a cornerstone of Michael Shaw's celebrated Oz collection, showcased for over a decade in his touring exhibition, Michael Shaw's Hollywood on Tour, throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Shaw's collection also included one of the famed pairs of Ruby Slippers and the Wicked Witch of the West's hat-both sold by Heritage Auctions on December 7, 2024, realizing prices of $32.5 million and $2.93 million, respectively. The slipper displays expected age and production wear, with scattered spotting and soiling to the silk faille, a 1" area of loss on the heel, cracking to the insole, 1.25" of red bleed in the interior sidewall near Garland's last name is written, and minor scratching to the painted sole. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions.

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