Ruby slippers

For the Once Upon a Time episode, see Ruby Slippers (Once Upon a Time).
Ruby slippers
The Wizard of Oz element
One of the pairs used in The Wizard of Oz (1939), on display at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History
PublisherMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First appearance
Created byGilbert Adrian (costume design)
GenreFantasy
In-universe information
TypeMagical slippers
Function

The ruby slippers are a pair of magical shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film The Wizard of Oz. Because of their iconic stature,[1] they are among the most valuable items of film memorabilia.[2] Several pairs were made for the film, though the exact number is unknown. Five pairs are known to have survived; one pair was stolen from a museum in 2005 and recovered in 2018.[3][4]

In L. Frank Baum's original 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, on which the film is based, Dorothy wears Silver Shoes. However, the color of the shoes was changed to red to take advantage of the new Technicolor film process used in big-budget Hollywood films of the era. Film screenwriter Noel Langley is credited with the idea.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ Dwight Blocker Bowers (January 2010). "The Ruby Slippers: Inventing an American Icon". The Lemelson Center. Archived from the original on April 20, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  2. ^ Monte Burke (December 3, 2008). "Inside The Search For Dorothy's Slippers". Forbes. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  3. ^ "Thief slips away with Dorothy's shoes". The Guardian. August 30, 2005.
  4. ^ "Red Sequin Shoes". Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  5. ^ Rhodes, Jesse (January 2009). "For Those Ruby Red Slippers, There's No Place Like Home". Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institution.
  6. ^ Ascanio Branca (July 13, 2015). "Judy Garland's missing ruby slippers: anonymous donor offers $1m reward". The Guardian.
  7. ^ Daley, Jason (4 September 2018). "After 13-Year Chase, F.B.I. Nabs Pair of Dorothy's Ruby Slippers". Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 4 September 2018.