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The Case of Dorothy's Slippers; Oz Fans Obsessed With Who Stole Them

April 25, 2007 11:55 AM

Rubyslippers_nr Police in Minnesota say they are closing in on the thief who stole a pair of the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz."

The bejeweled footwear, valued at $1 million, was stolen Aug. 27, 2005, from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn., her hometown.

"The ruby slippers are the holy grail of movie memorabilia," said Brian Cummings, pop culture art appraiser and consultant.

The lead investigator on the case, Gene Bennet of the Grand Rapids Police Department, says the theft has provoked an outcry from movie fans.

"There are people all over the country obsessed with these slippers, an underground world more than I ever imagined," said Bennet.

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Bennet says Judy Garland and Wizard of Oz aficionados have been throwing leads to investigators since the theft.

"Everybody's accusing everybody of stealing them," he said.

The museum alarm system had been shut off, and the thief broke a back window to gain entry. Bennet said his team has a very strong lead but does not yet have enough evidence to make an arrest.  Other items from the movie, including a monkey's sword, the carriage in which Dorothy rode in Oz Land and Judy Garland's gold record for "Over the Rainbow," were on display but not stolen.

The shoes belonged to a Hollywood acting coach, Michael Shaw, who had loaned them to the museum.   

"When I heard they were stolen, it was like the earth fell from beneath my feet," said Shaw.

The shoes, one of four known pairs used in the movie, were insured for $1 million, but the museum's insurance company only paid Shaw $666,000 based on the most recent sale price of another pair sold at auction at Christie's in 2000. Shaw paid $2,500 for the shoes in the early 1970s. 

One pair is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., another pair belongs to collector Philip Samuels of St. Louis and the third pair is owned by a memorabilia collector who plans to open his own museum in Hollywood and is represented by David Elkouby. Actress Debbie Reynolds owns a test pair that was made for the movie but never used.

Cummings, the memorabilia appraiser, said the collector community is small enough and close-knit enough that Shaw has probably crossed paths with the thief, perhaps many times.

"Given the level of obsession this group -- known as the Ruby Slippers Fan Club -- has with these shoes, I would not be surprised if one of them turned out to be the thief," he said.

April 25, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (26)

User Comments

Leave it to ABC to get us a story we can exhale on instead of the fast breaking nation dwindling stories all over the place. By the way, don't they know the thief just has to put on the shoes and click the heels to get away?

Posted by: frodaddy | Apr 25, 2007 1:08:08 PM

Very interesting!

I hope they catch the person. Michael Shaw was always so giving in allowing the slippers to be displayed and help raise money for a multitude of children's charities. It would be a shame to think that they're hidden away somewhere, without proper care.

Whoever took them really is a "Wicked Witch". :)

Posted by: Scott B | Apr 25, 2007 2:33:30 PM

I am devastated

Posted by: Sanjaya | Apr 25, 2007 2:56:24 PM

Sanjaya,

There is no reason to be "devastated." Just because you may never be found again, these shoes will be discovered--thanks to Brian's investigative team! And it looks like its about to happen!

Posted by: Scott P M | Apr 25, 2007 3:54:44 PM

I think they must be in Kansas!

Posted by: Marc | Apr 25, 2007 4:38:34 PM

shoot...one less reason to go to Minnesota now that the shoes are gone...uh...wait, what were the other reasons to go there again?

Posted by: df | Apr 25, 2007 7:15:53 PM

If we have thousands of troops on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border searching for a 6'6" tall man named Osama--and to no avail--how the hell is the Grand Rapids, MN police department going to find these diminutive little shoes that could easily be thrown in someone's attic or buried in a plot underground? Have they perhaps searched the trailer park next to the museum? Just a tip...

Posted by: Beth Ann | Apr 25, 2007 9:29:41 PM

Wait a second, Beth Ann!!....Are you suggesting that Osama has Dorothy's red slippers?? No way...it clashes with his robe!!

Posted by: Marc | Apr 26, 2007 9:26:11 AM

Does any one realize that The Wizard of Oz and these Ruby Slippers are a national treasure?

At least that is what my textbooks and our nation's museum (The Smithsonian) claim.

Worth only $666,000! NO WAY!

Osama must have them.
THANK YOU FOR THE DECENT NEWS!!!

Posted by: Christina | Apr 26, 2007 9:42:51 AM

True a national treasure. Most people don't understand. This whole thing started in 1970 at the famed MGM auction. And fault lies with the "Media Visionary" - what a joke- Ted Turner.

Has anyone spoke to the "Statesman" Mr. Turner. After all Turner Broadcasting Inc. has made well over 900 million dollars off The Wizard of Oz -not CNN.

Right on ABC News!

Posted by: Stephen | Apr 26, 2007 10:33:51 AM

OH oh oh oh No No no no Your WRONG!
Mr. Turner's, Turner Broadcasting Inc. has made over 2 billion off "The Wizard of Oz" at least thats what it says here.

Posted by: CB | Apr 26, 2007 11:02:40 AM

""Given the level of obsession this group -- known as the Ruby Slippers Fan Club -- has with these shoes, I would not be surprised if one of them turned out to be the thief," he said."

As the owner/webmaster of The Ruby Slipper Fan Club I am offended by this comment. The shoes are worth 1,000,000.00 and insurance had to be purchased for the shoes to be on display there. I even believe this fact was publicized in the Grand Rapids news - so it would have been common knowledge to anyone that can read.

It would not just be an Oz collector or a ruby slipper nut, whose eyes would roll with $$$$ signs after reading that statement, which I believe was an irresponsible piece of 'advertising' to attract visitors to the museum, given the state of security at the site this was totally ludicrous.

To my simple mind, these shoes should have been vaulted every night when the museum closed. It was almost too convenient. Think about it - people in this country have been killed for pocket change, much less a million dollar pair of shoes.

My last comment will sound totally self-important, but this has been under investigation since August 2005? I run the one & only website and one of two e-mail lists dealing with the most iconic talisman in movie history, yet I've never been contacted by anyone asking for my 2 cents, that is, with the exception of a couple of news outlets.

Posted by: Steve Jarrett | Apr 26, 2007 11:10:53 AM

"Other items from the movie, including a monkey's sword, the carriage in which Dorothy rode in Oz Land and Judy Garland's gold record for "Over the Rainbow," were on display but not stolen."

I do not recall ever seeing any monkeys in "The Wizard of Oz" bearing swords. Some of the Munchkin Guard, perhaps, but not the Witch's monkeys.

Back to the shoes: I - as a fellow member of the Ruby Slipper Fan club - resent the implication that I am a suspect in the theft of the shoes simply by being a member of a club!!

Posted by: Gerald Uhlan | Apr 26, 2007 2:41:06 PM

The quote solely implies that some would not be surprised if the thief was a member of the club, not that all members of the club are suspects. Maybe some members of the club ARE suspects--Mr. Bennet does not say. Come down from Oz and back to Kansas please. Click click!

Posted by: Beth Ann | Apr 26, 2007 3:41:27 PM

I was there a about a week before the theft and saw the slippers for my first time.When I signed the guest book I noticed someone from a town close to me so I took down the name. I started looking for this person when I got home and they do not exist.Did they ever check the guest book??

Posted by: Fred | Apr 26, 2007 11:33:49 PM

I would love to get one of those flyin' monkeys...it would be pretty cool to walk around New York with a flyin' monkey on a leash.

Posted by: Jazz | Apr 27, 2007 11:09:26 AM

The monkeys flew through the air, and some had swords,there is still time to catch a showing of the movie somewhere for those of you with no memory.....

Posted by: dyan | Apr 30, 2007 2:50:26 AM

Oh for crying out loud!

Posted by: Alicia | May 2, 2007 12:54:47 PM

Wow this is amazing all these suspects.. but I see you missed Steve Irwin.. do you think maybe a crocodile ate them? aww isnt she a beauty.. or better still you might see a koala sitting in a gum tree with ruby slippers on.. *click*click*

Posted by: Jodie | May 11, 2007 8:06:07 PM

Has anyone thought to ask Debbie Reynolds if she has Shaw's slippers?
According to author Rhys Thomas, she and Shaw apparently didn't see eye to eye re: his pair of shoes.

Posted by: Madeline | Jun 8, 2007 5:39:13 AM

It's been months since the last comment. Were they ever found?

Posted by: Kasic | Oct 21, 2007 3:21:30 AM

OK, so did they ever find the crook? hmmm
the owner was paid 1 million? That seems low.... It's been a long while... hmmmmm I wonder if they were sold underground to someone in Iran. Madeline is not the only one curious. The Ruby Slipper Fan club members SHOULD be suspects... did the police ask the members their locations the night of the theft????

Posted by: Chris | Dec 24, 2007 2:57:57 AM

I can't believe some of the comments i read here!
I am one of those people who have had a lifetime of obsession with the Ruby Slippers down to making replica pairs for oz fans to enjoy. With obsession comes respect to what they are, where they came from and what place in film history they hold. The last thing a true ruby slipper fan would do is steal them because that would distroy the magic they hold from the film they loved so much and were in! As for the Ruby Slipper fan club, I have a love/hate relationship for it, as my stuff was never includded in there tight knit community but theres alot of true fans and nice people who i have talked to who i don't believe would do such a thing. The Ruby Slipper fan club is a great site for Ruby slipper and Oz history, that fans can learn and enjoy from around the the world.
David.

Posted by: David Owens | Mar 8, 2008 11:30:38 AM

Why do people even do that sort of stuff? It is soooo unethical! I hate this soooo much...and "df" should shut up because Minnesota is a great place! I won the history contest...it was fascinating!

Posted by: Katie | May 6, 2008 6:40:28 PM

Did Anyone think to Question Mr.Steve Jarrett, Mr.Jack Townsend, .... or obsession Queen John Henson?
They seem to be the Obsessed Ruby Slipper Activist....

Posted by: Hunter | Jun 8, 2008 5:22:34 PM

Hello - it's been a long time.

Where are they?

Did they find them? Who took them?

Posted by: Peter | Aug 7, 2008 7:01:39 PM

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