Leonardo DiCaprio Helps Dorothy's Ruby Slippers Find a New Home

Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz have found a new home at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences-thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio!

-Lucia Peters, BettyConfidential.com

There's no place like home, especially for Dorothy Gale's ruby slippers as worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz-and now, thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio, they've found a new one! The slippers have recently been acquired by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and will eventually be on display at the upcoming Academy Museum.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Academy CEO Dawn Hudson gave the credit for finding the slippers to Leo in a statement on Wedenesday: "Leo's passionate leadership has helped us bring home this legendary piece of movie history. 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." So what exactly did Leo do to earn this glowing review? He led the group of donors that enabled the purchase when the slippers were up for auction at the Profiles in History auction house.

Given that the slippers are labeled "#7 Judy Garland" and are known as the "Witch's Shoes," it's believed that this particular pair were the ones seen on Judy's dainty toes during close ups, insert shots, and the famous "There's no place like home" heel clicks. This, of course, makes them extra special, even in the world of movie memorabilia. They're also in the best condition out of all of the extant pairs, which is no small feat. I remember seeing a pair of them on display in the queuing area of the Great Movie Ride at Disney World's Hollywood Studios park (then known as Disney-MGM Studios) when I was a kid, and while the experience was pretty neat, the pair looked pretty battered and faded. Shame, really; though at least I suppose no one really knew back when the film was made in 1939 that those shoes would be so important.

The shoes are expected to go on display in the brand-spanking-new Academy Museum when it takes up its residency in Wilshire's May Company building. Side note: Raise your hand if you really want to see an image of Strutting Leo wearing the ruby slippers!



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