The
ruby slippers are the shoes worn by Dorothy (played by Judy Garland) in the 1939 MGM movie
The Wizard of Oz. Because of their iconic stature, they are now among the most treasured and valuable of film memorabilia. As was customary for important props, a number of pairs were made for the film, though the exact number of pairs made is unknown. Five pairs are known to have survived; one pair was stolen in 2005 and has never been recovered.
In L. Frank Baum’s original novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wore Silver Shoes. The movie's creators changed them to ruby to take advantage of the new Technicolor film process.
The Wizard of Oz
Dorothy's house falls on the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her and freeing the Munchkins from her tyranny. Glinda the Good Witch of the North (Billie Burke) magically puts the dead woman's ruby slippers on Dorothy's feet to protect her from the Witch's vengeful sister, the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton). Dorothy (Judy Garland) knows the slippers are magical, but she is not told of their specific powers. At the end of the film, Glinda reveals one of the slippers' abilities: Dorothy can return home to Kansas by simply clicking her heels three times and repeating, "There's no place like home."
The slippers were designed by Gilbert Adrian, MGM's chief costume designer. Initially, two pairs were made in different styles. The so-called "Arabian test pair" was "a wildly jeweled, Arabian motif, with curling toes and heels." This pair was used in costume tests, but was rejected as unsuitable for Dorothy's Kansas farmgirl image. The second design was approved, with one modification. The red bugle beads used to simulate rubies proved too heavy, so they were mostly replaced with sequins, about 2300 for each shoe. According to Rhys Thomas in his
Los Angeles Times article, "all the ruby slippers are between Size 5 and 6, varying between B and D widths."
It is speculated that at least six or seven pairs of the final design were made. The wardrobe woman who worked on the film claimed "six identical pairs" had been made. Four pairs used in the movie have been accounted for. Rhys Thomas speculates that they were likely made by Joe Napoli of the Western Costume Company, and not all at once, but as the need arose. Judy Garland requested one pair a half-size larger, so that she would be more comfortable in the afternoon when her feet were slightly swollen from the rigors of the morning rehearsals and filming.
These four surviving pairs were made from white silk pumps from the Innes Shoe Company in Los Angeles. There is an embossed gold or silver stamp or an embroidered cloth label bearing the name of the company inside each right shoe. At the time, many movie studios used plain white silk shoes because they were inexpensive and easily dyed. It is likely that most of the shoes worn by female characters in
The Wizard of Oz were plain Innes shoes with varying heel heights, dyed to match each costume.
To create the ruby slippers, the shoes were dyed red, then burgundy sequined organza overlays were attached to each shoe's upper and heel. The film's early three-strip Technicolor process required the sequins to be darker than most red sequins found today; bright red sequins would have appeared orange on screen.
Two weeks before the start of shooting of the film, Adrian added butterfly-shaped red strap leather bows. Each of the Art Deco-inspired bows had three large, rectangular, red-glass jewels with dark red bugle beads, outlined in red glass rhinestones in silver settings. The stones and beads were sewn to the bows, then to the organza-covered shoe. Three pairs of the surviving slippers had orange felt glued to their soles to deaden the sound of Garland dancing on the Yellow Brick Road.
It is theorized that Garland wore one primary pair during shooting. This may be the pair known as "the People's Shoes" available for public viewing at the Smithsonian Institution. The "sister set" to this pair was owned by Michael Shaw. This pair can clearly be seen when Dorothy shows them to the Emerald City doorman.
Another pair, the close-up or insert shoes, is in best shape of all, appears to be better made, and has no orange felt on the soles, with "#7 Judy Garland" written in the lining. According to the Library of Congress, "it is widely believed that they were used primarily for close-ups and possibly the climactic scene where Dorothy taps her heels together." Circular scuff marks on the soles support the theory that they were the ones Garland had on when she clicked her heels together. The lack of felt indicates these were likely also the shoes taken from the feet of the dead Wicked Witch of the East (since the soles are visible in the film), hence their nickname: the "Witch's slippers".
The last known pair was, some believe, made for Bobbie Koshay, Garland's stunt double. This is most likely the size 6B pair (owned first by Roberta Bauman, then Anthony Landini, and currently by David Elkouby) whose lining says "Double" instead of "Judy Garland". However, some believe this pair may have been the second pair created, therefore explaining the "Double" in the lining, but still used by Garland and Koshay.
Several pairs of Garland's own shoes are size 6
1⁄
2. Also, Garland may have worn this pair for photos and publicity appearances after the film's primary shooting was finished in 1939.
In one film sequence, Garland is not wearing the ruby slippers (an apparent blunder). As the trees pelt the Scarecrow with apples, Garland can be briefly glimpsed wearing a black shoe on her right foot.
Pop Culture
The progressive band Electric Light Orchestra used a frame from the 1939 film on the cover of their fourth studio album, released in 1974, Eldorado. This cover was laid out by Sharon Osbourne (then known as Sharon Arden).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_slippers 
