Monthly Archives: March 2009
BOOK TRAILER now posted on YouTube!
Who stole the Ruby Slippers? — March 2009 article …
In three years, police haven’t been able to verify this or any other theory. The search has all but ended. Last year, the statute of limitations expired—the perpetrator of the theft, with few exceptions, can now only be prosecuted for possession. The police have largely moved on. The mystery is now worthy of Hollywood itself: They are the most coveted shoes in the world, and they could be anywhere.
Read more of the fascinating Minnesota Monthly article by Tim Gihring here!
It makes me sad that the very same pair of ruby slippers that inspired me to write this novel—the ones owned by Michael Shaw—were stolen back in August of 2005 while on loan to the annual Judy Garland Festival at her birthplace in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The criminal has never been caught and the case never solved. And the statute of limitations has now apparently run out on the crime which makes me even more depressed! This terrific, detailed article attempts to put the pieces of the puzzle together from the very beginning. Explaining how Mr. Shaw, the “eccentric” memorabilia collector, ended up with the “best pair” of Ruby Slippers known to exist in the first place. Talking with patrons of a local bar who theorize as to the culprit. And even speculating specifically “whodunit.”
The tone of the article is a bit seedy and “decayed,” but that’s how many today see Old Hollywood. I choose not to. I’m sure I never will.
The book cover …
The “other” shoes …
The ones that everyone has heard of. The famous Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 MGM movie “The Wizard of Oz.”
And while I didn’t write about these shoes, they served as the inspiration for my story. I live in Los Angeles, and a good friend called me one day when she discovered that her neighbor and friend, Michael Shaw, owned a pair of the legendary ruby slippers from the MGM film. Being the huge Oz fan that I was (and am), I definitely had to see them! She arranged everything with Mr. Shaw, who was most accommodating, and it was a hugely memorable day for me.
As I stared at the iconic shoes, I kept thinking what a treasure they were. Not just monetarily either …
Michael had been offered $2 million for his pair a few years back and refused the offer … but these shoes, in pristine condition, one of four pairs known to exist that were used during production of the movie, had an electricity about them. An indescribable aura. People flocked in droves to see them at events and to be near them. They were the pinnacle of “Hollywood magic,” even if they weren’t real. They had a power and instilled a childlike sense of awe for me and others who laid eyes on them. Then I got to thinking … I was being silly and overly dramatic about it. They were just a plain pair of 1930s satin pumps with nicely designed, hand-sewn sequins on them.
But what if they were real? What if they actually worked?
And what if they really had come from Oz?
Ultimately, my idea led me back to the original novel by L. Frank Baum. But seeing the “real” Ruby Slippers that day—that’s how it all began in my mind.