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Ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz were once silver!

Did you know the ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz were once silver? However, the boss from MGM studios, Louis B. Meyer, had made the suggestion to change the color to ruby red! The vivid red color had produced a glittery effect for Dorothy to model on screen; silver would have been lackluster to the eyes.

According to Wizard of Oz producer, Mervyn LeRoy, there were 5-10 pairs of Ruby red slippers produced, but only 4 pairs were accounted for.  One of these pairs were the ones that Judy Garland wore in the 1939 film, and have been proudly displayed in Washington D.C.'s Smithsonian Museum over the years.  However, the shoes have deteriorated over time and would have to undergo a major restoration, with a cost of over $300,000! 

As of October 2016, a Kickstarter campaign was started, with close to 6,500 people contributing towards the shoes' restoration project.  At the end of February in 2017, more than $373,000 was collected! In 1989, in remembrance of the 1939 iconic film, a pair of Ruby red slippers with real ruby gemstones were created at a cost of 3 million dollars!

Wizard of Oz Ruby slipppers
Some other interesting Wizard of Oz trivia facts:
  • The scary looking tornado in the background of the Kansas prairie was actually a 35-foot muslin fabric drape, blowing around with the use of fans.
  • Green Jell-O crystals were attached all over the Emerald City horses; the production crew had to quickly film the horses before they licked off the tasty green powder.
  • L. Frank Baum created the word Oz from an office filing cabinet, which was organized from A-N to   O-Z.
  • The Wicked Witch of the West, Margaret Hamilton, developed severe burns when an explosion depicting her vanishing in a cloud of smoke went horribly wrong.  As a result, she had to be   hospitalized.
  • Actor Buddy Ebsen, who portrayed the role of the Tin Man, developed a terrible reaction to the aluminum dust which covered his face.  Nine days into production, he was severely short of breath and had severe cramping; even his lungs had collapsed. Jack Haley was Ebsen's replacement for the Tin Man.  This time, the makeup was recreated and painted on his body.
  • In one Wizard of Oz scene, Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Cowardly Lion, and The Tin Man were all performing the hip dance craze from 1939, the Jitterbug!
  • The Tin Man's tears were not mechanical oil, but chocolate syrup!  Mechanical oil did not show up well on the television screen, so producers used a darker substance.  The result was effective.
  • While the Munchkins made $50 a week from acting in the Wizard of Oz, Toto, a female Cairn Terrier, made $125 a week!  She was injured on the set when a guard had accidentally stepped on her, breaking her foot!
  • Auntie Em, also known as Clara Blandick, had committed suicide in 1962 due to painful arthritis and blindness.
  • Most of the Wizard of Oz cast members would show up to the studio at 4 or 5 in the morning and leave around 7 or 8 pm, making for a very tiring day!
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