Woman offers $1m reward for stolen Judy Garland slippers

By Pam Ryan

A $1m reward has been offered for the return of the slippers Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz, which were stolen almost 10 years ago.

The late actress wore the sequinned, ruby-red slippers in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, making them possibly the most famous shoes in the world.

The shoes were stolen from the actress' home town of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where they were on display at the Judy Garland Museum.

She wore four pairs during filming and three are still in existence. One pair can be seen on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

John Kelsh, executive director of the Judy Garland Museum, said the anonymous donor who is offering the reward is a huge fan of Judy Garland and the film, in which she played Dorothy.

The reward offer requires the exact location of the slippers and the perpetrator's name.

The 10-year anniversary of the theft is this coming August.

The slippers were insured for $1m but Kelsh says they are probably worth $2-3m now.