Wizard of Oz lion costume fetches $700,000 US
Last Updated: Saturday, December 16, 2006 | 4:59 PM ET
CBC Arts
Related
Internal Links
The lion costume made of real animal skin and worn in the 1939 film classic The Wizard of Oz sold at an auction Friday for $700,000 US ($810,495 Cdn).
The sale of 900 pieces of Hollywood memorabilia was hosted live on eBay by the Profiles In History auction house.
A scene from 1939's The Wizard of Oz features, from left, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Judy Garland as Dorothy and Jack Haley as the Tin Man.
(Warner Bros./ Associated Press)
Actor Bert Lahr played the lovable but cowardly lion. The lion pelt outfit was shown on a pedestal and posed in the character's "Put 'em up! Put em up!" stance from the film starring Judy Garland.
Another notable object that sold was Elvis Presley's wedding ring from his marriage in 1967 to Priscilla Beaulieu. It fetched $90,000 US ($104,200 Cdn).
Some of the other items included the pants Oliver Hardy wore in the film Swiss Miss and Fred Astaire's sailor suit from Follow the Fleet.
A blue-and-white gingham dress worn by Garland in The Wizard Of Oz fetched £140,000 ($235,500 Cdn) at an auction in London last year.
The scarecrow outfit from the movie is on display in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., while the tin man costume was destroyed.
Share Tools
- Spider-Man trailer: fresh take or more of the same?by Arts Online Feb. 7, 2012 5:15 PM Spider-Man? Yes. Amazing? Maybe. The first full-length trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man -- the reboot of the comic-turned-movie trilogy -- has been released. But considering the previous movie franchise ended a mere five years ago and that we've been bombarded with stories about the troubled Broadway musical adaptation since then, this reboot does beg the question: Do we really need to revisit Spider-Man?
Top News Headlines
- Greece passes new austerity deal amid rioting
- Greek lawmakers have approved harsh new austerity measures demanded by bailout creditors to save the debt-crippled nation from bankruptcy, after riots in Athens and other cities left stores looted and burned and more than 120 people hurt. more »
- Quebec town 'heartbroken' after killing of woman, sisters
- A small Quebec town is in mourning Sunday after a Quebec man was charged with killing his nieces and his mother, who were found dead in their family home. more »
- Houston autopsy results withheld by police
- Whitney Houston was found in a hotel bathtub but it'll take weeks to determine precisely how she died, a Los Angeles coroner's official says. more »
- Musicians who died before their time
- The growing list of musicians who have died young. more »
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- Britain's BAFTAs honours The Artist
- Silent movie The Artist dominated the British Academy Film awards, the U.K. equivalent of the Oscars, winning seven awards, including best picture. more »
- Houston autopsy results withheld by police
- Whitney Houston was found in a hotel bathtub but it'll take weeks to determine precisely how she died, a Los Angeles coroner's official says. more »
- Whitney Houston's death sparks chorus of grief
- Regular music fans and superstar performers joined together in a chorus of grief upon hearing that Whitney Houston had died at age 48 on the eve of the Grammy Awards. more »
- World Press Photo won by Arab protest image
- Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda won the 2011 World Press Photo of the Year award Friday for an image of a veiled woman holding a wounded relative in her arms after a demonstration in Yemen. more »
Q Blog
Enter our Six-Word Modern Love Story Contest! Feb. 10, 2012 2:54 PM The goal is simple: tell a full and rich modern love tale in just six words. Funny. Sad. Sexy. Or futuristic sexy, the kind with spaceships. Winners announced on Q's February 14th Modern Love special.
CBC Books
The web celebrates 200 years of Charles Dickens Feb. 10, 2012 7:13 PM The revered English novelist turns two centuries-old this week! See the online tributes and leave your birthday message for a chance to win a copy of Charles Dickens: A Life.
- Pop queen Whitney Houston dies at 48
- Whitney Houston's body set for autopsy
- Greece passes new austerity deal amid rioting
- Carleton University confirms death of student
- Quebec town 'heartbroken' after killing of woman, sisters
- Ultimate Tazer Ball combines shock and soccer
- Adele, Kanye West each take 3 Grammys
- Adults-only trade show cancelled in B.C. Bible belt
- Manitoba man dies after falling off moving SUV
A scene from 1939's The Wizard of Oz features, from left, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Judy Garland as Dorothy and Jack Haley as the Tin Man. 
