Kent Warner
Kent Phillip Warner (March 8, 1943 – April 25, 1984) was a costume designer, best known for acquiring the ruby slippers from the film The Wizard of Oz prior to the 1970 MGM Auction. He is known to have found four pairs used in the film, (of five pairs that have surfaced). One pair he sold to memorabilia collector Michael Shaw in 1970 for $2,500. These ruby slippers were later stolen from the Judy Garland Museum near Garland's birthplace in Grand Rapids, Minnesota sometime between August 27–28, 2005. Speculation persists that it was an inside job as the alarms did not sound. They have not been found [1]
Of the several pairs of ruby slippers Warner found on the MGM backlot while assisting to set up the wardrobe auction of May 1970, one pair became a centerpiece of the auction. He later sold all but one of the other pairs, keeping for himself the size 5B pair, believed to have been worn by Judy Garland for static and closeup shots, which were in the best condition of the known pairs. He later sold them through Christie's East in 1981 for $12,000.
Kent Warner died in 1984 of complications of AIDS. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).
References
- ↑ The Ruby Slippers of Oz, by Rhys Thomas. 1989