A blue and white checked gingham dress, worn by Judy Garland in the "Wizard of Oz," hangs on display, Monday, April 25, 2022, at Bonhams in New York.
NEW YORK (AP) — It's one of the most recognizable outfits in American movie history, the blue-and-white checked gingham dress a young Judy Garland wore as Dorothy in the classic 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz."
For decades, one of the versions of the dress Garland wore in the movie was assumed lost at Catholic University of America, where it had been given to someone in the drama department in the early 1970s. But the clearing out of some office clutter last year led to the finding of the dress in an old shoebox, and now it's headed for the auction block.
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When she first saw it, "all I could think about was watching the movie when I was a child and growing up with" it, said Jacqueline Leary-Warsaw, dean of the school of music, drama and art at Catholic University, in Washington, D.C. "In a way it was like I was looking at my past childhood."
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She and others are hopeful that nostalgia factor will come into play when the costume goes up for sale at Bonhams "Classic Hollywood: Film and Television" auction on May 24 in Los Angeles, where it has a presale estimate of $800,000 to $1.2 million. Bonhams has the dress on display this week at the auction house's New York location before it is sent to California for public view and then auction.
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Helen Hall, director of popular culture for Bonhams, said that the market for memorabilia, and film costumes in particular, is strong, and that "The Wizard of Oz" is a cultural touchstone.
People "very much remember the first time they saw the film, the effect it had on their lives," she said. The film is renowned for its music, its dialogue and its visuals, particularly when Dorothy goes from drab, sepia-colored Kansas to gloriously multicolored Oz.
There was more than one of the costume made for Garland while filming. Hall said that four are known to exist and that only two, including the one found at Catholic University, are with the blouse she wore underneath. Bonhams sold the other one with a blouse at an auction in 2015 for more than $1.5 million.
(There are also some surviving pairs of the ruby slippers Garland wore, with one pair in the collection at the Smithsonian.)
A blue and white checked gingham dress, worn by Judy Garland in the "Wizard of Oz," hangs on display, Monday, April 25, 2022, at Bonhams in New York.
The rediscovered dress had initially been given to Father Gilbert Hartke, who was then head of the university's drama department, in 1973 by actress Mercedes McCambridge, Leary-Warsaw said, although it's not clear how McCambridge came to have it.
Somehow, in the years that followed, the department lost track of the costume until it became "something that people had thought was just a myth," she said. Last year, during preparations for a renovation, a bag containing the shoebox was opened, and there it was — though how it got to where it ended up remains a mystery, Leary-Warsaw said.
The dress was in good condition, aside from a piece that had been cut away, while the blouse was more fragile.
In researching the dress, it was determined that Garland wore it in the movie in the scene where she is confronted in a castle by a threatening Wicked Witch of the West.
The school decided to auction it off instead of keeping it, and plans to use the proceeds from the auction sale to create a full-fledged film program in the drama department.
Super summer lineup of movies to hit theaters and streamers
May 6
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (theaters): The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first big-screen outing of 2022 finds Dr. Stephen Strange entering the multiverse and facing off against new threats. Directed by Sam Raimi and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Elizabeth Olsen and Benedict Wong.
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May 13
“Firestarter” (theaters and Peacock): This remake of the 1984 “Firestarter” finds a father doing whatever it takes to protect his daughter from a government agency after she suddenly gains the ability to set fires with her mind. Directed by Keith Thomas and starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Gloria Reuben and Kurtwood Smith.
May 20
“Downton Abbey: A New Era”
“Downton Abbey: A New Era” (theaters): “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes wrote both the 2019 “Downton Abbey” film and this sequel. Directed by Simon Curtis and starring Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery and Hugh Dancy.
“Men” (theaters): A woman takes a solo holiday in the English countryside that it’s fairly safe to assume goes horribly wrong. From writer-director Alex Garland and starring Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear.
“Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers” (Disney+): Chipmunks Chip and Dale are back for a new animated adventure. John Mulaney and Andy Samberg voice the titular duo. The rest of the voice cast includes Will Arnett, J.K. Simmons, Tress MacNeille and Eric Bana.
May 27
“Top Gun: Maverick”
“Top Gun: Maverick” (theaters): The long-delayed sequel to 1986’s “Top Gun” is (hopefully) finally hitting theaters. Tom Cruise returns as Navy aviator Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, who has been trying not to advance in rank for 30 years so he can continue satiating his need for speed. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and also starring Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly and Glen Powell.
“The Bob’s Burgers Movie” (theaters): This movie adaptation of the long-running Fox animated series finds the Belchers trying to save their family’s restaurant after a sinkhole threatens its ability to stay in business. The voice cast includes H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Kristen Schaal and Eugene Mirman.
June 3
“Fire Island” (Hulu): Two friends head to the popular vacation destination off the southern shore of Long Island for a weeklong getaway. Directed by Andrew Ahn and starring Bowen Yang, Joel Kim Booster and Margaret Cho.
June 10
“Jurassic World Dominion”
“Jurassic World Dominion” (theaters): Now that dinosaurs live alongside humans, it’s time to determine once and for all which species will be the apex predator going forward. Directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt and Jeff Goldblum.
June 16
“Father of the Bride” (HBO Max): A father comes to terms with his daughter’s upcoming nuptials in this adaptation of the 1949 Edward Streeter novel. Directed by Gaz Alazraki and starring Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Adria Arjona and Isabela Merced.
June 17
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” (AppleTV+): This film about a bar mitzvah party host who forms a bond with a mother and her autistic daughter was written and directed by Cooper Raiff, who also stars alongside Dakota Johnson, Vanessa Burghardt, Leslie Mann and Brad Garrett.
“Brian and Charles” (theaters): An isolated man who builds a robot for company soon realizes that his latest invention may force him to step out of his comfort zone. Directed by Jim Archer and starring David Earl, Chris Hayward and Louise Brealey.
“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” (Hulu): An older widow attempts to have a night of passion with a young sex worker. Directed by Sophie Hyde and starring Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack and Isabella Laughland.
“Lightyear” (theaters): Pixar gets meta with this animated film about the non-toy version of Buzz Lightyear and his space travels that take him to infinity and beyond. Chris Evans takes over for Tim Allen as the titular character alongside a voice cast that also includes Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi and Uzo Aduba.
“Lightyear”
June 24
“Elvis” (theaters): Director Baz Luhrmann took on the challenge of chronicling the life and career of legendary singer Elvis Presley. Austin Butler plays the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll alongside a cast that also includes Tom Hanks, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Dacre Montgomery.
“The Black Phone” (theaters): A 13-year-old boy tries to escape his kidnapper with the help of his abductor’s previous victims. Directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw.
July 1
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” (theaters): This sequel to 2015’s “Minions” explores how those silly yellow henchmen became loyal to Gru and his dream to become the world’s greatest supervillain. The voice cast includes Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
July 8
“Thor: Love and Thunder” (theaters): Everyone’s favorite Asgardian is back for his fourth big-screen outing. Taika Waititi is back in the director’s chair after also helming 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok.” The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Chris Pratt.
July 15
“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” (theaters): A widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London does whatever it takes to obtain the couture Dior dress with which she has become obsessed. Directed by Anthony Fabian and starring Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert and Jason Isaacs.
“Bed Rest” (theaters): A pregnant woman can’t tell if her house is haunted or what she’s seeing is in her head while on mandatory bed rest. Directed by Lori Evans Taylor and starring Melissa Barrera, Guy Burnet and Kristen Harris.
“Where the Crawdads Sing” (theaters): This adaptation of the 2018 Delia Owens novel finds a woman becoming the prime suspect in the murder of someone she once shared a romantic connection with. Directed by Olivia Newman and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Harris Dickinson, David Strathairn and Garret Dillahunt.
“Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” (theaters): This upcoming animated romp was loosely inspired by the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles.” The voice cast includes Brooks, Samuel L. Jackson, Michelle Yeoh, Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais and Djimon Hounsou.
July 22
“Nope”
“Nope” (theaters): Writer-director Jordan Peele’s follow-up to 2019’s “Us” finds the residents of a small California town witnessing a strange event. The film stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun.
July 28
“House Party” (HBO Max): High-schoolers attend a wild shindig in this remake of the 1990 comedy of the same name. Directed by Calmatic and starring Jacob Latimore, Tosin Cole and D.C. Young Fly.
July 29
“Bullet Train”
“Bullet Train” (theaters): Multiple assassins on the same bullet train realize their respective missions might all be connected. Directed by David Leitch and starring Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Joey King and Brian Tyree Henry.
“DC League of Super-Pets” (theaters): Superman’s dog Krypto leads a team of other superpowered animals to save the Justice League after they’re captured by Lex Luthor. The voice cast for this animated adventure includes Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna and Keanu Reeves.
“Vengeance” (theaters): B.J. Novak wrote, directed and starred in this horror-thriller about a New York City radio host who heads down south to find answers about his girlfriend’s murder. The cast also includes Issa Rae, Ashton Kutcher, Dove Cameron and Boyd Holbrook.
Aug. 5
“Luck” (AppleTV+): A notoriously unlucky young woman unwittingly stumbles into the conflict between the forces of good luck and bad luck. This animated adventure’s voice cast includes Eva Noblezada, Simon Pegg, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg and Flula Borg.
“Easter Sunday” (theaters): Comedian Jo Koy stars as a fictionalized version of himself attending his family’s Easter gathering. Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and also starring Jimmy O. Yang, Tia Carrere and Brandon Wardell.
“Bodies Bodies Bodies” (theaters): Party games among friends holing up at a remote mansion during a hurricane take a deadly turn. Directed by Halina Reijn and starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Pete Davidson and Myha’la Herrold.
“Not Okay” (Hulu): A woman’s attempts to earn more social media followers by faking a trip to Paris end up coinciding with a terrifying real-world incident. Directed by Quinn Shephard and starring Zoey Deutch and Dylan O’Brien.
“Secret Headquarters” (theaters): When a young boy stumbles across a secret lair under his home, he begins suspecting that his father may be a superhero. Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, and starring Walker Scobell, Owen Wilson, Michael Pena and Jesse Williams.
Aug. 26
“The Bride” (theaters): A recently married woman gets caught up in a gothic conspiracy. Directed by Jessica M. Thompson and starring Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Doherty, Sean Pertwee and Hugh Skinner.
“Samaritan” (theaters): A kid discovers that a superhero who went missing 20 years prior may actually still be around. Directed by Julius Avery and starring Sylvester Stallone, Javon Walton, Martin Starr and Dascha Polanco.
