Wizard of Oz lion costume fetches $700,000 US
One of the most famous characters in all of movie history , the cowardly lion's costume worn by actor Bert Lahr in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, has been sold for a whopping $700,000 (£357,000).
The sale was conducted by the US-based auction house Profiles In History. The costume, which had been part of a Hollywood memorabilia sale on auction site eBay, had been estimated to bring in $590,000. It exceeded its anticipated goal.
Other items included in the memorabilia sale include the dress Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz which sported a 27-inch waist
The BBC reports that the actual lion costume worn by Lahr was indeed real lion, constructed of made of actual pelts and sewn together to form the costume. The costume was mounted on a pedestal and positioned in the character's memorable "Put 'em up! put 'em up!" pose from the film.
In the past, a blue and white gingham dress worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard Of Oz fetched £140,000 at an auction in London last year. Reported the BBC.
The dress, which was purchased by an unnamed phone buyer, had been expected to fetch £35,000.
Sadly, The Wizard of Oz's tin man costume was largely destroyed, while the scarecrow outfit was spared and is currently housed in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington DC.