Released in 1939, The Wizard of Oz is cited as one of the most influential films in cinematic history. As a result, any props, costumes, and scripts from this movie come with an impressive price tag. So, when the Oz hourglass went up for auction, it easily sold for hundreds of thousands.
The hourglass in question is the one the Wicked Witch turns over, warning Dorothy, “You see that? That’s how much longer you’ve got to be alive! And it isn’t long, my pretty.” Heritage Auctions hosted the sale, which saw the hourglass sell for a whopping $495,000.
The infamous hourglass from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ sells for almost half a million
Heritage Auctions put the hourglass among the many other film props in its Hollywood and Entertainment Signature Auction sale. In total, the items were worth $8 million combined. It was joined by two other props from The Wizard of Oz, including a test version of Dorothy’s dress, worth $125,000, along with an extra’s jacket worth $37,500. Before the recent sale, the hourglass had been in three museum exhibits and two separate auctions.
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Besides Dorothy’s red shoes, Heritage Auctions refers to the hourglass as “the most recognizable signature prop from the film. The 20-inch-tall, one-foot-wide prop is “expertly crafted by studio artisans of wood and papier-mâché with winged gargoyles perched atop three spiraled columns.”
Movie history in the making
The Wizard of Oz is one of the few films preserved by UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register and is ranked at number 2 in Variety’s 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list. There have been multiple adaptations of the novel of the same name by L. Frank Baum but the 1939 film remains the most commercially successful to date.
The Wicked Witch’s Hourglass From ‘#TheWizardofOz’ Was the Top Lot at an $8 Million #Auction of #MovieMemorabilia! The sale also included the Holy Grail from '#IndianaJones and the Last Crusade.'
Via @artnet https://t.co/LcR0YZd2b1
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) December 23, 2022
While the movie itself has some deliberate, plot-driven tricks and visual surprises, the props used are no different. Different versions of the hourglass had been crafted for The Wizard of Oz, but the one that sold recently was the one held aloft by Margaret Hamilton. Red sparkles were added after for display since the glitter wouldn’t flow properly for filming. The prop would also see use in Babes on Broadway, Diane, and 7 Faces of Dr. Lao.
What is your favorite prop from The Wizard of Oz?
