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All Over Coffee #682 I actually mean it

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The Wicked Witch of the West from the 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz, is arguably one of the most well-known characters in all of film history. Margaret Hamilton’s costume for the Witch was designed by costume designer Adrian. Her costume was used again on an unknown model again in 1939 for an MGM Halloween themed promotional shot, which included Judy Garland. The last known time the costume was used was for a short 1941 3D film entitled Three Dimensional Murder, where the costume is seen on Rose Langdon. 

When the studio system came to an end, and it was announced that MGM would hold a giant auction in 1970 for their costumes and props, Kent Warner went through the studio’s archives to find some of the most important pieces of film history that still existed. He was not able to find the Wicked Witch’s costume, but he was able to locate her hat.  It sold at the MGM auction in 1970, and then went up for sale again in December of 1988 at Sotheby’s in NY. From 2002 to 2007 the famous hat was on display at the American Film Institute Showcase Exhibition “Villians: Movie Characters You Love to Hate” at Disney -MGM Studios, Walt Disney World, Florida.  In 2010, it went up for auction again through Profiles in History, who describes the hat as:

This Adrian-designed screen worn hat is constructed of black wool bunting fabric and has a wide brim supported by an interior steel hoop. Measures 20 in diameter with a 13 ½ in. tall cone-shape headpiece that is situated with a rear bias making a 6 ½ in wide brim in the front and extending 5 ¼ in. in the rear. The original black silk scarf is tied around the base of the headpiece extending a full 35 in. behind the knot, adding to the evil look of the piece. An incredible, instantly-recognizable garment from The Wizard of Oz, a film which has literally become a national institution—a masterpiece of set design, costuming, choreography, music, storytelling, and sheer imagination.

You can learn more about Kent Warner’s search through the MGM costume archives at Silver Screen Modes.  You can also watch a fantastic short video by Profiles in History about the hat itself.  You can also watch Third Dimensional Murder here.

Costume Credit: Kevin

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