Long-Lost ‘Wizard of Oz’ Dress Worn by Judy Garland Blocked from Auction amid Dispute Over Ownership
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Now, let’s delve into the riveting saga of legal entanglements surrounding a resurfaced relic from the cinematic tapestry:
A judicial intervention unfolded in the bustling precincts of Manhattan, as a U.S. district judge halted the auction proceedings of a long-lost garment adorned by Judy Garland in the immortalized film “The Wizard of Oz.” The disruption ensued when a kin of the deceased proprietor asserted its rightful ownership.
Barbara Ann Hartke, aged 81, initiated a legal battle against the Catholic University of America and the esteemed Auction house, Bonhams. The crux of the matter became public knowledge as the impending auction of the dress garnered attention.
The blue-and-white checkered frock, donned by the tornado-transported Dorothy in the iconic 1939 film, had eluded discovery for nearly four decades until its serendipitous resurrection in the drama department collection of Catholic University last year. The custodian, Father Gilbert Hartke, received this sartorial treasure as a gift during the 1970s. However, after a mere year gracing the Washington, D.C. campus, the costume mysteriously vanished.
Fr. Gilbert’s demise in 1986 left the dress shrouded in mystery until its unearthing in May 2021, concealed within a discarded shoebox.
Bonhams had grand plans to feature the dress in their Classic Hollywood auction, estimating its value between $800,000 and $1.2 million. This particular attire, one of the scarce original costumes from the film, was hailed as the very fabric Garland wore during the iconic confrontation with the Wicked Witch of the West.
However, Barbara Ann, Fr. Gilbert’s niece and closest living relative, staked her claim as the rightful possessor of the garment. In her lawsuit, she contended that actress Mercedes McCambridge, in 1973, explicitly and publicly bestowed the attire upon her uncle. There exists no documentation indicating Fr. Gilbert ever formally or informally bequeathed the dress to Catholic University.
The lawsuit underscored the dress’s profound sentimental value, its uniqueness, and its global recognition as an iconic emblem of cinematic history. Barbara Ann asserted that Catholic University exhibited no efforts to locate the deceased’s heirs since the dress’s relocation, thereby having no legitimate claim to ownership.
In a counter-filing, Catholic University’s legal team dismissed Barbara Ann’s petition as unwarranted, citing Fr. Gilbert’s Dominican priest vow against accepting personal gifts. This stance implied that the dress couldn’t be categorized within any family estate.
Furthermore, they deemed it “pure speculation” that McCambridge, who passed away in 2004, intended to gift the dress to the priest in his personal capacity. The absence of any mention of the dress in Fr. Gilbert’s estate added weight to their argument.
In the midst of this legal wrangling, U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe issued a preliminary injunction on Monday, delaying the auction until the ownership dispute is resolved. A pretrial conference is slated for June 9.
Catholic University’s legal representatives expressed eagerness to present their position, emphasizing substantial evidence contradicting Ms. Hartke’s claim. They reiterated the school’s commitment to utilizing proceeds from the dress’s sale to endow a faculty position in the Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art—a move aligned with Mercedes McCambridge’s original intent and Father Gilbert Hartke’s aspiration to nurture the university’s drama program.
Barbara Ann’s lawyer defended her stance, emphasizing her status as an 81-year-old woman and the closest living heir. The legal intervention sought to postpone the auction until ownership disputes are judicially resolved, acknowledging the dress’s unique and historic significance as the Dorothy Dress in the Southern District of New York.