A Wisconsin woman claims she is the rightful owner of Dorothy’s dress

This iconic dress worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz is one of only two known to still exist today. It was discovered by chance last year in a shoe box at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. The dress was set to be auctioned off for an estimated $1 million+ until Wisconsin resident Barbara Ann Hartke filed a lawsuit claiming it belongs to her.

Barbara is the niece and closest living relative of Rev. Gilbert Hartke, who founded the drama department at the university. He is said to have received the dress from actress Mercedes McCambridge as a thank you for helping her deal with her alcoholism. Around that time, McCambridge was in the area filming for The Exorcist (which has several little-known Wisconsin connections) as the voice of the demon Pazuzu.

The case is set to be heard on June 9th.

Wizard of Oz World Premiere

Oconomowoc has long been recognized as the unlikely location of The Wizard of Oz world premiere on August 12, 1939 at the Strand Theater. In 2019, thousands gathered in the street where the Strand once stood to celebrate the 80th anniversary with a screening of the film and the unveiling of Oz Plaza.

However, it seems Oconomowoc was just one of many small towns where early screenings of The Wizard of Oz were held to test Midwest audience reactions prior to the national release on August 25th. Kenosha, Green Bay, and Appleton hosted screenings in the days leading up to the Oconomowoc premiere, followed by Sheboygan and Racine the next day.

Oz Undead

In 2014, Jimmy Zamzow created an elaborate Halloween display at his home near Holy Hill featuring skeletal versions of Dorothy, Toto, and the rest of the Oz crew. Yes, even the Munchkins.

Jimmy reimagines the display every year with a new theme and more skeletons, making it bigger and better than the one before. Last Halloween the theme was “Surfin’ USA.” Because life’s a beach…and then you die. Watch a video of it right here

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