‘Wizard of Oz’ dress sells for $1.56m in New York

A dress worn by Hollywood screen siren Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” as the character Dorothy sold for $1.56 million in New York last week, Bonhams auction house said.

The dress was chief highlight in a sale of nearly 400 pieces of Hollywood memorabilia organized by the auction house and Turner Classic Movies that netted total sales of more than $4 million.

The “Dorothy” dress went to one of three phone bidders Monday, smashing its pre-sale estimate of $800,000 to $1.2 million, Bonhams said.

It is one of only two complete Dorothy costumes in existence, said Bonhams’ director of entertainment memorabilia, Catherine Williamson.

“The dress is considered a true and timeless icon of classic Hollywood,” she added.

It was designed by the renowned Jewish American costume designer Adrian, who also designed the epic red ruby slippers worn by Garland in the movie.

Garland was one of the best-loved actresses of the Hollywood Golden Age who starred in the 1939 “The Wizard of Oz” as a teenager.

The movie won two Oscars, for best song and best music, and remains a much-loved family classic more than 70 years later.

The second most expensive item in the sale was a suit worn by Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” which fetched $425,000.

A golden ticket, a prop from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” based on the book by British author Roald Dahl, sold for $35,000.