It was a mystery for many years. In 2005, a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the film The Wizard of Oz disappeared from a museum in Grand Rapids, Minn.
The stolen shoes were one of four pairs originally created for the movie and on loan to the Grand Rapids Judy Garland Museum. Interestingly, they were a mismatched set (the other two are at the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of American History). Missing for over a decade, the search involved many colorful suspects and several twists and turns. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) even joined the Grand Rapids police in the hunt before the case was solved.
Now, a local production company, Committee Films, has released a documentary of the long, winding, 13-year saga, called Ruby Red Handed: Stealing America’s Most Famous Pair of Shoes which is now available on Hulu.
Chaska residents Maria and Andy Awes are leaders at Committee Films (Maria is senior vice president, executive producer and head of development and Andy is co-owner and president). They both served as executive producers for Ruby Red Handed and Maria is prominently featured in the film. Andy Awes directed the production.
Maria, an investigative journalist, began working on the story in 2018, the year the slippers were found.
“We happened to be visiting Grand Rapids when an important tip came in,” she explained. “Over the next several years, as we followed the case, we developed relationships with local police and later, the FBI.”
Awes shared that other projects her company works on typically require approximately 18 to 24 months to finish. For this project, it took about seven years, finishing in June 2025.
“For years, we weren’t sure if it would be picked up,” she said. “So far, reaction to the production has been very positive,” she said. “True crime stories are popular, but I think people are looking for tales that are a little lighter. Some elements of this story seem unbelievable (given the twists and turns), but they are all true.”
Watch the documentary trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U60D3G4mDio.
Committee Films is always looking for interesting story ideas. Have one? Email info@committeefilms.com.
