Wizard of Oz film prop, $445,000 (£367,000) at Studio Auctions.
It was one of three models built and used in the tornado special effects sequence, although the only survivor.
It features an MGM property label affixed to its interior and was sold to a collector directly by an MGM executive in 1970, as detailed by the original bill of sale and interoffice memorandum on the private collector’s purchase. It was further authenticated by Arnold Gillespie, the special effects supervisor for The Wizard of Oz, in 1973.
The model is now one of the most expensive props associated with the classic film. A pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Debbie Reynolds collection, sold for $510,000 in 2011.
