Cowardly Lion Costume From 'Wizard of Oz' Sells for $3M

This Nov. 21, 2014 photo shows Bert Lahr's Cowardly Lion costume from "The Wizard of Oz," part of the "There's No Place Like Hollywood" movie memorabilia auction at Bonhams auction house in New York. (Richard Drew/AP Photo)

By    |   Wednesday, 26 November 2014 08:03 AM EST ET

The iconic Cowardly Lion costume from the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" was sold for more than $3 million at auction in New York City while the piano from 1942's  "Casablanca" went for a bit more.

The lion costume, made of real lion's skin, was worn by Bert Lahr during the filming of the classic movie, according to People magazine, and was found in the 1970s hidden in an old MGM building by a junk dealer cleaning out an abandoned lot.

The movie was the star-making vehicle for Judy Garland, who played the lead role of Dorothy while Lahr, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow and Jack Haley as the Tin Man, accompanied her through her trip through Oz.

The movie won two Academy Awards for best musical score and best song for "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," but lost best picture honors that year to "Gone With the Wind."

The costume had been owned by Los Angeles' Museum of Television founder James Comisar before it was sold during the auction, noted People.

Also on the block at Bonham's auction house was a piano used in the motion picture "Casablanca," which was purchased for $3.4 million, according to People. The piano, which the magazine wrote was probably built in 1927, was played by Dooley Wilson in the film, had been owned by Los Angeles dentist Gary Milan.

Wilson, who played the pianist Sam in "Casablanca," played "As Time Goes By" for actors Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the film, according to the BBC News.

Milan told BBC News that the piano had chewing gum under the keyboard. Along with Wilson's playing, the piano played a pivotal role in a plot scene, when Bogart's character used it to hide illegal transit papers.

Neither of the auction amounts were record amounts, according to People. The magazine reported that the Aston Martin used by Sean Connery in the James Bond "Goldfinger" movie sold for $4.6 million and the Maltese falcon used in the movie with Humphrey Bogart, sold last year for $4.08 million.

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The iconic Cowardly Lion costume from the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" was sold for more than $3 million at auction in New York City while the piano from 1942's "Casablanca" went for a bit more.
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2014-03-26
Wednesday, 26 November 2014 08:03 AM
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