A top film memorabilia collector is selling Burt Lahr's Cowardly Lion costume from The Wizard Of Oz to fund a new museum.

James Comisar is calling on Hollywood's biggest names to consider digging deep for the outfit Lahr wore in the classic 1939 film, which he acquired in 1991 from a salvage dealer who found it in an abandoned MGM building.

The seller is hoping to use the cash to help him fund a TV history museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

The costume is one of two Lahr wore in the film.

Comisar tells The Hollywood Reporter he's willing to sell the item at a discount to the bosses of the plan...

Originally a 1966 Broadway musical, the groundbreaking Bob Fosse film "Cabaret" used the decadent and vulgar cabaret as a mirror image of German society sliding toward the Nazis. The intertwining of entertainment with social history marked a new step forward for the movie musical.

Michael York plays a British writer who comes to Berlin in the early 1930s in hopes of becoming a teacher. He makes the acquaintance of flamboyant American entertainer Sally Bowles, played by Liza Minnelli. Sally works at the Kit Kat Klub, a George Grosz-like Berlin cabaret where each night the smirking, androgyn...

Rachel Weisz was thrilled to land a role as the Wicked Witch of the East in The Wizard Of Oz prequel because it gave her the chance to play a villain.

The British actress stars alongside James Franco as the wizard in upcoming movie Oz: The Great and Powerful, which is based on the books of L. Frank Baum and tells the story previous to Judy Garland's famous 1939 film.

Mila Kunis plays Theodora, the Wicked Witch of the West, while Weisz tackles the role of Evanora, the Wicked Witch of the East - and she relished the chance to show off her bad side.

She tells Deadline.com, "It's the preque...

Disney and Pixar's Finding Nemo will be getting a theatrical re-release this weekend, continuing a growing trend of films being brought back to the big screen with a third dimension added.

Theatrical re-releases had gone down recently, due to the increasing popularity of big screen home entertainment centers in high definition - but with so few homeowners having a 3D TV, producers are keen to cash in on the technology.

Prior to home theaters being the norm, many movie companies re-released their flicks every several years to give audiences a chance to see the spectacle on the big screen. ...

ParaNorman, the animated tale of a boy who saunters around town with a secret ability to see and speak to ghosts, was awarded a comfy PG rating by the MPAA and will probably draw in this weekend's under-13 crowd with no trouble. However, is it just us or is the concept of a kid who sees ghouls and comes to blows with zombies in order to save his town a tad spooky for the kiddies?

Chances are it's good clean fun, but given writer-director Chris Butler's experience with movies which tow the line between having a few frights and scarring a kid for life (he was a storyboard artist on Tim Burto...

Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard Of Oz have a new home at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio.

The iconic shoes were sold at auction by collector Debbie Reynolds last year and now Academy officials have revealed DiCaprio led a group of 'angel donors' whose gifts to the Academy Foundation enabled the purchase.

Bob Iger, president and CEO of the Walt Disney Co. and chairman of the capital campaign for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, says, "The ruby slippers occupy an extraordinary place in the hearts of movie audiences the world over. This i...

The Wizard Of Oz star Karl Slover has died at the age of 93.

Slover, one of the last surviving actors who played Munchkins in the 1939 film, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest in an Atlanta, Georgia hospital on Tuesday.

The actor, who had pituitary dwarfism, appeared in several films throughout his career but is best known for playing the lead trumpeter in The Wizard Of Oz's Munchkins band.

He regularly appeared at promotional events related to the movie after his retirement.

John Fricke, author of the book 100 Years of Oz, says, "Of the 124 little people, he's one of the ...

The actual ruby slippers Judy Garland clicked together to send her character Dorothy back to Kansas in The Wizard Of Oz are to be auctioned off in December.

Replicas and stunt shoes have been sold off in the past, but now bosses at California auction house Profiles in History have acquired the most famous footwear in Hollywood.

The slippers will be the highlight lot at the three-day Icons of Hollywood auction, which will take place from December 15-17.

A spokeswoman for the auction house says, "There are four pairs of screen-used ruby slippers known to have survived the 70 years since th...

James Franco's acting agent gifted the star with a balloon flight after he won the lead in "Wizard Of Oz" prequel "Oz: The Great And Powerful."

The actor plays the titular wizard in the film - a conman who arrives in Oz in a balloon - and his agent thought it would be a fun idea to give him a taste of flight in a basket as a treat.

Franco says, "I have yet to use it."

Iconic screen siren Marilyn Monroe was still the toast of Hollywood on Saturday after her iconic white dress from The Seven Year Itch sold for an astonishing $4.6 million at auction.

"Singin' In The Rain" legend Debbie Reynolds put the movie memorabilia she has collected during her career under the hammer in California, and film fans flocked to the sale to try and buy a piece of Hollywood history.

And it was Monroe who was still the big star turn at the sale when her buyers bidded big for her most famous on-screen outfits.

The white dress, which famously blew up as the star stood over a ...

Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" challenges what we define as reality. To a man chained in a dark cave for all of his life, reality is darkness - it is not until he is freed that his perception of reality is changed. Now, imagine that instead of darkness, this prisoner was forced to watch women on reality TV.

Okay, so maybe I'm reaching, but the fact remains that women in reality television are generally presented as backstabbers that cannot get along. These women also jump at the chance to switch over to the men's team, if the opportunity presents itself. "Finally, I don't have to deal with...

Oscar nominee James Franco is in talks to replace Robert Downey, Jr. as the wonderful wizard in upcoming Disney movie Oz: The Great And Powerful.

The 127 Hours star has emerged as the new favorite to head up Sam Raimi's Wizard of Oz prequel, which is based on L. Frank Baum's classic books.

The film will be set before Judy Garland's original 1939 movie and focuses on an illusionist who flees a travelling circus in a hot air balloon, which is caught up in a tornado and swept to the land of Oz.

Downey, Jr. walked away from the movie last month and Disney bosses had reportedly approached J...

Robert Downey, Jr. has dropped out of upcoming Disney movie Oz The Great And Powerful and movie bosses are reportedly in talks with Johnny Depp to replace him as the wonderful wizard.

The Iron Man star had signed up to take on the lead role in the upcoming Wizard Of Oz prequel, which is based on L. Frank Baum's classic books and will be set before Judy Garland's original 1939 movie.

The film, which will be directed by Spider-Man's Sam Raimi, focuses on an illusionist who flees a travelling circus in a hot air balloon, which is caught up in a tornado and swept to the land of Oz.

The ac...

Production on an upcoming biopic of Judy Garland, starring Anne Hathaway, has been pushed back to allow the actress and movie executives extra time to deal with the "sensitive project".

The Devil Wears Prada star last year signed on to play the Wizard of Oz legend in a big screen adaptation of biographer Gerald Clarke's 2001 book Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland.

Work on the movie has yet to begin and Hathaway reveals production may not start until late 2012 - to make sure the film correctly portrays Garland's life story.

Speaking on BBC Radio Four's Front Row radio show, the actres...

Teen star Selena Gomez has been forced to cancel two upcoming state fair concerts in Delaware and Ohio after straining her vocal chords.

The "Wizards of Waverly Place" star has pulled out of planned performances at the Delaware State Fair on Wednesday and the Ohio State Fair on Thursday.

The singer lost her voice on Monday and had to use the latest technology during an appearance on late-night TV show "Lopez Tonight" to speak to host George Lopez.

The teen Latina refused to cancel her appearance on the show - and instead asked the host to send his questions ahead of time and programmed a...

Drew Barrymore is stepping behind the camera again to direct a Wizard Of Oz sequel, according to a new report.

The former child star has signed on to direct Surrender Dorothy, about the great-great-granddaughter of Dorothy Gale who goes head to head with the Wicked Witch of the West to save Earth and Oz, reports Pajiba.com.

Barrymore was originally due to star in the film but has now reportedly agreed to helm the project, following her directorial debut with last year's Whip It. It is unclear if she still intends to take on the lead role.

A number of different adaptations of the 1939 ...

Robert Downey Jr. is reportedly set to team up with director Sam Mendes to bring the Wizard Of Oz back to life.

The original 1939 movie, starring Judy Garland, became a cinematic classic, while another film based on L. Frank Baum's books, Return To Oz, was released by Disney in 1985.

Now, movie-makers are preparing to return to the Emerald City on the big screen in a new picture about the wonderful wizard, titled Oz The Great and Powerful. The film will be a prequel to the Garland movie, based on Baum's work, and will tell the story of a young circus magician who ends up ruler of the ma...

One of the last surviving Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz movie, Meinhardt Raabe, has died at the age of 94.

Raabe, who played the coroner of the Munchkin Country in the 1939 musical classic, passed away on Friday at a medical facility in Orange Park, Florida.

The veteran star was admitted to hospital after reportedly collapsing at his retirement home.

Raabe was plucked from obscurity at the age of 23 to play the famous role in The Wizard of Oz, which saw him declare the the Wicked Witch of the East "really most sincerely dead".

After his appearance in the movie, he served in the Ci...

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s newest collaboration, Alice in Wonderland, hits theaters today. Tim usually scores big when he remakes anything, and it is rumored that he is working on revamping the Disney fairy tale Sleeping Beauty as a live-action picture, focusing on the film’s villain, Maleficent.

Best known as the director of Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd, Tim usually creates dark and quirky-themed movies and loves using Johnny Depp in his films. We picked a few more fairy tales we’d like to see remade...

On Christmas Day a brand new musical hits the theaters, titled "Nine," and it got Starpulse thinking about the musical genre. The hits on Broadway always keep people wanting more, and over the years musicals have been beloved on the big screen as well. They've won Oscars, attracted huge movie stars, and everyone loves a good dance routine. Here's a look at the best movie musicals in no particular order.

"The Sound of Music," made in 1965, is an Academy Award winning movie and one of the most successful film musicals of all time. After being adjusted for inflation, it is rumored the movi...

Objects are often the most important thing on a television show or in a film. They represent a character's personality or serve as a key symbol for a scene or episode. But most of all, they are highly desirable items that audiences and fans want, but probably can't have in real life. Whether it's Dark Knight's Batpod motorcycle or a sexy dress worn by Eva Longoria's character on Desperate Housewives, we would love to get our hands on these items. They would make great collectibles and Christmas presents. Here are some notable TV and movie objects that would make great Christmas presents:

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The new Hilary Swank, Richard Gere led film, 'Amelia,' is a tale of two films. The cast is stellar and the cinematography is simply wonderful; unfortunately something is awry with the script since the film is entirely too long, dry and lacking when it comes to an interesting or an in depth storyline between the two lead characters of Amelia Earhart (played by Hilary Swank) and her husband/man behind the career, George Putnam (played by Richard Gere).

The film covers only the most basic portions of Earhart and Putnam's time together in saying that they were in an open marriage and busin...

Dakota Fanning is tipped to star in a sequel to The Wizard Of Oz, according to reports. The 15 year old star of Charlotte's Web and War Of The Worlds is set to take the lead in a follow-up to the classic 1939 movie that shot Judy Garland to fame.

The film's producer, Basil Iwanyk, says, "It will be set in the present day and feature Dorothy's granddaughter."

The original film - based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" - won a number of awards including the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Co-producer Todd McFarlane adds, "You've still got Doro...

Universal CityWalk will become "Universal MoonWalk" for one night with Southern California's largest outdoor public celebration of Michael Jackson's life and music on Thursday, July 9, as part of CityWalk's ongoing Summer Block Party free summer marathon of movies and music.

CityWalk's tribute to the King of Pop will begin at 7:00 pm and will include screenings of "The Wiz" and "Michael Jackson's Thriller," plus a "live" dance retrospective of Michael Jackson's phenomenal musical history, from his days as the youngest sibling in The Jackson 5 to his history-making solo career as the worl...

Anne Hathaway is terrified about taking on the role of iconic singer Judy Garland - branding herself "insane" for agreeing to play the late star in a biopic.

The Bride Wars actress will play the Wizard of Oz legend in a big screen adaptation of biographer Gerald Clarke's 2001 book "Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland."

And despite showing off her song-and-dance skills during a musical medley with Hugh Jackman at the Oscars in February, Hathaway still isn't sure she has the talents to do the part justice.

She tells the New York Daily News, "I think I'm either naive or insane t...

Superspy James Bond has been named Hollywood's top hero ahead of Indiana Jones, Superman and Harry Potter in a new magazine poll.

Bond, who has been played on screen by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, came in at number one in the Entertainment Weekly Top 20 Heroes Poll, with Harrison Ford's adventurer, Indiana Jones, coming in second.

Also making the top 10: Alien heroine Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, Robin Hood, Spider-Man and Die Hard's John McClane.

Ford is the only star to land two characters in the top 10 - his Star Wars hero Han S...

Clarence Swensen, one of the last remaining Wizard Of Oz munchkins, has died at the age of 91. The actor, who died on Wednesday, had been in poor health since suffering a a stroke in 2005.

He was one of nine surviving members of the 125 Munchkins from the 1939 movie classic.

Swensen and his co-stars were feted at a ceremony in November 2007, when a Munchkins star was installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He grew up in Austin, Texas, where he was not allowed to attend public schools until he was nine - because of his size - and became a movie star, contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Ma...

Aah, the holiday season. Strange how we cherish a time of year when the malls are over packed... it's cold outside... it's impossible to find a parking space... the line at the post office is out the door even at their slowest time of day... it's impossible to find the season's latest hot toy... people who have no clue what 'hustle & bustle' means and stroll slowly through busy stores so you're stuck strolling right behind them when all you want to do is get in and out. Christmas shopping is a mission, not a casual day at the mall to comparison shop. That's what the internet and the weekly ...

With the voice of an angel and enough charm to wrap cynical Aaron Sorkin around her little finger, Kristin Chenoweth has spent a long time in the celebrity spotlight, yet always just on the outer edges.

Born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth 40 years ago, this Oklahoma-born girl got her start singing in church choirs and studying voice at Oklahoma City University. She earned a degree in musical theater and a MA in opera, and she then moved into pageant life by getting runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma contest of 1991 - a loss that she still jokes about fake-bitterly in interviews.

Kristin was ...

British singer Amy Winehouse is reportedly using the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz as her inspiration for her upcoming album.

The star hitmaker is currently recording a follow-up to her 2006 smash hit Back to Black LP - and has turned to the Judy Garland classic for help.

A source tells British newspaper the Sun, "She loves the surreal look, sound and score. And the soundtrack and score will be a theme running throughout the record."

- Amy Winehouse Photos

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)