We've spent some time discussing what a bad time Jack Haley had in that Tin Man costume. If he complained about it on set, we're willing to bet that Cowardly Lion actor Bert Lahr rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. Taking into account the wig, the paint and the furry body suit, Lahr's full costume weighed in excess of 100lbs. Bearing in mind what we said earlier about temperatures in the studio, we imagine it contained several more pounds of sweat by the time everything was said and done.
The costume could almost certainly have been made out of lighter materials, but somebody decided it was a great idea to make it out of actual, real-life lion pelts. Presumably they felt it added that touch of authenticity? The costume later went on to sell for $826,000 at auction in 2006.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.