The movie didn't do quite as well as expected at the box office. It was outperformed by the more critically acclaimed and star-powered 'Gone with the Wind', and it's only over time that it's gained the reputation and huge affection that it now enjoys. Also, there's the small fact that World War II broke out at around the same time the film hit cinemas.
Not to be put off, the Mason City Globe Gazette in Iowa saw fit to promote the film with this exact headline: 'War Nerves? See The Wizard Of Oz For A Genuine Rest'. We think that the movie is enchanting and charming, and we're really hoping you can still enjoy it even though you now know all these facts about it, but we're not sure it would go quite the whole way of stopping us from being concerned about the threat of Nazism crossing over the sea from Europe and destroying our way of life completely.
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.