Judy Garland’s ruby ​​slippers from Wizard of Oz to go under the hammer for £2million – after being stolen by gangster

The iconic red slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz have gone on display in London ahead of an international auction next month.

The magical footwear is expected to sell for upwards of £2 million when it goes under the hammer at Heritage Auctions in Dallas on December 7.

They are just one of four surviving pairs of slippers from the 1939 technicolor film.

The pair, which are on display at Heritage’s Mayfair showroom in London, were worn by Garland for the majority of the film, including three famous close-ups when the Wicked Witch is shocked when she tries to touch them, a close-up. at the Gates of Oz, and the climactic heel-tapping scene when Garland’s character Dorothy repeatedly says ‘There is no place like home’.

They are being sold by private collector Michael Shaw, a former child actor with MGM, and have an interesting back story.

He loaned the slippers to the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota in 2005, but they were soon stolen.

The pair, which is on display at Heritage’s Mayfair showroom in London, was worn by Garland for the majority of the film, including three famous close-up scenes

The slippers are pictured with the original Wicked Witch of the West’s hat, complete with original black tulle veil, as worn by Margaret Hamilton in the film

Film stills taken from the 1939 ‘Wizard of Oz’ The magical red slippers are expected to sell for upwards of £2 million when they go under the hammer at Heritage Auctions in Dallas on December 7

They are just one of the four surviving pairs of slippers from the 1939 technicolor film

It wasn’t until 2018 that the FBI finally found the famous memorabilia buried in a Tupperware box.

Terry Martin later admitted to the theft, saying he did it because he thought they were filled with real rubies.

The 76-year-old received a suspended prison sentence in January this year.

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president at Heritage Auctions, said: “You cannot overstate the importance of Dorothy’s ruby ​​slippers: They are the most important prop in Hollywood history.”

The slippers will be auctioned along with the black pointed hat worn by Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.

Other memorabilia from The Wizard of Oz will also be for sale, including Garland’s wigs, movie posters and photographs, as well as other items such as a wooden record player from Jumanji starring Robin Williams.