For convenience the cast list is divided into groups. In the early 1930s she was signed by MGM and began churning out three, four and five movies a year, often with Mickey Rooney. And when he showed up to work each morning, that little black briefcase he often carried with him wasn't full of scripts or acting notes. Lahr had hoped she'd recover, yet as time passed her condition only deteriorated and he began seeing a woman named Mildred Schroeder with whom he had fallen in love. Garland's second marriage was to bisexual filmmaker Vincente Minnelli who was the father of their daughter Liza. Margaret Pellegrini, a cast member who played a Munchkin named Sleepy Head in the original "The Wizard of Oz" movie, is shown. Biographers will later discover than during her teenage years at MGM, and long before Harvey Weinstein showed up on the scene, some of the studio's top brass were propositioning her and occasionally acting in inappropriate ways. Another enjoyable and educational read Tim Anderson, thanks. None-the-less, Glinda the Good Witch will always be Billie Burke's most beloved role. After Ziegfeld died in 1932, Burke never remarried and became active in Hollywood's underground lesbian circuit. She married a mining engineer named Harry Stanton Elliott in 1905, but they divorced seven years later and she never remarried. The dog that played Toto in The Wizard of Oz was paid a salary that was higher than the actors who played the Munchkins Sep 5, 2016 Brad Smithfield Few things can make a movie more delightful than a cute animal, as either the star or a supporting character. Tim Anderson (author) from Utah on February 27, 2018: Thank you again Patty! In The Wizard of Oz, actress Billie Burke played the iconic role of Glinda the Good Witch who helped Dorothy find her way to Emerald City. Glad you enjoyed this! We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Hamilton scared millions of children when she later showed up as the green-faced wicked witch. Whereas the movie ends on a happy note, in real life some of The Wizard of Oz cast members were facing problems and challenges in their personal lives that their fans would never know. Maybe they should have called them the "little rascals," because a lot of these wee folk were indeed rascally. Ray Bolder said Frank Morgan was "a divine man," and Margaret Hamilton described him as "...lovable, very sweet, very considerate," and one of the finest people she knew. His fellows actors loved him. On April 15, 1962, with her arthritis causing constant pain, and nearly blind, Blandick went to church on a Sunday, then came home. Blandick's health and eyesight began to deteriorate in the 1950s. Her penchant for booze and pills began to spiral out of control and she graduated to morphine and heroin, sometimes sneaking into the bathrooms at friends' homes looking for prescription drugs. Today, thanks to its many televised re-runs on network TV, The Wizard of Oz is the most watched film in Hollywood history. As I was researching this article, I found the special features on my The Wizard of Oz DVD not only enjoyable, but informative as well. Many of the Munchkins had recently come to America from Europe and didn't speak English. So he continued to drink, never allowing it interfere with or disrupt his work. The answer key is below. She was cremated, and ironically her ashes were interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California just a few yards from those of her Wizard of Oz husband Charley Grapewin. Some celebrity biographers claim Burke had a serious affair with actress Katharine Hepburn, and also with Hollywood's only female director in the 1930s, Dorothy Arzner, a self-proclaimed "dyke." Betty Ann Bruno, now 88, was cast as one of the Munchkins in “The Wizard of Oz.” She shares her story. Judy Garland once said she was groped many times during the filming of The Wizard of Oz, but it wasn't good witch Billie Burke who was doing the grabbing. During her first marriage, Judy's mother forced her to have an abortion when she found out Judy was pregnant. Lahr grieved over the loss of his girlfriend whose marriage lasted less than a year. Billie had been born Mary Burke, the daughter of Blanche and Billy Burke, and her father was a clown and a singer with the Barnum & Bailey Circus. There were 225 Munchkins in the cast. Some additional re-shoots were scattered over the next three months, but by early June the precious film was pretty much "in the can.". Judy Garland as "Dorothy Gale" and Clara Blandick as "Auntie Em" in The Wizard of Oz. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. 1. Here’s the original scene from "The Wizard of Oz" showing the munchkin that committed suicide on-screen by hanging! Darkness abounds in The Wizard of Oz. She was a busy actress and enjoyed a very successful movie career typically playing character and supporting parts. Although best-remembered as Glinda the Good Witch in "The Wizard of Oz," actress Billie Burke also starred as Clara Topper in the popular "Topper" movie series. After appearing in The Wizard of Oz, the 4' 3" actor found sporadic work in movies and television, and spent some time doing appearances as Oscar Mayer. Under the hot lights inside the studio the suit could become extremely uncomfortable and Lahr had to be mindful not to pass out from dehydration and heat. Judy Garland as homesick Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Judy Garland's song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" was almost cut, but spared at the last moment and thankfully so. However, it wasn't until after his death in 1949 that one of the actresses who'd worked with Fleming said the acclaimed director had been "pro-Nazi" during World War II, and had a loathing for the British. Judy's birth name was Frances Gumm, and after her parents took her and two sisters to California, the three girls began singing as The Gumm Sisters. She was a "swinging" member of "The Sewing Circle," a group of actresses and entertainers who were either bi-sexual or lesbian and who often met at the residence of actress Dolores Del Rio. 225 Munchkins How many Munchkins are still alive? During the 30 years after she filmed The Wizard of Oz, Judy would have affairs with celebrities like Orson Welles, Tyrone Power, bandleader Artie Shaw and occasionally other women. There isn't a single list of "Best Hollywood Movies" that doesn't include The Wizard of Oz. He also appeared in some McDonald's TV commercials playing The Hamburglar and Mayor McCheese. So Fleming called her aside, gave her a mild slap across the face, and told her to get her act together. You will likely know what that is before you receive the final calendar. Given a second chance, this time Lahr did not wait and divorced Mercedes in 1939 to marry Mildred a year later. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. In a posthumous memoir set to be re-released in September this year, Sid Luft makes … Frank Morgan not only played the eccentric wizard in The Wizard of Oz, but four other roles as well! If you don't see it please check your junk folder. For their presence in what is likely the most iconic American film in the history of cinema, the citizens of Munchkinland were paid less than Dorothy’s dog, Toto. The llittle dog had millions of worldwide fans after accompanying Dorothy on her journey to the Emerald Kingdom in The Wizard of Oz. Regarding the vocal cast of the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz The principals in the cast generally sang and spoke for themselves. Let’s hear from those who lived it: the cast and crew of the Wizard of Oz. Some of its members allegedly were Joan Crawford, Hattie McDaniel, Myrna Loy, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, and others. The surviving Munchkins are Jerry Maren, 93, who lives in Los Angeles, and Ruth Duccini, 95, who lives in Phoenix, Bulthaup said. Actor Bert Lahr had a long and successful career in show biz, and millions of fans worldwide now remember him as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. Jerry Maren, born in 1920, was one of the three Munchkins members of the Lollipop Guild. It was there that the Munchkins stayed during the filming of The Wizard of Oz, just down the street at the MGM Studios. Her body was brought back to the United States and interred for nearly 50 years in a New York cemetery, but in 2017 her family members had her remains brought to Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. Here are some of their stories. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. The main cast of the classic film The Wizard of Oz (Image: Reuters) Fellow Munchkin Hazel Derthick Resmondo said: “I only got five dollars a day. But Morgan had a secret: he was a heavy drinker. Uncredited actors in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. There are a few movies like Casablanca or Gone With The Wind that I recommend all movie lovers should own. On June 22,1969, Judy Garland was found dead by her fifth husband, Mickey Deens, in their rented London home. On May 24, actor Jerry Maren passed away at age 98 in San Diego, Calif., and — as was widely reported — the world lost its last living “Wizard of Oz” munchkin. Stunned, but realizing the problem she'd created, Garland dutifully shot the scene to Fleming's liking in a single take and the matter was quickly dropped. He was also called upon to step in and help MGM finish The Wizard of Oz. The British are weak tho, and Germany would have surely crushed England if not for American might!