The Lollipop League
Harry Doll, Jerry Maren, and Jackie Gerlich

This image "reprinted by permission, The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial
History, The Wizard of Oz Warner Books NY,NY © 1989, all rights reserved."

The "MGM" Munchkin's

HOW THEY CAME TO BE:

In 1938 the process of filming one of the most ambitious projects that M-G-M had ever undertaken was begun in earnest. The filming of L. Frank Baum's beloved fairly tale the Wizard of Oz was soon to become a forever classic.

Jerry and Elizabeth Maren

One of the central characters involved in this monumental task was a man named
Leo Singer. Mr. Singer, born in Europe as Baron Leopold Van Singer, put together a group of midgets for a vaudevillian show that toured the European cities. Later they performed in many other countries including the United States. As they traveled he added others to his small troupe of singers and dancers.

Margaret Pellegrini

In 1938 M-G-M contracted with Mr. Singer to provide 124 midgets for the upcoming production of the Wizard of Oz. These "little people" became known as Munchkins that would inhabit Munchkinland. It is thought that Leo Singer brought about 122 people to the M-G-M lot and that a couple of other "little people" appeared on their own from hearing about the pending production. None-the-less they had to sign a contract with Mr. Singer as he had the sole rights given to him by M-G-M to provide the "little people" for the film. Singer was not only responsible for attaining the number of people needed but he was also to see to their housing, food, and oversee that they were where they should be when needed.

Karl Slover

At this point I would like to set straight any misconceptions or rumors about the conduct of the "little people". There have been wild tales for 60 years about the escapades of the Munchkins. Most of these stories are just not true. There were perhaps four or five of them that drank to excess and created a number of problems for other people including the other Munchkins. But---the great majority of the "little people" were hard workers and did everything they could to fulfill their contract to Singer and M-G-M. These little folks who worked for Singer cared enough about him to look to him as a father figure as they often referred to him as papa. To blame all the Munchkins would be tantamount to you and I blaming all the employees where we work for the fact that a few people create problems because they abuse alcohol.

Clarence and Myrna Swenson

For the edification of some. Midgets or "little people" as they wish to be called, are largely a thing of the past. Today the medical community is able through growth hormones to prevent youngsters from not reaching their potential height. So-- Oz was not only a capturing of their magic on film but the last generation of the pituitary gland problem that was usually the cause so many vertically challenged "little people".

Across the country they came largely by bus or train to Hollywood, California and the M-G-M Studios at Culver City. But--- the production people at M-G-M really needed more little people for the Munchkin scenes. They resorted to hiring approximately 12 children for the fill-in of the Munchkins. That is how I ended up as a part of this classic film. We, as children, were kept separate from the "little people" except during some rehearsals and the actual filming. We did not receive instruction as the other Munchkins did in dancing or singing although that is what most of the children's expertise was. So we were kept largely a secret and were not even invited to the premier of the film in Hollywood or New York. I laughingly often tell people when they ask what I did in the film that, "I hid behind bushes and held up trees". We were what the industry calls fill or extras. I believe, for this reason, that some of the children have still not been located. I felt initially that my part was so miniscule that I did not even talk much about it to friends. If you will read my Autobiography on this site it will explain more about this facet of my life. Also, on my page called Acknowledgments there is a list of the Munchkin people who are still alive today.

Munchkins at the Chesterton Oz Festival 2000
Left to Right: Standing, Karl Slover, the First Trumpeter;
Clarence Swensen, Soldier; Margaret Pelligrini,
Sleepy Head in Nest; Jerry Maren, the Lollipop Kid;
Meinhardt Raabe, the Coroner. I of course am sitting
and was a child munchkin.

Within this page is a pictorial review of the Munchkins who made Hollywood film history. At the end of this pictorial review I have listed all the names of everyone that was a Munchkin except for maybe a child or two. This is done through the courtesy of William Stillman and Jay Scarfone's book The Wizardry of OZ, The Artistry and Magic of the 1939 M-G-M Classic, published by Gramercy books a division of Random House. Also, some of the pictures are from the 1989 book, by John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, and William Stillman titled The Official 50th Anniversary of the Wizard of Oz, published by Warner Books. Other pictures are some that I have taken of the "little people" at some of the festivals held each year.

I also would like to thank Steve Cox for his kind permission to display some of his personal photographs from his book, The Munchkins of Oz, published by Cumberland House in 1996. Your help is greatly appreciated. Steve is considered to be the foremost authority on the Munchkins.

I hope you enjoy this page and that this site increases your appreciation for all the "little people" whom added such interest and charm to the filming of the Wizard of Oz.

The Munchkins
(Collectively billed as the Singer Midgets)

Gladys W. Allison
John Ballas
Franz "Mike" Balluck
Josefine Balluck
John T. Bambury
Charley Becker (Mayor)
Freda Betsky
Henry Boers
Theodore Boers
Christie Buresh
Eddie Buresh
Lida Buresh
Betty Ann Cain (Child actress)
Mickey Carroll (Second Fiddler)
Colonel Casper
Nona Cooper
Tommy Cottonaro (Bearded Man)
Elizabeth Coulter
"Idaho" Lewis Croft
Frank Cucksey (Townsman #2)
Billy Curtis (City Father)
Eugene S. David Jr.
Eulie H. David
Ethel W. Denis
Prince Denis (Sergeant-at-Arms)
Hazel I. Derthick
James D. "Major" Doyle
Carl M. "Kayo" Erickson (Herald # 2)
Fern Formica (Villager/Sleeyhead)
Addie Eva Frank
Thaisa L. Gardner
Jakob "Jackie" Gerlich (Lollipop Guild)
William A Giblin
Jack Glicken
Carolyn E. Granger
Joseph Herbst (Soldier)
Jakob Hofbauer
C. C. "Major Mite" Howerton (Herald #3)
Helen M. Hoy
Marguerite A. Hoy
James R. Hulse
Donna Jean Johnson (Child actress)
Robert "Lord Roberts" Kanter
Eleanor Keaton (Small-statured adult)
Charles E. Kelley
Jessie E. Kelley
Joan Kenmore (Child actress)
Shirley Ann Kennedy (Child actress)
Frank Kikel
Bernard "Harry" Klima
Willi Koestner (Soldier)
Emma Koestner
Mitzi Koestner
Karl "Karchy" Kosiczky (Herald #1/Sleepyhead)
Adam Edwin "Eddie" Kozicki (Fiddler)
Joseph J. Koziel (Townsman #1)
Dolly F. Kramer
Emil Kranzler
Nita Krebs (Lullaby League)
"Little Jeane" LaBarbera
Hilda Lange
Johnny Leal
Ann Rice Leslie
Charles Ludwig
Dominick Magro
Carlos Manzo
Howard Marco
Gerard Marenghi (Lollipop Guild)
Bela Matina
Lajos "Leo" Matina
Matjus Matina
Patsy May (Child actress)
Walter M. B. Miller (Bespectacled Munchkin)
George Ministeri (Coach Driver)
Priscilla Montgomery (Child actress)
Harry Monty
Yvonne Moray Bistany (Lullaby League)
Olga C. Nardone (Lullaby League)
Nels P. Nelson
Margaret C. H. Nickloy
Franklin H. O'Baugh
William H. O'Docharty
Hildred C. Olson
Frank Packard
Nicholas "Nicky" Page (Soldier)
Leona M. Parks
Johnny Pizo
"Prince Leon" Polinsky
Lillian Porter
Eva Lee Kuney (Child actress)
Meinhardt Rabbe (Coroner)
Margaret "Margie" Raia
Matthew Raia (City Father)
"Little Billy" Rhodes (Barrister)
Gertrude H. Rice
Hazel Rice
Fredreich "Freddie" Retter (Fiddler)
Ruth L. Robinson
Sandor Roak
Jimmie Rosen
Charles F. Royale
Helen J. Royale
Stella A. Royale
Albert Ruddinger
Elly A. "Tiny Doll" Schneider
Frieda "Gracie Doll" Schneider
Hilda E. "Daisy Doll" Schneider
Kurt "Harry Doll" Schneider (Lollipop Guild)
Valerie Shepard (Child actress)
Elsie R. Schultz
Charles Silvern
Garland "Earl" Slatten
Ruth E. Smith
Elmer Spangler
Parnell Elmer St. Aubin (Soldier)
Carl Stephan
Alta M. Stevens
George Suchsie
Charlotte V. Sullivan
August Clarence Swenson (Soldier)
Betty Tanner
Arnold Vierling
Gus Wayne (Soldier)
Victor Wetter (Army Captain)
Viola White (Child actress)
Gracie G. Williams
Harvey B Williams
Margaret Williams (Villager/Sleepyhead)
Johnny Winters (Navy Commander)
Marie Winters
Gladys V. Wolff
Murray Wood (Soldier)