'Wizard of Oz' Munchkin Margaret Pellegrini dies at 89.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 8/7/13 at 5:04pm

Margaret Pellegrini, who played the Flower Pot Munchkin, in 'The Wizard of Oz' passed away on Wednesday.

“It’s like an end of era,” Colleen Zimmer, an organizer of the Oz-Stravaganza festival, told the Madison County Courier. “Munchkins have been coming to Chittenango for over 20 years. Recently it got down to just [Margaret] coming. She was more than somebody who came to Chittenango every year. She was my friend. My kids grew up with her. Everybody loved her. I’m going to miss her, dearly.”

Very sad to hear this news. R.I.P. Ms. Pellegrini.


'Wizard of Oz' Munchkin Dead at 89

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/7/13 at 5:30pm

My heart has been heavy about this all day. I had the pleasure of knowing her and appearing with her at Oz festivals over the past several years. She was a lovely, warm, funny person. Always welcoming to fans.

RIP, "Popcorn."

There are only two little people still alive who played Munchkins in the MGM film, and neither of them have made public appearances for a couple of years now. Jerry Maren (the Lollypop Kid) stopped attending festivals after his wife passed away. And Ruth Duccini stopped years ago as well.



A sad day for Oz fans. And just before the re-release of the MGM film in 3D later this month.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/7/13 at 5:35pm

Margaret as she appeared in the movie. She is visible a lot throughout the Munchkinland sequence because she was a good dancer. So she's usually up front and near the center in the group scenes. With a few nice closeups. She was also one of the "sleepyhead" baby Munchkins in the large bird's nest, when the camera pans up the buildings, during "Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead."

[zepka102]

Posted: 8/7/13 at 7:55pm

I only got to speak with her for a few minutes when I met her at the festival last year, but she seemed like such a warm-hearted individual. It was a real pleasure.

[Tag]

Posted: 8/7/13 at 8:42pm

There's a recent video interview online with her (from March) in which she says that Wizard of Oz was her life. Pretty amazing what eight weeks of work in 1938 did for her.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 9/15/13 at 11:38pm

"And Ruth Duccini stopped years ago as well."

Ms. Duccini did appear at the film's 75th Anniversary premiere. I'm glad that someone from the film was there for this big event.

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/the-wizard-of-oz-3d-premiere-1379289972-slideshow/

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/16/13 at 7:23am

Yes! It was Ruth Duccini's first Oz event since 2009 (I was there). I'm very glad she decided to do this. It was announced just last week. I understand that Jerry Maren will be appearing later this week at another promotion (not sure if it's an interview or what). He hasn't appeared publicly since his wife passed away.

Here is Ruth, age 95, at the Chinese Theatre for yesterday's "re-premiere."




And here is Ruth as she appeared in the film 75 years ago:

Updated On: 9/16/13 at 07:23 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 8:01pm

Just heard that Jerry Maren will be at the Chinese Theatre tomorrow (the 18th) to place his handprints and footprints in the cement.

That is so very cool! Go, Jerry!

[hairspraydude1962]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 8:38pm

That's awesome! Congratulations to him. I had the pleasure of meeting Jerry a few years ago, and he couldn't have been sweeter. Also, Margaret Pellegrini, Karl Slover, and Mickey Carroll were real treats to meet, as well.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 9:55pm

They were and are all great. I probably did the most events with Margaret (five maybe?). She was a delight every time. Such a great sense of humor, and she absolutely loved people. I also did several Oz events with Karl and Jerry. I really liked Jerry's wife, too. She took good care of him, and he relied quite a bit on her. Tomorrow's event is his first public appearance since she passed away. I only met Mickey Carroll once (about 16 years ago), and Ruth Duccini was at three events. She was always a private person. Never said too much, but was sweet as could be.

Margaret, on the other hand, was a hoot.

I also enjoyed Clarence Swenson and his wife Myrna, who still does Oz events, even after Clarence's passing. She's a wonderful lady, who was cast to be a Munchkin, but then got sick right before filming and had to bow out. She married one of the soldiers from the film. She's a real sweetheart. In fact, I'll be seeing her very shortly for yet another Oz event.

When there were more of them alive, I used to love how they all came in together in their green satin baseball jackets. They were the last surviving members of a very elite club. Sadly now, all but two are gone.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 9/17/13 at 11:35pm

Incredible stories, Besty. Thank you for sharing. If you don't mind me asking, in what way are you connected to the Wizard of Oz franchise? I'm jealous!!

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/18/13 at 6:44am

Well, I'm not a Munchkin, so that's not it.

I wrote a couple of modern, Oz-themed, action-adventure novels that put me in the festival circuit. Depending on the event, I'm often invited to various national Oz festivals as a guest, lecturing, selling, and signing copies of my books. The first one won a state library award (in Kansas).

I find myself on the same "bill" with the MGM Munchkins, Baum relatives, Oz-related theatre folk, other Oz authors, etc. We're often put up at the same hotels, given the same drivers, the same "red carpet treatment," etc. I have to say, I've gotten to know the sub-culture of "Oz luminaries" pretty well. All in all, a great bunch of people with many loyal fans.

I try not to use this board to self-promote. I have to do plenty of that elsewhere. But it's been mentioned here before. If you're interested in knowing more, send me a PM, and I'll give you the details.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 9/19/13 at 12:38pm

Incredible, Besty. Thank you. I have never been a diehard OZ fan but always had a yearning to unearth more. The franchise, as a whole, really fascinates me. Partly because I am in television production and branding (both creative and management). I'll message you. Would love to find out more..

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/19/13 at 1:33pm

Sounds good!

Here's Jerry Maren's handprint/footprint ceremony at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood ... he is the "oldest and smallest" to receive this distinction.




LINK

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/19/13 at 3:18pm

I met her once. She was lovely.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/19/13 at 3:38pm

One of my favorite Margaret stories was when I first did an Upstate NY event with her. Were were put up in the same hotel and her room was directly across the hall from mine. She was restless one evening, the day before the festival began, and decided she wanted to go out to a local casino and gamble. So her grandson, who was chaperoning her, took her out gambling.

She came home kinda late that night ... six thousand dollars richer.

Updated On: 9/19/13 at 03:38 PM

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 9/19/13 at 3:56pm

I saw a Munchkin on a flight about 15 years ago, I wish I would have asked her name.