Posted on 06/06/2018 9:55:16 AM PDT by simpson96
The last living Munchkin from The Wizard of Oz has died.
Jerry Maren, who memorably welcomed Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) to Munchkinland in the classic 1939 film as part of the Lollipop Guild, died last week at a San Diego nursing care facility, TMZ reported. The actor was laid to rest over the weekend at Forest Lawn in Hollywood, said the outlet.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Maren was the final surviving Munchkin actor from the 124 little people who starred in The Wizard of Oz. The bio on his Instagram page also states, “Last living munchkin from the Wizard of Oz.”
Maren was close to his nieces and nephews after his wife Elizabeth, who was also a little person, died in 2011 at age 69, TMZ reports.
The actor appeared in TV bits on popular shows over the years including The Twilight Zone, Seinfeld and Bewitched, according to IMDB. His most recent role was back in 2010, when he appeared in the movie Dahmer vs. Gacy.
However, he is best remembered for being in the middle of the Lollipop Guild trio donning green and presenting Garland with a giant candy.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
He was a real cool cat.
Heh!
Last of the munchkins...does that mean that no character of any type who appeared in the movie is left? What about the flying monkeys?
A gay father.
“And one of the stars of Gone With the Wind is still with us, Olivia de Havilland, at age 101.”
And sitting in the parlor, still waiting for Morris, no doubt.
I remember growing up with a 12” black and white set...seeing the Wizard that way every year since I was... four?
...and the year my mom got my sister and I up and drove half-way across the state to watch it for the first time in color!! on grandma’s 27” floor model set.
Early 80’s, as a guess I’d say I was 16 or 17.
One of my best memories of a surprise outing with my mom.
"Well, Mickey and her have a lot more in common. you know her parents are little people?"
RIP big guy.
Saw it for the first time on a black and white TV and almost got into a fight the next day with a kid at grade school who said the Wicked Witch was green.
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