Lewis Croft
Encyclopedia
Lewis Croft was an American actor with dwarfism
, best known for his role as a Munchkin
soldier in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz
".
After his work as a Munchkin on The Wizard of Oz, he continued to tour at fairs, before working in a "midget" bar.
He married his first wife Delores Del Rio in 1948 and returned to his hometown of Shelley, Idaho in 1953 to raise a family. Delores died in 1978, and five years later Croft married his second wife, Eva Arwin.
In his later life he appeared at many Wizard of Oz events along with several of the other surviving actors who portrayed Munchkins in the film. Ill health later prevented Croft from attending such events such as the laying of the Munchkins' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in November 2007 after needing to use a wheelchair full-time. His last public appearance was at the 2006 Wizard of Oz Festival in Chesterton
.
He died on April 29, 2008 of natural causes, just three days before his 89th birthday. He was preceded in death by his parents, two wives, one son, Alan and nine of his brothers and sisters and survived by his other son, Robert, four grandsons and seven great grandchildren. He was buried in Shelley's Hillcrest Cemetery.
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
, best known for his role as a Munchkin
Munchkin
The Munchkins are the natives of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. They first appeared in the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which they are described as being somewhat short of stature, and wear only blue...
soldier in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
".
Biography
Lewis Croft was born in Shelley, Idaho in 1919 to Samuel and Roseland Crofts. Growing up in a large family, he was the fourth of fourteen children. He left home when he turned sixteen to work in circuses and sideshows under the stage name "Idaho Lewis" in order to support himself and his other siblings. Shortly after, he was offered a role in The Wizard of Oz as one of the Munchkin soldiers, which he accepted.After his work as a Munchkin on The Wizard of Oz, he continued to tour at fairs, before working in a "midget" bar.
He married his first wife Delores Del Rio in 1948 and returned to his hometown of Shelley, Idaho in 1953 to raise a family. Delores died in 1978, and five years later Croft married his second wife, Eva Arwin.
In his later life he appeared at many Wizard of Oz events along with several of the other surviving actors who portrayed Munchkins in the film. Ill health later prevented Croft from attending such events such as the laying of the Munchkins' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in November 2007 after needing to use a wheelchair full-time. His last public appearance was at the 2006 Wizard of Oz Festival in Chesterton
Chesterton, Indiana
Chesterton is a town in Westchester, Jackson and Liberty townships, Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 13,068 at the 2010 census. The three towns of Chesterton, Burns Harbor, and Porter are known as the tri-towns or the Duneland area....
.
He died on April 29, 2008 of natural causes, just three days before his 89th birthday. He was preceded in death by his parents, two wives, one son, Alan and nine of his brothers and sisters and survived by his other son, Robert, four grandsons and seven great grandchildren. He was buried in Shelley's Hillcrest Cemetery.