Munchkin
Encyclopedia
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. They are best-known from their depiction in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz
, in which they are played by adult proportional dwarfs
, dressed in brightly multicolored outfits, and live in Munchkinland.
On November 20, 2007, the Munchkins were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
. Seven of the surviving Munchkins actors from the film were present. As a result of the popularity of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the word "munchkin" has entered the English language as a reference to small children, dwarfs, or anything cute of diminutive stature.
:
Baum apparently did not mean that only Munchkins are short in stature (as depicted in the iconic 1939 film), but that this is the norm for all of the adult humans of Oz. In a scene later in the book, the Guardian of the Gates, the first inhabitant of the Emerald City met by Dorothy and apparently representative of its citizens, is "a little man about the same size as the Munchkins." Still later, the Quadlings of the southern land are described as "short and fat."
In W. W. Denslow's illustrations for The Wonderful Wizard (approved by Baum), the only Oz humans depicted as remarkably taller than Dorothy are the Soldier with the Green Whiskers
and Glinda
.
has hypothesized that there might be a connection to the emblem
of the Bavaria
n city of Munich
(spelled München in German). The symbol was originally a 13th century statue of a monk
, looking down from the town hall in Munich. Over the years, the image was reproduced many times, for instance as a figure on beer stein
s, and eventually evolved into a child wearing a pointed hood. Baum's family had German origins: Baum could have seen one such reproduction in his childhood.
Also, it is known about the existance of the so called munchkin pies. A "munchkin pie" is any type of fruit pie, that is created by a so called "munchkin" person. It dates back to the 19th century.
It is also conceivable that "Munchkin" is derived from the German word for "mannikin" or "little figure": "Männchen", with "-chen" being the diminutive suffix for "Mann" (man). Southern German dialects use different diminutive suffixes and a "Männchen" is called "Manderl" or "Manschgerl", the latter of which is phonetically very close to munchkin.
In 1989, author Stephen Cox
researched, found, and wrote about the surviving Munchkin actors fifty years after they made the film. He wrote about them in his book, "The Munchkins Remember" (1989, E.P. Dutton) which was later revised as "The Munchkins of Oz" (Cumberland House), and his book remained in print for nearly two decades. When he wrote the book, 33 little people who acted in the film were surviving and were interviewed.
Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country is the Eastern region in the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In Wizard it was originally called "the land of Munchkins", and "Munchkin Country" in all subsequent Oz books...
in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
. They first appeared in the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
, in which they are described as being somewhat short of stature, and wear only blue. They are best-known from their depiction 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...
, in which they are played by adult proportional dwarfs
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....
, dressed in brightly multicolored outfits, and live in Munchkinland.
On November 20, 2007, the Munchkins were given a 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...
. Seven of the surviving Munchkins actors from the film were present. As a result of the popularity of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the word "munchkin" has entered the English language as a reference to small children, dwarfs, or anything cute of diminutive stature.
Appearance
The following is an excerpt from chapter two of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which Dorothy first meets three Munchkins and the Good Witch of the NorthGood Witch of the North
The Good Witch of the North is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the elderly and mild-mannered Ruler of the Gillikin Country...
:
- "... she noticed coming down toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many years older.
Baum apparently did not mean that only Munchkins are short in stature (as depicted in the iconic 1939 film), but that this is the norm for all of the adult humans of Oz. In a scene later in the book, the Guardian of the Gates, the first inhabitant of the Emerald City met by Dorothy and apparently representative of its citizens, is "a little man about the same size as the Munchkins." Still later, the Quadlings of the southern land are described as "short and fat."
In W. W. Denslow's illustrations for The Wonderful Wizard (approved by Baum), the only Oz humans depicted as remarkably taller than Dorothy are the Soldier with the Green Whiskers
Soldier with the Green Whiskers
The Soldier with the Green Whiskers is a major character in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and his successors. His name is Omby Amby, but this was so obliquely stated that he also became known briefly as Wantowin Battles.-Early appearances:...
and Glinda
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
.
Origin of the term
Baum never explained where the term came from, but Baum researcher Brian AtteberyBrian Attebery
Brian Attebery is an academic writer on science fiction and fantasy fiction. He is professor of English at Idaho State University. His 1979 doctorate from Brown University was in American Civilization...
has hypothesized that there might be a connection to the emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
of the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n city of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(spelled München in German). The symbol was originally a 13th century statue of a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
, looking down from the town hall in Munich. Over the years, the image was reproduced many times, for instance as a figure on beer stein
Beer stein
Beer stein , or simply stein, is an English neologism for either traditional beer mugs made out of stoneware, or specifically ornamental beer mugs that are usually sold as souvenirs or collectibles...
s, and eventually evolved into a child wearing a pointed hood. Baum's family had German origins: Baum could have seen one such reproduction in his childhood.
Also, it is known about the existance of the so called munchkin pies. A "munchkin pie" is any type of fruit pie, that is created by a so called "munchkin" person. It dates back to the 19th century.
It is also conceivable that "Munchkin" is derived from the German word for "mannikin" or "little figure": "Männchen", with "-chen" being the diminutive suffix for "Mann" (man). Southern German dialects use different diminutive suffixes and a "Männchen" is called "Manderl" or "Manschgerl", the latter of which is phonetically very close to munchkin.
Fictional Munchkins
- Algernon Woodcock
- Nimmie Amee
- Kiki Aru
- Bini Aru
- BoqBoqBoq is a minor character in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. He becomes a more prominent character in Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which purports to show the lives of some of Baum's characters from another perspective, and more...
- King Cheeriobed
- Nick Chopper
- JinjurJinjurJinjur is the main antagonist of The Marvelous Land of Oz. She is a character in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum and his successors. She first appears in The Marvelous Land of Oz as a self-appointed general leading an "Army of Revolt"—an all-woman force seeking to end the reign of the Scarecrow and...
- Ku-Klip
- Ojo the LuckyOjo the LuckyOjo is a character from the fictional Oz book series by L. Frank Baum.He first appeared in The Patchwork Girl of Oz. Ojo is a Munchkin who lived with his uncle, Unc Nunkie in the Blue Forest, a remote location in the north of the Munchkin Country. During a trip with his uncle to visit his uncle's...
- Queen Orin of the Ozure IslesGood Witch of the NorthThe Good Witch of the North is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the elderly and mild-mannered Ruler of the Gillikin Country...
- Dr. Pipt
- Unc Nunkie
Actors
The following is a list of actors who portrayed the Munchkins in the 1939 film. 124 appeared in the film, with an additional dozen or so child actresses of average size hired to make up for the shortage of little people that the studio found to appear in the film. These actors – including those with speaking parts – were credited on-screen collectively, as "The Munchkins".In 1989, author Stephen Cox
Stephen Cox (writer)
Stephen L. Cox is a freelance writer and author of more than twenty books specializing in popular culture, film and television...
researched, found, and wrote about the surviving Munchkin actors fifty years after they made the film. He wrote about them in his book, "The Munchkins Remember" (1989, E.P. Dutton) which was later revised as "The Munchkins of Oz" (Cumberland House), and his book remained in print for nearly two decades. When he wrote the book, 33 little people who acted in the film were surviving and were interviewed.
Deceased (121)
| Actor | Born | Died | Notes | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladys W. Allison | |||||
| John Ballas | |||||
| Franz Balluck Franz Balluck Franz "Mike" Balluck was an Austrian actor with dwarfism, best known for his role as one of the Munchkins in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz".... |
September 8, 1913 | January 24, 1987 | |||
| Josefine Balluck Josefine Balluck Josefine Balluck was an Austrian actress with dwarfism, best known for her role as one of the Munchkins in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz".... |
September 9, 1908 | 1984 | |||
| John T. Bambury John T. Bambury John T. Bambury was an American actor with dwarfism, best known for his role as one of the Munchkins in the 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz". Other roles included The Ranch Owner, Pop Lawson in "The Terror of Tiny Town", one of the Mole Men in "The Adventures of Superman" and the midget musician in... |
July 10, 1891 | November 4, 1960 | |||
| Charlie Becker Charlie Becker Karl "Charlie" Becker was a German-American actor. He was 3'9" in height, and is probably best known for appearing as the Mayor of Munchkinland in The Wizard of Oz .... |
November 24, 1887 | December 28, 1968 | played "The Mayor" | ||
| Freda Betsky | |||||
| Henry Boers | 1896 | 1962 | |||
| Theodore Boers | 1894 | ||||
| Christie Buresh | April 21, 1904 | October 1979 | |||
| Eddie Buresh | March 16, 1909 | January 1982 | |||
| Lida Buresh | June 16, 1906 | September 1970 | |||
| Mickey Carroll Mickey Carroll Mickey Carroll was an American actor and was one of the last surviving munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life and career:... |
July 8, 1919 | May 7, 2009 | played a fiddler, a town crier, and a soldier | ||
| Colonel Casper | |||||
| Nona A. Cooper | 1875 | 1953 | |||
| Tommy Cottonaro | March 20, 1914 | February 7, 2001 | |||
| Elizabeth Coulter | |||||
| Lewis Croft Lewis Croft 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".- Biography :... |
May 2, 1919 | April 28, 2008 | played a soldier | ||
| Frank Cucksey | January 5, 1919 | September 9, 1984 | |||
| Billy Curtis Billy Curtis Billy Curtis was an American film and television actor. He was a dwarf who had a 50-year career in a variety of roles... |
June 27, 1909 | November 9, 1988 | |||
| Eugene S. David, Jr. | |||||
| Eulie H. David | |||||
| Ethel W. Denis | |||||
| Prince Denis Prince Denis Prince Denis was an American actor with dwarfism, best known for his role as the Sergeant-at-Arms in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz".- Biography :... |
January 26, 1892 | June 20, 1984 | |||
| Hazel I. Derthick | January 7, 1906 | February 13, 1989 | |||
| Daisy Doll The Doll Family The Doll Family was a group of four dwarf siblings from Germany who were popular performers in circuses and sideshows in the United States from the 1920s until their retirement in the mid 1950s.They were:*Gracie The Doll Family was a group of four dwarf siblings from Germany who were popular... |
April 29, 1907 | March 15, 1980 | |||
| Gracie Doll The Doll Family The Doll Family was a group of four dwarf siblings from Germany who were popular performers in circuses and sideshows in the United States from the 1920s until their retirement in the mid 1950s.They were:*Gracie The Doll Family was a group of four dwarf siblings from Germany who were popular... |
March 12, 1899 | November 8, 1970 | |||
| Harry Doll The Doll Family The Doll Family was a group of four dwarf siblings from Germany who were popular performers in circuses and sideshows in the United States from the 1920s until their retirement in the mid 1950s.They were:*Gracie The Doll Family was a group of four dwarf siblings from Germany who were popular... |
April 3, 1902 | May 4, 1985 | member of "The Lollipop Guild" | ||
| Tiny Doll The Doll Family The Doll Family was a group of four dwarf siblings from Germany who were popular performers in circuses and sideshows in the United States from the 1920s until their retirement in the mid 1950s.They were:*Gracie The Doll Family was a group of four dwarf siblings from Germany who were popular... |
July 23, 1914 | September 6, 2004 | |||
| Major Doyle | September 5, 1893 | May 22, 1968 | |||
| Carl M. Erickson | September 12, 1917 | 1958 | played a herald Herald A herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is often applied erroneously to all officers of arms.... |
||
| Fern Formica | January 17, 1925 | January 23, 1995 | played a villager and a "sleepyhead" | ||
| Addie Eva Frank | |||||
| Thaisa L. Gardner | September 11, 1909 | November 19, 1968 | |||
| Jakob "Jackie" Gerlich | 1918 | December 1960 | |||
| William A. Giblin | |||||
| Jack Glicken | |||||
| Carolyn E. Granger | |||||
| Joseph Herbst | 1888 | May 1967 | played a soldier | ||
| Jakob Hofbauer | January 1, 1899 | September 24, 1954 | |||
| Clarence C. Howerton | February 9, 1913 | November 18, 1975 | played a herald Herald A herald, or, more correctly, a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is often applied erroneously to all officers of arms.... |
||
| Helen M. Hoy | |||||
| Marguerite A. Hoy | January 26, 1906 | November 6, 1969 | |||
| James R. Hulse | March 16, 1915 | December 29, 1964 | |||
| Robert Kanter | |||||
| Eleanor Keaton | July 29, 1918 | October 19, 1998 | |||
| Charles E. Kelley | |||||
| Jessie E. Kelley | |||||
| Frank Kikel | |||||
| Bernard "Harry" Klima | c.1897 | December 9, 1957 | |||
| Mitzi Koestner | June 4, 1894 | August 1975 | |||
| Emma Koestner | |||||
| Willi Koestner | |||||
| Adam Edwin "Eddie" Kozicki | |||||
| Joseph J. Koziel | |||||
| Dolly F. Kramer | June 24, 1904 | July 9, 1995 | |||
| Emil Kranzler | December 1, 1910 | April 7, 1993 | played a villager | ||
| Nita Krebs | October 8, 1905 | January 18, 1991 | member of the "Lullaby League" | ||
| "Little Jean" LaBarbera | August 4, 1909 | August 17, 1993 | |||
| Hilda Lange | 31 August 1911 | December 1975 | Singer | ||
| Raenell Laskey | child actress | ||||
| Johnny Leal | February 26, 1905 | November 9, 1996 | |||
| Ann Rice Leslie | |||||
| Charles Ludwig | |||||
| Dominick Magro | |||||
| Carlos Manzo | 1914 | 1955 | |||
| Howard Marco | |||||
| Bela Matina | |||||
| Lajos "Leo" Matina | |||||
| Matjus Matina | |||||
| Walter M. B. Miller | |||||
| George Ministeri | August 9, 1913 | January 29, 1986 | played the coach driver | ||
| Harry Monty | April 15, 1904 | December 28, 1999 | |||
| Yvonne Bistany Moray | January 24, 1917 | member of the "Lullaby League" | |||
| Olga C. Nardone | June 8, 1921 | September 24, 2010 | one of the sleepyheads | ||
| Nels P. Nelson | November 24, 1918 | May 2, 1994 | |||
| Margaret C.H. Nickloy | August 12, 1902 | April 29, 1961 | |||
| Franklin O'Baugh | |||||
| William H. O'Docharty | September 12, 1920 | December 20, 1988 | |||
| Hildred C. Olson | |||||
| Frank Packard | |||||
| Nicholas Page | May 2, 1904 | August 1978 | |||
| Leona M. Parks | |||||
| Johnny Pizo | |||||
| "Prince Leon" Polinsky | |||||
| Meinhardt Raabe Meinhardt Raabe Meinhardt Frank Raabe was an American actor. He was one of the last surviving Munchkin-actors in The Wizard of Oz, and was also the last surviving cast member with any dialogue in the film... |
September 2, 1915 | April 9, 2010 | played the coroner | ||
| Margaret Raia | 1928 | August 17, 2003 | |||
| Matthew Raia | |||||
| Fredreich "Freddie" Retter | 1912 | ||||
| "Little Billy" Rhodes | February 1, 1895 | July 24, 1967 | played the barrister | ||
| Gertrude H. Rice | |||||
| Hazel Rice | |||||
| Sandor Roak | |||||
| Jimmie Rosen | 1885 | June 1, 1940 | |||
| Charles F. Royale | |||||
| Helen J. Royale | |||||
| Stella A. Royale | |||||
| Albert Ruddinger | |||||
| Elsie R. Schultz | 1893 | 1987 | |||
| Charles Silvern | September 24, 1902 | April 1, 1979 | |||
| Garland "Earl" Slatten | February 17, 1917 | April 30, 1995 | |||
| Karl Slover | September 21, 1918 | November 15, 2011 | played lead trumpeter, a soldier, a "sleepyhead" and a villager | ||
| Ruth E. Smith | February 1, 1895 | September 5, 1985 | |||
| Elmer Spangler | |||||
| Parnell St. Aubin | 1903 | December 4, 1987 | played a soldier | ||
| Carl Stephan | |||||
| Alta M. Stevens | |||||
| Donna Jean Johnson Stewart-Hardaway | April 2, 1933 | November 12, 2008 | child actress | ||
| George Suchsie | |||||
| Charlotte V. Sullivan | |||||
| Clarence Swensen | December 29, 1917 | February 25, 2009 | played a soldier | ||
| Betty Tanner Betty Tanner Betty Tanner was an American actress with dwarfism, best known for her role as one of the Munchkin villagers in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz".... |
February 5, 1916 | November 8, 1994 | |||
| Arnold Vierling | May 24, 1919 | June 11, 1949 | played a villager | ||
| Gus Wayne | October 16, 1920 | January 23, 1998 | |||
| Victor Wetter | June 11, 1902 | December 8, 1990 | |||
| Viola White | child actress | ||||
| Gracie B. Williams | |||||
| Harvey B. Williams | |||||
| Johnny Winters | c.1905 | 1985 | |||
| Marie Winters | 1901 | 1979 | |||
| Gladys V. Wolff | 1911 | 1984 | |||
| Murray Wood | June 12, 1908 | September 25, 1999 |
Living as of 1989 (11)
| Actor | Born | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betty Ann Cain | 1931 | child actress | |
| Ardith Dondanville | 1930 | child actress | |
| Ruth Robinson Duccini Ruth Duccini Ruth Duccini is an American actress and one of the last three surviving Munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the other two being Jerry Maren and Margaret Williams Pellegrini. Her role in the film as a Munchkin villager was uncredited... |
July 23, 1918 | played a villager | |
| Joan Kenmore | child actress | ||
| Jerry Maren Jerry Maren Jerry Maren is an American actor and one of only three confirmed surviving dwarf munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The other two surviving munchkin cast members are Margaret Williams Pellegrini and Ruth Robinson Duccini, making Maren the last surviving male Munchkin from the... |
January 24, 1920 | member of "The Lollipop Guild" | |
| Elaine Mirk | child actress | ||
| Priscilla Montgomery | 1929 | child actress | |
| Margaret Williams Pellegrini Margaret Pellegrini Margaret Pellegrini is an American actress and one of three surviving munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz., the other two being Jerry Maren and Ruth Robinson Duccini. She was born as Margaret Williams in Tuscumbia, Alabama... |
September 23, 1923 | played a "sleepyhead" | |
| Meinhardt Raabe Meinhardt Raabe Meinhardt Frank Raabe was an American actor. He was one of the last surviving Munchkin-actors in The Wizard of Oz, and was also the last surviving cast member with any dialogue in the film... |
September 2, 1915 – April 9, 2010 | played the coroner | |
| Valerie Shepherd | child actress | ||
| Karl Slover | September 21, 1918 – November 15, 2011 | played a soldier, a "sleepyhead" and a villager | |
Living today (3)
As of November 2011 there are three known surviving munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of OzThe 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...
| Actor | Born | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ruth Robinson Duccini Ruth Duccini Ruth Duccini is an American actress and one of the last three surviving Munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the other two being Jerry Maren and Margaret Williams Pellegrini. Her role in the film as a Munchkin villager was uncredited... |
July 23, 1918 | played a villager |
| Jerry Maren Jerry Maren Jerry Maren is an American actor and one of only three confirmed surviving dwarf munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The other two surviving munchkin cast members are Margaret Williams Pellegrini and Ruth Robinson Duccini, making Maren the last surviving male Munchkin from the... |
January 24, 1920 | member of "The Lollipop Guild" |
| Margaret Williams Pellegrini Margaret Pellegrini Margaret Pellegrini is an American actress and one of three surviving munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz., the other two being Jerry Maren and Ruth Robinson Duccini. She was born as Margaret Williams in Tuscumbia, Alabama... |
September 23, 1923 | played a "sleepyhead" |