In part one of a two-part series, the mother of seven and grandmother of 13 reflects on her Munchkin role nearly 62 years ago.
How did you get the part?
I really don’t know for sure how that happened. I was a member of the Meglin Kiddies of Hollywood. These were a group of children that had auditioned and were accepted by Ethel Meglin to be featured in showcases around Los Angeles. Some of the well-known members were Shirley Temple, Jane Withers, Ann Miller, Judy Garland, and Mickey Rooney. I also had an agent, Sue Carroll. Sue eventually married Alan Ladd. I was a member of the Screen Children’s Guild and my parents were personal friends with Mervyn LeRoy, the film producer. So your guess is as good as mine. My mother had not told me and I did not ask.
What are some of your memories of the filming?
I was so scared at first I hid behind my mother. This MGM soundstage was the largest I had ever seen. You had to tilt your head to your back to see the ceiling of the building. It made me feel like an ant by comparison to anything I had known. The cacophony of sounds, the rattling of equipment and activity were deafening. Everyone talking, yelling, laughing, and the floor often shook from the vibrations of people’s feet and equipment. I had worked on a rake stage once for a play and that was odd having a floor tilted beneath your feet, but nothing compared to this. The klieg lamps were as hot as a desert. We all wore pancake makeup and the heat from the lights made the makeup melt and run into our eyes and made them sting. It was long hours, little work, and most of the time I was bored.
Did you meet Judy Garland?
I had seen Judy on a few occasions around Hollywood like at the Brown Derby at supper time but I had never formally met her. I did not get to meet Judy on the set of Oz either, but I watched her on the set with Bobbie Koshay, her double, and her laugh was infectious. Judy was at the filming 16 years old. She at that time was really neither child nor adult. They bound her breasts with something to make her appear younger than she was. Judy for my money was what Oz was all about. Judy was indeed Dorothy in so many ways. She was what made that film work.
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