KARL SLOVER, 93
Died Nov. 15th. From AP.
Mr. Slover stood at 4'5" and was the lead trumpeter in the Munchkins' band along with roles as a townsman and soldiers in the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz." One of the tiniest male Munchkins, he was busy making appearances during his later years, even at an event in Chicago as late as last week.
He was one of the seven Munchkins to attend the unveiling of their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 along with: Margaret Pellegrini, Meinhardt Raubz, Jerry Marzen, Mickey Carroll and Ruth Deccini.
Only three now remain of the original 124 cast members.
Mr. Slover was born Karl Kosiczky in what is today the Czech Republic, the only child in his family to be dwarf-sized. His father tried all sorts of witch doctor type things to get his son to grow, including a stretching machine. At age 9, his father sold him to a traveling show in Europe and he performed with them into his twenties.
When he moved to the US, he changed his name and appeared in circuses as part of a vaudeville group called Singer Midgets whose 30 performers became the nucleus of the Munchkins.
He was the first of the three trumpeters to herald the arrival of the Munchkin mayor and remembers he was paid $50 a week, less than what Toto the dog was getting.
Oh, We're Off to See the ______.
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