"Gone With the Wind" Actors Still Alive As of April 2016

From the IMDB.

As of April 2016, a total of 15 actors and actresses who were in the movie "Gone With the Wind" are still alive.  Only two were credited.

The best-known is Olivia de Havilland who played Melanie Hamilton.

Also credited was Mickey Kuhn who played Beau Wilkes.

Two others are Skip Houghton who also played an Ozmite and Winkie guard in "The Wizard of Oz," and Greg Giese who played the newborn Bonnie and newborn Beau.

--Cooter

How Did They Make the Snow in the "Wizard of Oz"?

From the August 24, 2014, Parade Magazine.

Question from Rita M. of Cincinnati.

Fans of the classic film, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year (2014) may be shocked to know that the magic snowflakes Glinda uses to revive Dorothy and her friends (well Cowardly Lion and Toto) after they fall prey to the Wicked Witch's poppies were made of asbestos fibers, a popular fake snow material at the time.

Find 75 more "Wizard of Oz facts at parade.com/oz.

--DaCoot

Munchkin Update

From the April 27-May 3, 2014, American Profile Magazine "Ask American Profile."

Paula Bennett of Clearwater, Florida,  asked, "How many Munchkins from the Wizard of Oz are surviving today?"

"Today, only one of the little people survives from the 1939 film classic.  Jerry Marin, 94, traveled from his hometown in Boston, Mass., to Culver City, Calif., to work at MGM in the movie as the famed "Lollipop Kid"  Munchkin who handed Dorothy the oversized sweet.

"'I am truly amazed that I'm the last one,' Maren says. 'My parents gave me good genes.'

"Of the 12 young female 'child munchkins' (children of average height) who filled in the crowd of Munchkin citizens in the scene, six survive."

Now, You Know.  --Cooter Munchkin

Cub Players Through the Years-- Part 1

From the Chicago Tribune. //// Earlier this week the Tribune ran one photo of a Cub player for every year from 1914 to last year. Some were all-time Cub greats, others only played a short time. Some I did not know and only wrote down the ones I knew. Along with the picture, the Trib had information so you Cub or baseball fans should check it out. //// 1916-- Modecai Brown // 1918 Hippo Vaughn // 1920 Grover Cleveland Alexander // 1922-- Ray Grimes // 1927-- Charlie Root // 1929-- Joseph McCarthy // 1930-- Hack Wilson // 1931-- Rogers Hornsby // 1933 Gabby Hartnett // 1935-- Billy Herman // 1938-- Dizzy Dean // 1943-- Eddie Stanky //// And, More to Come. --DaCoot

Penultimate and Last Munchkin

I found out that Penultimate Munchkin meant that Ruth Duccin was the next to last surviving Munchkin. The last-known surviving Munchkin is Jerry Maren, born January 24, 1920, and was the member of the Lollipop Guild wearing the green shirt who sang and danced for Dorothy. //// I also found out that 125 Munchkins were hired for the movie and an additional 12 regular children also were in it. //// --Cooter

Deaths: Ruth Duccin-- Last Female Munchkin and "Rosie the Riveter"

RUTH DUCCIN, 95 (1918-JAN. 16, 2014) //// Oldest of the surviving Munchkins from the famous movie "Wizard of Oz." Had gathered with the surviving Munchkins for their induction on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 and attendedof the film's 75th anniversary at Grauman's Chinese Theater. //// She was one of the villagers and said she was paid $125 a week for her work on the movie. Called the Penultimate Surviving Munchkin (although I was unable to find out exactly what that means). She was the last-known surviving female Munchkin. //// However, she said she was even more proud of the role she played in World War II when she was a real "Rosie the Riveter working at Douglas Aircraft as a riveter where her small size was put to good use squeezing into small spaces where a full-sized woman couldn't. ////

Eight Fascinating Facts About "The Wizard of Oz"-- Part 2

4.  Scarecrow Ray Bolger was originally supposed to play the Tinman, but felt his rubbery dancing-style would better fit the Scarecrow.  Buddy Epsom "Beverly Hillbillies" was originally to play the Scarecrow but agreed to switch roles with Bolger.  After filming began, Epsom had a terrible allergic reaction to the Tinman's silver dust makeup and had to drop out of the movie.

5.  "Over the Rainbow" won for Oscar's Best Song and is on AFI's "100 Years 100 Songs list.  But, it was almost cut out of the final movie as MGM felt it was too slow.

6.  Dorothy's blue and white gingham dress recently sold for $480,000.

7.  Dorothy's ruby-crusted shoes are among the most sought-after movie items at auctions.  In 2000, one pair went at auction for $666,000.  The pair believed to have been the ones worn by Garland when she clicked three times to go home are owned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

8.  In L. Frank Baum's 1900 source novel, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," they were silver.  Filmmakers changed the color to take advantage of the new Technicolor process.  The ruby red provided a more striking contrast.

There You Have It.  --DaCoot

Eight Fascinating Facts About "The Wizard of Oz"-- Part 1

From the March 6, 2013, Movie Talk on Yahoo! Movies "Oh My! 8 Fascinating Facts about MGM's classic 'The Wizard of Oz'" by Adam Pockross.

What with the recent release of "Oz the Great and Powerful" a prequel to the "Wizard," I thought this would be of interest.  I saw the new one and really enjoyed it.  I even thought about seeing it in 3D (something I don't like) and was really fooled by the real evil witch.  Who'd have thought "That Seventies Show?"

1.  MGM originally wanted Shirley Temple to play Dorothy.  She was a leading box office draw at the time but 20th Century Fox, who had her contract, refused to lend her.  MGM even tried to loan Clark Gable and Jean Harlow for Temple, but Harlow died in 1937.  MGM decided to go with Judy Garland who had a better singing voice.

2.  Judy Garland, however, was not physically suited for the role.  Her teeth had to be fixed and her breasts flattened to portray Dorothy, who was a younger girl.

3.  Garland got a severe case of the giggles when she had to skip down the Yellow Brick Road.  Director Victor Flemming slapped her admonishing, "Behave!!"

Five More to Come.  --Cooter

Dead Page: A Munchkin Meets the Wizard

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 ______.