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

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. ////