Margaret Pellegrini (née Williams; September 23, 1923 – August 7, 2013) was an American actress, vaudeville performer and dancer, best known for playing one of the Munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.[1][2] Until her death in 2013, she was one of the three surviving munchkins, the other two being Jerry Maren and Ruth Robinson Duccini.[3]
Margaret Pellegrini | |
|---|---|
 Pellegrini in 2006 | |
| Born | Margaret Williams September 23, 1923 Tuscumbia, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | August 7, 2013 (aged 89) Glendale, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1938–2013 |
| Spouse | Willie Pellegrini |
| Children | 2 |
Biography
editPellegrini was born Margaret Williams in Tuscumbia, Alabama. When she was helping a relative in a potato chip booth at the Tennessee State Fair, a group of little people came by and asked if she wanted to join their show, Henry Kramer's Midgets. "At that time I didn't think I was a midget," says Pellegrini (who then stood about 3 ft 4 in (1.02 m)). In the film, Pellegrini played a "sleepyhead" flower pot and Munchkin villager. After the film, she married Willie Pellegrini (an average-sized ex-fighter) and had two children. Through the years, Pellegrini frequently appeared at surviving Munchkins of Oz festivities.
Munchkins Walk of fame
edit
Pellegrini was present on November 21, 2007, when the remaining Munchkins were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was also named the Grand Marshal of that year's annual "Oz-Stravaganza" parade in Chittenango, New York, but health issues prevented her from attending. Near the time of her death, she was described as a widowed great-great-grandmother living in Glendale, Arizona, with a room in her house devoted to her treasured Oz collectibles.
Death
editPellegrini died on August 7, 2013, in Glendale, Arizona, due to complications from a stroke she had two days earlier. She outlived every major cast member of The Wizard of Oz.[3] She was 89.[4] Her burial is at Holy Cross Cemetery in Avondale, Arizona.
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | The Wizard of Oz | Munchkin Villager/Sleepyhead | Uncredited |
| 1971 | Johnny Got His Gun | ||
| 1990 | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic | Acknowledgement credit | |
| 1993 | We're Off to See the Munchkins | ||
| 1994 | I Married a Munchkin | Sleepyhead | |
| 1997 | Biography | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Memories of Oz | ||
| 2005 | Entertainment Tonight | 1 episode | |
| Because of the Wonderful Things It Does: The Legacy of Oz | |||
| 2009 | The Yellow Brick Road and Beyond | Herself/Munchkin | Also special thanks credit |
| Hollywood Celebrates Its Biggest Little Stars! | Herself | ||
| 2013 | The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz |
References
edit- ^ Associated, The. "Oz "munchkin" comes to Kansas". CJOnline.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ Margaret Pellegrini - IMDb
- ^ a b Chawkins, Steve (August 7, 2013). "Margaret Pellegrini dies at 89; actress played Munchkin in 'Oz'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ Herbert, Geoff (August 9, 2013). "Oz Museum in Chittenango holding remembrance event for Munchkin Margaret Pellegrini". Syracuse.com. Syracuse Media Group. Retrieved August 9, 2013.