Karl Slover, one of the last surviving actors who played Munchkins in the 1939 classic film, "The Wizard of Oz," has died. He was 93.
The 4-foot-5 Slover died of cardiopulmonary arrest Tuesday afternoon in a suburban Atlanta hospital... According to friends, as recently as last weekend, Slover appeared at events in the suburban Chicago area.
Slover was best known for playing the lead trumpeter in the Munchkins' band but also had roles as a townsman and soldier in the film...
. . .
Only three remain of the 124 diminutive actors who played the beloved Munchkins.
. . .
"In those uninformed days, his father tried witch doctor treatments to make him grow..."
He was buried in the backyard, immersed in heated oil until his skin blistered and then attached to a stretching machine at a hospital, all in the attempt to make him become taller. Eventually he was sold by his father at age 9 to a traveling show in Europe...
. . .
"It wasn't until the Munchkins started making their appearances in 1989 that they call came to realize how potent the film had become and remained... He was wonderfully articulate about his memories, he had anecdotes to share."
More:
http://www.salon.com/2011/11/16/wizard_of_oz_munchkin_karl_slover_dies_at_93/
Blog, a searchable database of obituaries
back to 2001:
http://DeadCelebrityAlert.com
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