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

(1923-09-23)September 23, 1923
DiedAugust 7, 2013(2013-08-07) (aged 89)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • vaudeville performer
  • dancer
Years active1938–2013
SpouseWillie Pellegrini
Children2

Biography

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Pellegrini 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

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From left: Jerry Maren (Lollipop Guild), Karl Slover, Clarence Swensen, and Pellegrini (1998)

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

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Pellegrini 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

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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

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  1. ^ Associated, The. "Oz "munchkin" comes to Kansas". CJOnline.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  2. ^ Margaret Pellegrini - IMDb
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
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