Munchkin

---

title: "Munchkin" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["female-characters-in-literature", "fictional-dwarves", "fictional-species-and-races", "fictional-slaves", "literary-characters-introduced-in-1900", "male-characters-in-literature", "oz-(franchise)-characters"] description: "Fictional ethnic group from the Oz series by L. Frank Baum" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchkin" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Fictional ethnic group from the Oz series by L. Frank Baum ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox character"]

Field	Value
name	The Munchkins
image	Munchkins.png
caption	W. W. Denslow's depiction of Munchkins, from first edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
series	Oz books
first	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
creator	L. Frank Baum
noinfo	yes
::

|name = The Munchkins |image = Munchkins.png |caption = W. W. Denslow's depiction of Munchkins, from first edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz |series = Oz books |first = The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) |creator = L. Frank Baum |noinfo = yes A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. Although a common fixture in Germanic fairy tales, they are introduced to modern audiences with the first appearance in the classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city in Oz. The Munchkins are described as being the same height as Dorothy and they wear only shades of blue clothing, as blue is the Munchkins' favorite color. Blue is also the predominating color that officially represents the eastern quadrant in the Land of Oz. The Munchkins have appeared in various media, including the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, as well as in various other films and comedy acts.

Concept

While Baum may have written about it, there are no surviving notes for the composition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The lack of this information has resulted in speculation of the term origins he used in the book, which include the word "Munchkin". Baum researcher Brian Attebery has hypothesized that there might be a connection to the Münchner Kindl, the emblem of the Bavarian city of Munich (spelled München in German). The symbol was originally a 13th-century statue of a monk, looking down from the town hall in Munich. Over the years, the image was reproduced many times, for instance as a figure on beer steins, and eventually evolved into a child wearing a pointed hood. Baum's family had German origins, suggesting that Baum could have seen one such reproduction in his childhood.

It is also possible that "Munchkin" came from the German word Männchen, which means "mannikin" or "little figure". In 1900, Baum published a book about window displays in which he stressed the importance of mannequins in attracting customers. Another possibility is a connection to Baron Munchausen. This fictional character is based on a real baron who told outrageous tall tales based on his military career. It is also possible that the name is related to Thumbkin, Bumpkin, etc., pet names given to fingers of the hand in nursery rhymes.

Like the other Oz terms, the word "Munchkin" ends in a diminutive which in this case refers to the size of the natives.

Literature

Oz Books by Frank Baum

::quote

::

|author = – L. Frank Baum}}

The Munchkins are first mentioned (quote shown) in an excerpt from chapter two of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, titled "The Council with the Munchkins". Dorothy initially meets only three of them, along with the Good Witch of the North. The rest of the Munchkins then come out of hiding and are shown to be grateful towards Dorothy for killing their evil ruler the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy later eventually finds the yellow brick road and along the way attends a banquet held by a Munchkin man named Boq. Sometime in the book a background story is also given about a "Munchkin maiden" (named Nimmie Amee in later books), who was the former love interest of the Tin Woodman.

Baum also included the Munchkin characters in his later works as minor and major individual characters. The Munchkin Jinjur is the main antagonist in Baum's second book The Marvelous Land of Oz, where she seeks to overthrow the Scarecrow and take over the Emerald City. Jinjur makes a brief appearance in the next book, entitled Ozma of Oz, and is brought back in Baum's twelfth book, The Tin Woodman of Oz. By this time, she is shown to be a more prominent character who is helpful and friendly to Dorothy and her friends. Two other major Munchkin characters also appear in The Tin Woodman of Oz: Tommy Kwikstep and Nimmie Amee. The former appears in the story asking for a wish for running an errand for a witch; the latter is the name given to the mystery "Munchkin maiden" from the first book, who was the former lover of the Tin Woodman. More information is revealed that tells about the Tin Woodman's origin and their tragic love story. Lastly, the Munchkin Unc Nunkie appears in Baum's seventh book, The Patchwork Girl of Oz, where he is accidentally turned to stone. His Munchkin nephew Ojo successfully goes on a quest in search of an antidote while learning more about himself in the process.

Subsequent Oz books

L. Frank Baum died on 6 May 1919 after which other writers took up writing additional Oz stories. In some cases these books were written under Baum's name and included the Munchkins. There is at least one known Munchkin character that was created after Baum's death that appears as a major character. Zif is a Munchkin boy who appears in John R. Neill's first adaptation called The Royal Book of Oz. Zif is a student at the College of Art and Athletic Perfection; he is both respectful and resentful towards his teacher Wogglebog who considers Zif a "nobody or a nothing". The Munchkin characters that Baum had created in his lifetime also appear in these additional works.

Film and musicals

Early works (1902–1933)

While the 1939 film is the most well known adaptation (see section below), it was not the first outside work to show the Munchkins in film or musical format. One of the first musical adaptations of Baum's books took place in 1902; it was also dubbed The Wizard of Oz. The Munchkins make their appearance in act one, called "The Storm", in which they are shown dancing around their maypole, not noticing that Dorothy's house has fallen to earth killing the Wicked Witch of the East. The first film adaptation of Baum's works, titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was released in 1910, followed by three sequels. However, it was not until 1914 that Munchkin characters first appeared in film works. Ojo the Lucky and Unc Nunkie both appear in a film titled The Patchwork Girl of Oz (based on the book of the same name). This film stars American actress Violet MacMillan as Ojo and was produced by Baum.

1939 film

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Munchkins-film.jpg" caption="The Munchkins (specifically the "Lollipop Guild") as depicted in the 1939 film ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]''. L–R: Jackie Gerlich, Jerry Maren, and Harry Doll."] ::

The 1939 movie musical The Wizard of Oz was loosely based on Baum's novel. Notable differences of the Munchkins include their country name of Munchkinland and their clothes of many colors instead of an all-blue attire. In the musical, the Munchkins are portrayed by the thirty-odd members of the Singer Midgets, a European performing troupe made up of adult actors with dwarfism. Their numbers were swelled when a national talent search brought in a further ninety-four little men, women, and teenagers, with a few average-sized children were also included as background extras in order to make up the 124 characters requested by MGM.

In the musical, the Munchkins first appear when Dorothy and Toto arrive in the Land of Oz after her house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East. The Munchkins hide from all the commotion until Glinda the Good Witch arrives reassuring them that everything is okay. Dorothy tells them how she arrived in the Land of Oz (through a musical number) and the Munchkins celebrate. To make it official, a Barrister and a number of City Fathers insist to the Mayor of the Munchkin City that they must make sure that the Wicked Witch of the East is really dead before the celebration continues. The Coroner confirms this by saying that the witch is "not only merely dead" but is indeed "most sincerely dead" while showing a Certificate of Death. The Munchkins then celebrate further as Dorothy receives gifts from the "Lullaby League" and the "Lollipop Guild". Near the end of the song, the Wicked Witch of the West arrives, which causes the Munchkins to panic. After the Wicked Witch of the West leaves, Glinda tells Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City as the Munchkins guide her out of Munchkinland. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/The_Munchkins_Star.jpg" caption="Star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame"] ::

The Munchkin actors have since not avoided controversy with alleged behavior behind the scenes. In a 1967 interview, Judy Garland referred to all of the Munchkins as "little drunks" who got intoxicated every night to the point where they had to be picked up in "butterfly nets". These accusations were denied as fabrications by Munchkin Margaret Pellegrini, who said only "a couple of kids from Germany even drank beer". On 20 November 2007, the Munchkins were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Seven of the surviving Munchkin actors from the film were present. As a result of the popularity of the 1939 film, the word "munchkin" has entered the English language as a reference to small children, persons with dwarfism, or anything of diminutive stature.

Actors and actresses

The following is a list of actors who portrayed the Munchkins in the 1939 film. Most of the dwarfs hired were acquired for MGM by Leo Singer, the proprietor of Singer's Midgets. A Daily Variety news story from 17 August 1938, stated 124 dwarves had been signed to play Munchkins; modern sources place the number either at 122 or 124. An additional dozen or so child actors were hired to make up for the shortage of dwarves. At least one Munchkin actor, Dale Paullin (stage name Paul Dale), did not make the final cut for the movie. Only two actors (Joseph Koziel and Frank Cucksey) used their actual voices for the dialogue exchanged with Dorothy where she is given the flowers. The rest of the voices, such as the "Munchkin chorus", were created by Pinto Colvig and Billy Bletcher with their voices recorded at a slow speed, which were subsequently sped-up when played back.

In 1989, author Stephen Cox researched, found, and wrote about the surviving Munchkin actors fifty years after they made the film. He wrote about them in his book, The Munchkins Remember (1989, E.P. Dutton), which was later revised as The Munchkins of Oz (Cumberland House), and his book remained in print for nearly two decades. When he wrote the book, 33 of the actors with dwarfism who appeared in the film were still alive and were interviewed. Several of them outlived all the major cast, as well as the original Tin Man Buddy Ebsen. Jerry Maren, who played the green "Lollipop Guild" member, was the last living adult Munchkin actor. Maren was the only Munchkin alive when the film's longest living cast member, Shep Houghton, an extra, died in 2016.

:Notes: Some of the information presented in the table below may never be complete as Social Security records remain sparse prior to the mid-twentieth century. Stage names and/or aliases are present in italics and quotation marks.

::data[format=table]

Actor	Born	Died	Part(s) played
url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D0w5WxGi0ggC&pg=PA239	title=The Wizardry of Oz: The Artistry and Magic of the 1939 M-G-M Classic	author=Jay Scarfone, William Stillman	publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation
url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V96tee1l2q8C&pg=PA451	title=British Film Institute Film Classics, Volume 1	author=Rob White	author2=Edward Buscombe
Franz Balluch ("Mike")			Played a villager
Josefine Balluch		1984	Played a villager
John T. Bambury	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xqUYAQAAIAAJ&q=John+Bambury+1891+Pennsylvania	title=The Ultimate Directory of Silent and Sound Era Performers: A Necrology of Actors and Actresses	author=Billy H. Doyle
Charlie Becker	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7-DgDAAAQBAJ&dq=Charlie+Becker+died+1968&pg=PA51	title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.	author=Scott Wilson
title=Little People	publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch	page=140	date=25 September 1949}}
Henry Boers	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208090329/http://www.phreeque.com/midget_jamboree.html	archive-date=8 December 2014	url=http://www.phreeque.com/midget_jamboree.html
Theodore Boers	1894	1945	Played a villager
Christie Buresh			Played a villager
Eddie Buresh			Played a villager
Lida Buresh			Played a villager
Mickey Carroll	archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140201203640/http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/stltoday/obituary.aspx?n=mickey-carroll&pid=127041935	archive-date=1 February 2014	url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/stltoday/obituary.aspx?n=mickey-carroll&pid=127041935
Casper "Colonel" Balsam	archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203211905/https://auctions.potterauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=55025	archivedate=December 3, 2024	url=https://auctions.potterauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=55025
Nona A. Cooper	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAoEAAAAMBAJ&q=Nona+Cooper+midget+1953&pg=PT1	title=Billboard Sep 19, 1953	magazine=Billboard Magazine
Thomas J. Cottonaro	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505065538/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-22351965.html	archive-date=5 May 2016	url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-22351965.html
Elizabeth Coulter			Played a villager
Lewis Croft	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421020301/http://www.nwitimes.com/entertainment/columnists/offbeat/wizard-of-oz-munchkin-soldier-lewis-croft-dead-at-age/article_6bcaa4e3-1d46-59c2-9337-cb8691ab0cc2.html	archive-date=21 April 2017	url=http://www.nwitimes.com/entertainment/columnists/offbeat/wizard-of-oz-munchkin-soldier-lewis-croft-dead-at-age/article_6bcaa4e3-1d46-59c2-9337-cb8691ab0cc2.html
Frank Cucksey	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208034347/http://www.phreeque.com/nate_eagle.html	archive-date=8 December 2014	url=http://www.phreeque.com/nate_eagle.html
Billy Curtis	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424150130/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-11-12/news/mn-388_1_billy-Curtis	archive-date=24 April 2016	url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-12-mn-388-story.html
Eugene S. David Jr.			archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421024549/http://thetandd.com/lifestyles/two-munchkins-actors-in-wizard-of-oz-worked-at-srp/article_28131251-c9f1-50f6-a3d8-661df1593cc7.html
Eulie H. David	1921	1972	Played a soldier
Ethel W. Denis	1894	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421025827/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/24/obituaries/prince-denis-84-performer-who-played-munchkin-mayor.html	archive-date=21 April 2017
Prince Denis	1900	1984	Played the Sergeant-at-Arms
Hazel I. Derthick	1906		Played a villager
Daisy Earles	last1=Kérchy	first1=Anna	last2=Zittlau
Gracie Doll Earles	1899	1970	Played a "munchkin maiden"
Harry Doll Earles	1902	1985	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312081813/http://www.dove.org/the-munchkins-of-oz-exclusive-dove-interviews-part-2/
Tiny Doll Earles	1914	2004	Played a "munchkin maiden"
Major Doyle ("James D. Doyle")	1869	1940	Played a villager
Ruth Robinson Duccini	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421035955/http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-25758075	archive-date=21 April 2017	url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-25758075
Carl M. Erickson	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7goEAAAAMBAJ&q=Carl+Erickson+midget&pg=PA61	title=The Final Curtain	work=Billboard Magazine
Fern Formica	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421041126/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-03-18/features/9101240885_1_munchkins-margaret-pellegrini-oz	archive-date=21 April 2017	url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-03-18/features/9101240885_1_munchkins-margaret-pellegrini-oz
Addie Eva Frank			Played a villager
Thaisa L. Gardner			Played a villager
Jakob "Jackie" Gerlich	1925	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PuYMBAAAQBAJ&q=jackie+gerlich+1960&pg=PT143	title=The Wizard of Oz FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Life, According to Oz
William A. Giblin	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421051656/https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22486/lot/68/	archive-date=21 April 2017	url=https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22486/lot/68/
Jack S. Glicken	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306104326/http://ibase.sdsu.edu/view-item?i=129000&WINID=1456716615749	archive-date=6 March 2016	url=http://ibase.sdsu.edu/view-item?i=129000&WINID=1456716615749
Carolyn E. Granger	archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101015501/https://www.geaugamapleleaf.com/arts-and-theater/return-to-oz-with-plenty-of-munchkins-for-company/	archivedate=November 1, 2023	url=http://www.geaugamapleleaf.com/arts-and-theater/return-to-oz-with-plenty-of-munchkins-for-company/
Joseph Herbst	1908		Played a soldier
Jakob Hofbauer	1898		Played a soldier
Clarence C. Howerton ("Major Mite")	author=Marc Hartzman	title=American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia of History's Most Wondrous and Curiously Strange Performers	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ruXJxuyNfgC&pg=PA191
Helen M. Hoy	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xREEAAAAMBAJ&q=Marguerite+Hoy+midget&pg=PT32	title=The Final Curtain	work=Billboard Magazine
Marguerite A. Hoy			Played a villager
James R. Hulse IV	1915	1964	Played a villager
Robert Kanter ("Little Lord Robert")	1886		Played a soldier
Charles E. Kelley			Played a soldier
Jessie E. Kelley ("Jessie Becker")			Played a villager
Frank Kikel			Played a villager
Bernard Klima ("Harry")	1897	url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XM4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=4921,470062&dq=harry-klima+1957	title=Circus Midget Dies in Mexico
Mitzi Koestner	1894	1975	Played a villager
Emma Koestner	1900	1984	Played a villager
Willi Koestner	1908	1974	Played a soldier
Adam Edwin Kozicki ("Eddie Adams")			Played a fiddler
Joseph J. Koziel	archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130012133/https://www.shawlocal.com/bureau-county-republican/news/local/2021/01/29/did-you-know-one-of-the-wizard-of-oz-munchkins-was-a-spring-valley-native/	archivedate=January 30, 2021	url=https://www.shawlocal.com/bureau-county-republican/news/local/2021/01/29/did-you-know-one-of-the-wizard-of-oz-munchkins-was-a-spring-valley-native/
Dolly F. Kramer	1904	1995	Played a villager
Emil Kranzler	archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031212555/https://lpaarchive.org/charter-member-info/	archivedate=October 31, 2023	url=https://lpaarchive.org/charter-member-info/
Nita Krebs	1905	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503074952/http://variety.com/1991/scene/people-news/nita-krebs-99125563/	archive-date=3 May 2016
Jeane LaBarbera ("Little Jean")	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085434/http://missioncreep.com/mundie/gallery/little/little15.htm	archive-date=4 March 2016	url=http://missioncreep.com/mundie/gallery/little/little15.htm
Hilda Lange	1911	1975	Played a villager
John Leal ("Johnny")	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125150608/http://articles.latimes.com/1996-11-12/local/me-63921_1_john-leal	archive-date=25 January 2018	url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-12-me-63921-story.html
Ann Rice Leslie	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425135931/https://pastimes13.wordpress.com/tag/ann-rice-leslie/	archive-date=25 April 2017	url=https://pastimes13.wordpress.com/tag/ann-rice-leslie/
Charles Ludwig	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016142601/http://www.sideshowworld.com/13-TGOD/2008/tgod-MidgetCity.html	archive-date=16 October 2015	url=http://www.sideshowworld.com/13-TGOD/2008/tgod-MidgetCity.html
Dominick Magro	title=Obituaries: Dominick Magro	newspaper=San Diego Union	date=January 5, 1959
Carlos Manzo	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FCEEAAAAMBAJ&q=Carlos+Manzo+midget+died&pg=PA51	title=The Final Curtain	work=Billboard Magazine
Howard Marco	1884		Played a villager
Jerry Maren	1920	2018	Green member of The Lollipop Guild
Bela Matina ("Mike Rogers")	archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308171617/https://www.rwbakerfh.com/obituaries/lajos-and-majtus-bela-matina-1	archivedate=March 8, 2023	url=https://www.rwbakerfh.com/obituaries/lajos-and-majtus-bela-matina-1
Lajos Matina ("Leo Rogers")	1893	1975	Played a villager
Matyus Matina ("Ike Rogers")	1902	1965	Played a villager
Walter M. B. Miller	1906	1987	Played a soldier and a flying monkey
George Ministeri	1906	1986	Played the coachman and a villager
Harry Monty	1904	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313040150/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/587029.stm	archive-date=13 March 2016
Yvonne Bistany Moray			Member of The Lullaby League and a villager
Johnny Maroldo ("Johnny Winters")	1905	1985	Played the Commander of the Navy
Marie Bernadet Maroldo ("Marie Winters")	1901	1979	Played a villager
Olga C. Nardone	archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711012445/https://www.baltimoresun.com/bs-mtblog-2010-12-olga_nardone_19212010_oz_loses-story.html	archivedate=July 11, 2021	url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/bs-mtblog-2010-12-olga_nardone_19212010_oz_loses-story.html
url=https://ozmuseum.com/blogs/news/16444324-little-people-humongous-hearts-part-five	title=LITTLE PEOPLE…HUMONGOUS HEARTS – Part Five	work=OZ Museum	access-date=February 3, 2020}}
Margaret C. Nickloy ("Princess Marguerite")	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ&q=Princess+Marguerite+midget+1961&pg=PA549	title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.	author=Scott Wilson
Franklin H. O'Baugh	1922	1963	Played a soldier
William H. O'Docharty	1920	1988	Played the coach footman and a villager
Hildred C. Olson			Played a villager
Frank Packard			Played a villager
Nicholas Page ("Nicky")	1904	1978	Cox
Leona Megest Parks ("Duchess Leona")	1897		Played a villager
Margaret Williams Pellegrini	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229103424/http://articles.latimes.com/2013/aug/07/local/la-me-margaret-pellegrini-20130808	archive-date=29 December 2014	url=https://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-margaret-pellegrini-20130808,0,3512643.story
Johnny Pizo			Played a villager
url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MN3Huu6A7FcC&q=Leon+Polinsky+midget+munchkin&pg=PA125	title=Egg Harbor City	publisher=Arcadia Publishing	author=Mark W. Maxwell
Lillian Porter	archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519172456/https://www.historyforsale.com/lillian-porter-autographed-inscribed-photograph/dc22717	archivedate=May 19, 2021	url=https://www.historyforsale.com/lillian-porter-autographed-inscribed-photograph/dc22717
Meinhardt Raabe	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104023339/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/movies/10raabe.html	archive-date=4 November 2016	url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/movies/10raabe.html
Margaret Raia	1928	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065250/http://www.sptimes.com/2003/08/20/news_pf/Pasco/_Oz__film_actor_never.shtml	archive-date=4 March 2016
Matthew Raia			Played a city father
Friedrich Retter ("Freddie")	1899		Played a fiddler and villager
Billy Rhodes ("Little Billy")	1895	1967	Played the barrister
Gertrude H. Rice			Played a villager
Hazel Rice			Played a villager
url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQ2BAAAAMAAJ&q=Sandor+Roka	title=It's a Small World: All about Midgets	author=Walter Bodin, Burnet Hershey	publisher=Coward-McCann
Jimmie Rosen	1892	1973	Played a villager
Charles F. "Wojnarski" Royal	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926015210/http://www.phreeque.com/stella_royale.html	archive-date=26 September 2014	url=http://www.phreeque.com:80/stella_royale.html
Helen J. "Wojnarski" Royal	1897	1958	Played a villager
Stella A. "Wojnarski" Royal	1903	1959	Played a villager
Albert Ruddinger			Played a villager
Elsie R. Schultz	1892	1987	Played a villager
Charles Silvern		1976	Played a villager
Garland Slatton ("Earl")	1917	1995	Played a soldier
Karl Slover	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421144204/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/17/local/la-me-karl-slover-20111117	archive-date=April 21, 2017	url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2011-nov-17-la-me-karl-slover-20111117-story.html
Ruth E. Smith		1985	Played a villager
Elmer Spangler	1910		Played a villager
Pernell St. Aubin	1922	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017054801/http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0508290065aug29-story.html	archive-date=17 October 2015
Carl Stephan			Played a villager
Alta M. Stevens			Played a villager
George Suchsie			Played a villager
Charlotte V. Sullivan			Played a villager
Clarence Swensen	1917	2009	Played a soldier
Betty Tanner		1994	Played a villager
Arnold Vierling	1919	1949	Played a villager
Gus Wayne	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421152703/http://variety.com/1998/film/news/gus-wayne-77-1117468285/	archive-date=21 April 2017	url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/gus-wayne-77-1117468285/
Victor Wetter	1902	1990	Played the Captain of the Army
Grace G. Williams			Played a villager
archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101015500/https://www.digitalhorizonsonline.org/digital/collection/ndsu-strand/id/38/	archivedate=November 1, 2023	url=https://www.digitalhorizonsonline.org/digital/collection/ndsu-strand/id/38/	title=Harvey Williams with William and Dorothy Haverstraw, Rugby, N.D.
Gladys V. Wolff	1911	1984	Played a villager
Murray Wood	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0HjGCwAAQBAJ&q=Murray+Wood+wizard+1999&pg=PA239	title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 1999	author=Harris M. Lentz III
::

Child actresses====

About a dozen children of average height were hired so they could be used for background fill. Sources differ on the number of children used for these roles ranging anywhere from 10 to 12. The names used for the women are maiden names with known aliases present in italics and quotation marks.

, two "child munchkins" are known to be living.

::data[format=table]

Actor	Born	Died	Part(s) played	Source
Betty Ann Cain ("Bruno")	1931	2023	Munchkin hatchling	url=https://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/02/entertainment/et-munchkins2
Priscilla Ann Montgomery Clark	1929	Living	Munchkin Child	url=http://www.allvoices.com/article/100001141
Donna Jean Johnson ("Stewart Hardaway")	1933	2008	Background fill
Joan Kenmore	1931	2022	Background fill	url=http://patch.com/california/lagunaniguel-danapoint/local-wizard-of-oz-child-actress-remembers-munchkin-k86c11bad86
Eva Lee Kuney	1934	2015	Background fill	url=http://obits.reviewjournal.com/obituaries/lvrj/obituary.aspx?pid=174984751
Rae-Nell Laskey ("Alsbury")	1930	1991	unknown
Elaine Mirk ("Merk")	1930	2025	Background fill	url=https://www.lordheath.com/Elaine_Merk.html
Valerie Lee Shepard	1931	Living	Background fill	url=https://www.lordheath.com/Valerie_Lee.html
Ardith Dondanville ("Mae") Todd	1930	2022	Background fill	title=Ardith Mae Todd
Shirley Ann Kennedy ("Vegors")	1932	2005	Background fill
Viola White ("Banks")	1931	2000	Background fill
::

Later works (1940–1989)

The 1939 film was adapted into a musical that was released in 1942 that includes the Munchkin characters. The events that take place mirror the film including the song "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead". Twenty-seven years later an animated film called The Wonderful Land of Oz was made featuring Jinjur as a main antagonist.

Other works

• The Munchkins appeared in The Wiz and were played by children and teenagers. (1978)
• The Munchkins appear at the end of Return to Oz. They are seen celebrating Dorothy's return after defeating the Nome King and are present at Princess Ozma's coronation. Tommy Kwikstep was also seen there. (1985)
• In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, the Munchkins were played by Rizzo the Rat (who portrayed the "Mayor of Munchkinland") and his fellow rats, allowing them to also pull double duty as the Field Mice that rescue Dorothy from the poppies. (2005)
• In Strawberry Shortcake, more specifically the 2003 cartoon, the fourth season contains an episode called Berry Brick Road that involves a story where Strawberry Shortcake gets whisked from her home. When she lands, she is greeted by three Munchkins that call themselves the Berrykins (after a feylike being from the 1980s cartoon), were tormented by the Wicked Witch of the West, thank Strawberry Shortcake for knocking out the Wicked Witch of the West (which she only did by landing nearby) and pressure her into stealing the latter's magic slippers (which she later uses to return to her home) as a reward. She later returns to Oz to teach the trio a lesson about caring for the environment. The Berrykins do not sing as much as their people had in the original version, and they and the other Munchkins look very small; however, the Berrykins specifically look just like Blueberry Muffin, Rainbow Sherbet, and Lemon Meringue. (2007)
• The Munchkins appeared in Dorothy and the Witches of Oz. The Munchkins were first seen in the battle against the Wicked Witch of the West's forces in Oz. They were later brought to Earth by Glinda in order to combat the forces of the Wicked Witch of the West. (2012)
• The Munchkins appear in Oz the Great and Powerful. They alongside the Quadlings and the Tinkers as inhabitants of Glinda's protectorate. Although the film is not otherwise a musical, the Munchkins sing and dance much as they do in the 1939 film. (2013)
• The Munchkins appear in more than one skit on Mad TV where the 1939 film is parodied. The actors are played by people with dwarfism.
• The Munchkins appear in the television series Once Upon a Time. Not much is known about them, but they seem to be similar to the Dwarves in the Enchanted forest as Zelena originally thought that Sneezy was a Munchkin. Also, Regina Mills once mistakenly referred to the Seven Dwarfs as Munchkins.
• The Munchkins appear in Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz with the "Mayor of Munchkinland" voiced by Bill Fagerbakke and the background Munchkins voiced by Steven Blum and Jessica DiCicco. Ojo, Dr. Pipt, the Lollipop Guild, and the Lullaby League are also featured. Also, Smith & Tinker are depicted as Munchkins in this show.
• The Munchkins appear as a culture of farmers in Wicked. Director Jon M. Chu decided to cast people closer to the book's original description being about as tall as Dorothy, rather than the 1939 film's cast of much shorter Munchkins. The main Munchkin character in this story, Boq Woodsman, is played by Ethan Slater who stands at 5'7". Chu also chose to focus more on their culture than their physical appearance.

Explanatory notes

References

Citations

Works cited

References

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