Margaret Pellegrini

Margaret Pellegrini
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	Actress; vaudeville performer; dancer;
Years active	1938–2013
Spouse	Willie Pellegrini
Children	2

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]

Biography

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

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

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

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1939	The Wizard of Oz	Munchkin Villager/Sleepyhead	Uncredited
1971	Johnny Got His Gun		Uncredited
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
2005	Because of the Wonderful Things It Does: The Legacy of Oz
2009	The Yellow Brick Road and Beyond	Herself/Munchkin	Also special thanks credit
2009	Hollywood Celebrates Its Biggest Little Stars!	Herself
2013	The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz

References

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

External links

Margaret Pellegrini at IMDb
Margaret Pellegrini at Find a Grave

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[1] Associated, The. "Oz "munchkin" comes to Kansas". CJOnline.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.

[2] Margaret Pellegrini - IMDb

[Margaret_Pellegrini-3] 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.