LOS ANGELES — Jerry Maren, who danced into pop culture in 1939 as the tartan-costumed, candy-toting Munchkin leader of the Lollipop Guild in “The Wizard of Oz,” a role that overshadowed a lifetime of quiet offscreen work to bring dignity to dwarfs, died on May 24 in San Diego. His death, at a care facility in the La Jolla section, was first reported on Wednesday. A nephew, Lloyd Decker, said the cause was congestive heart failure. Mr. Maren was the last survivor of the more than 100 dwarfs who performed as Munchkins in numbers like “We’re Off to See the Wizard” and “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead,” according to Stephen Cox, the author of “The Munchkins of Oz.”“In many ways, with his humble charm, he became the most beloved of all of them,” Mr. Cox said in a telephone interview.

Source: New York Times June 06, 2018 19:26 UTC