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Harry meets Munchkins From The Land Of OZ
Hey folks, Harry here. There is a 48 hour period of time that I'm currently in the midst of, that is... to put it mildly. Mind numbing.
Earlier today I met the man who played the Lollipop Guild Munchkin that handed the lollipop to Judy Garland in THE WIZARD OF OZ.
Never in my wildest dreams have I thought I'd meet a denizen of Oz. On the way down I was near tears I was so excited. The Lollipop Kid was going to be... within my gaze. Not upon a screen, not behind the glass of our ol cathode ray tube devices. Oh no. I was going to meet him.
On the drive down I was singing the Lollipop Guild song in my best munchkin voice and Father Geek was smiling like crazy. I've met a lot of famous people... but this guy... he presented Dorothy with the lollipop. How is it possible to actually meet him? I mean, don't you have to send up a hot air balloon to pick him up or something?
However, Tim managed to do it, they were there. 'They'? Well, also in attendence was Clarence Swenson, one of the Munchkin Army guys, apparently a general according to the two of them. Wow. Too cool.
We parked about a block away, I had my digital camera with me, Dad had a pair of ruby slippers to get signed and a most excellent book entitled THE MUNCHKINS OF OZ by Stephen Cox which is exclusively about the munchkins that lived in munchkinland.
As we walked up the stairs of the Alamo Drafthouse I began to get that butterfly in the stomach queeziness that I get around legends. As I rounded the corner I saw them...
And there against that wall was Clarence Swenson in his Munchkin Militia uniform and Jerry Maren "The Lollipop Kid". As soon as I aproached the crest of the stairway, I saw Jerry shoot his hand up as if he knew me and cracked a smile that would just kill.
I was in shock. Literally. I get this terrible sense of shyness once in a very blue moon. The last time it struck me was about 8 years ago at a DALLAS COMIC CON when I first locked eyes on Forrest J Ackerman. But as I stared at these two men, all I could see and think about was munchkinland. The ultra technicolor world they existed in. Their hairstyles, the music, the songs, the puff of red smoke into which Magaret Hamilton disappeared into. I couldn't get out of my mind the voice of a munchkin in the very merry land of Oz. While I stood there just staring, Father Geek headed over. Not at all terrified of the Munchkins.
First he began talking to Clarence Swenson about the filmwork that he had done. First he learned that Clarence, unlike Jerry, had had only a very brief film career figuring into a mere 3 films. The first was THE TERROR OF TINY TOWN, and as I got closer to the table, I could hear this as well as see stills from this all little people Western. I love this movie. I've seen it ever since I can remember. My favorite scene is as they enter the saloon they reach over their heads to hit the swinging doors. The movie is a camp classic and a pure joy to behold. Then we found out he played Cheetah in some sequences of TARZAN FINDS A SON. Another of my favorite films. After TARZAN AND HIS MATE, this was my favorite Weismuller Tarzan movie. And... My god, I can't believe that wasn't Cheetah in every scene. Must rewatch that one. Then Clarence's last film was THE WIZARD OF OZ in which he played one of the munchkin soldiers.
Then Father Geek, who was doing all the talking as I seem to have developed lockjaw, began talking with Jerry Maren. Maren was chewing on a cigar and reminding me of his character in LITTLE CIGARS, but as I began listening to Dad and Jerry talk... I was amazed. Jerry Maren did it all. With very few rivals, Jerry was quite honestly a huge talent. He played the 'come to life' version of Charlie McCarthy in HERE WE GO AGAIN. He was one of the Mole Men in the George Reeves' SUPERMAN AND THE MOLEMEN. He played in BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES as one of the infant apes. In AT THE CIRCUS, he played opposite Groucho Marx as Professor Atom, complete with moustache and stogie. He was in SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, TRON, SPACEBALLS, SAMSON AND DELILAH, FLESH AND FANTASY, THE BAD NEWS BEARS GO TO JAPAN. On television he ended every episode of THE GONG SHOW by throwing confetti at the audience. He played Buster Brown in TV ads. He drove the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile all around California and the American West. In MacDonald's ads he played The Hamburglar as well as Mayor McCheese. You may remember an episode of The Little Rascals where Spanky had to fight a cigar smoking baby, who was really a gangster stealing people's wallets.
BUT, first and foremost he's the Lollipop Kid. The one that handed Dorothy the lollipop and forever entered pop-culture history.
Other folks began to arrive and wanted to talk with these two, so Father Geek and I headed into the Drafthouse's screening room to await our presentation of THE WIZARD OF OZ by two of it's star munchkins. While waiting we began to notice kids entering the theater in costume... And one particular girl, dressed as Dorothy took the stage and began singing 'SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW' all on her own.
Then Tim League, grand poobah of the Alamo Drafthouse and chief archetect of the relocation of Munchkinland to the Drafthouse this lovely August day, punted the little girl off stage and announced Jerry and Clarence.
And as these two magical people took the stage the audience erupted into applause.
Jerry began by taking the microphone from Tim and getting the audience Q&A started. I just stared. I saw the entire beautiful event through tear obstructed eyes. I could not believe this. Munchkins. They still are with us. Questions about height and age came and went with answers like, 4foot 1 and four foot three, if memory serves. As well as Jerry being 79 and Clarence being 83. They love the film, and have nothing but fond memories of the filming. Yes, Toto was a good dog, but... They kinda held a grudge since Toto got $150 a week and they received $50 a week. Jerry and Clarence were stumped by one child that wanted to know how many bricks were in the Yellow Brick Road.
For the briefest of moments, it looked as if Jerry was going to give a real answer amongst all the giggles from adults and Clarence. When suddenly he said, "Ya know pal, you've got some crazy questions. I mean, If I would have thought sixty years ago that I'd be standing on this stage and would be asked by a kid as bright as yourself that very question, then ya know... I would've gone around the set and counted them all up."
So, I sat there and smiled. I love these guys. There seemed to be a lot of questions, but not many of interest. Then one fella asked about the Lollipop Guild song and if that was their voices.
Jerry countered with, "What was that, you want me to sing the Lollipop Song?"
To which the audience boomed a "YES!!!!!!"
And sing it he did. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I don't believe I've heard or seen something more beautiful than Jerry Maren singing his Lollipop Song. And as he stretched out that one arm and sung, "We'd like to welcome you to Munch... Kin... Land!" I just died. What a perfect moment. Sigh.
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that's it....if i ever make it to austin. first things first...i go to harry's place and check out all his cool swag and then i'm heading right to the alamao drafthouse. this place just never ends with the coolness. i need some place like this in my city. until then...i just live vicariously through harry's eyes and that wikked digital camera of his.
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Cool this thing.At first I thought that you were being sacarstic but hey,it's Harry!It's for real!
I wish I had seen this movie.Actually I saw it!yeah,I saw it but in the last decade and I was by then only a "little person"
so that's why I can't remenber this movie and these characters.This seem to me very American, this celebrity meeting thing with Q & A.We don't have that very much, here in my hometown.
I wish someday I can visit Austin,TX so I can have this good time.
Fal -
Harry, I do not share your enthusiasm for the Wizard of Oz, though if I did, meeting a couple of munchkins who were paid one third of what the dog was paid would hardly constitute a religious experience. I would happily listen to them recount their experiences on set, but have some moderation in your praise. These guys are hardly "legends." They've just outlived everyone else, rather like the Confederate veterans at old reunions in the early part of this century who were promoted in rank as others died off so that pipsqueak drummer boys who went on to live long full lives would end up as colonels and generals though they never served a day as such. My point is, Harry, if you use your highest praise for everything and everyone, it cheapens its impact on those who listen. Don't overplay your hand, when you do, it just rings false. And that is something I have not seen in your writing before. While you may butcher the language from time to time, you never seem anything less than genuine. Not so this time...
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I don't know about you guys, but I think that's pretty cool. I mean, it's the guy who gave the freakin' lollipop to Judy Garland. And he sang the Lollipop Song! I mean, I'm grinning just thinking about it. All right, all right, maybe it doesn't have the same coolness factor for some of you that say, meeting Samuel L. Jackson would have, BUT . . . what a lucky guy. Just to be in a movie that everyone's seen, and to have played a small but memorable role that everybody remembers. I mean, THE WIZARD OF OZ came out almost 40 years before I was even born, and I know the Lollipop Song by heart! How many other circa-1939 films do you think the majority of Americans have seen? So Harry, keep the cool news coming, and those of you who don't like it, just skip any article with the words "Alamo Drafthouse" in it.
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Aug 09, 1999 8:34:39 AM CDT
Harry, are you going to give us a review of Dark Side of Oz?
by spike lee
I read on the Drafthouse web site that they are going to show Wizard and play Dark side of the Moon at the same time. I heard it's amazing. We get a Planet Hollywood here in Houston (food is terrible), but no business person has the grand idea of building something like the drafthouse here.
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I think you were looming in too close to them, Harry. Back it up a few feet.
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When is someone (Glen..Harry?) going to get some information on the upcoming (Fall 2000) television show LOST IN OZ? Tim Burton is the Executive Producer, and very little (other than production staff) has been officially announced.
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Is it just me or is it a little degrading for these people to be dressed in their Munchkin outfits _60 years_ after the fact?
I mean, it's like Dana Carvey talking about doing the Church Lady at state fairs in 20 years, drunk and bitter..
And, if I may ask, why are they "magical" people? They're not elves, Harry, just midgets. -
Last night, my idiot brother posted something on this talk back. He trashed Wizard of Oz and questioned the love people have for it. I would like to apologize on his behalf to all of the fans of the movies and to the people who help run this website. You don't deserve that type of treatment
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Please tell me you yelled that at the munchkins, Harry. Just messin' around -- meaner
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I actually had the chance to meet Jerry Maren and his wife at the Bare Bones International Film fest last year. He was such a hoot! We were all sad to see them go home afterward!!
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