KARL Slover, one of the last remaining actors who played Munchkins in the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz”, has died at the age of 93.
The 4ft 5 star passed away in a hospital in central Georgia on Tuesday from heart problems
Slover, who was one of the smallest male Munchkins in the movie, played the lead trumpeter, a townsman and soldier in the Oscar-winning film. He also sang in the famous Follow the Yellow Brick Road song.
“Of the 124 little people, he’s one of the handful who got to enjoy this latter-day fame, to have people know who he was and be able to pick him out of the crowd in the movie,” said John Fricke, author of 100 Years of Oz.
Slover was born as Karl Kosiczky on September 21, 1918 in Prakovce, Slovakia.
He was diagnosed with pituitary dwarfism as a child and his father tried several methods to make his son taller including having doctors stretch his arms and legs.
He joined a travelling circus aged just nine and took on his famous film role at the age of 21.
Mr. Slover was paid $50 a week for “Oz” and told friends that Toto, Judy Garland’s canine co-star, made more money.
The three remaining Munchkin actors are Jerry Maren, Margaret Williams Pellegrini and Ruth Robinson Duccini.
