Jerry Maren

Overview

Born
January 24, 1920 · Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA
Died
May 24, 2018 · San Diego, California, USA (congestive heart failure)
Birth name
Gerard Emil Marenghi
Height
4′ 3″ (1.30 m)

Biography

Family

Spouse

Trivia

With the death of Ruth Duccini on January 16, 2014, Maren became the last surviving actor to have played a Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz (1939). He outlived all the major cast members as well as the original Tin Man Buddy Ebsen.
Claims that the Munchkins got paid only $50 a week while the dog Toto received $200 a week during the filming of The Wizard of Oz (1939).
He played Buster Brown on television and radio during the 1950s and 1960s and did McDonald's commercials under the heavy costume of Mayor McCheese or the Hamburglar for several years.
Worked a stand in for child actors.
Was a professional wrestler.

Quotes

We represent the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild and in the name of the Lollipop Guild we welcome you to Munchkin Land.
For me, it was meeting all the little people from all over the world. Not only the United States but from all over. A few of them came from Texas. You'd never believe that. I always thought only big tall men came from Texas and there they had about 10 little guys from Texas--I couldn't believe it. I met other little people from Germany, France, Italy--they were from all over. There were over 120! -- JM, describing the "Munchkins" experience while filming The Wizard of Oz.
[on Samson and Delilah (1949)] Oh, that was a lot of fun. I had more fun doin' that picture. Me and a whole gang was in that, you know, about seven or eight of us, and our job was to torture Samson in one of the arenas. I had a torch and then we had another guy with a scissors and another guy with jaws and anything to torture the poor soul. When he was tied up in the arena, the director said, "Closer to Samson!" That meant us, you know, so I got close as I could to Samson, and I sat really rubbing his feet, you know. Of course I didn't meant it. I just meant to tickle him, you know. But then he used to say to me, "You little monster, get away from there!"
[on Cecil B. DeMille] He was kind of demanding, you know. He goes, "Don't forget you guys are gettin' paid," or something like that. He'd holler down with the microphone, you know, "Let's see you act now!" He wanted the whole crowd to be, which I don't blame him, 'cause the pictures cost a ton of money and he had to answer to the stockbrokers.
I pulled the door open and there was this beautiful gal. Holy Toledo! I couldn't believe it. You know, there was Hedy Lamarr right in the doorway.