‘Wizard of Oz’ Munchkin Karl Slover Dies At 93

Photo: Michael Holahan

One of the last remaining actors who played Munchkins in 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz’ has died at 93.

Karl Slover passed away Tuesday afternoon in a Georgia hospital due to a cardiopulmonary arrest. The 4′ 5” Slover, best known for playing the lead trumpeter in the Munchkin’s band, was one of the smallest male Munchkins in the movie. Slover is also credited with playing the roles of a townsman and soldier in the film. Slover was the first of the three trumpeters to announce the major of the Munchkins when he makes his entrance.

After the film Slover continued to attend events to promote “The Wizard of Oz” up to his death. As recent as last weekend Slover attended an event in Chicago,IL. In 2007 he was one of the seven Munchkins that attended in Hollywood Walk of Fame star that is dedicated to the little people in the movie.

“He has a genuine immortality,” John Fricke, author of “100 Years of Oz” said. “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.”

Only three of the original 124 little people that performed in “The Wizard of Oz” as Munchkins remain.