Meinhardt Raabe American actor Date of Birth: 02.09.1915 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Career
2. Childhood and Dwarfism
3. Show Business and Acting
4. Fame and Wienermobile
5. Hollywood Legacy and Later Years
6. Personal Life and Death

Early Life and Career

Meinhardt Raabe, an American actor who played the Munchkin who declares "The Wicked Witch of the East is dead!" in the classic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz," passed away at the age of 94. Standing at just 3 feet 6 inches when the film premiered, Raabe eventually reached a height of approximately 4 feet 7 inches. His brief but iconic role in "The Wizard of Oz" brought him lifelong fame.

Childhood and Dwarfism

Born on September 2, 1915, in Watertown, Wisconsin, Raabe was the son of German-American immigrants. Raised on a dairy farm, he initially puzzled his parents and sister with his diminutive size. Medical examination later revealed that Raabe had pituitary dwarfism. However, this did not hinder his academic success, as he excelled in school, graduating near the top of his class.

Show Business and Acting

From 1934 onward, Raabe performed in various sideshows and exhibitions featuring dwarfs. He played in dwarf bands and even worked as a carnival barker. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an accounting degree in 1937, he struggled to find a job in his field. "Interviewers would scream and say I belonged in a freak show," Raabe recalled in a 2009 interview.

However, his fortunes changed when he became a company representative for Oscar Mayer. A year later, MGM was casting short-statured actors for a new film starring Judy Garland. Raabe successfully auditioned with 124 other "little people" and landed the role of a Munchkin in the musical sequence "Ding Dong, the Witch Is Dead."

Fame and Wienermobile

After the film's release, Raabe returned to Oscar Mayer as a celebrity spokesperson. He traveled the United States in the company's hot dog-shaped vehicle known as the Wienermobile. During World War II, Raabe was too short to join the aviation corps, but he served as an instructor in the Civil Air Patrol, teaching combat meteorology and navigation to pilots. He became the war's smallest licensed pilot.

Hollywood Legacy and Later Years

In 2007, Raabe and six other surviving Munchkins from "The Wizard of Oz" attended the dedication of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honoring all the Munchkins. He made his last public appearance at the film's 70th anniversary in 2009.

Personal Life and Death

Meinhardt Raabe was married to fellow dwarf Margaret Marie Hartline from 1946 until her tragic death in a car accident in 1998. The couple had no children.