Mickey Carroll (born Michael Finocchiaro; July 8, 1919 – May 7, 2009) was an American actor who worked in radio and film, and was one of the last surviving actors who portrayed a

Munchkin A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city i ...

in the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz''.

Early life and career

Born Michael Finocchiaro in St. Louis,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, Carroll was the son of Italian immigrants. He was born along with a twin sister, who, unlike Carroll, was of average size. As a child Carroll began dance lessons at the Fox Theater in St. Louis. At 17 he was one of six bellhops in the "Call for Phillip Morris" live radio ads, and at 18 was appearing in shows with

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

. While under contract to MGM, he went to school with

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

and

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

. It was Garland herself who offered him a part in '' The Wizard of Oz''. Carroll was cast as Munchkinland's "Town Crier". His costume consisted of a purple cloak with a yellow flower sticking out of his striped vest. He also marched as a "Munchkin Soldier", and as one of the candy-striped "Fiddlers" who escorted Dorothy down the yellow brick road towards the Emerald City. Soon after the success of the film, Carroll left show business. In the mid-1940s, he returned to St. Louis to run the family business making cemetery monuments, known as Standard Monument Company (founded 1911), which operated a shop and showroom on St. Charles Rock Road in Wellston. After Carroll sold it in 1996, he filled his time with charity work. In November 2007, Carroll, along with six of the other remaining Munchkins, received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

."Munchkins of 'Oz' get a star on Walk of Fame". USA Today. November 21, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2013. Thanks to the popularity of '' The Wizard of Oz'', Carroll made many appearances that year, serving as a

grand marshal Grand marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "marshal" with the first usage of the term "grand marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. The following ...

in parades, appearing on nationwide radio and TV shows, and signing thousands of autographs for fans. He helped raise money for several different charities.

Death

On May 7, 2009, Carroll died in his sleep at the home of his caretaker in

Crestwood, Missouri Crestwood is a city in south St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, part of the Metropolitan Statistical Area known as Greater St. Louis. The population was 11,912 at the 2010 census. In 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek magazine named Crestwood ...

. He had a heart ailment and complications from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...

. After his death, his family sued his caretaker, to whom Carroll had transferred all assets four months before his death. After a funeral Mass at the New Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis on Lindell Blvd., he was entombed at Calvary Cemetery Shrine Mausoleum in St. Louis.

Filmography

References

External links

AP Obituary
in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch *
Official Mickey Carroll web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carroll, Mickey 1919 births 2009 deaths American male child actors American male film actors American male radio actors Actors with dwarfism American actors with disabilities American people of Italian descent Male actors from St. Louis Burials at Calvary Cemetery (St. Louis) 20th-century American male actors