The Matina Brothers (a.k.a. Matina Midget Troupe) were an American trio of entertainers known for their short height. Lajos, Bela, and Matyus were brothers who immigrated to the US together from the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

. Cast as

Munchkins A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. Although a common fixture in Germanic fairy tales, they are introduced to modern audiences with the first appearance in the classic ch ...

in ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...

'', they were nicknamed Leo, Mike, and Ike, respectively, during production, and listed in the credits with the surname 'Rogers'. Bela and Matyus currently hold the world record for the "shortest twins" at just each.

History

Lajos Matina, the eldest, was born in

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

on September 12, 1893, followed by twin brothers Bela and Matyus in 1901. The trio of brothers later moved to America where they became naturalized American citizens. The brothers soon joined a troupe which was led by an individual named ''Prince Ludwig'' who dubbed them the "Matina Midget Troupe". In 1915, Lajos married Elise Broek who was a

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

. Each brother played a Munchkin villager in the 1939 film ''

'', where Bela was billed as "Mike Rogers" (Matina), and Matyus "Ike Rogers" (Matina). Lajos also became known as "Leo" Matina while working beside his brothers "Mike" and "Ike". In his biography of

Daisy and Violet Hilton Daisy and Violet Hilton were English-born entertainers who were conjoined twins. They were exhibited in Europe as children, and toured the United States sideshow, vaudeville and American burlesque circuits in the 1920s and 1930s. They were best ...

, Dean Jensen reported that the Matina twins became very popular in America to such an extent that the candy

Mike and Ike Mike and Ike is an American brand of fruit-flavored candies that were first introduced in 1940 by American company Just Born. Despite conjecture, the origin of the candy's name remains unknown. History Mike and Ike is located in Bethlehem, ...

, which first appeared in 1940, was named after them. The brothers continued in show business after the movie, and Leo eventually filled in as a chef for the troupe. The first brother to pass away was Mike Matina (''Bela''), who died on June 1, 1954. Matyus "Ike" Matina died on September 14, 1965, and Lajos "Leo" Matina on December 14, 1975.

Controversy

Bela, and Matyus ("Mike & Ike") were described as problem drinkers, who tried to get fellow Munchkins to share in their overindulgence while the Wizard of Oz was in production (it is unclear if this was done on or off site). In a 1967 interview,

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

referred to all of the Munchkins as "little drunks" who got intoxicated every night to the point where they had to be picked up in "butterfly nets". These accusations were denied as fabrications by fellow Munchkin

Margaret Pellegrini Margaret Pellegrini (' Williams; September 23, 1923 – August 7, 2013) was an American actress, vaudeville performer and dancer, best known for playing one of the Munchkins from the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz.'' Until her death in 2013, she ...

, who said only "a couple of kids from Germany even drank beer".

Notes

References

American actors with dwarfism Brother trios Hungarian emigrants to the United States Sideshow performers Year of birth unknown {{Hungary-bio-stub

History

Controversy

See also

Notes

References