Los Angeles, CA

I like to bring you all sorts of news here, as you can see. Yesterday morning the surviving seven actors — out of the original 124 — who played Munchkins in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz received their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They have a film buff from Illinois by the name of Ted Bulthaup to thank for this honor, since he was responsible for raising the funds necessary to buy the star for the actors. He also had companies pitch in to ensure that the day was memorable for the actors. They all arrived in horse drawn carriages, wearing their distinctive bright costumes that are instantly recognizable as Munchkin garb.

The actors were interviewed at Grauman’s Chinese Theater, before a special screening of The Wizard of Oz. They all still speak in their unique high voices, though most are a little hard of hearing now and didn’t have too much to say during the interview. For Ruth Duccini, who had moved from Minnesota just to play a Munchkin villager for the film, being onset with other little people had been the first time she had seen other people just like her. It also happened to be where she met her future husband.

I think it was incredibly sweet for a fan to go this far out of his way to honor the remaining actors from a classic film, actors that are sadly overlooked and forgotten throughout time. I’m sure future fans will appreciate what Ted Bulthaup has done and that these seven actors appreciate his work for their recognition as well.

You can read more about the event through the L.A. Times.