Meinhardt Frank Raabe (; September 2, 1915 – April 9, 2010) was an American actor.
He was one of the last surviving
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 in O ...
-actors in ''
The Wizard of Oz'', and was also the last surviving cast member with any dialogue in the film. He portrayed the coroner who certified the death of the
Wicked Witch of the East
The Wicked Witch of the East is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is a crucial
character but appears only briefly in Baum's classic children's series of List of Oz books, ''Oz'' novels, most notably ''The Won ...
.
[
]
Early life
Raabe was born in Watertown, Wisconsin
Watertown is a city in Dodge and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Most of the city's population is in Jefferson County. Division Street, several blocks north of downtown, marks the county line. The population of Watertown was 22, ...
as a son of Henry H. Raabe and Eleonora Mina ummlerRaabe. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded when Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848, UW–Madison ...
in 1937, with a bachelor's degree in accounting. He later went on to get his MBA at Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
.[
Raabe did not hear the words "midget" or "dwarf" until young adulthood, and for a long time believed no one else might also be like him. After visiting the Midget Village at Chicago's ]Century of Progress
A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositi ...
in 1933, he realized he was not alone and took a summer job with the fair the next year. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, he was turned down for employment by one company after another until Oscar Mayer
Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut producer known for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon, ham, and Lunchables products. The company is a subsidiary of the Kraft Heinz Company and based in Chicago, Illinois.
History Early years
German immigr ...
hired him as a salesman. Raabe took a leave of absence from his sales job to audition for a ''Wizard of Oz'' role.[
]
Roles
At about , or three feet, six inches, tall,[ he played the role of the coroner in ''The Wizard of Oz'' in 1939. Raabe, however, was uncredited in the role, which lasted only 13 seconds. In the film, the coroner confirms the death of the Wicked Witch of the East, with Raabe's lines being:][
: As coroner, I must aver
: I thoroughly examined her
: And she's not only merely dead
: She's really, most sincerely dead!
These lines, like most of those delivered by the Munchkins, were dubbed over with the speeded-up voices of other performers. In addition to his role in the film, Raabe worked for many decades as a ]spokesman
A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.
Duties and function
In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
for Oscar Mayer
Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut producer known for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon, ham, and Lunchables products. The company is a subsidiary of the Kraft Heinz Company and based in Chicago, Illinois.
History Early years
German immigr ...
, where he was known as "Little Oscar, World's Smallest Chef". He traveled in the first Wienermobile
A fleet of motor vehicles shaped like a hot dog on a bun, called "Wienermobile", are used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products in the United States. The first Wienermobile was created by Oscar Mayer's nephew, Carl G. Mayer, in 1936. ...
, which was the idea of the company founder's nephew, Carl Mayer, in 1936. Because the vehicle had little space for any passengers, Mayer realized the spokesman would have to be small, and Raabe got the job.
Later career
Raabe continued to work for Oscar Mayer, and claimed to have come up with the idea to sell canned sausages. As the idea was being commercialized, the Army realized that this product would aid in feeding American soldiers in the field, and production was diverted to military consumption, as the US entered World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. During the war Raabe joined the Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
, serving as a pilot, and flying fire and lake patrol missions as well as serving as a ground instructor. In 1970, he earned a master's degree in business administration from Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
.[ He married a ]cigarette girl
In Europe and the United States, a cigarette girl is a person who sells or provides cigarettes from a tray held by a neck strap. They may also carry cigars and other items like candy, snacks, and chewing gum on their trays.
Uniform
The most ...
who was his height, Margaret Marie Raabe (1915–1997). They were married for 50 years until her death in a car accident in 1997, in which he was also injured.
Raabe published an autobiography, ''Memories of a Munchkin: An Illustrated Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road''. (). As of 2007, he lived alone at the Penney Retirement Community in Penney Farms, Florida.
Raabe appeared in an October 2005 episode of ''Entertainment Tonight
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
'' with eight other surviving Munchkins, and he made a guest appearance on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' on April 11, 2005. On November 21, 2007, he appeared with six other surviving Munchkin actors, including Jerry Maren
Jerry Maren (born Gerard Marenghi; January 24, 1920 – May 24, 2018) was an American actor who played a Munchkin member of the Lollipop Guild in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film '' The Wizard of Oz.'' He became the last surviving adult Munchkin ...
, at the unveiling of a Hollywood Star for the ''Wizard of Oz'' Munchkins 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, Californ ...
. On September 19, 2009, he appeared on National Public Radio
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
program Weekend Edition Saturday
''Weekend Edition'' is a set of American radio news magazine programs produced and distributed by National Public Radio (NPR). It is the weekend counterpart to the NPR radio program ''Morning Edition''. It consists of ''Weekend Edition Saturday'' ...
.
Raabe still made occasional appearances at ''Wizard of Oz'' conventions and celebrations across the country. In 2008 he was honored by the International Wizard of Oz Club with the organization's L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's books, particularly ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its sequels. He wrote 14 novels in the ''Oz'' series, plus 41 other novels (not includ ...
Memorial Award.
Death
In later life, Raabe resided at Penney Retirement Community in Penney Farms, Florida
Penney Farms is a town in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 749 at the 2010 census.
History
In 1926, department store pioneer J. C. Penney founded the community of Penney Farms. He planned to develop an experimental farmi ...
. He died at a medical center in nearby Orange Park, Florida
Orange Park is a town in Clay County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of Jacksonville, in neighboring Duval County. The population was 8,412 at the 2010 census. The name "Orange Park" is additionally applied to a wider area of northern ...
, on April 9, 2010, at the age of 94 after going into cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...
, as verified by the local coroner. He is buried in Farmington, Wisconsin's Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raabe, Meinhardt
1915 births
2010 deaths
American male film actors
Actors with dwarfism
Male actors from Florida
Male actors from Wisconsin
Writers from Florida
Writers from Wisconsin
People from Watertown, Wisconsin
People from Penney Farms, Florida
Wisconsin School of Business alumni
Drexel University alumni
People of the Civil Air Patrol