Munchkin Ringers

The Los Angeles Times reports that a 70th reunion of the surviving actors/actresses who played Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz had an unexpectedly bittersweet sidebar story:

[Not] all of the Munchkins were little people. It may be a footnote in Hollywood history, but let the news be spread that about 10 young girls of normal height, ranging from 7 to 9 years old, danced and sang alongside the little people 70 years ago on MGM’s massive Soundstage 27….

Last year, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored the entire diminutive citizenship of Munchkin Land with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame near Grauman’s Chinese Theatre that simply reads: “The Munchkins.” Nothing about “midgets only.” Yet, the handful of former child Munchkins who had been invited to the event were denied introduction and participation in the unveiling because they were not “vertically challenged.” Where is the Lollipop Guild and their sweet greeting when you need them?