Karl Slover
This is the second time we have had Karl Slover as a guest at Munchkinland Market Days. He will be here Friday only autographing great photos illustrating various aspects of his career in entertainment. Karl played one of the Munchkin trumpet players who herald Dorothy’s arrival in Munchkinland!
His motion picture career began in 1929. He appeared with Laurel & Hardy, the Ritz Brothers, Alice Faye, Tony Martin, and on the radio with Eddie Cantor. In 1935 he got a job in Billy Rose’s musical “Jumbo,” at the Hippodrome Theater with Jimmy Durante. The troupe flew to Hollywood in 1938 to appear as Munchkins. Karl was the tiniest of the male Munchkins. At the time, Karl didn’t have any idea that the picture would be such a classic. However, he remembers Melvin Leroy saying, “This picture will still be running when we are all gone!”
Karl’s father was over six feet tall, his mother just a head smaller, and his four sisters were all normal size. Karl was the only little person in his family. Born in Hungary with the last name of Kosiczky, Karl came to the United States in 1928. He was a member of the Original World Famous Singer Midgets. Owned by Leo Singer, it was the largest Midget Show in the world.
In 1942 Karl left the Singer Troupe and was offered a job by Mr. Bert Slover and his wife to sell tickets on their rides in a traveling amusement show. The Slovers were unable to travel the next year so Mrs. Slover got him a job at the Tampa Terrace Hotel as an information clerk and eventually he became superintendent.
Karl changed his last name to Slover and in 1943 he became an American citizen with the help of Mrs. Slover. Early in 1944 Karl left the hotel and went back on the road with his adopted family. He began training dogs. His best-trained dog was named Bardo, who lived to be 18 years old. Training dogs is Karl’s favorite pastime.
He gets great pleasure from attending the various Oz events and is pleased to be at Munchkinland Market Days. He loves to see all of his old friends and make many new ones.
The Coroner is Back!!!
We are proud to have Meinhardt Raabe as our special Celebrity Guest all three days of Munchkinland Market Days for the third year in a row. Meinhardt played the Munchkin Coroner opposite Judy Garland in MGM’s 1939 classic film “The Wizard of Oz.” Meinhardt will be autographing his book “Memories of a Munchkin—An Illustrated Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road” for fans all three days exclusively at Munchkinland Market Days, which would be a great Wizard of Oz Collectible!
“Memories of a Munchkin—An Illustrated Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road” is a 304-page hardcover book from Back Stage Books with 250 color and 50 black & white illustrations. Those wishing to add this book to their Wizard of Oz collection may also have Meinhardt personalize the book for them in person at no additional charge. All are also welcome to bring cameras to take a photo with The Coroner.
The book is co-authored by Meinhardt Raabe and Daniel Kinske, Lt. USN. The Foreword is by Mickey Rooney. In this deluxe, lavishly illustrated hardcover edition, one of the last surviving cast members of The Wizard of Oz tells his life story and shares his memories of making that beloved Hollywood classic. He also tells his own inspiring story from how he learned that people like him were called midgets at the age of seventeen; how he served in World War II as a Civil Air Pilot with the cockpit specially designed to suit his size; his years as a teacher and spokesman for Oscar Meyer before and after Oz. That he was one of the 'little people' never kept him from doing anything and he succeeded at everything he tried.
Born into a family of German dairy farmers, Meinhardt Raabe grew up in Farmington, Wisconsin. In 1938, he heard that MGM was going to make a movie with Judy Garland and 'they wanted as many little people as they could find.' Through an agent, he was cast in the film. “Memories of a Munchkin” is his account of life as a Munchkin on the set: watching as the glorious Munchkinland was built, putting up with long days of rehearsal, being costumed by legendary MGM designer Adrian, witnessing various mishaps during filming, and much more.
The book is truly an illustrated walk down the Yellow Brick Road because it includes 50 specially commissioned illustrations by renowned artists such as Al Hirschfeld (whose art graces the cover), Sergio Aragones, Frank Frazetta, Mort Drucker, Al Jaffee, and many others; a complete collection of first-run posters and movie cards, published together for the first time; and dozens of unique photos and artifacts -- all unique, all one-of-a-kind, all never before published and are Wizard of Oz Collectibles!
Meinhardt will be available all three days.
