Monday, July 9, 2018

THE HAT SQUAD - REMEMBERING JERRY MAREN



Actor Jerry Maren, the green-clad tough guy of the Lollipop Guild who famously handed Dorothy (Judy Garland) a giant lollipop in the 1939 film classic “The Wizard of Oz,” has died at 98.

Standing at 4 feet 3, Maren was the longest-living member of the munchkins and the last surviving little person to appear in the iconic film.

He died on May 24 in a San Diego nursing home, his niece Stacy Michelle Barrington confirmed to the Los Angeles Times. News of his death only began circulating on Wednesday. His nephew Lloyd Decker told the New York Times that the cause of death was congestive heart failure.

- Nadine Saad
Los Angeles Times

That image above will be how we'll always remember Jerry Maren, and rightfully so.  The high point of his career and it was practically right out of the gate!


But he also made an interesting contribution to the citizenry of Toobworld.  Below are a list of those characters with comments about some of them.

Superman and the Mole-Men 
Mole-Man


This was a movie but it has been absorbed into Earth Prime-Time because it starred George Reeves as Clark Kent/Superman and Phyllis Coates as Toobworld's Lois Lane (who mysteriously vanished from Earth Prime-Time and was replaced by another Lois Lane from the Cineverse.) 

The Mole Men still exist in the subterranean realm, but they know better than to risk visiting the surface world again.

Smilin' Ed's Gang
- Camp Baby
(1954) 

Andy's Gang (1955) 
Buster Brown 


Producers' Showcase - The Lord Don't Play Favorites (1956)

The Beverly Hillbillies- The Flying Saucer (1966) 
... Spaceman #2 


The three actors who were disguised as Martians were originally from Italy and are probably not related to any of the other characters played by Maren and the other two actors.
Bewitched
- A Safe and Sane Halloween
(1967) 
... Gremlin


The Gremlin, along with the Goblin and Jack O' Lantern, were summoned out of a Halloween story book by Tabitha.  That book probably served as the conduit for them to arrive from the same world where the characters from 'Once Upon A Time' came from.

The Wild Wild West
- The Night of the Running Death
(1967) 
... Coco  


Mr. Coco never spoke, so it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that he was from Italy and as such may have been the grandfather to the actor who played a Martian in the 'Beverly Hillbillies' episode.  Actually, he could be the grandfather for any number of these characters.

The Bob Hope Show- Episode dated 19 December 1968 
... Santa's Elf 

Julia
- The Jolly Green Midget
(1970) 
... Little Green Man

Get Smart
- Hello, Columbus - Goodbye, America
(1970) 
... Lower Gemini 



The Gemini agent was played by two little people.  One of my favorite actors, Billy Barty, was the Upper Gemini and Jerry Maren played the bottom half.

Here's Lucy
- Lucy and Ma Parker
(1970) 
... Milton


Milton was hiding out at Lucy's home disguised as a little girl named Mildred.  With no last name given, Milton could be related to any of these other Maren characters.

Lidsville
17 episodes 

Boris & Rah-Rah

Boris is an executioner's hood and Rah-Rah is a football helmet in the dimension where hats are alive... like Mr. Tallman.

The Odd Couple - Felix the Horse Player (1975) 
... Harry Tallman


Tallman wanted more than anything to become a jockey and finally got his chance in Panama.  But that meant he could no longer be Oscar's inside man for info about upcoming races in the NYC area.

When Things Were Rotten
- A Ransom for Richard
(1975) 
... Archer
This archer comes from Doofus Toobworld and so can't be the ancestor for any of the other characters.

Switch
- The Snitch
(1977) 
... Shoe Shiner 

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
5 episodes

Dash

Charlie's Angels
- Circus of Terror
(1977) 
... Jerry Maren
Jerry Maren got to play himself this time out.

The Amazing Captain Nemo (TV Movie)  

Side Show (TV Movie)
Tom Tiny

Lou Grant
- Hunger
(1982) 
... Man on Street
Maren's nameless character here could be any of his other characters from Toobworld - as long as they spoke English

No Soap, Radio (1982)
5 episodes
Morris

Wizards and Warriors
- The Dungeon of Death
(1983) 
... Floyd the Feather
This may have taken place on Earth Prime-Time's twin planet Mondas.

High School U.S.A. (TV Movie)
Robot
Being a robot, there's obviously no relation to any of these other characters.

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (TV Movie)
Elf 3

Petronella (TV Movie)
George

The Twilight Zone
- Personal Demons
(1986) 
... Creature

Short Ribbs
- Episode #1.2
(1989)

The Dreamer of Oz (TV Movie)
Mr. Munchkin 

Seinfeld
- The Yada Yada
(1997) 
... Dad

Not just Dad, but Karen's Dad.  Karen is the woman who is going to marry Mickey, another little person.  Yada yada yada and so it goes.

Good night and may God bless, Mr. Maren.  Thanks you for all that you have given to the expansion of Toobworld....



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