Leo Singer

Leopold von Singer ( May 3, 1877 in Vienna, † March 5, 1951 ) was an Austrian actor and showman.

Life

Baron Leopold von Singer came through polio illness of his daughter Trudy in contact with a fairytale garden, were employed in the diminutive actor. There, a special therapeutic stretching method was offered. In 1914, founded by Leopold Singer, who was at times also owner of the Josefstadt theater, his own troop, " Singer's Midgets ". In Vienna he received the nickname " Munchkin Singer". It preferably recruited normally proportioned diminutive people who could not only sing and act, but were also able to dance and perform artistic achievements. With this force, which at times included more than a hundred members and was also accompanied by small and normal height elephants, including the named after Florenz Ziegfeld Ziggy, giraffes and ponies, he toured Europe, South America, Asia and Australia, before he finally into the USA settled. 1939 played a lot of " Singer's Midgets " in the film with The Wizard of Oz.

" Singer's Midgets " in the Wizard of Oz

The " dwarfs " were for the most part much lower salaries than, say, the dog Terry, the " Toto " played, and were not mentioned by name in the credits of the film. In addition, Leopold von Singer said to have retained half of the money for himself - but he was popular with his troops and was called by the members of "Papa".

In 1988 the film historian Steven Cox tried to reconstruct the fate of the 124 " Munchkins ," were featured in the film. He was able to interview 33 that time still living ex- actor and compile a book from the results, which was given the title The Munchkins of Oz.