Prince Denis (January 26, 1900 – June 20, 1984) was a French-born American actor of sideshows and film with dwarfism, best known for his role as the Munchkin Sergeant-at-Arms in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
Prince Denis | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 26, 1900 Bidache, France |
| Died | June 20, 1984 (aged 84) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Other names | Prince Dennison |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouse(s) | Ethel W. Denis (m.1939-1968) |
Early life
editOriginally from France, Denis moved to the United States and changed his name to Dennison before eventually legally changing it to Prince Denis.
Career
editDenis toured various circuses, including the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, with his two sisters, Princess Marguerite and Lady Little.[1] Denis would later go on to appear in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz at the age of 25. His wife Ethel also had a minor role as a Munchkin in the film.[2] He stated that he had played the role of the mayor of Munchkinland and that Charlie Becker, who had played the mayor, was selected to play the sergeant-in-arms. It was later learned that Denis had lied for more publicity.[3]
Denis later went on to appear in films such as The Greatest Show on Earth and Three Wise Fools.
Death
editDenis died at the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 20, 1984, at the age of 84.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Prince Denis, 84, Performer Who Played Munchkin Mayor". The New York Times. 24 June 1984.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-06-20. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Stephen Cox. The Munchkins of Oz. Cumberland House Publishing. 2002. 173-174.
- ^ "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search".