Prince Denis
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) |
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.
Early life
[edit]Originally from France, Denis moved to the United States and changed his name to Dennison before eventually legally changing it to Prince Denis.
Career
[edit]Denis 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
[edit]Denis 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".