I got an envelope in the mail last night. Its contents got me laughing, so I thought I would share them with you.
Frank Morgan (1890-1949) is best-remembered today for his performance in the classic movie, “The Wizard of Oz.” Morgan, of course, was the Wizard, and played five other roles in the movie. His grave is always the last stop on my Halloween tours of Green-Wood–we approach his grave to the tune, “We’re Off To See The Wizard.”
Morgan had quite a Hollywood career. Here he is in a publicity shot for “The Crowd Roars,” a 1938 Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer release, just one year before “The Wizard of Oz” was made. “The Crowd Roars” had quite a cast: Robert Taylor, Eddie Arnold, Maureen O’Sullivan, and even Jane Wyman (the future Mrs. Ronald Reagan).
Here is Frank Morgan, in a publicity photograph for “The Crowd Roars,” holding his head with one hand and milk bottles in the other:
I like the punchline of the caption that appears on the back of the photograph:
Another little gem for our Green-Wood Historic Fund Collections.
And, as a bonus, here’s a short video about the casting of Morgan as The Wizard. And here’s a video of Morgan performing three of his roles in “The Wizard of Oz:” as the Gatekeeper, the Carriage Driver, and the Doorman.