I don’t usually just relate simple anecdotes, but this one is much too good to pass up. This little pleasantry belongs in the annals of Farmers Almanacs the world over. It all begins with Marty Brennaman. I had once noticed the odd juxtaposition of Marty when seated next to his frequent broadcast partner, the late Joe Nuxhall, in which Marty just looked awful-darn small – almost like a ventiloquist dummy on Joe’s lap. I commented on this to my co-worker Garry, who naturally took the next step of enlarging Joe even more, creating quite a funny photo in which Marty really did look like a puppet next to Joe.
Of course, Garry being Garry eventually rode the joke into the ground creating Photoshopped pictures of Marty as an Oompa Loompa, the shrunken head from Beetlejuice, and of course, as one of the Lollipop Guild members from The Wizard of Oz (seen at the top right). Later on, another co-worker named Brad Welage, who works in the Pharmacy department just a matter of a couple dozen feet away from my office in Store Operations, noticed the photo on my wall. Not even really realizing that Marty’s head was on one of the Munchkins, he simply remarked how much he loved the film The Wizard of Oz.
I rebutted by spewing off a few little-known facts about the film, all of which he seemed to already know. “Hmm,” I thought, “we’re dealing with a real fan here.” I dropped the subject for a while, but later after my visit to Texas and seeing the Dallas Philharmonic perform the music to the film, I decided to show him my website posting found here, thinking that I would really impress him with this… and that he’d really get a kick out of seeing that two of the original Munchkins from the film had also attended the event!
He replied casually that he had seen this same Philharmonic performance in Kentucky, and then recognized the two Munchkins Margaret Pelligrini and Mickey Carroll. “Okay,” I thought. “It’s not uncommon to find people who are huge fans of the Wizard of Oz, but when people start knowing the names of the living Munchkins, we’re dealing with something more here…”
This thought was solidified when Brad told me that he had been to the dedication of the Munchkins’ star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007. Then I told him that I had once been to the Wizard of Oz Festival in Chesterton, Indiana – to which he casually informed me that he has attended nearly all of them.
“Oh yeah! – Well I know Steve Cox, the author of The Munchkins of Oz,” I touted.
“Steve’s a good friend of mine,” he responded.
Okay, this was too much. Steve had known both of us for more than a dozen years, we both lived in Ohio, we both work for the same company, we were both named Brad, and neither we nor Steve had ever put two and two together. Of course, the first thing Brad did was call Steve to inform him of the coincidence – which didn’t end there…
On Thursday, July 24, 2008, I got an email from Steve simply titled “you might like this.” Attached was a photo from that fateful Saturday on September 20, 1997 when my friend John Poe, daughter Ashleigh, and I all partied in a small motel room until all hours of the night with one Munchkin and two Munchkin wives. In the picture was a group of us who hung out in the room including John, Steve, me…and there up front with little Mary Ellen St. Aubin was my new friend Brad Welage.
A group of us with two of the Munchkin wives Marcella Kranzler and Mary Ellen St. Aubin. Crouched over in the light blue shirt is Steve with my friend John directly behind him. Brad is up front and center with Mary Ellen and I’m wearing the gaudy, yet memorable, ruby slippers t-shirt
And that’s not all. The photo had actually come from Brad’s photo album. Because Steve was in it, he had sent a copy off to Steve, which Steve had found in a box of photos. After I had returned from my Michigan / Ohio / Pittsburgh trip, Brad brought in his photo album chronicling the event that I had attended so long ago. Among the photos was another group shot which I was not in, but visible on the bed were the legs of a little kid who had fallen asleep on the bed…which happened to be a little Ashleigh.
Brad and friends pose, while Ashleigh snoozes
Now that’s truly over the rainbow.
Brad and Brad recount the origin of their association
Okay, you two Kroger Oz freaks….now that you have been re-introduced ten years later, I don’t want you both talking about me behind my back. Just kiddin’…. Actually, I thought the whole thing was fairly bizarre, too. Good to know both of you guys.
steve
August 10th, 2008
I once checked into a motel for four hours with a munchkin and his wife in San Bernardino, CA. Oh yea, and I know Steve Cox too!
Bob
August 12th, 2008
Yes, Steve, you SHOULD be glad to know both of us! I think it’s great that nearly 70 years later, “The Wizard of Oz” is still bringing people together. Meeting so many fans (who have become my friends) and the Munchkins (who have also become my friends) over the years has been a great experience.
the other Brad
August 16th, 2008