:''For the local politician in the United Kingdom, see
Margaret Hamilton (politician).''
'Margaret Hamilton' (born
December 9,
1902,
Cleveland, Ohio - died
May 16,
1985,
Salisbury, Connecticut) was an American film actress best known for her iconic portrayal of
The Wicked Witch of the West in
''The Wizard of Oz''.
[ Margaret Hamilton, 82, Dies; Played Wicked Witch In 'Oz' ]
Early life and teaching career
Hamilton was born to Walter J. Hamilton and his wife, Jennie (Adams), in Cleveland, Ohio. She later attended
Hathaway Brown School in
Shaker Heights, Ohio. Drawn to the theater at an early age, Hamilton made her stage debut in 1923.
Before she turned to acting exclusively, Hamilton was employed in the field of education. She worked as a teacher in
Cleveland, where two of her students were
William Windom and
Jim Backus. Hamilton eventually moved East, where she taught
kindergarten at
Rye Country Day School, in
Rye, New York. Her early experience as a teacher fueled a lifelong interest in educational issues. Hamilton served on the
Beverly Hills Board of Education, between 1948 to 1951, long after her success in films.
[1] She also taught Sunday School in the 1950s.
Hamilton married Paul Boynton Meserve on
June 13,
1931, and made her debut on the New York stage the following year. While her stage career developed, her marriage became troubled, and the couple divorced in 1938. They had one son, Hamilton Wadsworth Meserve (born
1935), whom she raised on her own.
[2] Not long after the official end of her marriage, Hamilton accepted the film role that made her famous.
Film career
Hamilton's unlikely career as a film actor was fueled by the very qualities that placed her in stark contrast to the stereotypical Hollywood glamour girl. Her general image was that of a New England spinster, extremely pragmatic and impatient with all manner of "tomfoolery". Her plain looks helped to bring steady work as a character actor. She made her screen debut in 1933 in ''
Zoo in Budapest''. Hamilton went on to appear in ''
These Three'' (1936), ''
Saratoga'', ''
You Only Live Once'', ''
Nothing Sacred'' (all 1937), and ''
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1938).
In
1939, she played the role of the
Wicked Witch of the West opposite
Judy Garland's Dorothy in ''
The Wizard of Oz'' and created not only her most famous role, but one of the screen's most memorable villains. Hamilton was chosen when the more traditionally attractive
Gale Sondergaard refused to wear makeup designed to make her appear ugly. Hamilton suffered severe burns during a second (and unused) take of her fiery exit from
Munchkinland, in which the trap door's drop was delayed to eliminate the brief glimpse of it seen in the final edit. Hamilton had to recuperate in a hospital and at home for six weeks after the accident before returning to the set to complete her work on the now-classic film, and refused to have anything to do with fire for the rest of the filming.
[3] Whatever ill will she may have felt toward the role quickly disintegrated; later on in life she would comment on the role of the witch in a light-hearted fashion.
Her crisp voice with rapid but clear enunciation was another trademark. She appeared regularly in supporting roles in films until the early-
1950s (her uncredited nearly 10-minute performance in
Joseph L. Mankiewicz's ''People Will Talk'' from 1951 playing the part of Sarah Pickett opposite
Hume Cronyn's Dr. Elwell was especially memorable) , and sporadically thereafter.
She co-starred opposite
Buster Keaton and
Richard Cromwell, in 1940's forgettable spoof of the long-running local melodrama, ''The Drunkard'', entitled ''The Villain Still Pursued Her''. Later in the decade, she was in a now-forgotten film noir from one of the "poverty row" studios, entitled ''Bungalow 13'' (1948), in which she again co-starred opposite Cromwell, though that film did nothing for either of their careers.
In 1960, producer/director
William Castle cast her as the maid in his ''
13 Ghosts'' spookfest. Throughout the film she plays straight face to 12-year-old lead
Charles Herbert's barbs about her being a witch, including one scene with broom in hand.
Hamilton was often asked about her experiences on the set of ''The Wizard of Oz''. Hamilton said she sometimes worried about the effect that her monstrous film role had on children. In real life, Hamilton dearly loved children and gave to
charitable organizations benefitting them. She often remarked about children coming up to her and asking her why she had been so mean to poor Dorothy. She appeared on an episode of ''
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'', where she explained to children that she was only playing a role and showed how make-up transformed her into the witch.
Robert Altman's ''
Brewster McCloud'', a film about flying, pays homage to her wicked witch character: in the film, Hamilton plays a wealthy woman who is crushed by a large birdhouse. As the camera pans down her body, you see that on her feet are the ruby slippers.
Television career
During the
1960s and
1970s, Hamilton appeared regularly on
television. For example, she did a stint as one of the ''
What's My Line? Mystery Guests'' on the popular Sunday Night CBS-TV program. She reprised the image of Almira Gulch from ''The Wizard of Oz'' for her role as Morticia Addams' mother Hester in ''
The Addams Family''. Years later, she had a small role in the made-for-TV film '' (1973) and appeared as a befuddled neighbor on ''
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters''. She continued acting regularly until
1982. Her last role was a guest appearance as a veteran journalist on an episode of ''
Lou Grant''.
'Margaret Hamilton', as ''Cora'', spokesperson for Maxwell House coffee.
Throughout the
1970s, Hamilton lived in
New York City's
Gramercy Park neighborhood and appeared on local (and some national) public service announcements for organizations promoting the welfare of companion animals. Her most visible appearances during this period were as general store owner Cora, in a national series of television commercials for
Maxwell House coffee.
Later years and legacy
Hamilton lived in
New York City for most of her adult life. As it turned out, her
Grammercy Park apartment building also claimed
James Cagney as one of its tenants. She eventually moved to
Salisbury, Connecticut, and died there in 1985 from a heart attack at the age of 82.
[ Margaret Hamilton, 82, Dies; Played Wicked Witch In 'Oz' ]
Years after her death, Hamilton's celebrated screen performance as the Wicked Witch of the West continued to capture the public's imagination and inspired numerous tributes. In
Gregory Maguire's revisionist novel ''
Wicked'', the Witch is portrayed as being deeply concerned about the exploitation of animals in Oz. This is seen by some fans as a tribute to Hamilton, who was a member of
Friends of Animals and did a series of PSAs for the
Humane Society in the 1970s.
Overview of stage career
★ Stage debut
1923;
New York debut
1932; 39 total Principal Stage Appearances, including:
★
★ Appeared at
The Muny Theater in Forest Park in
St. Louis, Missouri, in several roles including reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West and also appearing in productions of ''
Oklahoma!'' (as Aunt Eller) and ''
Show Boat'' (as Parthy Ann Hawks).
★
★ Reprised the role of Parthy Ann in ''Show Boat'' in the
1966 Lincoln Center revival of the musical.
★ Appeared in 3 major tours, including "Annie Get Your Gun", "Light Up the Sky", and "A Little Night Music"
★ Produced 3 productions, including "An Evening with the Bourgeosie", "The Three Sisters", and "House Party".
[4]
Famous quote
Hamilton's most famous line from ''The Wizard of Oz'',
was voted as #99 in the
2005 AFI survey of
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes. As revealed by her son on the
2005 DVD edition of the film, "Maggie" enjoyed that line so much that she used it often afterwards, in real life, when situations warranted.
References
1. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002121/bio accessdate 2007-08-16
2. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002121/bio
3. Harmetz, A. (1998). ''The Making of the Wizard of Oz: Movie Magic and Studio Power in the Prime of MGM.'' New York: Hyperion Books.
4. http://www.filmreference.com/film/91/Margaret-Hamilton.html accessdate 2007-08-16
Filmography
Television work
★ ''The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show'' (cast member from
1953-
1954)
★ ''The Way of the World'' (
1955) (canceled after a few episodes)
★ ''Valiant Lady'' (cast member in 1955)
★ ''The Secret World of Eddie Hodges'' (
1960)
★ ''
The Addams Family'' (
1965) and (
1966) (Guest Star as Hester Frump)
★ ''
The Secret Storm'' (cast member from
1964-
1967)
★ ''Ghostbreakers'' (1967) (unsold pilot)
★ ''
As the World Turns'' (cast member in
1970)
★ ''Is There a Doctor in the House'' (
1971) (unsold pilot)
★ '' (
1973)
★ ''
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters'' (
1973)
★ ''
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (
1976)(Guest Star as herself then the Wicked Witch of the West)
★ ''Letters from Frank'' (
1979)
External links
★
★
A Tribute to My Favorite Oz Character
★
Margaret Hamilton at Classic TV Clips from her later television work, and some Wizard of Oz bloopers.
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