Margaret Pelligrini

Flower Pot Lady

Margaret Pellegrini has confirmed that she will be a Munchkin Celebrity Guest at the 2010 Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival. Margaret had two roles in MGM’s 1939 movie classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” She played one of the Sleepy Heads in the bird's nest, and one of the townsladies who sang and danced her way through the welcoming of Dorothy to Munchkinland wearing a flowerpot as a hat. Because she was in the front row of Munchkins in that scene and so full of life and so highly visible, her flowerpot hat has become her trademark.

When Pellegrini was 15 years old, she received a letter from Hollywood asking if she'd like to be in a motion picture called the Wizard of Oz. "I was terribly excited," she recalls, "I said yes indeed, I'd love that."
"During film breaks, Judy sat and chatted with us on the Yellow Brick Road. When she got her own dressing room on wheels, she opened the door and invited all the Munchkins to visit," Pellegrini recalls. Judy Garland gave her a photo of herself on which she wrote "To Margaret from your pal Judy." After Oz, Pellegrini continued her show business career including tap, hula and fan dancing. This led to a string of appearances with world famous fan dancer Sally Rand.

She has two children, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren and was married for nearly 40 years. In addition to being in “The Wizard of Oz,” Pellegrini is proud of three things: Raising her family (which she loved). Holding every office possible within the Fraternal Order of Police. And, being a longtime member of Little People of America.

In 2005, Pellegrini was honored by The Yellow Brick Road Gift Shop when it commissioned renowned sculptor Michael Roche to create a figurine of The Munchkin Townslady. It depicts Margaret exactly as she appeared in the classic film—flowerpot hat and all! The limited edition of 100 figurines sold out almost immediately.

"The Oz story has such meaning," Pellegrini reflects, "If everyone would use their hearts, their minds and their courage, life would be so much better for all of us." She is very happy to be returning to downtown Chesterton and says, with a smile and a wink, "there really IS no place like home.."