LOLLIPOP GUILD MUNCHKIN TAKES KIDS ON TRIP TO OZ.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

SAUGUS - It had to be Oz. There was a yellow brick road and a lollipop and ruby slippers - and a real Munchkin. Surely there was a man behind a curtain somewhere.

The lollipop was a prop carried by none other than Jerry Maren, one of the original Munchkins from the 1939 classic movie ``The Wizard of Oz.'' Maren was visiting assemblies at Santa Clarita Elementary School on Wednesday to tell them about movie magic long before their time.

Before the children entered the multipurpose room, decorated with stills from the movie and black-and-white photos of Maren in various movie roles, Principal Diane Villegas brought in a pair of children's shoes embellished with sequins and rhinestones.

``I'm from Leavenworth, Kansas,'' she explained to the diminutive actor as he autographed one of the shoes. ``These were a gift from my friends to let me know that I could always come home. Now I can't believe you're signing them.''

The assemblies were set up by Tracey Thompson, a fellow little person, whose normal-size son is a fifth-grader at the school. Tracey's husband, Kevin, has worked with Maren and shares a position with him on the Hollywood Shorties softball team. The position? Shortstop.

Maren, 84, was one of the three Munchkins who stepped forward to welcome Dorothy when she landed in Oz. Watching a monitor replay the famous moment when he hands her a lollipop, he mouthed every word and did the familiar side-step dance, nuance for nuance, along with the film. His wife, Elizabeth, also a little person, stood in Garland's place and elegantly accepted the proffered sucker.

``The Wizard of Oz'' was named the Best Family Film of All Time by the American Film Institute, something Maren credits to the film's basic message.

``The movie is a classic because of its simplicity, especially in the Midwest, where they love it,'' Maren explained. ``People love it because they feel like it's their story.''

He's the smallest living trademark, playing shoe icon Buster Brown and Little Oscar, the world's smallest chef, for Oscar Mayer Meats. Maren also did commercials for McDonald's, playing Mayor McCheese and the Hamburglar. He's worked with industry giants Cecil B. deMille and Alfred Hitchcock and still keeps a hand in the business; his last feature was ``The Green Mile'' with Tom Hanks.

But as one of the last surviving Munchkins (there are now nine), Maren spends most of his time traveling to various Oz conventions, where fans turn out by the thousands.

Proclaiming herself an ``MBM'' (Munchkin By Marriage), Elizabeth also spoke to the children about the movie. She and Jerry have traveled the Oz circuit for nearly 30 years. Her T-shirt, emblazoned with a note ``From the Desk of Toto: Hate Oz. Took the shoes. Find your own way home, signed Toto'' was just an inkling of her infectious sense of humor.

Jerry Maren was just 16 when he was backstage at a dance recital and someone came by with a casting notice.

``I got into show biz because my sister used to go to dance school and my mother sent me with her,'' he said. ``Some teachers came in and said they needed a few little people for this movie they were making of 'The Wizard of Oz.' I hadn't even read the story, but I was 17 and went along. When you're from the city, you don't read much about the country.

``To tell you the truth, I didn't know what (Oz) was, but I knew I would have fun with all the girls I would meet. It was the first time I saw girls my size and I thought I might have a chance.''

The movie was an eye-opener for the rest of the 124 midgets cast as Munchkins, who found out for the first time that they weren't freaks; they were normal people with common interests in sports and working.

``It was the first time I got to look a girl in the eye,'' Maren said.

Maren told the children assembled that he volunteered every time someone would say they needed a Munchkin for a scene. ``I thought with all the film that was going to be cut, my mother had to see me at least once.''

His dance experience paid off and he helped some of the others brush up their steps as well as suggesting some creative blocking when the director wasn't around. He also prides himself that his famous scene was done in three takes - and those were done only because they needed tight, medium and long camera shots.

``We got applause from people on stage,'' he said. ``It made us feel good and was fun.''

He's seen the movie ``about a thousand times,'' but always agrees to watch it when people want to honor him.

``I figure I can always take a nap until it's over,'' he joked. ``When they ask me if I saw my scene, I thank them for waking me up.''

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Jerry Maren, a Munchkin in ``The Wizard of Oz,'' autographs a pair or ruby slippers at Santa Clarita Elementary.

(2 -- color) Teachers aide Sandy Golliher leads Dylan Crawford, 5, left, and Nicole Triplett, 5, down the yellow brick road to meet Jerry Maren, a Munchkin from ``The Wizard of Oz.''

(3) Jerry Maren is one of three Munchkins who handed Dorothy a lollipop when she arrived in Oz in the 1939 movie classic.

David Crane/Staff Photographer