Thank you, Jefferson County for Meinhardt Raabe, University of Wisconsin class of 1937.
Who is Meinhardt Raabe? Chances are you’ve seen the Watertown native’s performance in one of the greatest films in cinema history.
The Wizard of Oz premiered 80 years ago, opening nationwide on August 25, 1939.
Raabe was the Munchkin coroner who pronounces the Wicked Witch of the East dead, crushed by Dorothy’s house which flew out of a Kansas sky and landed in Munchkinland.
But his amazing story doesn’t stop at The Wizard of Oz. In this podcast: how Raabe dealt with discrimination because of his size, how he saved lives during World War II, and how he left a legacy for the people of Watertown.
We’ll also take a closer look at The Wizard of Oz with Cap Times film critic, Rob Thomas.