Munchkin Soldier resident of Pflugerville

Munchkin Soldier resident of Pflugerville

Written by Pamela Stephenson Friday, 07 September 2007

While the Pflugerville community proudly lays claim to the many movies filmed here, one of the most famous classics has a different connection – one Pflugerville resident has walked the Yellow Brick Road. Generations of movie goers have enjoyed the ageless movie The Wizard of Oz, but few can boast of having an original member of Munchkin Land in their midst.

Clarence Swensen, a resident of the Pflugerville community since 1988, is known for his role as a Munchkin Soldier in the movie based on the book by L. Frank Baum.

The Munchkins will be honored with their own star on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame Nov. 20.

“I have always wanted one. It just means so much to me,” Swensen said, who gets emotional at the mention of the honor. “Of the 124 Munchkins hired for the movie, only nine are still with us.”

Swensen, who will celebrate his 90th birthday in December, was born in Austin. His small stature delayed his entry to school until he was 9 because “my size didn’t match my age,” he said. The oldest of five boys and one girl, he was the only one that was “little.”

His sole surviving brother, Louis Swensen, is also a resident of Pflugerville.

In 1936, Swensen left school at age 19 to join the Stanley R. Graham’s All Midget Circus with the Texas Centennial at Dallas.

Not long after returning home and re-entering high school, he received a letter and a round-trip train ticket to Los Angeles, inviting him to appear in the 1938 production of The Terror of Tiny Town.

“While it was recognized as the worst movie ever made, it is now a classic,” said Swensen’s wife of 62 years, Myrna Clifton. Swensen played seven parts in the movie, including the stagecoach driver and the preacher.

Then Swensen returned to school in Austin only to receive another invitation in 1939 to participate in the The Wizard of Oz.

For the next eight weeks he became a Munchkin Soldier, a role he says he will always cherish. Swensen earned $50 a week plus room and board.

Before returning to Texas and after “Oz,” Swensen donned an ape costume for a role in the film Tarzan Finds a Son, appearing with Johnny Weissmuller.

During World War II, Swensen served as a civil service radio technician at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio. He later joined The University of Texas Balcones Research Center in Austin, where he worked for 28 years as an electronic technician.

Since Swensen retired in 1980, he and Myrna have toured the country for The Wizard of Oz festivals and appeared at other special events.

“Being part of this movie has allowed us to travel and to make wonderful lifelong friends,” Swensen said.

An “honorary Munchkin”: Myrna Swensen

Clarence Swensen’s wife Myrna and her parents, John E. and Winifred Clifton, were also invited to join the cast of The Wizard of Oz. However, just as they were to travel west, Myrna developed acute appendicitis and was hospitalized for three weeks, thus missing her big chance. She proudly exclaims that she is an “honorary Munchkin” and participates in all the Oz events with her husband.

She was born in Austin as her parents’ only child and attended Austin High School.

Her father was the second Buster Brown who traveled the U.S. promoting Buster Brown Shoes before TV became popular. Later, Jerry Merrin took over that role for TV and also played the Lollypop Kid in The Wizard of Oz.

Myrna also was briefly in show business at the 1934 Chicago World Fair, the 1935 San Diego World Fair and the 1936 Dallas World Fair, where her husband Clarence also appeared.

At first Clarence did not notice Myrna although their families knew one another and they both lived in Austin. She was 9 years younger than him. It was while he was working in San Antonio that he came home for a visit and saw her parents—and finally saw her. Myrna had just come back from a tea, so the 16-year-old was all dressed up. The couple dated for the next few years and married after she turned 19 in June 1945. Together they have three daughters, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. The Swensen’s daughter, Carol Hendricks, and her husband, Larry, live nearby.

Behind the scenes of Oz

When Clarence Swensen marched as one of the Munchkin Soldiers in The Wizard of Oz, he had no idea it would become the famed classic that it did. He did not even see the results of his efforts until probably a year after the film first appeared on screen. Now, he looks back at that time on the colorful set as one of his major life experiences. This is what he remembers happened behind the scenes.

• On set -Filming for Munchkin Land took eight weeks, although it took 21 months to make the entire movie. The Munchkin cast members were only allowed on their set and returned home after they had finished.
• A land far far away - Many of the cast members who filled the Munchkin roles came from other countries. U.S. residents had adopted them as children to form entertainment troupes. Clarence Swensen’s wife, Myrna, said the midgets were not allowed any independence in their home countries overseas, which changed when they came to the U.S.
• Final cast - Of 124 Munchkins, nine are known to be alive and only six can now travel, including Clarence Swensen.
• Show time - Clarence Swensen appears for just more than 14 minutes in the film as one of 25 Munchkin Soldiers. He did not have a speaking role. He is on the fourth row from the camera side.
• Cash calf - Clarence Swensen received $50 a week plus room and board in the Culver City Hotel, across from the MGM lot.
• Star walk - The Munchkins will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Nov. 20. A theater owner in Woodridge, Ill., Ted Bulthaup, initiated the effort to add the Munchkins to the famous stroll. Numerous directors, including Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas, also added their support. Clarence and Myrna Swensen plan to attend along with some of their family members.
• Cast requirements - A small size was the only requirement. A few of the Munchkins had to dance. Since so many of the Munchkins had foreign accents, the voices were dubbed.
• Debut with Dorothy - The Munchkins worked closely with Dorothy, played by Judy Garland, along with the Good Witch and the Bad Witch. The witches only interacted with the Munchkins for a short time. However, Garland spent more time with the cast. Clarence Swensen said she was as excited to see the Munchkins as they were to see her. She had a tutor on the set, which occupied most of her time when she was not working.
• Short passage only - None of the other star roles, including Tin Man, Lion or Scarecrow, were allowed on the Munchkin set. Sometimes they would sneak inside so their children could see the munchkins.
• Rehearsal - The Munchkin Soldiers rehearsed in small groups. Some rehearsed more than others because if one person got out of step, the whole army had to do it over again. The troupe marched in six rows of four with one leader in front. Clarence Swensen was in the fourth row.
• Twelve-hour shift - Clarence Swensen’s day on the set lasted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. He ate a provided lunch in a room set aside for the Munchkins and had dinner in the commissary.

Walk of Fame

Q: What is the cost of a Walk of Fame star ceremony?

A: $25,000 upon selection. The money is used to pay for the creation and installation of the star, as well as maintenance of the Walk of Fame.

Q: How often are stars voted in?

A: Stars are voted in once a year in June. An average of 20 stars are selected per year.

Q: How many nominations are submitted each year?

A: The committee receives an average of two hundred applications a year.

Q: What are the stars made of?

A: Terrazzo and brass.

Source: www.hollywoodchamber.net/icons/faq.asp