Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend Margaret Hamilton, born on December 9, 1902.
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When you think Margaret Hamiliton it’s easy to picture a crotchety old woman with an icy stare and menacing disposition. I mean, she is the woman who portrayed The Wicked Witch of The West, one of the most timeless villains to ever grace the projected screen. However, it’s interesting to know that apparently, in this thing we like to call real life, she was quite the opposite. By all accounts, she was a gentle, soft-spoken professional, always committed to her work even after, say, hospitalized for weeks with second and third degree burns set of The Wizard of Oz.
You can’t have a tribute to Margaret Hamilton without a picture from The Wizard of Oz (1939, Victor Flemming). I actually think it’s against the law in some states.
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However, that commitment did have a small backfire (little pun intended) on her personal life. You see, Hamilton did not always aspire to be an actress. Before making it in Hollywood, she was making lessons for kindergarteners in her home Cleveland. Always fond of children, she abhorred that many kids would assume she WAS the Wicked Witch upon meeting her. Finally, after years of unintentionally scaring off kids she cared so deeply about, she took to Mr. Rogers and showed the world that the Wicked Witch was only a character; a devilish villain sprung to life by a costume, a voice change, and a sinister laugh. I leave you here with that video. Enjoy!
Margaret Hamiliton on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
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